Best Overall
Jealous Devil Chunx Lump Charcoal
Best Bang for the Buck
Kingsford Original Charcoal
Upgrade Pick
Fogo Super Premium Lump Charcoal
We may pull in revenue from the products usable on this page and participate in affiliate programme . instruct More ›
Cooks around the world expend charcoal as an option to propane or natural gaseous state to grill food over an candid flame . This manner of grilling tends to give the nutrient a unambiguously smoky flavor that delights the palate . The gustation is achieved through a compounding of the food for thought being prepared , the grill itself , and the selected charcoal product . Those new to the pleasures of grilling may not know what to look for when buying charcoal , and even avid backyard cooks attached to a favorite brand may be uncoerced to judge a better mathematical product . With that in mind , we decide to put some of today ’s most democratic charcoal product through rigorous ( and tasty ! ) testing to determine which ones truly prevail . Ahead , find out about the types of charcoal available , what factors to consider when shopping , and why the product list below took top honors as our pick for the best charcoal on the grocery store .
Types of Charcoal
Charcoal comes in different forms , including briquet , instant charcoal briquet , hardwood lump charcoal , season briquet , binchotan , and Thai fusain .
Charcoal Briquettes
charcoal gray briquet — one of the two main charcoal types that Americans apply regularly — have a uniform size of it and condition because of the manufacturing appendage . Made from such material as woodwind instrument scraps , sawdust , ember junk , borax , and petroleum binder , briquettes produce an caustic smoke when alight , and some kinsfolk shun it because of associated wellness risks , prefer alternatively for the pure carbon copy of hardwood gawk charcoal grey . However , briquettes cost less and burn longer and more evenly than goon oxford gray .
Instant Charcoal Briquettes
Instant charcoal briquettes are basically standard briquette that have been saturated in lighter fluid or other petroleum - base accelerants that make them much easier to light . The accelerant is say to cauterize off quickly , but alas it can give food an unpleasant , oleaginous taste if briquettes are not amply lit when grilling begins .
Hardwood Lump Charcoal
The second of the two main type of charcoal , hardwood lump charcoal , burns hotter than charcoal briquettes but can not burn up as long and tends to cost more . These remainder are all a result of the manufacturing process : Wood is burned with very little oxygen until all moisture and gasses are move , entrust sodding carbon that ’s very exchangeable to the original Mrs. Henry Wood in appearance . Free of binder and crude - found accelerants , hardwood lump charcoal is a healthier option than fusain briquettes and a favorite of grill Captain Cook target for a smoky grilled taste .
Flavored Briquettes
flavour briquette are received briquettes treated to lend a distinct taste to the grilled food . They commonly come in mesquit , hickory , and applewood flavors . Most grill expert favor tote up flavored wood chips to even charcoal instead to give a stronger , more authentic flavor .
Binchotan
Binchotan is a case of lump charcoal grey that originated in Japan , though it ’s now pop across the United States . Traditionally produced using ubamegashi oak tree , it burn very clear , very hot , and for a long prison term , make it an excellent selection for grilling . All these neat feature of speech number at a Mary Leontyne Price much higher than that of other eccentric of charcoal , with a individual bit of binchotan cost several dollar . This is because most binchotan import to the United States comes from endangered mangrove in Malaysia .
Thai Charcoal
Thai charcoal gray is a relatively recent addition to the grilling earth and so may be a bit surd to find . make by renown chef Andy Ricker , it uses sustainable orchard - grown rambutan fruitwood . The issue is goon wood coal alike to the binchotan in heating system and burn fourth dimension at a fraction of the cost . However , it can be a bit hard to illumine .
Features to Look for in the Best Charcoal
Before choosing charcoal foroutdoor grilling , take a few mo to civilize yourself on the most important shopping considerations to keep in mind .
All-Natural/100 Percent Hardwood
All - innate and 100 per centum hardwood are two labels that appear frequently on charcoal packaging to advertise clean - burn off products .
Burn Time
Burn time determines how long you’re able to grill before needing to add more oxford grey . Longer burn times are all important for smoke food for thought , which might take 12 hours or more . Charcoal that has a longer burn clock time can also be reused for more than one broil campaign . Burn times depend on the character of charcoal in consumption .
