8 Best Charcoal for Smoking Review

best charcoal for smoking

You’d think that if you’re all about the delightful smoky flavor of your meat on your charcoal barbecue, that’s all there is to it, right? No, not exactly. That is merely a portion of the narrative.

If you want to get the most out of your grilling experience, you must use the best charcoal for smoking. You’re probably wondering if such a thing exists. Any barbecue expert will tell you that if two grillers compete in a steak grilling contest using identical tools and skills, the one who is deliberate about the type of charcoal they use will undoubtedly win.

With so much misinformation regarding the best charcoal for smoking out there, this guide is here to lay the truth straight. Everything you need to know is right here.

However, we will help you achieve this task as we have spent hours researching and then compiled a list of the eight best charcoal for smoking for you. You can go through our list and decide which is best for you. We will cover:

  • Description of each product
  • Pros and Cons
  • Recommendations
  • A buyers guide 
  • And a summary at the end of the article

Best Charcoal for Smoking List

Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

1- FOGO Premium Oak Restaurant All-Natural Lump Charcoal for Grilling and Smoking

Pick #1
9.4/10 Our Score

Indulge in the rich, robust taste of authentic charcoal. The all-natural, premium oak wood is the secret ingredient of this premium charcoal, which produces an intense and aromatic cooking experience. Its premium design allows for increased heat distribution, faster cooking times, and more even heating.

This lump charcoal is made from 100% hardwood and is an excellent choice for grilling and smoking. Made from hardwood, it produces a dense and hard-hitting fire, while it’s 100% natural and environmentally friendly. Soothing heat and a great taste ensure you’ll have a wonderful time.

It comes in two sizes to suit your grilling needs: Medium and Small. Grilling or smoking with this charcoal is a breeze because it retains heat naturally. This cooking fuel is crafted with superior quality and care by experienced artisans in a Canadian facility and is known as the longest-burning charcoal for smoking.

Fogo’s premium charcoal is the perfect choice when you want to grill or smoke various types of meat, vegetables, and fish. Natural hardwoods are used to make this charcoal, providing a tender, juicy, and healthy taste. Premium charcoal is 100% natural, which means it doesn’t have any flavoring or additives. The premium charcoal is perfect for grilling and smoking.

Reasons to Buy

  • Quickly Ready to Use
  • Provides long burn duration
  • Comes with natural lump charcoal
  • Retain Heat

Reasons to Avoid

  • Retain Heat

2- Char-Broil Center Cut Lump Charcoal

Pick #2
9.3/10 Our Score

Char-Broil Center Cut Lump Charcoal is specially designed for the BBQ enthusiast. Center Cut Lump Charcoal provides incredible and long-lasting heat, which lets you sear food at a low temperature. This charcoal is the best charcoal briquette for smoking and is also perfect for smoking meat, fish, or vegetables.

There is no better charcoal on the market than this. Furthermore, this charcoal is made with 100% pure granulated hardwood, which gets you amazing taste, superior heat, and even cooking. They offer 40-pound bags of charcoal in convenient sizes that will keep your family warm for a long time. The charcoal is also a great value with a value price.

It is perfect for starting your barbecue quickly and easily with this Cut Lump Charcoal. With a versatile design that can be used on charcoal and gas grills, this lump charcoal is great for hardwood and gas grills. Its center-cut design makes it easy to light and store.

Char-Broil Center Cut Lump Charcoal is made of natural lump charcoal, the most popular and economical cooking method. This is the best charcoal for grilling and smoking. The lumps are compacted and stacked by weight, giving you even heat throughout the grill. The charcoal is also highly porous, so it’s more efficient in transferring heat to the food being grilled.

Reasons to Buy

  • Pure organic hardwood
  • The best product so far
  • 3x burning speed
  • Provides heat throughout the grill

Reasons to Avoid

  • None we can think of!

3- Jealous Devil All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal

Pick #3
9.6/10 Our Score

Jealous Devil All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal is new charcoal made from 100% premium hardwood. The charcoal is made from the same materials as other brands but with no added chemicals or additives. No chemical additives, preservatives or additives are used in this product to make it what it is.

This is the perfect way to kick-start your barbecue and bring out the taste of your food. The lump charcoal is made from 100% natural hardwood and is kiln-dried for optimal ignitability. The Lump charcoal is the superior choice for grilling and barbecuing. The charcoal provides a slow, even burn and is perfect for low and slow cooking.

The lump charcoal is environmentally friendly and is made from renewable, eco-conscious sources. It is completely non-toxic and safe to use in your home. This charcoal lump is designed with a natural wood-smoke aroma that is rustic and chemical-free making it the best lump coal for smoking.

