All About Charcoal | Cook's Country

Charcoal has a primal appeal. It’s one of the oldest manufactured cooking fuels, with production dating to at least the Iron Age. As ancient humans learned, charcoal is a more efficient fuel source than wood. It’s lighter, more portable, and burns more evenly. Is one type better than another?
Read our full Charcoal review: bit.ly/4dHtEEs
Buy the Kingsford Charcoal Briquettes: bit.ly/4aC7jFt
Buy our winning food processor: bit.ly/3QYRFNg
Buy our winning baking sheet: bit.ly/3URGYgU
Buy our winning wire rack: bit.ly/44Ro6mJ
Buy our winning whisk: bit.ly/44XaSoE
Buy our winning Stand Mixer: bit.ly/3UWL3QK
ABOUT US: The mission of America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) is to empower and inspire confidence, community, and creativity in the kitchen. Founded in 1992, the company is the leading multimedia cooking resource serving millions of fans with TV shows (America’s Test Kitchen, Cook's Country, and America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation), magazines (Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country), cookbooks, a podcast (Proof), FAST channels, short-form video series, and the ATK All-Access subscription for digital content. Based in a state-of-the-art 15,000-square-foot test kitchen in Boston’s Seaport District, ATK has earned the trust of home cooks and culinary experts alike thanks to its one-of-a-kind processes and best-in-class techniques. Fifty full-time (admittedly very meticulous) test cooks, editors, and product testers spend their days tweaking every variable to find the very best recipes, equipment, ingredients, and techniques. Learn more at www.americastestkitchen.com/.
If you like us, follow us:
cookscountry.com
cookscountry
testkitchen
cookscountry
pinterest.com/testkitchen

[@glennzanotti3346]

My experience from about 25 years of grilling and smoking meats matches the results of this ATK experiment exactly. I know some lump charcoal purists that swear they can taste a difference. I have found that if I DO tell people what I used, they say, "I knew it." But, if I DON'T tell people which kind of charcoal I used, they can't guess with any kind of consistency. Pure and simple belief bias.

[@KenS1267]

Maybe briquette making has improved but that glue flavor was very distinct. It's why I stopped using them.

[@gregbyrne6909]

just tell them you're using lump. They'll think the food tastes better and everyone goes home happy

[@bub1408]

The B&B briquettes have replaced the Kingsford blue bag at my house.

[@brianm9085]

​@@bub1408 I haven't used B&B, how might it compare to Kingsford competition? I can't/won't use regular Kingsford.

[@bub1408]

@brianm9085 I don't have any experience with Kingsford Competition, but I did porksteaks two weekends ago using B&B, and my 26-inch Weber was still holding 250 after 6 hours. Ash is a whole lot less than the Kingsford blue bag also.

[@jminion1947]

25 years ago I was using Kingsford and could get 10 to 11 pounds to burn 16 to 20 hours at 225 to 250*. The method I used became known as the Minion Method (named by others). Within a few years Kingsford changed their formula, the burn times decreased. Kingsford Pro was a step back in the right direction. I use lump very often and enjoy it, I do more smoking than grilling so controlling temp is more advantageous than getting a high cook temp. Learn to use both lump and briquettes and you will always find charcoal for your cook.

[@1boortzfan]

Having been a truck driver for 40 years I have picked up just about every food item known to man. Years ago I was picking up a load of charcoal briquettes When I saw a pneumatic train car off to the side so I asked what it was for? A supervisor told me that was for lime.I couldn't believe they put lime in charcoal. He looked at me like I was crazy, he said sure we do, we sell this stuff by weight you know.

[@theathjr]

There is a reason stores in my area sell lump “cowboy” charcoal for 1 penny with a $50 purchase. Kingsford Original is my go to. It has been for the entirety of my adult life. Thanks Dad. RIP.

[@David_T]

the weight difference is that briquets use binders which can include clay. You can easily note this when you clean out ashes: Lump just leaves ash and it is very light. Briquets have a much heavier ash due to the binders. My personal findings is that briquets burn more evenly than lump. I've got a BGE so I use lump exclusively since I have much more control over the temperature.

