If you’re a charcoal barbeque enthusiast, then you probably already know the advantages of cooking with lump charcoal over traditional briquettes.

Lump charcoal burns cleaner, offers a customizable flavor profile depending on which hardwood it’s sourced from, and can even be reused for your next cookout. The best lump charcoal is furthermore typically all-natural whereas briquettes often contain additives such as limestone and borax that may negatively affect flavor. Read on below to take a closer look at the pros and cons of briquettes vs. lump charcoal, as well as for more info on the specific flavor profiles of different source-woods.

Our top list of the best lump charcoal has pinned down a variety of different options each offering their own unique cooking experience so you can select just the right fuel source for your pitmaster endeavors.

Marabu’s All Natural Restaurant Grade Lump Charcoal is a crowd favorite amongst barbeque enthusiasts who prefer to cook with particularly large, dense pieces of charcoal that burn especially hot.

Consisting of a blend of South American hardwoods including White Quebracho, Caoba, Guayacan, and Aromo, this option offers a characteristic and pleasant aroma resulting in a mild, friendly flavor profile, so it’s great for cooking all types of meat and fish. This is a great option for pitmasters with lots of different courses on the menu due to its versatility in regards to flavor-compatibility.

The particularly high density of the source woods furthermore means this charcoal burns especially clean and with very little smoke output, so there’s not much cleanup necessary after cooking with Marabu! The large, dense lumps also offer an especially long burn time, so this is a great choice for all-day beach barbeques, family cookouts, hosted events, and more!

Jealous Devil’s All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal is a fantastic go-to option for those seeking a long burning charcoal option that burns at an especially high temperature. Camp chefs, in particular, will love having this brand of charcoal at the ready in their camp kitchen due to its low maintenance, and long cook time.

Made from pure, ultra-dense,100% legally sourced South American hardwoods, the brand has come up with a charcoal blend consisting of utilized hardwoods up to 30% denser than oak or hickory. Simply put, once you get cooking, this results in less charcoal, and more heat, so your 35-pound bag will go a long way!

The brand has even gone ahead and packaged this lump charcoal in a resealable, waterproof bag, so you can toss the remnants of your charcoal bed right back into the bag once they’re cooled off for reuse. While it’s easy enough to use a ziplock for leftover lump charcoal, we nonetheless find this to be an exceptionally underrated feature that will ensure you actually salvage and reuse your charcoal.

The source wood used here results in a smooth and mild-smokey aroma that’s reviewed as a wonderful flavor enhancer without being too overpowering. If you want to explore the flavor influence of utilizing lump charcoal vs. other fuel sources, you’ll taste the difference between cooking with charcoal briquettes with this one! That being said, the flavor profile remains fairly neutral, so you can absolutely add to the aroma and resulting food taste by mixing in your favorite hardwood chips or chunks.

It should be noted that this option although exceptionally dense, is noted for being a bit smoky, so if you’re seeking lump charcoal that burns particularly clean and sparkless, you may want to explore some other options.

Fogo’s Super Premium Oak All-Natural Smoked Large Lump Charcoal is a fantastic choice for pitmasters with an affinity for cooking with oak. 

In regards to its flavor profile, oak has a medium smoky flavor that is bolder than apple and cherry, but lighter than mesquite and hickory. It’s a more or less neutral option of source wood that offers a nice flavor profile both on its own, as well as when paired with other woods or charcoals.

In other words, this option is not particularly bold, so you can build a more specific flavor profile by adding wood chips or chunks of your choice for more extravagant culinary endeavors cooking any type of meat!

Full of mostly large pieces measuring at least four inches long, the brand has engineered a charcoal option here that’s great for low and slow cooks, lasting up to an impressive 18 hours! The larger size pieces furthermore result in less ash cleanup, easier coal maintenance once cooking, and greater potential for re-use at your next cookout!

This 33-pound bag of Restaurant Style Lump Charcoal by Harder Charcoal is a wonderfully affordable option for pitmasters shopping on a budget that are nonetheless unwilling to sacrifice the quality of their charcoal. 

Handmade from exceptionally hard and dense South American Quebracho wood, this is a very highly reviewed charcoal option that’s praised by barbeque enthusiasts of all kinds. 

Putting off a mild aroma and characteristic but neutral flavor, this charcoal will pair nicely with wood chips or chunks of your choice for further customizing your intended flavor profile. In other words, it’s a great performing charcoal option with a close to clean-slate you can build upon in regards to flavor influence.

