Key Takeaways
- Kingsford is known for making the best charcoal because it is affordable while providing a long, consistent burn.
- Kingsford Mesquite Charcoal Briquettes are a great option for those who want to add a smoky, mesquite flavor to their grilled food.
- Use different charcoals for different burn times, flavors, and BBQ plans.
It’s grilling season! Grilling experts all over the neighborhood are dusting off their spatulas, donning aprons with cringe-worthy puns, pulling their grills out of hibernation, and deciding what new elaborate meat recipes they want to conquer. All that preparation is in vain, though, if they don’t use this time to deliberate, ponder, and meditate on the age-old grill master’s query:
Which charcoal briquettes should you use this year? Fear not, the art of purchasing perfect charcoal briquettes is a skill that can be learned!
Backyard Boss 5 Best Charcoal Briquettes For BBQ Grilling
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Best Charcoal Briquette for Everyday Home Grilling
Kingsford Original Charcoal Briquettes
The king of charcoal’s all-natural briquettes burn smoothly and evenly, with twin grooves that make lighting easy and help maintain airflow
Burning coal in a grill
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Why We Like It: Kingsford is, well, the king of charcoal. They are unquestionably the most recognizable name in the charcoal industry, and it’s no wonder why: the price is right, the burn is long and consistent, what else could you ask for?.
Although Kingsford is the king of charcoal, they are not exactly a premium brand. There are definitely more fillers in their charcoal briquettes than in some of the other options. However, all of those extra ingredients are natural. There are no harmful chemicals and no lighter fluid in Kingsford’s charcoal briquettes. Their charcoal briquettes feature twin grooves, which makes lighting them easier and improves airflow between the briquettes. The design allows you to stack the briquettes and still get an even burn.
Just pop them in the grill, wait 15 minutes for them to reach their maximum temperature, and then get cooking. The only downside of Kingsford to watch out for is the amount of ash they produce due to the filler that their charcoal briquettes include.
Why You Should Buy It: This product is excellent for beginner to intermediate grillers looking to have some casual barbecues.
Best Premium Charcoal Briquettes
Duraflame Cowboy Natural Hardwood Briquettes
These premium charcoal briquettes are made with only the best, natural ingredients
Burning charcoal very hot coals
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Why We Like It: Looking for premium quality charcoal briquettes? These are the ones for you. Duraflame’s cowboy natural hardwood briquettes are made from ingredients that are genuinely all-natural. There are no chemicals, coal, or lighter fluid, but there is an innovative vegetal binding that ensures nothing nasty is getting into your food. The vegetal binding only makes up 5 percent of these charcoal briquettes. The other 95 percent is charcoal. The very high charcoal content means that you have to deal with less ash than you'll find with other options.
The hardwood the charcoal is made from infuses your food with flavor, taking advantage of the unique taste charcoal grills give to food. These briquettes are easy to use, requiring less than 15 minutes to reach their maximum heat level, and have an innovative pillow-shaped design that ensures even heating of your food when grilled.
Why You Should Buy It: This is the perfect product for more experienced grillers who love to cook on charcoal because they enjoy the hint of smoky, woodsy taste in their food.
Best Charcoal Briquettes for Long, High-Heat BBQ
Royal Oak Premium Charcoal Briquets
Premium charcoal briquettes that burn for longer, and burn hotter, than almost any other charcoal briquettes on the market
Charcoal briquettes in a bag
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Why We Like It: Kingsford isn’t the only royalty on the charcoal market. Royal Oak has been regularly recognized as one of the best charcoal brands out there. Their charcoal briquettes burn much hotter and much longer than other brands. Containing no coal, lighter fluid, or chemicals, these charcoal briquettes are almost entirely made of hardwood charcoal. The charcoal is derived from American oak and hickory trees. The lack of unnecessary fillers means that Royal Oak doesn’t have a super high ash content, although the briquettes do produce a substantial amount of ash, and the flavor they impart is clean and smoky.
These premium charcoal briquettes are easy to use, holding their shape well in their packaging. They have enhanced ridges in the middle of each briquette, which makes lighting easy. Once you light them, you only have to wait a short time until they reach maximum heat. The only downside of these charcoal briquettes is that they are expensive, but the quality does match the price.
Why You Should Buy It: This product is best suited for grillers who want a consistent, high-heat charcoal, or who are planning on grilling over an extended period of time.
Best Charcoal Briquette for Marathon Grilling or Smoking
Weber 17950 Briquettes
Large charcoal briquettes that burn hot for up to three hours, making them perfect for long barbecues
Charcoal briquettes on the grill
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Why We Like It: These no-nonsense briquettes are made out of 100 percent natural hardwood with zero added chemicals. They are some of the least expensive charcoal briquettes on the market. But though their price is low, they don’t sacrifice quality, burning hot and consistently for an extended amount of time. They also include a minimal amount of filler. The coals can burn steadily for up to three hours, so feel free to extend that BBQ. A bonus feature of these charcoal briquettes is the packaging which is recyclable, resealable, and waterproof.
The briquettes are larger than some other options, so you don’t have to use as many when you grill. However, they have no design enhancements to make lighting easier, so it can be a bit harder to get them lit and started.
