You have made the correct choice getting your hands on the big green egg. It’s probably the best grill that money can buy right now. And you are reading these lines because you don’t want to make any mistakes while buying lump charcoal for that big green egg.
So, in this article, I have listed the best lump charcoal for big green egg. The best kamado grill, which is capable of delivering the best and most iconic cooking experience, will only let you have the best cooking experience if you use the best lump charcoal for big green egg.
Without any further ado, let’s move forward with the list.
Review of Best Lump Charcoal For Big Green Egg
- Best Natural Lump Charcoal – Jealous Devil All Natural Lump Charcoal
- Best Lump Charcoal For Big Green Egg – Fogo Hardwood Lump Charcoal
- Best Lump Charcoal For Kamado Grill – Kamado Joe KJ XL Lump Charcoal
- Best Consumer Ranked Charcoal – Rockwood All-Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal
We have made several options available for you in case you want to move out of our best pick. Therefore, go through our entire list to pick your most suitable one.
1. Jealous Devil All Natural Lump Charcoal
It’s really hard to find actual all natural hardwood lump charcoal because most manufacturers are deeply focusing on opting for chemical alternatives. Why do manufacturers do that? They do it because the best natural hardwood lump charcoal actually shortens their profit margin.
To make sure that you are buying the right thing, here’s the Jealous Devil All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal. These are made from 100% natural hardwood without the use of any chemical or any other synthetic substance.
Low Ash
Using this bag of charcoal was a charming experience. As I was doing this for a testing purpose, I was extra cautious about everything. The factor that attracted me the most was the ash count after burning is very low. Lesser ash lets the wood beneath the first layer breath better. So, the charcoal burns better.
High Amount of Burn
The thing with most charcoal is that they don’t burn as long as they are supposed to. But this one can burn for more than 4 hours in an open grill and more than 20 hours in smokers. The heat it generates is astonishing. It can be as high as 7000 kcal/kg with the max temperature of 1170OF.
Great Flavor
In charcoal, what I look for especially is the flavor. So, I cooked brisket, fish, beef and chicken. The charcoal contains aroma that can enhance the flavor mildly. It happens for all sort of grilling items.
Drawbacks
The aroma is quite close to the smell of tar. Some people prefer it, some people don’t. We may want our food to smell as is. So, this could’ve been an option where the manufacturers could let the buyers choose the aromatic charcoal or the normal charcoal.
Expert’s Verdict
The thing with this charcoal pack is that it contains a certain aroma that might be repelling for some people. So, for those who want their food to have an added scent coming from the charcoal, should go for this undeniably. I like that about my charcoal. Everything I tried cooking on the big green egg tasted great.
2. Kamado Joe KJ Char Big Block XL Lump Charcoal
Grilling on the big green egg can be expensive considering that the price of charcoal is quite high. What if there was a bag of charcoal that was expensive but the charcoal can be reused, not once, not twice but three times?
The charcoal that gained popularity being the best reusable charcoal lump, Kamado Joe KJ-Char30LB Big Block XL Lump Charcoal. Despite being a 30lb bag, it is indeed one of the most convenient charcoal you can buy.
Long Time Burn
If You light up one batch of charcoal and leave them burning, they will burn for 18 hours or more. This means if you are not smoking anything, you can easily use these charcoal for commercial use.
Reusable
I only heard about its reusability and thought I might have to let them burn independently. But a friend of mine said I could put out the fire using water, dry the charcoal in the sun and reuse them whenever I want! I tried that and guess what? It did work.
WaterProof Packaging
The charcoal comes in a waterproof package. Waterproof bag ensures that even if you keep it for a long time in a room where the temperature can go low and it can be damp, the charcoal will remain dry and usable for a long time.
Drawbacks
As Kamado Joe has gained fame, many sellers in different marketplaces.are selling the same product. But the problem is there are some sellers who love to scam people. So, some buyers are getting fake Kamado Joe instead of the proper product. But those who have received the proper KJ have praised and continued using this.
Expert’s Verdict
While picking up a bag of Kamado joe, if you get your hands on the actual product, it will be the experience of a lifetime. But by any chance if you get a bag of bad product, it won’t be good. So, while ordering one, do check the reviews for confirmation.
3. Fogo Hardwood Large Lump Charcoal for Smoking Sessions
If you try and check for the bag of charcoal that everyone suggests whenever you are looking at some other product, this is the one. The best charcoal for smoking sessions, I’m talking about Fogo Hardwood Large Lump Charcoal for Smoking Sessions.
