Charcoal or Briquettes?

Lump charcoal has a lot of attractive qualities; it lights faster, burns hotter, and leaves very little ash compared to briquettes. Briquettes, however, are kind of like the fast food of charcoal; theyre cheap, reliable, and can be found in almost every supermarket. The debate is ongoing for grillers across the globe and even though there are many pros and cons for each, the consensus is that the choice is down to personal preference.

Briquettes burn for at least 2-3 hours, while charcoal tends to burn out after 1 hour. This means that if you use briquettes, you dont need to keep adding fuel when barbecuing large pieces of meat which require a longer amount of cooking time. So although you get hotter temperature with lump, you can cook for longer with briquettes¦

Part of the charm of using briquettes is learning how to control the temperature and master the perfect barbecuing technique. There is no need to touch the vents, simply increase or reduce the amount of briquettes you use.

Both lump and briquettes generate ash when it burns which gives the food a distinctive taste that can either ruin or enhance the whole barbecue experience depending on your preference. More ash is generated from briquettes and this can be a major consideration when selecting your fuel to suit the type of bbq you are using. Ash catchers are a must on kettles if you are using briquettes. Look out for the Weber One Touch which has a removable, high-capacity ash catcher.

Remember, you can reuse your briquettes over and over again. There is no need to throw them away until they have completely turned to ash. Bear this in mind when considering the cost of both lump and briquettes.

So, to sum up¦

Lump Charcoal:
Pros: Lights quickly, burns hotter, little ash production, all natural.
Cons: Burns faster, more expensive, less consistent (bags can contain unusably small pieces of charcoal).

Briquettes:
Pros: Burns longer, easier to maintain consistent temperature, cheaper.
Cons: Longer to light, chemical smell, large ash production.

Wed love to hear your opinion on the charcoal vs briquettes debate. Whichever you choose, happy cooking!