Having great charcoal will mean having a delicious smoky flavor that will make you into an instant grill master.
When it comes down to grilling the choices are gas (propane) or charcoal (lump charcoal). If you want to get that true taste of summer grilling, charcoal is the way to go my friends.
Good food is love! We all take pride in our cooking as we want to make our loved ones feel good. It can be hard to find the best charcoal as a lot of products can be very similar looking.
Finding good lump charcoal is essential, and that is why we have made the Buying Guide and Review of the 7 Best Lump Charcoal Brands for 2020. Let us take a look at some fantastic products and analyze on what qualities make excellent charcoal.
Last update on 2020-06-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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1. Royal oak 195228021 lump charcoal
Table of Contents
- 1 Best lump charcoal for smoking
- 2 Best Value Lump Charcoal
- 3 Best Mesquite Charcoal
- 3.1 4. lazzari mesquite charcoal
- 3.2 5. Fogo FHWC35LB 35-Pound All Natural Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal
- 3.3 6. Original natural charcoal lump charcoal
- 3.4 7. IPPINKA Kishu Binchotan BBQ Charcoal
- 3.5 Why Should You Use Lump Charcoal for Grilling?
- 3.6 What is Lump Charcoal?
- 3.7 Size of Charcoal
- 3.8 Species of Wood For Flavor
- 3.9 Sustainability/Environmentally Friendly
- 3.10 Smoke
- 3.11 Storage
- 3.12 What is the Best Lump Charcoal on the List?
- 3.13 How do I Clean Up my Grill?
- 3.14 How do I Clean Up my Grill?
- 3.15 Video: WHICH LUMP HARDWOOD CHARCOAL BURNS THE BEST?
This is a USA founded charcoal company. Royal Oak is made from a combination of maple, walnut, and hickory wood that gives that sweet, smoky flavor that everyone loves. This product is made with 100% all-natural renewable wood sources without any chemicals or preservatives. This product is sold in 20- pound bags, and you can easily buy online and have shipped thanks to Amazon.
I would use this as my charcoal of choice for anything that you are going to slow cook. So this is great for that large rack of ribs, pork shoulder, or beef brisket. I also recommend this for vegetables as it can make any thick vegetable like eggplant or zucchini taste like prime rib…
Delicious!!!!
All the charcoal is a mix of small, medium, and large pieces. You are also able to use this in regular grills and specialized ceramic grills like the Big Green Egg.
Pros:
- Great Smoky Flavor
- Heats up in just 15 minutes
- Great for slow smoking
Cons
Most pieces come in smaller sizes
I love Royal Oak. It burns well and has a really nice flavor. A very reasonable amount of ash. It's also tough to find around my area. So having a huge bag shipped to my door is great. I'll be ordering this often.
Best lump charcoal for smoking
2. Jealous devil Lump Charcoal
I highly recommend this charcoal sooooo much, I just bought a 3-pack.
To start off, Jealous Devil has a very unique charcoal made from the densest South American hardwood trees with their unique carbonization product to make THE BEST charcoal on the market. That is why this product is used by kitchens of high-end steak houses and barbecue restaurants.
Because of their unique crafting process, their charcoal burns longer, hotter, and cleaner! You do not have to worry about sparks, loose flames, or heavy ash/soot. This will make maintaining your grill much less of a hassle as well.
It is made without chemicals or inferior pieces of wood like pine. It also gives a mouth-watering natural flavor that will escalate the taste of anything grilled. This product goes well with charcoal grills, smokers, and kamados. This product comes in single bags from 8-35 pounds, or you can buy multi packs as well. This has a maximum temperature of 1172°F that is higher than most other products.
Pros
- Long slow burn
- Makes very little mess for you to clean up
- 100% natural wood products without artificial chemicals
- Heavy, durable resealable bag
Cons
One of the priciest lump charcoals, but well worth the price!
