What To Look For When Buying Charcoal?

To some people, summer means the cricket season, while to others it’s a time for festivals and other outdoor events. There’s also a large group of people for whom summer equals barbecue season, and these people take every warm evening as an invitation to gather friends and family and enjoy some al fresco cooking and dining.

If that sounds tempting but you’ve not held a barbecue before, it’s understandable that you may be unsure about which fuel you need to make the event a success. So here’s our guide to what you should be looking for when you come to buy the charcoal for your next summer barbecue.

Understanding the different types of charcoal

There are two main types of charcoal:

Lumpwood

Also known as hardwood charcoal, this is similar in appearance and shape to house coal, but much lighter. That shape makes it uneven and difficult to achieve uniform heat, while it also tends to burn quickly and at a high temperature. On the one hand, that makes it a good option for searing meat, but you could also spend half the evening replenishing your barbecue with fresh fuel. 

Briquettes 

Usually made up of recycled materials such as sawdust, coal dust and binders. They’re usually formed into a regular shape that makes them easy to stack and achieve a uniform heat right across the grill. They don’t burn as hot as lumpwood charcoal, but they do burn for longer, meaning you spend less time topping up your fuel and more time enjoying yourself. Try to avoid briquettes with unnecessary additives and chemicals.

Whichever type you choose, avoid the temptation of buying cheap charcoal, because you’re likely to find that what you save in money, you lose in the taste of your food. 

Where possible, go for restaurant-grade charcoal for barbecued food with the best flavours. Our restaurant-grade charcoal is a briquette charcoal that contains no additives, with a hole for improved airflow that gives you a longer cooking time and higher temperatures.

The environmental impact of charcoal

Lumpwood is an entirely natural product, as it is made from hardwood that has been heated to remove things like sap and water. Nevertheless, it can have a negative environmental impact because of the way the hardwood is sometimes sourced.  

Meanwhile, because they are made from recycled materials and burn cleanly, charcoal briquettes represent an almost entirely eco-friendly option.

Ease of use

If you are new to cooking on a barbecue, you may want to start by using charcoal that is easy to cook with. 

We’ve already mentioned that you need to work a little harder with lumpwood charcoal once you’ve started cooking, but how easy are they to light in the first place? The good news is that, because of how it’s made, lumpwood should generally be relatively easy to get lit, especially if you use a chimney or natural firelighters. 

It may take a little more effort to get your briquettes lit, but we’d recommend that you avoid ones that include additives designed to make it easier, as they may leave a chemical taste on your food. Our briquettes are 100% natural and contain no chemicals or additives.

Taste

Perhaps the most important factor for experienced grillers is how each type of charcoal affects the taste of the food it’s being used to cook.

Barbecue aficionados will nearly always insist on using lumpwood charcoal because of the smoky taste it adds to food. As long as you’re using ones without additives, briquettes deliver great taste to any barbecued or grilled food, but you won’t get the smoky taste you do with top-quality lumpwood charcoal.

Here at KG Smith, we’re a leading UK supplier of all kinds of barbecue fuels, from lumpwood charcoal and charcoal briquettes to a wide range of BBQ gas bottles.

Order now for fast nationwide delivery on all our charcoal, or local delivery or collection of our gas bottles from our Northamptonshire office. Alternatively, get in touch with us if you need any further information or advice.