[@WastrelWay]

Briquettes may include coal dust, borax, sawdust, wax, and chaff, etc . But there's no replacement for real wood. You know what it is. How do you prepare real wood to be used for BBQing, so you can be sure it's not wet or has bugs in it? You put it on the BBQ after the food is cooked and the fire is dying, then you leave it overnight. But that's the way you used to do things, when you made your BBQ out of cinder blocks and if it didn't rain, all you had to do was put more wood in it the next day and it would catch fire from the coals. Of course all these folks who have torn out their trees to put in a swimming pool have to buy charcoal, and they never heard of coppicing. (I'd make a joke about the ladies asking me for "more wood" but that would be superfluous.)

[@hellhound1389]

Also why the briquettes burned hotter was because they also contain uncharred wood pulp. So if you use briquettes enjoy your chemical binders

[@johnpimperl3539]

Wonder if you started with equal weights instead of volume would the heat and burn time be closer?

[@def1ghi]

My experience is that the lump charcoal is far easier to start and that it spikes to the highest temp fast and then falls off more quickly, just like you found. But the starting has been the big difference for me: lump starts a lot faster and more reliably.

[@glennzanotti3346]

What makes a difference to me is that with lump charcoal, I get somewhere between a half and two-thirds of a bag of usable charcoal. The rest is just dust or pieces that fall through the charcoal grate. And, I pay more for it.

[@hellhound1389]

It's because briquettes also contain uncharred wood pulp and chemical binders. Hard lump is just straight charcoal. The fact that they didn't find that out makes me question them now

[@gregshonle2072]

@@hellhound1389 From what I saw, they explicitly mention the difference. From 0:57-1:13, the process by which straight hard lump is made. From 1:17-1:29, covers the process of combining charred sawdust and binders into briquettes. In more than 30 years of lighting briquettes in a chimney, I've never had the slightest problem getting a good charcoal fire going.

[@jhinton088]

Costo Kingsford Professional is the best charcoal from my experience. Ive grilled and smoked with dozens of different kinds of charcoal but nothing beats the consistency of Kingsford professional. Super clean burn, gets scorching hot, and lasts a long time. It's also noticably different than standard Kingsford.

[@BlueHen123]

Did you not watch the video?

[@robertherman1146]

Our test indicate it burns 25% faster than regular Kingsford.

[@Tsyras]

In my Big Green Egg lump is required, and is perfect since you can shutdown the grill and reuse what is leftover. In my Weber I use natural briquettes (no chemicals) since it works better for me in a kettle style. In my Weber Smokey Mountain I use a combination, but mostly briquettes. You also need a good brand of lump to avoid too much dust…but there will typically still be some.

[@jackchn23]

Lump charcoal is NOT required for the BGE, it is recommended.

[@JaredSutter]

I also use lump for my kamado grill. I've used briquettes before, and they work fine for short-to-medium long cooks, but they produce a lot more ashes. For a long smoking session, the ashes start to impede airflow through the smoker

[@mikeking7470]

I can shut off the vents in my 40 year old Weber and also reuse what is left, too.

[@vinstinct]

I have a BGE, lump is not required. You can do the same with briquettes. I prefer lump though.

[@ethermal1]

Brickettes produce more ash and very rarely can you get a decent second fire out of them, otherwise they do just fine and dandy in the green egg

[@edkomeshak9587]

Great tests. Those are the two biggest reasons most people give for using - cleaner taste and hotter burn. I was always skeptical of both, so it’s good to hear this confirmed. The advantage of lump that was not mentioned is there is much less ash vs briquettes. Using a kamodo style that is the only reason I use lump

[@mdem5059]

The temperature of the heat really depends on the type of wood the lump is made from, too. Hotter is not always better, it almost never is better, in fact. The duration can depend on from so many factors, I'm just going to ASSUME the wind conditions and BBQ settings were all the same throughout all the tests, but that seems very difficult to do. In general most people enjoy lump because of a few things, the smoke is cleaner, they don't have any filler in them like the bricks (a lot of bricks have starter in them, and that's awful), depending on the type of wood it's made from, it can provide a nicer tasting smoke too. On the flip side, bricks are easier to stack if you are using something like the snake method in a Weber, using a smaller BBQ like a Weber GO, need to get a charcoal BBQ started ASAP, only need the charcoal grill on for a few steaks. Things like this, bricks make a lot more sense. They both serve a purpose for different things.

