![A person pouring hot coals in a Char-Griller Classic Cart Style Charcoal Grill](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/xOhqTy_tyScoxMqB_LlrxY5eYJk=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/faw-charcoal-grills-test-char-classic-cart-style-rkilgore-282-1-d2baa6bc334642fbb310d6b3358a112c.jpeg)
Food and Wine / Russell Kilgore
Charcoal doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It's a huge technological innovation: The result of heating wood without oxygen, charcoal burns longer and hotter than the wood it's made from. It's how humanity achieved the temperatures needed to smelt metals, ushering in the Bronze and Iron Ages. It's no exaggeration to say that without charcoal, there wouldn't be modern civilization.
But today, we primarily see charcoal as a cooking medium for our charcoal grills. As a fuel for grilling, it's more controllable than wood and contributes more charred and smoky flavor than propane. There are different kinds of charcoal with dozens of brands making lump, briquettes, and other specialty types. We've loved grilling at Food & Wine for nearly 50 years, and we set out to find the best charcoal by testing a dozen varieties. With the best charcoal, you can grab your grill tools and get to barbecuing.
Best Overall Charcoal
The Good Charcoal Company Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal
This charcoal burns clean in both high-heat and low-and-slow cooking scenarios with almost no ash and no sparking.
The dense charcoal took somewhat longer to get started than other brands.
Test results aside, let’s start with the intangible reasons we love The Good Charcoal Company: Its acacia charcoal is made from invasive trees in Namibia that are encroaching on grasslands; it’s created 150 local jobs and counting; and it fights food insecurity in U.S. cities by hosting barbecues for people in need.
The charcoal itself is also great. Acacia makes for dense, clean-burning charcoal that produces very little ash and no annoying popping or sparking in testing. Its mild smoke doesn't contribute any strong flavors, which lets you taste the meat over any acrid notes, whether you're quick-grilling a steak or barbecuing an entire rack of ribs. Our only complaint is a minor one: It took about 15 minutes to get a full load of charcoal going in a chimney starter, among the longer times in testing. The large chunks burn slowly, which means they also start slowly.
Sizes Available: 8, 15.4, and 27.5 pounds
Food & Wine / John Somerall
Food & Wine / John Somerall
Best Value Charcoal
Royal Oak Hardwood Lump Charcoal
This charcoal ignites and is ready to cook quickly, and it produces a pleasant campfire-like smoke.
The packaging isn't very durable, especially if it gets wet.
Royal Oak's charcoal is a mix of sustainably sourced American hickory, oak, and maple, all of which produce pleasant smoke that will lightly perfume both your food and your yard or patio. It lit very quickly — about 5 minutes in a chimney starter — and the grill was at temperature and ready to go within 20 minutes for both our low- and high-heat tests. There was little dust in the string-closure bag, and the chunks ranged in size from small to medium.
This is a good multi-purpose charcoal, and it's very reasonably priced for its quality. Just make sure to keep the bag out of the rain: The paper isn't very waterproof and liable to spill charcoal everywhere if you try to lift it when wet.
Sizes Available: 8, 15.4, and 30 pounds
Food & Wine / Andy Wilson
Food & Wine / Andy Wilson
Food & Wine / Andy Wilson
Best Splurge Charcoal
Big Green Egg Oak and Hickory Lump Charcoal
Designed for a kamado-style grill, this quick-starting charcoal produces lots of heat.
It's quite pricey, especially considering how quickly it burns.
The Big Green Egg is our favorite kamado grill, and the brand's charcoal is ideal for the kamado setup. It lit quickly in testing and burned nice and hot, taking just 5 minutes to get a heavy ceramic kamado hot enough for searing. But it was also easy to lower the temperature by adjusting the grill's vents, making this a good charcoal for slow-cooking too. It's made from American hickory and oak woods, and we found little dust and no sparking or popping when lighting it. In terms of taste and flavor, it skews towards smoky, but not overly so. It sounds weird to call something “luxury charcoal,” but Big Green Egg fills that niche exactly.
A downside of this charcoal's high heat is that it burns fast. By the time the coals were started and the grill was pre-heated in testing, almost half the charcoal had already burned away. For longer cooks, you'll want to get a second batch lit as soon as you start cooking on the first. That means you might go through a lot of fuel, and unfortunately, this particular fuel is on the more expensive side.
Size Available: 20 pounds
Food & Wine / John Somerall
Food & Wine / John Somerall
Food & Wine / John Somerall
Best Large Charcoal
Jealous Devil Chunx Lump Charcoal
These huge chunks of charcoal maintain temperature well and contribute a delicious subtle smokiness.