Jealous Devil All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal is a luxurious, premium, and versatile charcoal designed by the people for the people. This 100% natural and environmentally friendly product is perfect for indoor and outdoor cooking. Coated with a non-toxic, food-grade coating, the charcoal is free from chemicals and is an ideal alternative to charcoal briquettes, gas grills, and wood.

Reasons to Buy

  • Provides consistent heat
  • Environment-friendly 
  • Easy to Use
  • Easy to Light

Reasons to Avoid

  • It can create a mess while opening

4- Bradley Smoker Mesquite Wood Bisquettes for Grilling & BBQ

Pick #4
9.7/10 Our Score

Bradley Smoker Mesquite Wood Bisquettes for Grilling & BBQ is a high-quality smoking wood ideal for smoking food. It has a strong, rich, and distinctive flavor, making it perfect for ribs, chicken, and other dishes. Whether you’re cooking on a gas or charcoal grill, Bradley Smoker Mesquite Wood Bisquettes for Grilling & BBQ will provide your food with an authentic, smoky flavor.

They are made from 100% natural wood, soaked in water, lye, and salt for a long time before being dried and roasted. They are absorbent, heat-proof, and do not produce any form of ash or residue. The wood pellets are also extremely hard and durable, so they will not break down as easily as other types of wood. 

The Bradley Smoker Mesquite Wood Bisquettes for Grilling & BBQ are perfect for grilling and smoking meat, fish, and vegetables. Every time you grill with wood, you’re cooking with flavor. Bradley Smoker Mesquite Wood Bisquettes for Grilling & BBQ is made with 100% natural wood pellets for the ultimate smoky, wood-smoked flavor. 

These wood pellets are a perfect blend of the finest hardwoods, including hickory, cherry, oak, and cherry, for a taste that will make you want more. These wood pellets are 100% natural and 100% made in the USA.

Reasons to Buy

  • Natural smoky flavor
  • Best for slow cooking
  • No impurities
  • 100% Natural

Reasons to Avoid

  • Not best for all smokers

5- Bradley Smoker BTHC24 BTHC24-Flavor Bisquettes-Hickory

Pick #5
9.7/10 Our Score

Introducing our new, innovative Bradley Smoker BTHC24-Flavor Bisquettes with Hickory. This unique new Bradley Smoker BTHC24 has a new flavor enhancer and a new cooking surface. The BTHC24-Flavor Bisquettes-Hickory are a must for grilling, smoking, or baking.

It is a unique rectangular shape with a v-shaped groove on the top side of the smoke chamber. This gives the smoker more control over the heat and smoke of the fire, promoting more even and consistent cooking. The Bradley Smoker Bisquettes are made of natural ingredients which give you the best possible flavor.

 It’s no secret that Bradley Smoker BTHC24 BTHC24-Flavor Bisquettes-Hickory is one of the best-selling grill accessories on the market. With a wide range of flavors, this smoker is perfect for most kinds of food. 

The smoke ring results from the natural smoking process, just like the flavor and complexity. The BTHC24-Flavor Bisquettes-Hickory is designed with a wood chip tray and comes with a 3-year warranty.

Reasons to Buy

  • Cooks meat perfectly
  • Made of natural ingredients
  • Provides more smoker control
  • Various flavors

Reasons to Avoid

  • Not best for charcoal grilles

6- IPPINKA Binchotan BBQ Charcoal from Kishu

Pick #6
9.0/10 Our Score

Binchotan is an extremely rare and unique type of charcoal, which is produced from the Binchotan cedar wood from East Asia. Binchotan charcoal is made from pure, natural wood, generates no pollution, and is environmentally friendly. 

Its unique and distinctive black color, acquired from the type of wood and the manufacturing process, gives binchotan a dark and mysterious appearance. The Kishu Binchotan is the first and only BBQ Charcoal made from 100% natural Binchotan. The charcoal is made from natural wood, which is known for its unique fire and heat performance properties, so it is perfect for bbq.

The charcoal is available in different grades so choose the grade you want. The grades are made according to the kiln production from natural bamboo. Each grade has a different number of fingers.

This is the best binchotan charcoal from Kishu. It is made from natural materials and has less ash, so it is far more environmentally friendly than other coal. This excellent quality charcoal is perfect for cooking. It is also an excellent ingredient for a healthy lifestyle.

Reasons to Buy

  • The great oak smoky flavor
  • It can be used several times
  • Provides high-smoking temperature
  • Chemical-free

Reasons to Avoid

  • Requires specific storage

7- Bradley Smoker Caribbean Blend Bisquettes

Pick #7
9.3/10 Our Score

The Bradley Smoker is the world’s best-selling barbecue smoker. Its compact design and innovative heat source, Bisquettes, make it easy to transport and use. The Bradley Smoker is ideal for first-time, experienced smokers with limited space.