Designed for extreme long-lasting heat with minimal smoke and sparks, Harder Charcoal’s Restaurant Style Lumps are particularly easy to light and maintain, so those new to the charcoal cooking world will furthermore find a friend here. Whether you consider yourself an expert or not, this charcoal option is a breeze to cook with, so those seeking a user-friendly grilling or smoking experience will likely love this choice.

It should be noted that the Quebracho wood used to create this charcoal is sustainably harvested from South America without cutting down any trees. The brand has also been sure to leave out any and all chemical additives, so this is a truly all-natural charcoal option.

Affordable, easy to light and maintain, and sustainably sourced, Harder Charcoal is a solid go-to for amateur and expert pitmasters alike!

Josper’s 100% All Natural Lump Charcoal is a high quality, sustainably sourced option that’s great for grilling and smoking at particularly high temperatures for long durations. 

Made from big lumps of QBE White Quebracho ultra-dense hardwood, these pieces of lump charcoal burn exceptionally clean, putting off very little sparks or flame and leaving behind next to no ash. The high density of the utilized wood makes this option a bit more intensive to light compared to some of the competition, but is well worth the added effort if you’re seeking particularly high heat and long burn times out of your fuel source. 

The source wood for this charcoal results in a characteristic, pleasant aroma that adds mild flavor without being too bold, so this is a friendly choice for cooking essentially all meat and veggies. You can always go ahead and add some wood chips or chunks of your choice to your coal bed for a more specific flavor profile.

Ecologically minded barbeque lovers will be thrilled to know that this charcoal is sustainably sourced from controlled pruning vs. timber harvesting and is furthermore in compliance with FSC, PEFC, and REACH certifications. The price point might be just a touch higher than the budget competition, but it’s worth knowing your charcoal has been ethically sourced with the health of the planet in mind!

Rockwood’s All-Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal is an especially ecologically mindful option that’s offered at a more than reasonable price point considering its quality and sustainability story.

This is a 100% all-natural lump charcoal made from Missouri grown oak, hickory, maple, and pecan resulting in a wonderfully blended aroma. The resulting flavor profile is light and smoky without being too bold, so it’s a stellar choice of fuel source for cooking most all meats and fish

This option is also well reviewed for lighting and heating quickly, so it’s a great go-to for pitmasters who struggle with patience in regards to their barbeque-prep. Once lit, this blend of lump charcoal burns nice and clean with low smoke output, once again affirming itself as a particularly versatile option.

To top it all off, Rockwood has made some serious efforts to sustainably source this lump charcoal. It’s made exclusively from hardwood leftover from timber milling, and therefore does not require any deforestation. Even the paper bag and soy-based inks are recyclable, landfill-safe, and won’t produce harmful fumes if burned – the brand hasn’t cut any corners with this one!

Big Green Egg’s 100% Natural Brazilian Hardwood Lump Charcoal is a clean-burning, high heat charcoal option that’s perfectly suited for culinary endeavors in which you want to promote authentic Brazilian steakhouse flavor.

This 17.5-pound bag might be a bit on the pricey side, but once you cook with this charcoal once you’ll understand why barbeque enthusiasts are happy to spend the money on this one!

Eucalyptus charcoal is renowned for fast lighting, high heat, and long burn times, so it’s no wonder that it’s a popular choice of fuel source in traditional Brazillian barbeque. Its mild, oaky flavor is furthermore quite neutral, so it pairs nicely with smoking chips and chunks for further customizing your desired flavor profile.

This is an all-natural lump charcoal including no fillers, nitrates, chemicals, or petroleum products, so rest assured you’ll taste nothing but subtle smoky flavor when cooking with this option. This eucalyptus sourced charcoal furthermore burns exceptionally clean, so there is very little smoke and sparking during cooking, and next to no leftover ash.

Big Green Egg has furthermore produced this product using sustainably grown Brazillian eucalyptus in a manner that includes soil and water preservation efforts without deforestation. Sourced from such an ecologically diverse and biologically important region, you can rest assured the brand is doing its part not to degrade the environment.

The Good Charcoal Company, Premium Acacia Hardwood Lump Charcoal is a stellar option for those pit masters looking for a charcoal that burns HOT and clean.

Crafted from Acacia from the Namibian bush in Africa, the source wood here is denser than hardwoods such as oak and hickory, so you can expect long burn times, and especially hot temperatures. This makes the Good Charcoal Company a great option for intensive barbeques where you have a lot of meats and veggies to get through and want to ensure your fuel doesn’t quit on you too soon.

