Lump Charcoal Vs Briquettes: Ignite the Fight

September 10, 2023
Written by Kristy J. Norton

Lump charcoal vs briquettes has been a rousing debate in the grilling world. Opponents often agree to disagree and both sides make good points worth considering. I prefer using briquettes simply because I often smoke big, tough meat cuts that demand a long time on the grill to absorb that glorious smoke flavor.

As a seasoned BBQ warrior, I have had the chance to use all types of fuel including different brands of both lump charcoal and briquettes on my grill. Over the years I have taken note of a bunch of similarities as well as differences that I think you should know about before settling on either one.

Read on to learn a little about both fuels as well as their differences and similarities. Know which one is best for grilling, smoking, and baking and what could be choking your fire. Diving in:

lump charcoal vs briquettes

Lump Charcoal Vs Briquettes: Side by Side Comparison

Characteristics

Lump Charcoal

Briquettes

Raw Material

Wood only

Has additives

Shape

Irregular

Regular

Temperature

Very high

Lower than lump charcoal

Ignition

Easy

Hard

Ash Output

Low

High

What Are the Differences Between Lump Charcoal and Briquettes?

Both lump charcoal and briquettes are types of wood charcoal. This simply means that they have gone through carbonization. 

Carbonization is the process by which wood is heated in a low-oxygen chamber at high temperatures. This serves to get rid of volatile compounds like water and natural compounds such as methane which are vaporized into the air. The wood is freed of all impurities leaving behind carbon.

The byproduct is lighter and cleaner. It also burns longer, and more evenly. The wood is then made into two distinct forms: lump charcoal or briquettes. They differ in the following ways:

Material

Lump charcoal is considered a more traditional cooking fuel compared to briquettes because they are made of pure wood. The wood is comprised of scraps from the timber yard, twigs, branches, and by-products from sawmills.

Briquettes, unlike lump charcoal, are made of several materials, including sawdust, wood particles, unburnt material from a heat source, sawdust, paper, and dry straw. These materials are pressed together into a mold to form a briquette.

Better Product: Lump Charcoal

Shape

Lump charcoal and briquettes also differ in shape and size. Lump coal comes in irregular shapes and sizes. One bag contains large, small, and medium pieces of charcoal.

Briquettes on the other hand have a uniform shape since they are fitted into a mold during the manufacturing process. Shapes and sizes may vary across different brands but all the briquettes in a packet will be similar.

Better Product: Briquettes

Additives 

Lump charcoal is only comprised of wood, unlike briquettes which are made up of several materials inclusive of additives that serve to enhance their characteristics. Some of these additives are starch, borax, paraffin, and limestone.

Better Product: Lump Charcoal

Temperature Control and Burn Rate

Lump coals burn hotter and faster than briquettes. With uneven charcoal bits, you can expect an uneven distribution of heat within the cooking chamber. This can be countered by working the air vents to your liking.

Briquettes on the hand are designed to burn slower over longer periods, making it an easier fire to control and regulate. This is further enhanced by their even shape which allows them to burn more evenly. With briquettes, you won't be caught unprepared or rushed as you cook.

Better Product: Briquettes

Amount of Ash

Another major difference is the amount of ash they produce. Since lump coal is made of just wood, it produces very little ash compared to briquettes which feature many other components that add to the amount of ash you're left with after grilling or smoking.

Better Product: Lump Charcoal

Cost

Lump coal is a lot pricier than briquettes because the raw materials are harder to source in comparison to briquettes whose raw materials are readily available.

Better Product: Briquettes

Outdoor Grill with Blistering Briquettes

What Are the Similarities Between Lump Charcoal and Briquettes?

Despite the many differences between the two, they still have a few similarities. They are:

Carbonization

Both lump charcoal and briquettes come from wood that's been carbonized during the manufacturing process.

Ignition

Both types of wood charcoal are ignited the same way. I use a charcoal chimney to start my fire regardless of the fuel. I steer clear of self-igniting fuel ever since I tasted the chemical solvent on my brisket. I won't make that mistake again.

Similarly, both types of fuel are available as self-lighting charcoal. Many varieties of lump charcoal and briquettes are mixed with chemical solvents during manufacturing to make ignition simpler and less time-consuming.

You can also use lighter fluid if you prefer.

Wood fuels that contain these solvents will be clearly labeled on the package for you to make an informed purchase.

Purity and Charcoal Quality

Both hardwood charcoal fuels are cleaner options than wood. This is because they are separated from impurities in the manufacturing plant during carbonization.

In other words, it won't engulf your house with smoke that assaults the eyes, nose, and lungs with either fuel when you decide to smoke your meat.

What is Lump Charcoal?

Lump charcoal is a type of fuel made by burning wood using high temperatures in the absence of oxygen through a process called carbonization. 

Carbonization serves to rid the wood of moisture and other natural chemicals like hydrogen and methane, leaving the wood clean.

Since this fuel is wood in its most natural form it's not a wonder that most grilling purists will prefer it over briquettes. This high-quality fuel comes from either scrap timber or virgin timber which has fewer impurities.

The main concern with hardwood charcoal is the wood used to make it. Unprocessed wood, twigs and branches or scraps from a sawmill are not tainted by anything. However, scraps sourced from flooring or wood that's been stained or finished could contain chemicals that you don't want anywhere near your food.

Pros

  • It has no additives.
  • It allows for easier temperature adjustment using air vents.
  • Has little ash production.
  • It burns hotter.
  • It lights quickly.