[@AdamJohnson0110]

I like briquettes using the snake method for low/slow bbq. I can get a ring of briquettes to last 6-7hrs in a regular size Weber kettle. Enough time to get smoke on a pork butt or whole brisket before wrapping and continuing overnight in an oven.

[@bubblewhip382]

Lump has less white smoke or "dirty smoke" on startup than briquettes. This can be evident in the most extreme case of bintochan for Yakitori which has almost no smoke at all on ignition.

[@nelsonnguyen4811]

Japanese bintochan is a different animal than the western lump style like in this video. That’s evident in it burning hotter.

[@JohnD357]

I use lump charcoal because it's actually hardwood. Briquets contain who-knows-what wood with binders that aren't necessarily the kind of thing you want your food exposed to.

[@bigchimpin4215]

Lump does better for smoking. Lump burns cleaner and doesn’t leave a bunch of binders behind. If you’re using a kamado style grill/smoker lump is a must.

[@aemmerich]

This has been my experience. I smoked a turkey in my kamado over the wintertime but couldn't find any lump so I used Kingsford Hardwood briquettes plus my usual mixture of seasoned hickory, oak, and cherry firewood. The bird, especially the skin, took on a distinct flavor that I can only describe as burning plastic. I repeated the cook with lump charcoal and the flavor went back to normal.

[@usarms149]

@@aemmerich exactly. Binders will always impart flavor, just like each type of wood has its own flavor.

[@woodsrdr]

I can get 1100° plus out of lump coals in my Weber. I used a good amount of coals to do it but it burns hotter than all of the binders and chemicals in briquettes. Plus if you have the right trees available near you and a shovel, you can easily make your own lump charcoal.

[@rirkc]

Maybe should have included coconut shell waste charcoal in the testing, which is very popular in Asian countries. It's available here and uses waste byproducts from the coconut processing plants. I think it's a pretty neat answer to the question of what to do with all the waste from coconut processing.

[@dbelex]

You can't buy that in Boston.....der

[@vvg6111]

Thank you for the great info.

[@manofthetombs]

Very informative! Thank you!

[@kylek7005]

What are the binder compounds used in briquettes? Any health effects.

[@jernigan007]

look for "all natural" briqs. its sawdust, pulp, non toxic binder. thats it. no issues with health. Lots of companies have extra stuff in their briqs, junk fillers. just read the bag. Kingsford uses junk fillers

[@hellhound1389]

It contains charcoal, uncharred wood pulp, the same clay used in kitty litter, and petroleum. Hard lump is just straight charcoal. Enjoy your chemicals

[@mrlevhil]

I got a (1' long) piece of wire in my bag of lump last year. I won't say the brand name, but i switched to the briquettes of the same brand. I didn't taste a difference, but i enjoyed the slow, even heating of the briquettes.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

I wouldn't expect any company to hand sort charcoal. If there's a wire in the bag, throw it in the garbage and keep on cooking.

[@FinYoyo]

Great video Should also test how long it takes to get the types of charcoal to grilling temp. I feel like briquette takes a lot longer. Also briquette tends to generate more ash?

[@jdparksak]

I use both. Sometimes individually, most of the time in combination. If I’m going hot a fast, more lump. If it’s low and slow, mostly briquettes.

[@dcrossification]

There is one area lump hardwood charcoal betters briquets: you can throw a steak directly onto the hot coals, and it will give you a great, crunchy sear and a cool red center (if you take it off in time). You can do this with briquets because unlike hardwood, it has chemicals mixed in. If you have never cooked a steak this way consider trying it. Another bonus: it'll blow your guests' minds. (No, the steak doesn't get "ashy." The little that clings is easily brushed off.)

[@jernigan007]

there are plenty of all natural briqs out there. i wouldnt try it with Kingsford !

[@Oudeis000]

Steve Raichlen recommends this ancient form of grilling, which he terms "caveman grilling". He advises against briquettes for this method not only because of adulterants like binders and petrochemicals but also the compressed sawdust imparts more ash to meat; thus, he favors lump charcoal for caveman grilling.