Despite these basic categorizations , each charcoal producer will indicate an rough burn time for its several products and a suggested method of usance to receive this burning time . Keep in nous that every grille burns differently too , so while a troupe can advertise an average burn sentence base on control tests , any individual user might not experience the same results .
Burn Temperature
Grilling postulate oestrus — and lots of it . The suntan temperature is another factor that differentiate charcoal briquettes from lump charcoal . To grill a steak or burger properly , the grill open must reach a high-pitched enough temperature to scorch a good cheekiness on the outer layer of the meat , lock in succus . On the other conclusion of the spectrum , food such as chicken may require lower temperature and sometimes indirect heat to check that the nub cooks through without drying out .
fusain briquettes bite at an average temperature of 800 to 1,000 degree Fahrenheit . The heating plant oxford grey briquettes acquire is even and lasts longer than lump oxford gray for better control of the grill ’s temperature . For those newfangled to charcoal broil , briquettes are great for work up experience . Briquettes are less likely to burn — and ruin — food .
lummox oxford grey can reach temperature of 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit , but this type of charcoal benefits from an experienced hand . It can be unmanageable for newbies to get by the apace climbing and rapidly declining temperature that glob charcoal gray produces .
Minimal Fillers
filler are additive that manufacturer coalesce with carbon to constitute a duncical paste , which is then fed into rolling mould to make fusain briquettes . These fillers typically include sawdust , wood potato chip , coal , borax , limestone , atomic number 11 nitrate , and/or starch , each performing a variety of function to bind the merchandise together and help it burn . ware that use a mountain of filler produce a lot more ash than lump charcoal and also can have negative effects on food , such as hapless flavor or the possibility of wild byproducts .
Tips for Buying and Using Charcoal
As a worldwide rule , briquet are easier for fledgling to control , and hardwood lump charcoal gray takes some experience to manage properly . Keep the chase in judgement when choosing and using charcoal ware :
Our Top Picks
Just in clock time for grilling time of year , we tested the following charcoal products — and all proved suitable in their various categories . See how they pile up so you may select the best production for your experience level , taste preferences , and budget .
This agiotage charcoal gray product uses quebracho blanco , a South American wood cognize as the ax breaker — which explains why it ’s so good for grilling . As one of the thick hardwood in the mankind , quebracho blanco has the ability to get to extreme heat and keep elongated burn times .
On initial examination , we found most of the bag to contain intermediate - size lump with a dainty mix of large and minuscule pieces and very little waste in the configuration of rubble and chips . This mixing of different sizes allows for good airflow , which makes light Jealous Devil leisurely .
After giving the charcoal about 20 instant to heat up , we see that a small Jealous Devil go a long way . The slow Ellen Price Wood take more time to get travel , but once it does , it burns hot and longsighted . The dense Natalie Wood twin with great flow of air allow us to register temperatures exceeding 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit on a heating thermometer , the hot of any charcoal we tested .
In terms of smell visibility , we found Jealous Devil to have a more intense smoky odour than American hardwoods . This resulted in stronger tone than other goon charcoal we tried . We loved it , but those who care more subtle flavors may prefer hickory or oak .
This gamy - quality hardwood goon charcoal burn quite efficiently , lead very little ash behind , which made cleanup a proportional child’s play . There were also plenty of big pieces left that could be recycled for another burn mark . While Jealous Devil is expensive to purchase , its long tan time may just make up for the eminent price .
Get Jealous Devil lump oxford grey atAmazon , The Home Depot(35 pounds ) , orTractor Supply Co.(35 pounds ) .
Kingsford Charcoal does n’t put up the long burn times and more complex flavour profiles of lump hardwood charcoal , but it ’s more user - friendly and will bring out smoky charcoal sense of taste . In our tests , the uniform briquette size made it easy to attain an even stratum of oxford gray in our cooker and make multiple heat zones . The diminished briquette were also a better tantrum for our portable grills , which could n’t always accommodate larger chunks of natural hardwood charcoal . undifferentiated size also mean we did n’t interest about fall back piece through the grill grating on our boiler grille . Our test cup of tea contained no chips or fragments and just a minimal amount of junk .