Offering a rich and smoky flavor, chances are the flavor profile is a bit different than what you’re used to if you typically cook with traditional hardwoods.

As the name of the brand implies, the Good Charcoal Company works to have a positive impact on the environment. Acacia bushes in Namibia are a threat to open grassland habitats, so the brand has focused on protecting wildlands and mitigating the effects of “bush encroachment”. In summary, this is a great quality brand you can feel good about buying!

Fogo’s Ecualytpus Lump Charcoal is another stellar choice for pitmasters interested in hosting their own authentic Brazillian barbeque. Perfectly suited for Rodizio style cooking (all-you-can-eat, Brazillian style of restaurant service) this is a quality option offered at less than half the price point of Big Green Egg’s comparable eucalyptus-sourced option. 

The high density of eucalyptus as a source-wood results in particularly hot and long burns, as well as very little ash clean up after cooking. This is a reliable and easy to maintain charcoal option once lit, but getting it going may require a bit more attention than less dense alternatives. 

Offering a unique, mild smokey flavor on its own, you can absolutely add your favorite wood chips or chunks to this charcoal in order to add to its flavor profile. Produced without any chemical additives, Fogo has furthermore ensured this is an all-natural option of lump charcoal.

Highly affordable, clean burning, and sustainably sourced, this is without a doubt the go-to option for barbeque enthusiasts seeking a eucalyptus-based lump charcoal without breaking the bank.

If you’re a diehard barbeque nerd who’s just as passionate about your cooking process as you are about the end result, then you likely already know about Binchotan charcoal, or “white charcoal”. This high-grade charcoal option from The Bincho Grill has been specially crafted to imitate the same properties and burning profile as authentic white oak Kishu binchotan charcoal, at a FAR lower price point.

Traditional binchotan charcoal is produced from regionally-specific, Japenese white oak Kishu by pyrolyzing wood in a kiln at ~240°C for 120 hours and raising the temperature to ~1000°C. The charcoal then undergoes several other processing steps in order to raise the carbon content far higher than standard lump charcoal. The unique source wood and intensive processing result in an astoundingly expensive finished product, but the performance of binchotan charcoal is more or less unrivaled in the barbeque world.

The Bincho Grill has utilized a highly comparable natural hardwood grown in Laos to produce this binchotan-alternative, and the finished product is impressively close to the real deal.

This 22-pound box comes in mixed sized pieces ranging from 2 to 10 inches that are very willingly ignited again for re-use. It’s the heightened carbon content (a whopping 90%) that causes the charcoal to burn even cleaner, hotter, and longer than standard lump charcoals. This binchotan alternative furthermore burns nearly smokeless and essentially sparkless, so it offers particularly consistent heat once properly ignited.

While this option offers exceptional performance once lit, it can be a bit difficult to get going, so it’s recommended to utilize a charcoal chimney for optimum lighting.

If you’ve always wanted to experiment with Yakitori style cooking or simply want to experience the renowned quality of grilling with binchotan charcoal for yourself, this is a wonderful opportunity to familiarize yourself without having to spend the big bucks on difficult to source, authentic white charcoal. No doubt a wonderful gift for yourself or a fellow pitmaster that’s perfect for those special occasion get togethers!

Cooking with lump charcoal is widely viewed within the barbeque world as superior to briquettes, but there are some details to consider when choosing your fuel source nonetheless.

Lump Charcoal offers longer burn times than standard briquettes, a higher maximum temperature, faster lighting, and less ash due to a cleaner burn.

Lump charcoal is therefore less of a mess to clean up, and can furthermore be reused if you have pieces leftover and properly store them.

Controlling the temperature of lump charcoal can be more difficult than with briquettes because the pieces are not uniform, so particularly controlled cooking in which you want to maintain a constant heat level will require a bit more attention and maintenance.

The smoke output from lump charcoal is quite variable depending on which brand you buy, but the best options are all-natural and will therefore not negatively affect cooked food with unpleasant, acrid flavor tones.

Briquettes are easy to light and maintain, burn at a consistent rate and temperature, and are far more affordable than purchasing higher-quality lump charcoal.

For simple cookouts where you're just whipping up some burgers and dogs, it may be worth utilizing briquettes and saving your barbeque fuel-funds for searing steaks, ribs, and other special occasion feasts!

Keep in mind however that briquettes are typically made with chemical additives such as Borax and Limestone and can therefore negatively affect the flavor of what you're cooking if you're not mindful of charcoal-timing and food placement.