It produced a lot of smoke during the lighting process.
Known for its purity, Jealous Devil's lump charcoal is made from a South American hardwood that's 30 percent denser than oak. (It's called quebracho, which means "axe-breaker" in Spanish.) This leads to clean, efficient burning with minimal smoke just a small amount of clean ash to dispose of later. Though it gets intensely hot, it won't spark or pop.
This charcoal's light smoke flavor can stand up to bolder ingredients like beef but won't overwhelm fish or poultry. But make sure it's fully lit and glowing before you put any food on the grill — it did produce a lot of smoke at the beginning of the process in our testing. Jealous Devil's price is higher than many of its competitors, but with its powerful heat and clean burning, you can use less of it.
Sizes Available: 8, 10, 20, and 35 pounds
Food & Wine / Rebecca Sheehan
Food & Wine / Rebecca Sheehan
Food & Wine / Rebecca Sheehan
Best Charcoal for Flavor
B&B Charcoal Oak Lump Charcoal
This charcoal burns hot and clean but contributes a distinct smoke flavor.
There was more popping and sparking than with many of the other charcoals we tested.
We recommend B&B to anybody who loves smoky flavor. It didn't produce excessive smoke in our testing, but it did infuse chicken legs and hamburgers with a pleasant smokiness. The oak flavor isn't harsh like mesquite or sweet like apple; it's a background note that works nicely with just about any kind of food you might want to grill. For lighting, we used a propane torch rather than a chimney and found the charcoal lit quickly – in about 5 minutes – and was ready to cook in under 20.
It did spark and pop somewhat, a sign of moisture or collected charcoal dust, despite little evidence of dust in the bag. Aside from that, it burned clean, reducing to about half a cup of ash after cooking.
Sizes Available: 20 pounds
Food & Wine / Katrina Cossey
Food & Wine / Katrina Cossey
Food & Wine / Katrina Cossey
Best Charcoal for Ceramic Grills
FOGO Super Premium Lump Charcoal
We loved the mild smokiness this hot-burning charcoal gave strip steak during our high-heat testing.
It's harder to control if you're not using a dense, heavy ceramic grill.
FOGO's charcoal did a lot of popping and smoking in an open grill, burning quite unevenly thanks to the random non-uniform sizes of its Salvadoran oak chunks. Chimney lighting took 12 minutes and more babysitting than many of the other brands we tested.
However, once we loaded the coals into a closed Kamado-style grill, the controlled airflow made them burn much more hot and clean. FOGO made for our favorite New York strip steak thanks to its high heat and subtle but recognizable smokiness. This might not be the brand for someone who uses a traditional charcoal grill, but for owners of ceramic models, it's ideal.
Sizes Available: 17.6 and 35 pounds
Food & Wine / Rebecca Sheehan
Food & Wine / Rebecca Sheehan
Food & Wine / Rebecca Sheehan
Best Charcoal for Smoking
Cowboy Hardwood Lump Charcoal
This charcoal blend has a long burn time and a distinct smoky flavor.
Sparking and popping posed some safety issues when lighting it.
For longer, lower-temperature cooking — in other words, real-deal barbecue — this mix of oak, hickory, and maple imparts a smoky flavor without overwhelming. Our test chicken was reminiscent of a campfire but had none of the harsh burnt notes that come from over-smoking. Cowboy's lump charcoal lit easily in about 5 minutes using a propane torch and then was ready for low-and-slow cooking in 25 minutes. The bag is constructed of a heavier-duty material than most, which is helpful if you plan to fold the end over and keep the extra charcoal outside next to the grill.
One issue when lighting this charcoal was that it did a lot of sparking and popping, and generated a lot of smoke. You'll want to keep kids away and have a pair of heatproof grill gloves on hand for the beginning of the process. But that issue quieted as the flames died down, and the coals burned much more cleanly and slowly. After our low-and-slow testing, there was very little ash to clean up and plenty of extra charcoal.
Sizes Available: 8.8 and 20 pounds
Food & Wine / Katrina Cossey
Food & Wine / Katrina Cossey
Food & Wine / Katrina Cossey
Best Charcoal Briquettes
Royal Oak Premium Charcoal
These convenient briquettes light with ease and are uniformly sized for easy temperature control.