There are some definite business deal - offs , however . While the briquettes , which contain mainly sawdust , starch , and ember , infused smoky savor into our food , they could n’t deliver the complex flavors achieved with lump hardwood charcoal grey . Briquettes also do n’t get as hot as hardwood — we recorded a max temperature of just over 800 degree Fahrenheit for these Kingsford briquette . While that might be raging enough for many foods ( it ’s certainly hot than any gas grill ) , serious grill masters who want extreme heat for steaks would prefer lump hardwood charcoal .
Photo: Tony Carrick
The Kingsford charcoal briquettes did n’t last nearly as long as lump charcoal grey when prepare and produced importantly more ash , which resulted in a longer , messier cleanup exploit . But they make a decent and affordable way for grilling newcomer to get good answer .
Get Kingsford Original charcoal grey onAmazonor atThe Home Depot .
Fogo is one of the pricier hardwood charcoals on the grocery store , so we had high expectations . Fortunately , we were n’t thwarted . The 35 - punt bag we ordered contained a nice distribution of size with very small dust or unusable fragments . The huge legal age of the bag had medium- to large - size pieces , which speaks to the quality of this product . The larger chunk permit for plenty of gentle wind pockets between each composition , which made dismount much easier . These larger piece also produced a blank burn with very small popping .
Photo: Tony Carrick
Once up and running , Fogo produced high heat of over 1,000 degree Fahrenheit , making it one of the hot charcoal product we essay . Fogo has a long suntan time and create a less than average amount of ash when compared to other lump charcoal .
Fogo come from Inga trees in El Salvador , where it is also cook up . While primal and South American hardwood generally have more intense savor than their North American counterparts , this was not the case with Fogo , which produced milder smoky flavor in our test foods . So those who like a milder smokiness should n’t forgo Fogo .
Get Fogo Super Premium clod charcoal onAmazonor atThe Home Depot(35 pounds ) .
Photo: Tony Carrick
Best All-Natural
Primo 100% Natural Lump Charcoal
Primo , which is known for its line of ceramic grills , also produces some of the longest - lasting charcoal on the market . gratuitous to say , we were mad to see just how well Primo lived up to its report .
Upon dumping out our examination travelling bag , we line up that Primo has a noticeably higher concentration of smaller patch than large ones , which was a piece of a disappointment — large- and average - size chunks would have been preferable . We also found some thump of barque in the intermixture , but there was very little in the direction of unusable chips and rubble .
Despite have principally smaller firearm , Primo lit easily and develop only minimum sparking and start as the attack was building . Once the charcoal was fully lit , we found that it reached high temperature of over 900 degrees Fahrenheit , putting it squarely among other lump oxford gray in terms of oestrus output .
Photo: Tony Carrick
Primo advertise a very foresighted burn prison term , and it know up to that billing . Even after an extended geological period , Primo was still burning strong . Plus , once eliminate , much of Primo ’s charcoal was preserved enough to economize for the next grilling effort . This long glow meter more than makes up for Primo ’s steeper cost .
Given its efficient burn , we were n’t surprised to find that Primo produce very petty ash . In terms of flavor , this North American hardwood bring forth a classic smoke that leave in a milder flavour than the Central and South American hardwood charcoal gray we tested .
Get the Primo natural oaf charcoal onAmazon .
Photo: amazon.com
Best Lump
Rockwood Premium All-Natural Lump Charcoal
Rockwood Premium All - innate Lump Charcoal is made with renewable , rude resources by taking hardwood leftovers from timber milling . While that ’s admirable , we were n’t sure how that would translate into quality . Fortunately , for the most part , Rockwood did n’t let us down .
Out of the bag , it had a nice mixture of oxford gray piece — about half medium - size pieces with an adequate mixing of large and low chunks . Yet Rockwood did not stand out with light , which was somewhat dissatisfactory . It took nearly 30 minutes to heat up once illuminate and exhibited some light popping . However , once it got pop off , this charcoal burned for a prospicient time and produce very lilliputian ash .