In summary: Lump charcoal is the way to go for barbeque enthusiasts passionate about cooking the most mouth-watering meal possible. That being said, utilizing briquettes offers a heightened level of brainless convenience, and is far more affordable - so all things considered, both fuel sources have their ideal cooking contexts!

If you want to get really technical with the resulting flavor profile of your charcoal cookout, then you ought to consider the hardwood origins of the lump charcoal you buy. 

Each type of wood generates a unique aroma and resulting flavor when properly cooked with - some of which are wonderfully suited for specific meats or food types. 

Keep in mind that once turned into charcoal, the flavor profile of each wood type is far less bold. To really taste the differences in flavor between fuel sources try adding some wood chips or chunks to your charcoal bed or smoker.

Here are some brief, surface-level flavor profiles of some of the most popular woods used for making charcoal and for cooking on their own as described by Char-Broil, a highly reputable brand in regards to all things barbeque:

Apple offers a very mild, subtle, sweet, fruity flavor. It's quite popular for smoking essentially any meat (including seafood) in its wood-form and is a renowned crowd favorite for cooking pork. 

Cherry offers a sweet mild, fruity flavor that is a great friendly choice for all meats. You can think of this one as your salt and pepper!

Hickory puts off a sweet and strong bacon-typeflavor, so for that reason it's an obviously popular fuel choice. The smoke can be comparably pungent to other wood choices and promotes a strong flavor to essentially all meat cuts. Hickory is particularly popular for preparing pork and ribs.

Maple has a mild and slightly sweet flavor profile that's popular for preparing poultry and small game birds, as well as vegetables and cheeses.

Mesquite is one of the hottest burning woods, offering a strong and earthy flavor that is wonderful for most red and dark meats. 

Oak has a medium smoky flavor that is bolder than apple and cherry, but lighter than mesquite and hickory. It’s great neutral fuel source that offers a nice flavor profile on its own, while also pairing nicely with other woods. Oak is a great choice for essentially any type of meat.

Alder is a particularly delicate wood with a subtle sweet flavor. It’s popular for grilling and smoking salmon, and pairs nicely with most fish and poultry.

Olive wood has a similar flavor to mesquite but is less bold. It's a popular choice used to cook poultry

Peach wood puts off a sweet, fruity flavor that’s comparable to most other fruit wood. It's a sought after choice for grilling pork, poultry, and small game birds.

Pecan is an especially bold fruit wood, but is still milder than hickory and mesquite. It's most popular for grilling poultry but adds a nice flavor to more or less any meat.

If you want to dive deeper into the world of wood flavor and how to properly implement your newfound knowledge, check out this handy break-down written by barbeque expert Derrick Riches.

Adding some wood chips or chunks to your charcoal bed is a great way to further customize the overall flavor profile of your fuel source.

If you utilize lump charcoal with a relatively mild, neutral flavor, then you can nail just the flavor/aroma you're seeking by simply pairing your charcoal with wood chips characteristic of your desired flavor profile. 

Wise pit masters will find a lump charcoal that they enjoy cooking with, and then customize the fine points of the aroma and flavor with wood chips or chunks that precisely match the meal at hand!

For more information on how to properly utilize wood chips or chunks along with your charcoal fuel source, check out this informative piece by Cory Baldwin.

There are countless ways to cook with charcoal, but utilizing a rotisserie is an especially fun, engaging, and effective method.

Perfect for group gatherings and parties, turning and burning meats and veggies over a rotisserie spit is an age-old tactic that will never get old.

Be sure to check out our top list of the best rotisserie spits for outdoor cooking while you're getting geared up for barbeque season.

While using a traditional chimney is an effective way to light your charcoal, the benefits and convenience of an electric fire starter or charcoal starter are astounding, to say the least. Enabling you to quickly and effortlessly get your briquettes or lump charcoal going in a matter of moments, these devices change the game when it comes to campouts, barbeques, backyard bonfires, and everything in between.

Our top list of the best electric fire starters has pinned down the best options for every context.

If getting your charcoal going is a burden and you're not terribly interested in owning a fancy electric charcoal starter, consider owning a simple blowtorch for adding some oomph to your barbeque ignition. A powerful blow torch works wonderfully for getting lump charcoal red hot in moments, and is of course a versatile tool that can be used for all sorts of other applications.

Our list of the best mini blowtorches for camping has highlighted some stellar options for barbeque contexts.