Briquettes like these add more intense smoke flavor than lump charcoal, which isn't always wanted,
Where lump charcoal comes in irregular pieces that often burn unevenly, briquettes are all the same size and shape. Rather than the pillow shape of most briquettes, Royal Oak's larger pieces have a groove down the top and bottom, enhancing airflow to achieve higher temperatures and burn time. The shape also makes them quicker and easier to light than competitors, and they burn hotter and longer thanks to more hardwood being in the mix.
The (potential) negative with all briquettes is that they produce more smoke and create a more intensely smoky flavor than lump charcoal. If you're used to a near-smokeless gas grill, Royal Oak's briquettes will make your burgers, steaks, and chicken taste quite different.
Sizes Available: 7.7, 15.4, and 18 pounds
Best Binchotan Charcoal
Jealous Devil Onyx Binchotan Charcoal
This extra-special charcoal burns extra-hot.
It’s quite expensive, and not intended for long or low-temperature cooking.
Binchotan is a special type of charcoal that many grill experts consider the best in the world. Originating in Japan, where it's popular for yakitori, binchotan is made from hardwood at extra-high temperatures, which leads to higher carbon content in the finished product — which means it burns really hot with little to no smoke or visible flame. This infrared heat creates an intense sear and cooks the food evenly from the inside out at the same time.
You don't want to use binchotan for anything besides quick cooking, however. Its intense heat evaporates moisture quite effectively and can really dry out meats if you overcook them. It's also expensive, thanks to the specialized process needed to make it. But if you want to speed-grill some skewers, this is the perfect choice.
Size Available: 10 pounds
Best Charcoal for Beginners
Kingsford Match Light Charcoal
There's no special equipment or procedure needed to start this pre-treated charcoal.
It can create acrid flavors if you start cooking before it's fully lit, and it creates more ash than lump charcoal.
Starting the charcoal is the worst part of charcoal grilling. The whole process of loading up a chimney, carefully folding up paper inside it, and trying over and over to get everything lit can be intimidating, not to mention embarrassing.
Kingsford Match Light solves the problem with briquettes impregnated with their own lighter fluid. All you have to do is lay the charcoal out and hold a match or stick lighter to two or three briquettes. They'll all catch fire by themselves, and take about 20 minutes to be fully ready for cooking. Just be sure to let the briquettes pre-heat fully to burn off all the lighter fluid; it can add an oily, chemical flavor if you add food while the coals are still flaming as opposed to glowing.
Sizes Available: 4, 8, 12, and 14 pounds
Our Favorite Charcoal
For its quality and the company’s commitment to natural and economic sustainability, The Good Charcoal Company Lump Charcoal takes our top spot. It burned evenly and thoroughly, and allowed us to maintain either high or low temperatures effectively.
How We Tested Charcoal
![FOGO Super Premium Lump Charcoal being flamed on grill](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/162w9eyUOJE-URccJ1Y70tdVwiY=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/faw-lump-charcoal-test-fogo-super-premium-oak-restaurant-all-natural-hardwood-rebecca-sheehan-03-ff0e4b41f8044a6582e3d3565339a642.jpg)
Food & Wine / Rebecca Sheehan
We put a total of 13 different types of charcoal to the test for this roundup, including both lump and briquette types. We examined and rated the charcoal and tested it in real-world cooking situations.
- Packaging: Before starting anything on fire, we looked at the bags the charcoals came in. We lifted and carried them around to see if anybody with strength or mobility issues might have a difficult time, and we noted if we could open the bags without tearing to store the unused charcoal. We also looked for broken bits or any dust left behind in the bags and got the bags wet to see if they became soggy and easy to tear.
- Starting: Using a chimney starter or a natural fire starter, we lit a batch of charcoal and measured how long it took to fully catch fire and reach a consistent temperature.
- High-temperature cooking: We filled a grill with each charcoal, opened the vents, and timed it to reach a temperature of 475°F. We then cooked steak or pork chops, noting how well and how evenly the meat seared. After the cooking was complete, we tasted the items and noted how much smoke flavor the charcoal imparted. We also measured how long it took the charcoal to completely burn out.
- Low-temperature cooking: We set up a batch of charcoal for indirect cooking by placing it on one side of a grill, and then cooking half a chicken over the other side. We measured how long it took the chicken to reach an internal temperature of 165°F, whether the chicken was dry and burnt or moist and smoky, and how long the charcoal continued to burn after cooking.
We kept retail prices secret until after we completed our other tests, then revealed them and considered value for money. Charcoal comes in many different bag sizes, so we looked at both overall prices and prices per pound to make an effective comparison.