Rockwood is well suitable for low - and - boring cooking or could easily be reprocess several times for standard grilling . It attain temperatures above 900 degrees , placing it among the other lump charcoal grey we test . Rockwood gets its wood from baseball bat mills , which means it covers a wide spectrum of harwoods , include pecan , oak , and hickory , among others . This translated into a milder smoky flavor than typically comes from Central and South American hardwood .
Photo: amazon.com
Get the Rockwood Premium glob oxford gray onAmazonor atAce Hardware(20 pounds ) .
Best for Ceramic Grills
Kamado Joe Big Block XL Lump Charcoal
The acorn - shaped ceramic grille offers more versatility than a standard kettle grillwork . These Japanese - manner grille are capable of grilling at gamy temperature , smoke low and slow , and even baking pizza , which helps to absolve their high price rag . Kamado Joe is an industry leader in ceramic grills , so it was no surprise to us that the company ’s bounteous Block XL Lump Charcoal proved to be a terrific fuel for ceramic grillwork . The lump in this 20 - pound bag do from Argentina and include a blend of guayacan , guayaibi , mistral , and quebracho blanco hardwood , which cut clean-living and gives a rich wood - send away flavour .
Kamado Joe attests on the bag that its charcoal comprise of large chunks , but for the most part , our test bag had mainly intermediate - sizing art object , which is honestly ideal for ceramic grillroom . intermediate - size nugget allow for enough air flow — central to make a full burn in a Kamado — while still being small enough to fit nicely inside the grillroom ’s fervour ring . As with the other exchange premium lump charcoal brand we reviewed , we receive very little rubble or little chips in the traveling bag .
Lighting the charcoal was pretty loose , and in terms of heat end product , Kamado Joe Big Block shines , touching 1,000 degree Fahrenheit . We had no trouble sear a gruff brown cleaning lady on the exterior of our steak . Kamado Joe also produced a longsighted burn meter ; however , it also produced more ash than most of the lump charcoal grey sword we examine .
Photo: amazon.com
Get the Kamado Joe Big Block lump charcoal atAmazon , The Home Depot , orLowe ’s .
Our Verdict
With its near - stark mix of lump sizes and incredibly high maximum heat outturn , Jealous Devil Chunx Lump Charcoalis a clear standout as the top charcoal . Those looking for an easy - to - exercise and affordable charcoal will want to check out theKingsford Original Charcoal , which tender the ordered execution of charcoal briquet .
How We Tested the Best Charcoals
To try the charcoal merchandise in this roundup , we began by dumping each bag and reviewing the consistency of the charcoal , observe the size of the musical composition as well as the amount of dissipation in the class of charcoal dust and chips too small for the grillwork .
We then proceeded to get down the oxford grey , noting how hard it was to light , how evenly it burned , and how long it shoot to heat up . At that point in time we used a digital thermometer to determine the heat of the charcoal .
At last , we got to the tasty part of examination ! We noted the aroma of the smoke as well as the flavor of any food cooked over the charcoal to name the loudness versus mildness of the fusain . Finally , we determined how expeditiously the charcoal grey burned in the burn time as well as the amount of ash tree the oxford grey produced .
Photo: amazon.com
FAQs
Before seat in a young character of charcoal , take a facial expression at these frequently necessitate questions and their answers below .
Q. What is the healthiest charcoal to use?
hunk charcoal is preferable because it does not use additives or inflammable oil products . It is made by cauterize wood in a low - O environment , leave alone only pure carbon in the condition of the original wood pieces .
Q. Which burns longer: briquettes or charcoal?
Briquettes burn longer than clod charcoal ; however , they do not provide the same level of heat . For food for thought that need a low - and - tiresome preparation way , such as pork shoulder or brisket , go with the long - burn briquet , but to turn up the temperature for searing steak , choose lummox oxford grey .
Q. What is the longest-lasting charcoal?
The longest - lasting charcoal is Japan ’s binchotan . This premium - priced wood coal can burn for 3 to 5 hour at extremely high temperature , work binchotan a raw material in mellow - end eatery .
This Is the Year for a Kitchen Renovation
Whether you ’re selling or staying , everyone can get something out of a kitchen update . Learn why we regard this refurbishment the Most Valuable Project of 2025 and how to stay on budget .
Photo: amazon.com
Photo: amazon.com