Buy this charcoal! I have had a big green egg for over a decade and have used several different brands of charcoal on many smokers and grills. This charcoal is absolutely the best one in terms of coal size, density, heat, longevity, and lack of foreign objects
Best Value Lump Charcoal
3. Rockwood lump charcoal
This product made by Rockwood is the best combination of quality and affordability. What makes this product so awesome? Well, you do not have to listen just to mee; Rockwood is voted as the #1 consumer ranked lump charcoal product.
Some of its key features include its slow and clean-burning qualities. It heats up in about 10-20 minutes on most grills. It is made of a wood mixture of flavorful smoky Missouri Oak, Hickory, Pecan, and Maple. That combination delivers a one of a kind rich flavor that will leave your taste buds wanting more.
This is made from 100% natural renewable wood products without the use of chemicals or preservatives. Also, no pieces of scrap wood or timber that are leftover. They do not cheapen their product just to make it very affordable. The bag is sold in multiple packs, and each one weighs about 24 pounds. You can use this product safely on all charcoal and kamado grills with no worry.
Pros
- Does not produce much smoke or soot
- Affordable
- Lights as soon as 10 minutes
Cons
Can create a lot of sparks when initially lighting, stay back and wear protective equipment
So far, this is hands down the best. Plenty of big lumps. Doesn't billow smoke like the cheaper brands upon lighting. Lights quickly. I've been through 1.5 bags, and its quality is consistent
Best Mesquite Charcoal
4. lazzari mesquite charcoal
If anyone says they do not like a sweet/smokey mesquite BBQ flavor, they are either lying or have missed out on an essential aspect of life. If they are a liar, end your relationship with them as they may have severe mental problems (just joking! Do not end a relationship over BBQ).
Most likely, you will need to introduce them to mesquite flavor using the Lazzari Mesquite Charcoal! This is an exquisite product that uses hearty mesquite trees from the Sonora, Mexico area. The mesquite tree, while being suitable for smoking and grilling, is also useful for making furniture.
This product comes in bags as small as 7 pounds to as massive as 40 pounds. It takes less time to light up as mesquite is a denser wood and does burn very clean. It will have a maximum temperature of 890°F, which makes it the ideal wood for that slow burn or smoking process.
The best part is that you can mix this lump charcoal with other ones to combine flavors. My favorite is to add a few pieces of the Mesquite to a combination of Hickory and Maple wood for the best BBQ you will ever have in your life.
Pros
- Nice mixture of lump charcoal chunk size
- Comes in a variety of sizes from briquette size to large pieces
- Unmatched smoky-sweet and strong mesquite flavor
Cons
Bag contains a lot of dust and fine particles, which leads to more sparks and snapping sounds when lighting. Just make sure to use proper protective equipment.
5. Fogo FHWC35LB 35-Pound All Natural Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal
If you are looking for the highest grade of lump charcoal, I have the product for you. This charcoal comes from hardwood and oak from Central America to give a refined smokiness to your smoker or grill. This is a very environmentally friendly product where you will not be getting any wood scraps or artificial chemicals in the bag.
Each bag weighs either 18 or 35 pounds and comes with larger hand-selected chunks of lump charcoal. It provides a sweet, mild, mellow flavor that adds an extra dimension of taste to your food.
This is the type of coal that lights up quickly in 15 minutes and burns very slowly and hot. This will give you that restaurant-quality food that would make Bobby Flay jealous.
This is the charcoal of choice if you have a Big Green Egg kamado-style grill.
Pros
- No sparks or embers when lighting
- Provides rich flavor
- Long and slow-burn great for smokers
- All pieces of charcoal are very large over 4 inches apiece
Cons:
Does make more of a mess but still not much more difficult to clean
I am actually back here on Amazon to order me some more bags. I really like this and want to have some stock over the holidays. I can only recommend it. Great product
6. Original natural charcoal lump charcoal
Mixing different types of alcohol is not recommended (beer with wine, or tequila with whiskey). It can to an awful night of you feeling sick. However, if you mix different flavors of hardwood lump charcoal, then you will have the best-flavored grill food along with a pleasant aromatic smell.