Why You Should Buy It: This product is best suited for capable grillers who throw a lot of long BBQs at home.
Best-Tasting For Your Budget Charcoal Briquettes
Kingsford Charcoal Mesquite Briquette
Kingsford charcoal briquettes pair Kingsford quality with a smoky, mesquite flavor
Close up of three charcoal briquettes on white background
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Why We Like It: Back to the ol' Kingsford brand! These mesquite charcoal briquettes are similar to Kingsford’s traditional briquettes in cost and quality, except they add an extra mesquite flavor to the food you use them to cook. They are infused with a mesquite flavor that when burned, drifts up and adds a tang of mesquite to the food that you are grilling. No fake flavoring here either, this is real mesquite added to the charcoal. The charcoal is made up of mesquite, hardwood, and some natural filler and binders.
Like Kingsford’s regular charcoal briquettes, these burn for a long time and burn consistently. They sport a twin groove design that makes lighting easy and increases airflow. Once lit, these charcoal briquettes only need 15 minutes to heat up to be ready to cook your food. The only downsides of this product are that these charcoal briquettes do produce a lot of ash and that there are only some foods you are going to want to use these with. After all, mesquite isn’t for everyone or everything.
Why You Should Buy It: This product is perfect for everyone who loves a little mesquite flavor.
What are Charcoal Briquettes?
BBQ grill burning
Charcoal briquettes are wood that was burned in a low-oxygen environment until only carbon remained, which was then mixed with other additives until it reached a thick paste consistency. At this point, it was fed into molds and compressed into small, easy-to-use bricks. The other additives normally help bind the briquettes and help them burn. They may be wood chips, coal, sawdust, borax, or limestone.
Are Charcoal Briquettes Safe?
How safe charcoal briquettes are is really in your hands, because it depends on which briquettes you buy and if you use them safely. Don’t skimp on your briquettes. It’s worth it to get high-quality briquettes because you know that they contain safe, organic ingredients that will only add heat and flavor to your food, instead of adding chemicals.
Use your charcoal briquettes safely. Never, ever, burn charcoal briquettes in an enclosed space, such as in a home, tent, or RV. The carbon monoxide the charcoal briquettes emit will fill the space, building up until they reach toxic levels. Avoid inhaling the dust and fumes from charcoal briquettes because, like any other smoke, they can be a respiratory irritant, and can cause more serious problems for people with pre-existing respiratory issues.
Make sure you dispose of your charcoal ashes safely and that all embers have been put out.
Which Is Better, Charcoal or Briquettes?
If you are looking for a consistent, long burn, briquettes are your best option. However, if you are looking for intense heat, you should probably go with lump charcoal. Lump charcoal is pure charcoal without any added ingredients. It’s the remaining carbon after wood is burned without oxygen. Charcoal lumps are more expensive, burn faster, and should only be used by experienced grillers.
What's the Best Charcoal to Use?
Charcoal burning in the grill
The best charcoal will give you the maximum amount of burn time and produce a minimum amount of ash. You want to avoid ash as much as possible because it can clog up your grill, harden when moist, be annoying to clean up, and smother fires. Charcoal briquettes that are made with lots of ingredients will produce more ash. You can’t make a briquette out of 100 percent charcoal, however, because it won’t bind together.
If your briquettes are high-quality, they should hold their shape in the bag. The beauty of briquettes is their ease of use. They should be intact, so you can easily stack them. Make sure that the additives binding them together are natural, not chemical. Also, avoid charcoal that contains softwood filler or lighter fluid, since that will result in a bitter taste on your food.
What is the Healthiest Charcoal to Use?
The healthiest charcoal to use is charcoal which includes only natural ingredients and a minimum amount of fillers. Buy charcoal that is made of hardwood and doesn’t contain coal, oil, or petroleum. Look for third-party certification recognition to ensure that your charcoal contains what it says it does.
Other Uses For Charcoal Briquettes
Charcoal: not just for grills anymore! Yes, of course, you can use charcoal in your grill. You can use it to grill meat and veggies normally, or to turn your charcoal grill into a smoker and make delicious recipes like apple bacon-wrapped tenderloin. But you can also use charcoal for lots of other projects.
| Remove Air Moisture | Leave charcoal briquettes in your bathroom, attic, closet, bookshelf, or toolbox to remove moisture and musty odors. Place it on a metal tray or in a can with holes punched in the lid to treat your desired area. |
| Maintain Garden Moisture | Mix charcoal into your garden to add carbon to the soil and help it maintain moisture. You can also add it to your compost heap for extra nourishment. It can also act as mulch when broken up into chunks, suppressing weeds. |
| Draw With It | You can use it to draw on hardscapes outside, making hopscotch squares, or drawing silly pictures. With some hose water, you can easily remove it. You can also use it indoors to fill in scratches on black furniture or floors. |
Finding the Best Charcoal Briquettes For Your Summer BBQ
Hot charcoal on the grill up close
The clear winner of the roundup is the Kingsford Original Charcoal Briquettes.
They win out over the other products because of their natural ingredients, long and consistent burn time, and inexpensive price. Their inexpensive price paired with their ease of use makes these charcoal briquettes a great option for a wide range of people. Use your top-rated charcoal in a top-rated grill to make sure that this BBQ season is a success!