[@jake9705]

"Cowboy steak"

[@hellhound1389]

I caveman my veggies and steak for fajitas all the time. It's also the best method of cooking corn or potatoes

[@jernigan007]

@@hellhound1389 you so cool, i want to be like you when i grow up

[@deborahcaldwell9775]

Well, thank you for investing in all those charcoals and doing that test

[@jamessmallridge8187]

With lump charcoal you should check the pieces for things that are not charcoal. Two different times over the years I’ve had meat that would have been ruined if not hadn’t noticed the little black floaties coming off of a piece of lump. What I’m guessing is that a chunk of tire from the big loaders that they scoop the wood up with had broken off and if not for the black weird smoke and a slight smell it would have ruined my meat.

[@declanfarber]

Another thing to be careful about is if the lump contains bark. This is bad because it tends to impart a slight bitterness. Don’t use the bark pieces. Unless the meat is intended for your dog.

[@mattschmitt9924]

​@@declanfarber I add hickory bark on top of the lump for flavor. Could have fooled me that I ruined it.

[@declanfarber]

@@mattschmitt9924 I guess some people like that edge!

[@Buford_T_Justice1]

I smoke and grill with a Weber kettle. When I smoke low and slow I like the consistency of Kingsford Blue because I can keep my temps within the smoking window very easily. When I’m grilling hot and fast I use lump charcoal. That gives me the best results while keeping my gear simple. I really enjoy the no frills approach to outdoor cooking. I can cook on my Weber without using an app on my phone. Not to toot my own horn but I knock everyone dead with my food.

[@jolemite2639]

“Toot tooooooooot” 🚂

[@jefff6167]

I’ve used both and agree, the briquettes are more consistent.

[@carlosenriquez2092]

I use charcoal exclusively for brisket in a 26-inch webber using the snake method. I can get almost 10 hours at a very steady 250 to 260 range. This has sparked my curiosity I'm going to try lump charcoal see if it is as steady and consistent in a slow burn.

[@hellhound1389]

I do a top down burn in my water smoker. I put down a layer of unburnt charcoal, a few large chunks of apple wood, then dump a chimney of lit coals. I get 16-20 hours that way

[@CarlosRodriguez-dd4sb]

Fun Fact - Kingsford was originally sold at Ford dealerships. It was made with the scraps from the Ford auto plant

[@Brew311]

That cuz it was invented by Ford as he was looking for a way to sell the by product of the wood he used to make the Model T.

[@trapped7534]

Thanks

[@rickyzuron]

I use both !

[@tvideo1189]

It is easy to demonstrate that briquettes are cut with all sorts of filler material by one easy test. Burn down the same weight of charcoal, lump in one burn and briquettes in the other. Then see what is left behind. Briquettes leave a LOT more residue and ash, a LOT more. All that crap left over is filler material you just cooked you food with.

[@kncannon]

Building off of other's comments, it depends on your application. A Kamado style cooker typically uses lump charcoal (because of the way that it works), Weber type grills can handle either type and your selection largely depends on temp and time (and perhaps budget), while if you use either type in a stick-burner, you are probably unclear on the concept and methodology.

[@brgable]

Both are great I use lump bc it leaves less ash simple as that.

[@oscarm8686]

I mostly use lump charcoal instead of briquettes. I don’t like the ignition smoke of Kingsford briquettes and it leaves a different taste on my food compared to lump charcoal. Lump has a cleaner taste in my opinion and ignites faster, but it doesn’t last as long as briquettes. I’ve also used different kinds of lump charcoal and I frequently use El Diablo. The knock on El Diablo lump charcoal is that they tend to give you way too big pieces of lump charcoal, but as long as I have a saw, I can cut it to whatever thickness I want

[@olep.4156]

I mainly find that lump is quicker to get going, but also faster to fade. So the solution we found at music festivals is a mix of the two. Lump to get things started and brickets to keep it going. Depending on what we want it is about qual by volume or 1 to 2 lump to brickets.

[@Max_Maximus_69]

I went through a lump charcoal phase...never again. Too many little pieces falling through on fire, inconsistent, too many pops and sparks. For me, Kingsford Professional is superior and I pick them up two at a time for cheap at Costco.

