With more and more people getting health conscious these days, the demand for barbecues/grillers has risen all around the world. There was a time when hi-tech tools used to be the twinkle of the eyes for many, but things have changed now. People have switched back to natural products because they have realized that hi-tech tools have their own drawbacks and repercussions.
In the quest for healthy food, people are ready to pay any price. The reason why the demand for barbecues or grillers has started to grow is due to the taste of grilled food. It is not just the taste that makes people go crazy about barbecue, but the assurance regarding their health. Grilled food doesn’t make use of much oil, thus it is good for health when compared to fried foods. People in their move to get a bit closer to nature have started using lump charcoal to light the fire for grilling food. Back in the day, they were using briquettes. Companies have noticed this move, hence started producing lump charcoal for barbecues.
If you are looking to find the best lump charcoal reviews, then this post is going to help you find it. The reason why lump charcoal is preferred over briquettes is the safety it offers to the users. A lump charcoal is much safer than briquettes because it contains less carbon and ash. Lump charcoal emits chemicals, but those are natural, which means, they are not bad for health.
Moreover, it becomes easier for you to control heat when using a lump charcoal, as it provides a decent amount of oxygen. So, this was a brief overview about lump charcoal; now let us review the best lump charcoal brands that are available in the market.
Reviewing The Best Lump Charcoal Brands
1. Jealous Devil 100% Natural Lump Charcoal
If traditional charcoal doesn’t excite you anymore, then why not try some other type of charcoal that lights faster and creates more heat. A bag of Jealous Devil Lump Charcoal is what you need to buy. This charcoal is made from the best quality wood that is found in Paraguay. Just light the fire for 15 minutes and then, begin cooking food. This is a dense wood, so lighting it is easy, plus it generates more heat than normal wood. The wood is obtained from Quebracho Blanco tree, which is available in abundance in Paraguay.
You will get a smoke-free, ash-free and spark-free operation with this wood because it is not a 100% natural. The grill gets cleaned a lot easier since there is no ash for you to clean. This is perhaps the best charcoal for smoking. The debris will be large and untouched, so you can easily pick it up and throw it in the trash bin. This charcoal ensures that the flavor of the food remains intact for a decent period of time.
Pros & Cons Of Jealous Devil Lump Charcoal
2. Fogo Super Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal
This is one of the best wood smokers out there in the market. Many people who are fond of lump charcoal go for this particular brand. Fogo is a premium brand, so the charcoals that you’ll get in the 17.6 pounds bag come from the quality wood of Oak and Maple. These are hardwoods, which means, you get the best charcoal for smoking and grilling.
This charcoal burns quicker and longer than most of its competitors. Due to these properties of this charcoal, it is widely used in restaurants by experienced chefs. There are not many lump charcoal that stands in comparison to this brand, therefore, in my opinion, it is worth giving a try.
Pros & Cons Of Fogo Super Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal
3. Original Natural Charcoal - 100% Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoals
This charcoal brand also has the potential to be on the list of the best lump charcoal brands. Original Natural Charcoal is used by many cooks at home as well as in restaurants. This charcoal comes from three most popular trees whose wood is considered the best wood for smoking turkey, steak, pork, lamb, chicken and many different types of meats.
Charcoal gets lit in a matter of 30 seconds, and you start getting the perfect temperature for smoking and searing within 15 minutes. You can also allow the charcoals to burn a lot hotter for a longer time by opening the vent. With the opening of the vent, more and more air would flow into the chamber, thus causing more heat to develop. One thing that could disappoint you is the fact that most of the charcoal lumps are small. The size that most people usually expect is not what they will be getting. But, to overcome that shortcoming, the company has placed the charcoal in plastic bags, which will help control the mess created by charcoal dust to a huge extent.
If you want, you can take a bag of this on camping trips, and I can assure you that it won’t disappoint you at all. Moreover, it is a good value for money product, so you will definitely like using this product.
Pros & Cons Of Original Natural Charcoal
Lump Charcoal Vs Briquette Charcoal: The Better One
This is one of the most common questions people buying lump charcoal have in their minds. It’s time to clear the air regarding this:
Lump Charcoal: It is raw and natural. There are no chemicals and additives included in it. Lighting up this charcoal is easy, plus it burns for a long period of time. It produces less ash and smoke, thus making cleaning easy after cooking. But, the convenience that users get while using lump charcoal comes at a hefty price.
Briquette Charcoal: This charcoal is pulverized raw and formed into briquettes. Briquette charcoal has carbon as the main ingredient, which is accompanied by additives. You will get more ash to clean up once the cooking is complete. It is cheaper than lump charcoal, but you will have to compromise with the flavor because you are going to smell chemicals. Though it won’t be a sharp smell, you will be able to smell the presence of chemicals.
Selecting The Best Lump Charcoal:
How delicious your dishes will depend upon the quality of lump charcoal you use. You are supposed to use the best lump charcoal, but what makes a lump charcoal ‘the best’?
There are 7 things that decide the quality of a lump charcoal:
- Scraps: You should always choose the charcoal that is made from apple, oak, cherry, mesquite, and hickory etc. The wood of these trees is considered ideal for quick and long heating.
- Ingredients: Though lump charcoal doesn’t include chemicals and additives, it is important for you to take a look at the ingredients before buying the bag. Check the bag for this label ‘100% natural, no additives’.
- Clean: Using a lump charcoal will give you the freedom to cook the food and then, quickly wrap up the grill because lump charcoal doesn’t produce much ash.
- Light: You need to check how much time does lump charcoal take to light up. The quickly the lump charcoal lights up, the better it is.
- Smoke: The amount of smoke produced by the lump charcoal will decide the flavor of the dishes, whether those will be delicious or bland. Make sure to buy a lump charcoal that doesn’t produce excessive smoke because you don’t want your food to get ruined because of smoke for God’s sake!
- Chunks: For quick burning, you need small and medium chunks, whereas, for long lasting heating, you need large chunks. So, it is better to go with the large chunks because the fire is going to light up eventually, but you need that fire to last as long as you want it to be.
- Price: The price of lump charcoal will always be higher than that of briquettes charcoal, so you will have to compare the rates before buying.
Final Verdict
To get the best-grilled food, you need to have the best lump charcoal, and we have laid out all the points that you possibly need in your quest to buy the best lump charcoal for your grilling adventure. We have reviewed three different lump charcoal brands with each one being used for a different purpose. So, it is now up to you as to which brand you think is the perfect match for the kind of food you want to cook. Go through the reviews and other useful information about lump charcoals, and I’m sure you will be able to find the right product for your next grilling adventure.