Best charcoal for smokers

Good charcoal for smoking lasts a long time and produces a steady high heat. Purists use hardwood logs, but most people use charcoal to give food its smoky flavor. Of course, not all charcoals are created equal.

Apart from your smoker itself, the fire is the base of your barbecue. But, with a huge number of different types and brands of charcoals out there, choosing a fuel for smoking can get confusing really fast! Forget trial and error. This list of the best charcoal for smoking is designed to make your life easy. You can literally choose any of these options and be confident that they will perform just as they should, every time you light up. Burning Brisket is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Best charcoal for smokers

Of all the types of charcoal, lump charcoal has its share of fans. There are several reasons you might want to spend a little or a lot! The main difference between lump charcoal and formed charcoal briquettes is that lump is whole pieces of wood that have been exposed to high temperatures, which drives out volatile chemicals and leaves only the carbon. With briquettes, that carbon is processed further. It's ground up, mixed with various fillers, and compressed into standard shapes. Good quality lump is very clean burning fuel. It also burns hotter than briquettes if it's allowed to get lots of oxygen. But if it's used in a grill or smoker that has good ventilation control, the burn rate of the lump can be controlled, which regulates the cooking temperature. Since there are no additives or fillers, there is very little ash remaining after the coals burn. This is a big plus and makes cleanup after grilling or smoking easier. Lump charcoal burns hot, and with some brands your grill can reach over degrees Fahrenheit! Perfect for grilling steaks. You just can't get this kind of heat out of briquettes.

Because of its composition, which is more hardwood than other brands, it burns hotter and longer than many of its peers. Factors to Consider.

It should light easily, burn steadily, and add a pleasantly smoky flavor. Rochelle Bilow is the commerce editor for Serious Eats, as well as a novelist. Based in Vermont, Rochelle specializes in stories about home cooking, techniques, tools, and equipment. She has been writing about food professionally for over a decade. We independently evaluate all recommended products and services.

SmokedBBQSource is supported by its readers. We may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you i f you buy through a link on this page. Learn more. A well-built charcoal smoker can hold a steady temperature for hours without much attention. After testing a range of charcoal smokers, we recommend the Weber Smokey Mountain.

Best charcoal for smokers

Good charcoal for smoking lasts a long time and produces a steady high heat. Purists use hardwood logs, but most people use charcoal to give food its smoky flavor. Of course, not all charcoals are created equal. Learn the difference between briquettes and lump charcoal and which kinds are best. Charcoal should be as basic and as clean as possible. If you are buying inexpensive charcoal, look for one with no additives. Avoid self-starting charcoals that have lighter fluid additives to get them burning. These leave a bad taste, are bad for the environment, and are just not good for any kind of cooking.

Fellatio gif

By Greg Baker. Lump can be difficult to light, but it burns with a clean smoke. We loved the dense, uniform composition of this lump charcoal, which reminded us of high-quality briquettes. We get a good, long burn time in a range of different types of charcoal smokers. Smoking food is a time commitment. Use profiles to select personalised content. What to Buy. Bar-B-Q, which otherwise produced fairly good results. Instead, a mix of oak, hickory, maple and pecan is collected from timber milling leftovers to create this slow-burning, low-ash lump charcoal. Sustainably sourced Popular wood blend for smoking Burns slowly with steady heat. Use limited data to select advertising.

Not all lump charcoal for smoking is created equal, and some of it even has the potential to harm your health with dangerous chemical additives.

Measure advertising performance. The overall flavor and scent experience was moderate, pleasant, and, overall, we think pretty crowd-appealing. I like them better than the electric lighters. We loved the dense, uniform composition of this lump charcoal, which reminded us of high-quality briquettes. Jealous Devil. Mix a few small chunks of smoking wood in the unlit charcoal to add smokey flavor to your food. Finally, we rated the smokers on how easy or difficult they were to clean, noting any difficulty in dispensing spent ash, cleaning the grates, and the like. Bar-B-Q, which otherwise produced fairly good results. You can always use lighter fluid, but allow it to burn off completely before adding food. While Quebrancho Blanco trees are known for their ability to burn really hot, we find that this charcoal also chokes down nicely, giving off a steady temperature for hours without having to monitor it too closely or adjust those vents. The pieces range in size and shape, with some XL chunks mixed throughout. Best Overall, Runner Up. Pros: It ignites and is ready to cook quickly and has a campfire-like smell when cooking. We love it for brisket and lamb but it can be used for a stronger, smoke profile on anything including pork, chicken, and fish too. Charcoal tends to create more smoke, which can be good or bad, as too much smoke results in an acrid taste in your food.