You can’t duplicate the smoky, wood-fired flavor of food grilled over charcoal with a gas or electric grill. With so many different types of charcoal to consider, choosing the right fuel for the type of grilling you do makes a big difference. Lump charcoal and charcoal briquettes are the two main options to consider.
Whether searing steaks over a hot lump charcoal fire or smoking brisket low and slow over briquettes, using the right charcoal tailored to your grilling style will infuse your barbecue with optimal flavor. Before you fire up that grill this weekend, you should understand the differences between lump charcoal vs. briquettes.
Choosing Lump Charcoal vs. Briquettes
The type of charcoal you use makes a big difference in both the flavor imparted and how well the coals burn
Lump Charcoal
Lump charcoal is a natural wood charcoal made by burning raw wood in a low-oxygen environment. This process carbonizes the wood into charcoal lumps without allowing it to turn completely to ash. The wood used can come from various tree species, such as oak, mesquite, hickory or maple. This gives each brand of lump charcoal a slightly different flavor profile.
Lump charcoal retains the natural composition of the original wood, including the cellulose and lignin that allow it to burn. The lumps come in irregular shapes and sizes, which allows ample air flow for maximum combustion. This makes lump charcoal ideal for grilling at high heat. The high heat output sears meat for better flavor while emitting less smoke than briquettes.
Briquettes
Charcoal briquettes consist of compressed charcoal powder, borax, wood chips, limestone and starch in uniform pillow-shaped nuggets. The charcoal powder comes from burning wood scraps, such as sawdust and wood chips, in an oxygen-free environment. This manufacturing process allows for consistent size and shape of the briquettes for even heating and burning. The additional ingredients act as binders and accelerants to ensure the briquettes stay lit and burn slowly.
Briquettes burn longer than lump charcoal, typically 60-90 minutes without needing replenishment. This makes them a good choice for low, slow barbecuing where you need steady heat over an extended period. While they don’t burn as hot as lump charcoal, briquettes provide long-lasting consistent heat ideal for smoking meat or other barbecue that takes hours to finish cooking.
Understanding the Properties of Lump Charcoal vs. Briquettes
Before you choose charcoal briquettes vs lump charcoal, consider what makes each one unique.
Flavor and Aroma
Lump charcoal imparts a natural, authentic smoky flavor when grilling. This raw, wood-fired taste comes through in the food. Briquettes, on the other hand, have a more neutral flavor since they contain more fillers in addition to the charred wood. However, you can find infused briquettes with added wood chips, herbs and spices during production. Hickory-infused briquettes, for example, add a deep smokiness.
Heat and Temperature Control
The irregular shape and porous structure of lump charcoal allow for ample air circulation, resulting in faster lighting and higher heat output than briquettes. Lump charcoal can easily reach temperatures hot enough to sear steaks and other meats for better moisture retention and caramelization. Because of its high combustion rate, lump charcoal burns out faster too, making it best for shorter grilling sessions at high temps.
Briquettes, on the other hand, burn long and slow thanks to the compression of sawdust and binders. They light slowly and hold a steady temperature for an hour or more before needing replenishment. This consistency makes briquettes perfect for low and slow barbecue techniques such as smoking brisket, ribs or pulled pork for hours until fork tender. The prolonged heat output ensures food cooks evenly without flair-ups or fluctuations.
Clean Burning and Ash Production
When comparing lump charcoal vs. briquettes, you will find a difference in the way that they burn and the amount of ash produced.
Lump charcoal’s natural composition and irregular shape allow for nearly complete combustion, producing very little ash while grilling. This makes cleaning out the grill much easier after cooking. Simply let the remaining charcoal burn out entirely and then gently brush out the minimal ash left behind.
Briquettes, on the other hand, contain fillers and binders in addition to charred wood. These added ingredients contribute to increased ash production as the briquettes burn. Briquette ash tends to be finer in texture too, making cleanup more involved. Allowing the grill to fully cool after cooking is key to prevent stirring up an ash cloud. Then carefully remove the remaining briquettes and thoroughly sweep out the ash accumulation.
For charcoal grills that you dump to remove ash, the extra ash from briquettes will require more frequent emptying. In general, lump charcoal’s clean burning nature cuts down on the maintenance needed for keeping a grill in top shape after each use.
Versatility and Cooking Applications
The high heat output of lump charcoal makes it extremely versatile for direct grilling methods such as sautéing steaks and vegetables right over hot coals. You can precisely control the temperature zones by moving the food closer to or further from the heat. Lump charcoal’s open-flame combustion also lends itself well to cooking over open campfires. The natural wood flavor infuses food beautifully.
Briquettes excel when indirect grilling for foolproof slow cooking. Place them off to the side or in a ring around a drip pan to envelop food in consistent, even heat for smoking brisket for hours or roasting a whole chicken. The steady temperature prevents drying out larger cuts of meat.
For true barbecue, briquettes allow you to “set it and forget it” once you dial in the ideal temperature. Their prolonged burn ensures you won’t have to constantly replenish the coals. So lump charcoal offers control and customization for direct, high-heat grilling, while briquettes shine for low-and-slow indirect cooking.
Appreciating the Applications for Lump Charcoal vs. Briquettes
Both lump charcoal and briquettes produce the irresistible smoky essence that only cooking over a real wood fire can achieve. Recognizing their differing properties allows you to capitalize on the unique advantages of each. Learning the nuances of lump charcoal vs. briquettes will take your grilling game to the next level. Check out Rugged Standard for more tips to master the grill this season.
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