This is a mixture of sweet and spicy flavors with the addition of a touch of heat, perfect for the summertime. The taste starts with light notes of vanilla and subtle hints of cinnamon, moving on to a hint of allspice. At the heart of the flavor is the sweetness of natural brown sugar with a subtle, lingering kick of pepper.

They’re made with 100% natural hardwood and a blend of select spices, including all-natural paprika and pepper. The seasoning is made with only the best ingredients, like real white sugar and salt. These briquettes are the ultimate way to add a bit of tropical flavor to your food. These premium one-time-use briquettes are perfect for any barbeque enthusiast.

Bradley Smoker Caribbean Blend Bisquettes are perfect for grilling, smoking, and cooking. It is made from 100% natural wood and wood chips. They have been soaked in water and then dried in the sun, so they are ready to use. These briquettes are the perfect size and type to use in your Bradley Smoker.

Reasons to Buy

  • Great Caribbean taste
  • Rich hardwood flavor
  • Natural and organic
  • No Additives

Reasons to Avoid

  • It can only be used with Bradley Models

8- MUXI Portable Grilling Charcoal Briquettes, 3 Seconds to Light

Pick #8
8.9/10 Our Score

MUXI Portable Grilling Charcoal Briquettes are designed to provide the perfect blend of convenience & flavor with their very own 3 Seconds to Light technology. These charcoal briquettes are specifically designed for outdoor grilling, which is why they light in 3 seconds. The briquettes are made from premium materials, ensuring they are durable and long-lasting.

The briquettes are perfect for grilling, baking, smoking, and even as fuel for your gas BBQ. The briquettes are easy to light, with only 3 seconds needed to combust. The briquettes are made of natural charcoal with no polystyrene, so they are safe to use.

This charcoal is designed for excellent heat retention, with a long-lasting fuel efficiency of up to 60% for 20 hours. The briquettes are made of coconut shell charcoal, a traditional light source in the Philippines for centuries, and the organic hardwood pellets provide an even and complete heating surface.

Nonstop grilling with these briquettes, which light up in seconds. Portable and travel-friendly, they come in various sizes and cooking styles. These briquettes heat up in just 3 seconds and produce a powerful heating effect. Comes in 3 sizes: Small, Medium, and Large.

Reasons to Buy

  • Cooks food without bad flavor
  • Easy to use
  • Long Lasting fuel
  • Consists of natural charcoal powder

Reasons to Avoid

  • The flavor is less smoky

FAQs

What charcoal is best for smokers?

Providing you get the cleanest briquettes, briquettes are an excellent choice for smokers. A large amount of charcoal is sold in the form of briquettes formed from pressed sawdust.

What charcoal burns the longest for smoking?

In comparison with charcoal briquettes, lump charcoal burns hotter and longer. The mass of lump coal is also more appealing to some people, as it is simply charred wood instead of sawdust, as with briquettes.

Can I use Kingsford charcoal for smoking?

The top choice for smokers and charcoal grills is the Kingsford Original Charcoal Briquettes. You can use one at home for some low and slow smoking if you have one. Smoke rings, or hard smoky crusts, form when meat is cooked this way.

Is Lumpwood charcoal better than briquettes?

However, briquettes still get extremely hot, even though they burn more slowly than lump wood charcoal. Briquettes burn at a more consistent temperature and provide a more reliable burn. Larger pieces of meat, like brisket and lamb shoulder, can be cooked low and slow.

What is the cleanest burning charcoal?

Using lump charcoal is preferable to using flammable petroleum products or additives. During the burning process, wood is reduced to pure carbon, leaving only wood pieces in their original shapes.

Final Words

Here we are summing up our discussion about the best charcoal for smoking. We hope that now you have found the best pick for you after taking a look at the ten best charcoal for smoking we have finalized.

If you have any confusion while buying charcoal, you can go through our comprehensive buyer’s guide to eliminate the misconceptions. Tell us in the comments section which product you have selected for yourself and find it best. 

Author

  • Troy Miller

    Hi! My name is Troy, and I'm the founder of Grill Taster. I have a lot of experience in grilling because I've been testing out products for over a decade. With almost ten years as a professional griller and help to thousands of aspiring BBQ masters, you can trust me to help you find the best grills and accessories on the market so that you don't have to waste time or money on junk. With my family enjoying some summertime fun just outside Carolina, we're all looking forward to your comments and questions!

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