This product is made from 100% natural hardwood in large chunks of apple, cherry, and oak. Cherry provides a nice sweet flavor while the apple and oak add and an extra layer of smokiness that will make anything lip-smacking good. This product is so clean that it produces nearly zero smoke and can be ignited in as quick as 5 minutes. It has a high burn temperature of 1115°F.
A bag weighs just under 18 pounds and is 100% eco friendly as well. The developers of Original Natural Charcoal are so confident in their product they have offered a full 100% refund in 30 days if their product does not meet up to your standards, but I doubt this.
This product is made for grillmasters and barbecue lovers who want a new delicious taste to their meals.
Pros
- Great mixture of sweet and smokey flavors
- 100% eco friendly
- Great for meats, vegetables, and fish
- Makes almost no smoke
Cons
There can be a lot of smaller pieces and dust in the bag, but not a big problem
All I can say is ....MOUTHWATERING.... All my friends want to know my secret..... Friends,,,, Try it. You will be DA, MAN.... WORTH EVER PENNY....... SHHHHHHHHH 😏😏😏
7. IPPINKA Kishu Binchotan BBQ Charcoal
The Japanese are leaders in many industries. They have Nintendo for video games, Toyota for cars, and they have IPPINKA Kishu Binchotan for charcoal. If you have ever had Japanese BBQ, this is the same wood used. So if you are looking to enjoy some flavors from the Land of the Rising Sun, you will fall in love with this brand of lump charcoal.
What makes this product so unique is that it is made from sturdy Japanese Oak sourced from Kishu, Japan. This oak is 100% natural with no additional additives, chemicals, or scrap wood. It comes in sizes weighing 2, 3, and 5 pounds.
This product burns hot without an odor making suitable for indoor grilling briquettes. If you are using this for true BBQ purposes, the best would be to mix this with smokier bolder lump charcoal like mesquite for an even more tantalizing flavor.
Pros
- Nearly no smoke or odor produced
- 100% eco friendly
- Best for indoor uses
- Does not contain chemicals or additives
Cons
Sparks and embers may spray out, just make sure to keep your distance and wait for the sparks to die down.
What a great product to use. It was quick to burn and last long. No issues and would buy more..
Buying Guide
Why Should You Use Lump Charcoal for Grilling?
Charcoal is a fossil fuel that, when burned, releases heat and energy. It is the stored-up heat and power from decayed trees and plants. Lump charcoal is made a little different from charcoal we find deep in the ground (I will get into that soon)
When it comes to having the best method of grilling. Charcoal reigns supreme overall. First of all, charcoal cooked foods taste much better than propane or gas. With propane, you just do not get that rich smoky flavor as you do when charcoal.
Compared to would, charcoal lights much faster as it is more reactive to oxygen. Also, most grills have air vents to allow control of temperature. This is especially important whenever you are slow-cooking something. The key to a slow cooker is to keep a nice even temperature, and with charcoal, you can do this as well as get fantastic flavor.
Good lump charcoal should be 100% renewable and economically beneficial. It should not contain scraps of trash wood or other added chemicals. Good lump charcoal also should not have a lot of smaller dust and microparticles in the bag.
What is Lump Charcoal?
This type of charcoal is made from hardwood (maple, oak, etc…) that is burned in a non-oxygen environment.
This is done to purify the wood while it is being turned into the final product, thus removing impure chemicals, water, and aldehydes, only leaving concentrated carbon.
That concentrated carbon is what releases energy when burned. This is a long and intensive process as you will need about 180 pounds of wood to make a 30-pound bag of lump charcoal.
Size of Charcoal
When it comes to charcoal, bigger is better. Trust me that is what she said 😉
All kidding aside, you do want to use larger pieces of charcoal instead of smaller pieces. A large portion of charcoal should be about 4 inches in diameter and feels solid. Fragments of charcoal that have cracks or breaks are likely to create a lot of sparks and dust. This can make you are growing full of unnecessary smoke and hazardous sparks.