[@anthonyw5261]

Thanks for always bringing the most entertaining, practical and useful information for my kitchen, outdoor tips and tools😀 ❤❤❤

[@beekaye1496]

I use both in my starter

[@TopCat2021]

I don't agree with the tests performed, I have about 40 years at a grill everything from el cheapo to the nice Weber grills, if I want a low and slow then its the briquettes as they have an even burn BUT for intense heat I consistently get 850-900* F + if I want a quick sear from lump charcoal definitely have to have a 2 zone cook going on. I would love to know more about the testing methods used. As far as taste they are about the same if quality briquets are used.

[@yesitsmario88]

That B&B Orange bag is the best briquettes out there, minimal smoke on start up and last a long time.

[@51rwyatt]

I personally feel like lump tastes better than briquette. But now I'm worried I'm imagining it. The only way I know how to solve this issue is to make more bbq. Sad times.

[@TopCat2021]

I feel your pain.

[@hellhound1389]

You're not imagining it. I've been winning local grilling competitions for years. I was the only one using hard lump now all but one are using it. Doing my research I found briquettes contain charcoal, uncharred wood pulp, clay (the same used in kitty litter), and petroleum. The fact their testers couldn't tell the difference makes me question them and their results about everything

[@51rwyatt]

@@hellhound1389 Yes, I'm suspicious. For example, it is clear that different lump charcoal source woods (oak, maple, hickory etc.) have very different flavors. It seems inevitable that briquettes containing mystery wood or a blend are going to taste different than most lump charcoals.

[@michaelsaxman]

Briquettes often have coal and petroleum in them, that can't be good for you. I can definitely smell the difference in the smoke. I use free beech and oak charcoal that I make in a barrel. Using a starter chimney and just newspaper, natural lump starts way faster. From ignition to ready to cook is seven minutes every time in the fireplace in my living room, year round.

[@EF-69]

B&B lump with hickory, in the green bag, is my favorite. I prefer some of the inconsistency with lump to use different stuff depending on what's cooking. But at the ends of the spectrum it can get silly. Another issue is junk. I've found rocks & plastic mixed in.

[@sandrah7512]

That was ATK's experience as well - rocks in one bag, a hunk of asphalt in another - likely due to the wood destined for charcoal typically being waste byproducts. They said once the foreign objects get covered with black charcoal dust, it's difficult for the sorting sensors to pick them out.

[@Martin_Priesthood]

Interesting...👍👌🙏

[@barbarac8422]

We always just use dried wood, usually oak.

[@patmac1134]

I do a lot of smoking and use lump charcoal for it because I use my BGE. I do use briquettes when I need a hot fire to sear meat that I've used sous vide, or just for regular grilling (burgers, wings, etc.) I use B&B briquettes as they burn hotter and cleaner (they are a lot bigger and disintegrate a lot less than Kingsford). For smoking, I tend to use FOGO Super Premium (more uniform, less sparking) or Jealous Devil (made from S. American hard wood) or B&B Lump. One thing not mentioned anywhere I've seen in this review is the sparking issue with some brands of lump. I also saw that Jealous Devil has put out briquette charcoal but haven't tried it yet. BTW, if you want the best chicken wings EVER, use the vortex method on your Weber (plenty of videos about how to do it).

[@matthewhull4030]

The average person who doesn't eat BBQ very often wouldn't taste much difference. I consider myself the average person but I'm using my grill and my smoker weekly. My biggest concern is getting "clean smoke". There are some brands that burn better and give you that good smoky flavor without the bitter over smoked flavor. I finally settled on B&B as my main source of fuel.

[@jwillisbarrie]

Thanks for adding actual captions for the Deaf

[@Getpojke]

Would love you to try out Cobb Ovens & their specialised fuel Cobb "Cobblestones". I don't know if Cobb is available in the US? But its the best BBQ/Oven & most consistent fuel I've ever used. I love cooking with mine whether at home, camping or at the beach. I can roast whole chickens, joints of beef, make pizza, stir fry, bake, fry, boil & smoke. They come from South Africa & we all know they are kings of the braai. I've been using mine in the UK for about 20 years & its the most fuel efficient BBQ I've ever used.

[@marzsit9833]

cobb is available in north america, but is quite expensive. the cobblestones are about 5 us dollars each.

[@Getpojke]

@@marzsit9833 Oh that is pricey! I usually use briquettes as a handful will roast a whole chicken & some veg. I only occasionally buy the cobblestones if space for fuel is going to be at a premium on a prolonged road-trip. Even just using briquettes its still the most fuel efficient BBQ I've ever used.