Factors to Consider
Lump Charcoal vs. Briquettes
The two main types of charcoal are lump — irregular chunks made from whole wood — and briquettes — identically shaped pieces that are formed in a mold from ground charcoal. Briquettes are easier to light and burn longer than lump charcoal, but they also produce more smoke and tend to add more flavor to food. (Some briquettes are also made with binders, lighter fluid, and other objectionable chemicals.) Lump charcoal is more difficult to get started, but once it's ready to go, it burns hotter than briquettes and produces clean smoke with a more moderate flavor.
Burn Time
Many charcoals reviewed here tout long burn times, and some can even be extinguished and reused for another grill session. This adds to the value of the bag of charcoal by extending its useful lifespan. Others are made to burn hot and quick, so you can cook up some burgers and hot dogs in the park and not have to wait around for hours for the coals to go out. Each type is better for different situations.
Wood Type
Charcoal can be made from lots of different types of wood, each of which carries a slightly different flavor. Woods like apple, maple, and cherry contribute sweet and fruity notes, while mesquite has a more charred flavor. Oak, a very common, choice, is somewhere in the middle. The type and size of the charcoal also affect flavor, but the tree it's made from is most important.
Grill Size
When buying charcoal, consider the size of your grill. A portable charcoal grill with low clearance between the charcoal and grill may be too small for a large lump of charcoal. Likewise, a larger grill will quickly burn through small pieces of hardwood charcoal, leaving you scrambling to find hot spots to cook on.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How is lump charcoal made?
Lump charcoal is made by heating wood in a low-oxygen environment. This removes water, sap, and other liquid compounds without allowing the wood to combust completely. The result is charred, dehydrated wood chunks that burn very evenly.
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How do you light lump charcoal?
You can light lump charcoal with several methods, including electric lighters, roofing torches, or building a small fire beneath it with tinder and kindling. A chimney starter is a reliable and easy way to start your fire, and you can ignite it with paper and vegetable oil, according to Katsuji Tanabe, the executive chef of a’Verde in Cary, North Caroline. Duane Nutter, chef and partner of Southern National in Atlanta takes another approach: "I like those wax cubes you get from the Green Egg store. I like them better than the electric lighters. Sparks don't fly and I can walk away for a few minutes and prep stuff," he says.
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How are charcoal briquettes made?
Charcoal briquettes are a combination of ground-up lump charcoal with ingredients that can include sawdust, starch, coal, lime, sand, and lighter fluid (if the briquettes are self-lighting). The mixture is pressed into molds and dried, creating identically sized pieces. Many charcoal fans look down on briquettes because of these extra ingredients, but they are easier to start than lump charcoal, and their standard size makes controlling temperature less complicated.
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How do you light charcoal briquettes?
Nutter's preferred method is to use a chimney lighter, or "chute with newspaper," as he refers to it. This is the same way you'd light lump charcoal, but briquettes will get going faster. If you don't have a chimney lighter, you can use lighter fluid. Spray the briquettes and let the fluid soak in for 3 to 4 minutes before lighting. And make sure to let the briquettes burn until they start to ash over completely before you add food. This ensures all the lighter fluid has burned away and avoids any off-flavors.
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Can you mix lump charcoal with briquettes?
Absolutely! "Sometimes, [for] the nostalgia of what my uncles and all those guys used to do, I mix them both. I can get that old-school flavor of the Kingsford [briquettes] that my uncle used to love and some of that wood that I've grown to love as a cheffy person," Nutter says. Keep in mind that lump charcoal generally burns hotter and faster than briquettes
![Cowboy Hardwood Lump Charcoal in a grill](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/EuSyYN0odAcAx7n8zD9hCl4z7zE=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/faw-lump-charcoal-test-cowboy-hardwood-katrina-cossey-02-dd7353af28434d71805a3a6808392bb7.jpg)
Food & Wine / Katrina Cossey
Other Charcoal We Tested
Rockwood All-Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal ($38 for 20 pounds at Amazon)
The bag closure provided challenges that may be difficult for people with strength issues to open, and the charcoal itself popped and sparked during lighting more than we’d like it to.
Mr. Bar-B-Q Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal ($44 for 16 pounds at Amazon)
Popping, smoking, and dust in the bag lowered the score for Mr. Bar-B-Q, which otherwise produced fairly good results but is pretty expensive.
Our Expertise
Greg Baker is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and food writer with four decades of experience in the food industry. His written work appears in Food & Wine, Tasting Table, Food Republic, and other publications.