Best Lump Charcoal Of 2023

Like it has been earlier mentioned, getting a proper quality lump charcoal that suits your needs may be a little tasking.

No worries, as we’ve got you covered. A significant consideration when you want to get your lump charcoal is to ensure you find a brand that makes use of sustainable sources of wood. A lot of manufacturers in the U.S use sustainable practices actually to protect the forest.

But this may not apply to brands that are imported from other countries. This is just one of the factors to consider when you want to get lump charcoal. Thus, the factors include the following:

The Lump Sizes

Several lump charcoals come with inconsistent sizes, but you should know that many brands also display products that feature large chunks of coal.

The size and the shape of lumps that come with the one you buy are significant. Some grills require large chunks for good heat as well to be able to retain heat in the coal-burning chamber.

Peradventure you buy a bag with inconsistent sizes, the probability of the charcoal getting smashed during transport is very high. It is necessary to know that different hardwood makes various shapes and sizes of lump charcoal. Although, quality coal remains the same after a while, is it stored well?

Burning Temperature

It is not possible to say which lump charcoal can accurately sustain its temperature, but you can find out the kind of heat that suits you cooking perfectly.

The heat retention of lump charcoals varies from one brand to another, and this would be written on the package somewhere around. Note that there is no highest limit as lump charcoals can go as high as 1200 or 1400 degrees Fahrenheit.

A rule that can be used to measure it is; the brighter the wood, the more golden the temperature. Never forget that you can control the burn rate of charcoal grills by just adjusting the dampers.

Different Wood Species with Different Taste

It is widely known that different types of wood produce different tastes. It can be quite challenging to get which taste is peculiar to the forest, but we will make it simpler for you.

1. Apple- this is a wood with a flavor that isn’t new to people as it was readily available and abundant. The ‘apple’ wood is used for daily meals in a lot of restaurants as it makes meat milder than hickory or Oak. This flavour is recommended for all kinds of meat.
2. Oak- this is one which is very common in lump charcoals mixtures as it has been thoroughly tested.

The Oak usually enhances your grilled food with a slightly bitter and strong taste. This is the taste that gets people to grill most times. Some people do go ahead to mix this flavour with other ones.

3. Cherry- this wood provides your meat with an unusually mild and sweet aroma. Cooks even use it for tender meats like duck meat, chicken or low-fat fish.
4. Hickory- this particular flavour is considered one of the most excellent grill taste enhancers’ asides oaks. The hickory feeling produces an intense sensation in both the aroma and taste.
5. Birch- this flavor is referred to as the ‘high risk- high rewards type. This is because people use it to smoke both freshwater and salt fish. Though, if the carbonization of the wood isn’t correctly done, your meat may taste bitter. Therefore, you are to test a sample before cooking everything.

Quality

The very best of lump charcoals are supposed to be 100% natural hardwood, pure in such a way that it is free from binders, chemicals and other additives.

The dust from the wood should be minimized. Woods of good quality is usually large, and they burn longer, so also, they do not produce large amounts of ash. It is not impossible to find pieces that resemble mouldings from a cabinet maker.

A good wood doesn’t spark excessively. If it does, that implies that the wood is lightweight. Thus, it would burn out faster than it should.

Debris Portion

Bags that are used for packaging lump charcoal usually come with debris. It is essential to know much the debris covers. It is better and safer to stay away from bags with a lot of trash.