[@ChanJENI]

There's always the possibility that some people really can taste a difference -- super tasters, super smellers, those people who can apparently smell ants, or fear, or cancer, or whatever -- but for the vast majority of people, it's all wood.

[@samuelmahoney6878]

In my experience, there is not much difference for shorter cooking times. I’ve always found for longer cooking times which require tending and refueling to maintain low and slow temps, the briquettes give a decent smoke ring while lump does not. It’s especially noticeable on pork. I like both and generally just buy what is on sale. I think over the past few years as lump has become more popular, the quality has gone down. It used to be a bit denser. The last few bags of lump I’ve bought have been noticeably light for the volume. There are some traditional lump charcoals that are very dense and burn for a long time, but these are extraordinarily expensive.

[@cathnu2]

In my experience with a kettle grill I like to use lump for fast cooking like steaks because it has burned hotter faster. For longer cooking the briquettes burn longer at a consistent temperature.

[@MarkDHastingsMusic]

I would really like to see these tests done with a Kamodo type grill, low and slow, to see if that made a difference briquette vs lump.

[@ALegitimateYoutuber]

One that should be here is Thaan charcoal. stuff is amazing and you can put it out with water let it dry and then use the rest latter. Add in the fact it burns really hot and also has like no smoke, makes it amazing to cook with. Yet also give amazing flavor because all fat just vaporizes instantly and gives the meat that beautiful flavor

[@thooks1234]

Here's a big secret (not really, many folks know this) - Most all Lump Charcoal is bagged by......drum roll please... Royal Oak. RO bags charcoal for most retailers, food service companies, etc. B&B and some other almost-boutique brands get theirs from another maker. But that $35 green bag at the pool or hardware store, it's bagged by RO. Same with most every bag available to you...except Cowboy. I think it's bagged in a trailer park in upstate New Hampshire.

[@JohnDoe-xu2vx]

Kamodo Joe lump charcoal is great....nice big pieces

[@pawpawstew]

Back in 2011, I bought a Primo Oval XL kamado style smoker, and I love cooking on it. It'll do consistent low and slow as well as 600-700F to do great pizza, and everything in between. The only Achilles heel is the requirement to use lump charcoal, which as stated is more expensive and VERY inconsistent in size. No matter what band I tried, only about 1/2 to 3/4 of the bag was of usable size. I just got sick of dealing with the disappointment. So, this year I'll regrettably be selling the Primo and buying a Lone Star Grills pellet smoker. At least with pellets, every ounce I buy is usable and LSG seems to have cracked the code. Plus, you can get a charcoal pan to slide in if you want to grill over briquettes.

[@mftran]

In my experience, dumping out the tiny bits of lump charcoal into a grill mitigates airflow. Having space between each piece makes for a hotter flame. Briquettes don’t have this issue. I can make either work just fine.

[@peterjewels]

I use Royal Oak mostly. It seems to burn down and have a similar ash to lump.

[@ItsameMatt]

There's a local butcher where I buy no name lump charcoal for $20 per 50lb bag. I don't like briquettes.

[@aross924]

Briquettes make the food taste like gas

[@AnthonyWingfield]

@@aross924lighter fluid makes then taste like gas

[@mikek8029]

If you have a Kamado style grill, you have to use lump as briquettes need to burn off the stink first. Can't go "low and slow" with stinky fumes. Lump burns "clean" almost right away (as noted by @bubblewhip382). I was surprised to hear that lump burned cooler. I always thought it burned hotter. The one thing I like about briquettes that wasn't evaluated here is that they now have briquettes infused with different types of wood. I remember being at an outing on Kiawah Island eating grilled oysters. They were using mesquite wood briquettes. It imparted such a fantastic flavor.

[@leester9487]

That cowboy stuf had two-by fours in it. Don't even. Ive done FUGO,, which is purported to be the best and larger size, but there was basically no difference from B & B ad Royal Oak. For "low and slow" I use briquettes with hardood chunks or chips added. Theyre's a guy on YT that did a video a few years back and opened a bag of charcoal on a folding table to see what was in the bag. basically B & B and Royal Oak were the top contenders.