Species of Wood For Flavor
When it comes to choosing your wood, you must decide what kind of flavor you want.
Some wood can be included in your lump charcoal; however, some wood can be sold separately. You will find them in separate wood chips or briquette style.
The thicker wood like oak and mesquite are going to have a more robust smokier flavor. Perfect to pair with meats like pork, lamb, and beef.
Lighter wood like apple or maple will have a lighter sweeter flavor. Much better to pair with poultry, fish, and vegetables.
Now you can always take your wood and mix it with your charcoal. Hell, you can even take a darker and lighter wood and mix it together with your lump charcoal as well.
LIGHT- Sweet, Mild Flavor
Alder
Maple
MEDIUM- Mix of Sweet and Smokey
Apple
Cherry
Oak
Peach
DARK- Smokey Flavor
Hickory
Pecan
STRONG- Bold Smokey Flavor
Mesquite
Sustainability/Environmentally Friendly
If you care about the environment (you should unless you are an alien), make sure that the brand of charcoal you use comes from a sustainable source.
What this means is that companies should be clearing out rainforests just to get wood to make into lump charcoal. A lot of companies are moving this way as their clients are becoming more globally focused on protecting this beautiful planet of ours.
There is a strict list of guidelines that companies must abide by to be considered sustainable.
Smoke
Cheaper generic store brands of charcoal are going to be broken up. What does that mean? It means you will be getting a lot more smoke, which can be a pain, especially if you have a lot of food to cook.
Also, if anyone has any respiratory diseases like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it can trigger an attack and make someone sick.
I find it is better to pay the extra money for a higher quality product that produces a minimal amount of smoke.
Storage
You must store your charcoal in a dry, cool location.
You can keep it in a warm and wet area. However, moist charcoals take significantly more time to heat up than dry ones. I am sure you do not want to be that guy struggling to light his own grill.
A key thing to remember is that there is no expiration date for charcoal. It is already millions of years old, so do not worry if you feel like you cannot cook with charcoal you have had for a while.
What is the Best Lump Charcoal on the List?
I would have to say the Jealous Devil Lump Charcoal is my favorite. It provides a sweet medium flavor that is not too strong and lights up very quickly. It produces the least amount of smoke of the options on the list. Plus, it gets extra points for design as the cover looks soo cool.
How do I Clean Up my Grill?
I would have to say the Jealous Devil Lump Charcoal is my favorite. It provides a sweet medium flavor that is not too strong and lights up very quickly. It produces the least amount of smoke of the options on the list. Plus, it gets extra points for design as the cover looks soo cool.
How do I Clean Up my Grill?
The key to cleaning the grill is striking while the iron is hot. Okay, bad puns aside, you must scrape off the residue from your grill surface as soon as you are done grilling.
If you give the grill time to cool down, the residue becomes harder and more stuck onto the grill surface. You can use many cleaning tools to get the job done.
Another thing to consider is that there will be soot and ash at the bottom of the grill. The ash is easily able to be tossed out; however, the residue can really tarnish a beautiful grill.
To avoid excess soot buildup, I recommend using a higher quality brand of charcoal that will not leave this annoying residue behind.
Clean your grill after every use!
Final Thoughts
Lump charcoal burns very clean and gives a mouthwatering barbeque flavor to any meal. Even if you are a vegetarian, on the keto diet or pescatarian, there is a brand of charcoal to optimize the taste of your food.
You do not need to be a grill master to cook with charcoal. All you have to do is follow the instructions on how to light it and be safe, doing so wearing proper protective equipment. The ideal charcoal should take no more than 15 minutes to ignite.
Make sure to look for brands that provide large pieces of charcoal at least 4 inches in diameter without a lot of dust or particles on the bottom.
Lastly, make sure to share this well-grilled food with friends and family! Summer is approaching, and there is no better American pastime than grilling!
Please do share this article with others if you found this helpful!
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