Lump Charcoal vs Briquettes

Gear Review | Smoke & Fire Editorial

Walk down the grilling aisle of any hardware store, and you'll be faced with the eternal dilemma: bags of misshapen, natural hardwood lump charcoal, or neat, uniform bags of briquettes. Which one should you buy?

The Case for Lump Charcoal

Lump charcoal is made by burning wood in the absence of oxygen until all moisture and sap are gone, leaving pure carbon. Because it is pure wood, it responds to oxygen very quickly. If you open your vents, lump charcoal will roar to searing temperatures, making it perfect for grilling a steak or burgers.

It also burns very clean and produces minimal ash. This is critical if you are cooking on a Kamado-style grill (like a Big Green Egg), as too much ash will choke out the airflow at the bottom of the grill.

The Case for Briquettes

Briquettes are manufactured by crushing charcoal into dust and binding it together (often with cornstarch), pressing it into those iconic pillow shapes. Their greatest strength is consistency. Because every briquette is exactly the same size, they burn at a highly predictable rate.

If you are smoking a pork shoulder for 14 hours using the "Minion Method" or a snake method in a Weber Kettle, briquettes are your best friend. They burn slowly and steadily, maintaining a solid 250°F without you having to constantly mess with the vents.

The Final Verdict

Neither is "better"—they are tools for different jobs. Use lump charcoal for high-heat grilling, searing steaks, and cooking in Kamado grills where low ash is required. Use briquettes for long, low-and-slow smoking sessions in offset smokers or kettle grills where consistent temperature control over 10+ hours is the priority.