[@kmbbmj5857]

With you'd picked some better brands for the hardwood lump. Cowboy and Royal Oak lump are pretty much trash. I won't use them anymore. Unfortunately, the better brands of hardwood aren't as readily available. I've found I much prefer hardwood for steaks and my Dutch Ovens but that briquettes have better control in my Weber kettle for long, slow cooks. But I don't really care for the taste from them as much.

[@bossanesta]

i am just a weekend bbqer, i aint expert. i actually mixed both of them, lump for the taste, and throw in some briquettes for the control, longevity. i also found briquettes has less smoke, and stable temperature, less fire so less black smoke. i also throw in a actual wood lumber for the smoky flavour.

[@johnpimperl3539]

Wonder if you used equal weights instead of volume would the heat and burn times be closer?

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

How about equal purchase price amounts?

[@jeromecanzoneri568]

BBQ caterer for over 20 years. There is NO difference in taste between lump and briquettes. I prefer the briquettes because the uniformity of size produces consistency in cooking times. No curveballs. And of course the briquettes are cheaper.

[@joshcrocker4596]

I assume the compression is why there's so much more ash from the briquettes? I've always heard that there are chemicals added to them as well

[@enriquemejia9641]

Hank Hill is absolutely seething

[@duesouth180]

In Homer, Alaska Memorial weekend 2024 Kingsford goes for 1.09 per pound.

[@allkindsofoutdooractivities]

Anything B&B is awesome and their lump burns so hot

[@TheTinyTeacher]

Does anyone know if a chemical analysis has ever been run on the output of lump vs briquette? I know ultimately there's going to be bad stuff in both that is no doubt linked to cancer in some study somewhere along the lines because what isn't killing us nowadays? But, I've always wondered about the binders used in briquetes and whether some companies cheap out on them, giving a dirty output in the smoke?

[@TheSteelPhantom]

I wish they'd talked about the additives and extra ash (as a result) that comes with briquettes. It's the entire reason that I use lump instead. Less ash, less chemicals, less bad smoke. Also... they said briquettes burn hotter??? Is there thermometer broken? LOL... an equal amount (weight, not volume) of lump will burn WAY hotter than briquettes. Ask literally any BBQ/offset/smoker enthusiast.

[@hellhound1389]

It's because they used a Weber kettle grill. It was designed for briquettes. Plus they were going by volume not weight. Briquettes have more charcoal per volume but it's also the chemicals. I do either a top down or a bottom up burn depending on my application

[@cbj8994]

They addressed this. They used 1 chimney full of charcoal for each, the briquettes were denser so they got higher temperatures because there was more charcoal. If you wanted to compare by even weights you'd have to light a second chimney.

[@brettfavrewelfarequeen9886]

And you can't dump briquette ash around your plants. Whereas with lump, you can.

[@jessederks8458]

As long as you're buying decent charcoal, not everyone can afford to buy higher end brands, you can probably cook good food. You might prefer a certain type, but it's a preference. I like the Royal Oak (orange bag in the video, 17.6lbs) personally, but I've cooked with many other brands... it all works... even standard Kingston "OG" briquettes. There might be subtle differences, like smell while cooking, but I can't say it affects flavor as long as you avoid lighter fluid... unless you get some "match light" types or some of the real "bargain" brand stuff. I avoid match light stuff like the plague, as when I cook with it the stuff seems to impart an odd taste to food. The really (like ULTRA) cheap stuff can use odd binders (for briquettes) or really crappy wood (for lump) that might burn with an "off" smell. Keep in mind that's pretty cheap stuff you'd almost have to go and look for, not your average discount brand at a store. Get some charcoal, or gas if you prefer, and get grilling, and have a great summer.

[@Charlesb88]

Some off brands of briquet charcoal use questionable binders and such in their productions that can be of a concern. If you stick to better now brands of briquettes then it’s probably fine but beware of unknown brands and beware of briquettes with lighter fluid or easy start chemicals added to the briquettes and use a chimney starter or electric stater wand instead.

[@ticuti0302]

Every now and then you'll get a piece of lump charcoal that throws off sparks like you just threw a pack of sparklers into your grill. Too much of a fire hazard for the space I'm working in and generally just not pleasant to be standing next to that. Briquettes burn nice and consistently with no sparks

[@dalededen]

I would have liked so me discussion about the quick-light versions vs conventional.