Cons

  • It burns hotter than briquettes unsuitable for slow cooking.
  • It burns faster, which means you will use more fuel.
  • Is more expensive.

Sourcing

You can purchase hardwood lump charcoal brands online. Good examples are Masterbuilt Lump Charcoal, Kamado Joe charcoal, and Jealous Devil all-natural lump coal.

What Are Briquettes?

A briquette is a little block of compressed charcoal bits and other combustible material like corn husks, straw, sawdust, wood chips, paper, and more.

Different brands of briquettes will contain different materials based on where their raw material is sourced from.

Briquettes also contain additives that serve specific purposes. They include:

  1. Limestone: It acts as a whitening agent.
  2. Starch: It binds the ingredients together.
  3. Borax: It helps to keep away mold.
  4. Sodium Nitrate: It is used to hasten ignition.
  5. Paraffin and petroleum solvents: They also help to make ignition easier.

Pros

  • It's cheaper than lump coal.
  • A briquette fire burns longer.

Cons

  • It produces a lot of ash.
  • Most brands give off a chemical smell coming from the solvent.
  • It takes longer to light.

Sourcing

Reliable briquette charcoal brands include Olivette Organic briquettes and B & B Organic briquettes.

Which is Better for Grilling, Smoking, or Baking?

In general, most charcoal brands will burn for about 2-3 hours while most briquette brands will burn for approximately 4-5 hours.

Having learned the similarities and differences between the two fuels, which is better for grilling, smoking, and baking? Let's get into it:

Grilling

Grilling involves cooking meals over a very hot fire for a short time. Grilling right means grilling hot and fast, making it better suited to a lump coal fire.

A lump charcoal fire is also great for vegetable roasts. On average, it takes up to 30 minutes to roast veggies like garlic and onion, and up to 40 minutes to roast root veggies. For this purpose, a briquette fire is unnecessary and probably a waste of charcoal.

Smoking

Smoking is best done over low heat for a long period. It can take anywhere from one hour for poultry bits to even 15 hours for large cuts of meat.

A briquette fire burns low and longer than lump coal, making it better for slow cooks like smoking. It leaves enough time for the meat to absorb wood flavor.

Baking

Most baking recipes call for a temperature range of between 325ºF-350ºF for up to one hour. This can be successfully achieved with a lump coal fire without as much waste as with a briquette fire.

Which Factors Should I Consider When Lighting a Fire?

Here are other concerns you should consider when using both types of wood charcoal:

Does Airflow Make a Difference?

Regardless of the type of fuel, it's important to note that it's oxygen that feeds your fire.

Grills feature adjustable air vents that serve to introduce oxygen into the system. The wider you open these vents, the more oxygen you allow in and the hotter your coals will burn. Partially closed vents limit the air flowing into the system, resulting in a cooler temperature.

Opening and closing these adjustable air vents is how we, pitmasters regulate the temperature in the cooking chamber.

That said, you should also keep a keen eye on your exhaust damper. Keep it at least partially open throughout your cooking.

The exhaust damper works to get rid of the combustion gases like carbon monoxide, allowing oxygen to reach the coal. As the combustion gases exit the smoker, the pressure inside the smoker drops, pulling in oxygen through the air vent.

If you close the damper entirely, the build-up of combustion gases will choke the coal of oxygen thus completely putting out the fire.

Does the Grill Type Matter?

The type of grill you have should not keep you from using any of the two fuels because most grills feature an adjustable air vent designed to introduce oxygen into the system. Instead, consider the one that will serve you best.

If you're using a Kamado-style grill, be advised that it doesn't have much space to collect ash. These grills can easily be overwhelmed by briquette ash and cripple airflow into the system. This, in turn, results in a drop in temperature or the fire going out.

People will other grill types like charcoal smokers and charcoal grills generally prefer using charcoal briquettes.

Most ceramic grill owners prefer lump charcoal since it produces very little ash but you can expect similar results with all-natural briquette brands that have fewer additives.

Charcoal Grill with Flames

Does Coal Arrangement Count?

Your coal arrangement also affects how hot the fire will be since the temperature is largely regulated by the airflow.

I recommend a two-zone arrangement for briquette or charcoal grilling to introduce heat to your barbecue. This is done by simply placing your coal on one side of the grill. When ignited, the side above the fire gets radiant heat while the other just gets convection heat.

Other methods of coal arrangement allow for the fuel to self-ignite passively. They include the minion method and the charcoal snake. Both methods will self-ignite whether you use briquettes or lump charcoal.

Can You Mix Briquettes With Lump Charcoal?

Yes, you can mix briquettes with lump charcoal to get the best of both worlds.

For example, adding a bunch of lump coal to charcoal briquettes will help you light the fire quicker and allow for a longer cooking time. The briquettes will cancel out the quick burn rate of the lump charcoal while the lump charcoal will make the fire easier to light. Now that's teamwork making the grilling work.

FAQS

What Burns Longer Lump Charcoal or Briquettes?

A briquette fire will burn longer than a lump charcoal fire.

Does Lump Charcoal Taste Different Than Briquettes?

Chemical solvents can leave your food with an unpleasant aftertaste so go for fuel brands that do not include these additives.

By Kristy J. Norton
I'm Kristy – a chef and connoisseur of all things BBQ! You can find me either in my kitchen (or someone else's) or at a big outdoor barbecue surrounded by friends and family. In both my professional and personal life I’ve picked up more than a few tips and tricks for turning out delicious food. I consider it a privilege to share it with others!
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