[@patrickquirk-qz8ri]

Quick light good in a pinch out in the woods, not great at home , use regular anything at home.

[@johnmichalek9802]

I personally like a mix. I start with kingsford and then switch to lump. 🤷‍♂️

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

Just yesterday I grilled 2 pork steaks, Argentinian Red shrimp, 3 kinds of squash, cherry tomatoes, and onions. I used Mexican Mesquite lump charcoal. Oddly, almost no smoke flavor was imparted. It was the first time I had used that type of charcoal. Is that weird? It felt weird.

[@andrewschannel]

I am not too familiar with briquettes, but as far as lump charcoal goes, kamado Joe brand is superior, in my opinion. Unlike the brands they tested (I've used 2), KJ charcoal is uniform in size, burns hotter longer. It's also more expensive, but worth it. I agree with lots of other comments that briquettes have additives which is a turn off.

[@DebbieCraven]

I think Hank Hill just had a Heart attack 🎆🧨🏜️

[@AllStars2525]

Now do a comparison with wood pellet grilling!

[@78625amginE]

The power of ATK: I live in an apartment without a balcony or access to a charcoal grill of any kind (all the fam and friends have propane or wood) but i'm watching a video about charcoal...

[@dougfrith5001]

Briquettes tend to be less messy, with more usable content per bag and will provide heat longer. The testing here seems to have skipped important questions: how long to get to temperature, quantity and weight of ash, etc.

[@lasaldude]

for me, Lump wins. I'm just grilling for myself and maybe a friend so i have a super small Japanese grill. I use the lump to cook food and then dunk each coal into water to stop the burning and use it again at a later time. Cant do that with Briquettes. i know im an edge case but this works best for me. Reusing lump.

[@usarms149]

This one's a hard fail. Just like people who believe Coke and Pepsi taste the same, blind taste testers have proven otherwise for decades. If the tasters aren't accustomed to food cooked with both fuels then of course they won't taste a difference. If, however, you have more experienced people - possibly with more attuned palates - there is a very distinct difference between briquets, lump, pellet, and gas.

[@bcfran3g844]

Can not use briquettes in my Kamado Joe.

[@DoughboyGod]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@philvie]

Still using the blue bag

[@wayne00k]

because wood coal is cooler - I prefer to use this when using cast iron dutch ovens - the cooking difference when using cast iron dutch ovens and wood coal allows the cook better control over the cook - it still gets more than hot enough to cook a pork roast but cool enough not to burn it it will always be first choice at a campfire - and coals from a campfire can always be used - no bag necessary :)

[@GeorgeWTush]

They did not mention fast starting briquettes, infused with accelerant. Those start beautifully, but are almost certain to affect the taste of the food, as well as its safety. For the safety of the ATK viewers, this should have been examined and discussed.

[@texasnurse]

I stopped buying lump because of the waste with all the little bits falling out. I used to buy Royal Oak. Now I buy the plain Kingsford briquettes. It is more reliable.

[@12elpapichulo]

Lol I was expecting a tutorial or tips and tricks in how to start a fire with charcoal quickly or something like that

[@David_T]

the best way is to use a chimney starter. Fast and clean since you aren't using any petrol products.

[@zug-zug]

I'm not sure why one would ever use a chimney with lump. It starts so easily with a small piece of natural charcoal starter. I use lump because of the additives they add to briquettes.

[@333donutboy]

I'll get flamed (pun intended) for saying this but I always buy whatever is the cheapest. I don't think there is any secret sauce (another pun intended) to burning wood in the absense of oxygen.

[@chefbabyryan1]

Give me fuel give me fire 🔥 give me that which I desire!

[@PeterEmery]

In these parts, briquettes are made from brown coal, aka lignite.

[@johnkowlok3231]

My home is at 7000’ I find that lump charcoal works way better than briquettes.

[@jklphoto]

Anyone cooking on a Big Green Egg would tell you that Adam missed a BIG difference between Briquettes and Lump...waste. Briquettes leave a ton of unburned ash behind. Natural lump charcoal burns almost completely. It can also be extinguished and relit by starving it of oxygen. So although it is more expensive, you get what you pay for.

[@edanderson8274]

Ha! We don't cook with sawdust in Texas. Natural lignite coal burns at 1,000 degrees and burns a long time. Great for searing.