Fogo Hardwood Large Lump charcoal for smoking session is one of the most used charcoal on big green egg and other kamado grills and smokers. If you have ceramic style kamado grills like primo, big green egg, kamado joe and other grills, this bag of charcoal is for you.
Big Pieces of Charcoal
The bag I ordered contained large charcoal chunks with 4 inches or more length; The larger size provides greater surface area, ensuring a long and steady burn as well as superior ventilation for temperature management.
Restaurant Quality
Charcoal is of restaurant quality and quickly reaches high scorching temperatures. It has a delectable oaky hardwood smoked taste. The meat I cooked came out having such an aroma. It was quite tasty.
Fast Lighting
The biggest problem with charcoal is that it takes time to light up. But not FOGO. With any type of lighting method, it takes absolutely no time for FOGO to light up. This actually lessens the physical strain that anyone has to go through for lighting charcoal.
Drawbacks
The only drawback that I thought was noteworthy was that while the coal was on fire, it kept on sparkling giving the impression that it would blast like an explosive. This could be a very stressful situation for people who are afraid of fire and explosives.
Expert’s Verdict
Apart from the sparkling factor, to me cooking with this pack of charcoal on my big green egg was a good experience. What I loved the most was the aroma coming from the oak hardwood. It actually increased the taste of food for me.
4. Rockwood All-Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal – Missouri Oak, Hickory, Maple
While a charcoal burns, ashes can cause disturbance in the heat dissipation. The coal might be burning at a great temperature but the grill may not be receiving enough heat. To make sure this happens properly, you need a charcoal brand that ensures ash minimization.
The best choice in this regard will be the best consumer-ranked charcoal- Rockwood All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal. It is considered to be the number one consumer rank charcoal on the naked whiz charcoal database.
Made without Harvesting Trees
While I was doing my research, I came across this one which said manufacturers don’t harvest any trees to make it and it’s made from leftover timber from mills. Thinking about how good it could be, I bought a bag to test. Surprisingly enough, the charcoal was great.
Versatile and Adds Flavor
Rockwood has always been famous for their charcoal. Especially this pack. Their ash-free, slow-burning coal ignites readily, warms rapidly, and burns boldly for juicier, more flavorful food. It is also suitable for any style of grill or smoker.
Environment protection
Rockwood knows that they are manufacturing a product that is responsible for making the environment worse. So, from their end, they try to protect the environment as much as they can. Their paper bags and soy inks are landfill-safe, recyclable, and will not emit toxic gasses when burnt.
Drawbacks
I don’t know how Rockwood is dealing with the manufacturing process but the bag of charcoal that I ordered contained some pieces of concrete and other debris which was making the bag heavier. But if that debris is taken out, the charcoal runs pretty great.
Expert’s Verdict
The only problem people found was with the consistency. The consistency of the quality of this charcoal pack is not upto the mark. If Rockwood can hold their end of the bargain by producing high quality charcoal, this would be a great pick because the coal is actually good.
Things to Consider Before Buying Charcoal for Big Green Egg Drilling
I know people who buy the Big Green Egg or BGE, are passionate about their grills and they will never force any random charcoal on their grill.Just like myself, they would get their hands on the ebay quality charcoal that money can buy. So, here are the factors to consider before buying the best lump charcoal for big green egg.
Duration of Burning
It’s very important to check for how long the charcoal is capable of burning. We use our grills for bbq, grill and sometimes smoking or slow cooking something. In that case, it’s evident that we would need charcoal that is capable of burning for at least 14 to 18 hours or so.
Keeping that in mind, I picked all the charcoal for this list. All of them are capable of burning for a long time. That way, if you don’t even want to slow cook, you might as well be thankful for the long duration because if you take the fire out after short time usage, you can reuse these coal.
Length of each piece
The size and length of each piece of the coal needs to be just enough for everyone to get what they want to grill. Smaller pieces tend to burn quicker and turn into ash. Again, larger pieces tend to burn too slow and not generate enough heat in time. \
So, each piece in the pack mof charcoal needs to be of the right length. Well, not each piece but most of the pieces. So that we can make the best use of them.
Heat Level
Along with the duration of heat, a certain heat level is also necessary for cooking. It won’t make any sense if the heat is low but the coal is burning for a day. The food will not be cooked at this rate.
So, to make sure that the food you want to cook on the BGE, the charcoal needs to have a certain heat level. The four charcoal packs that we selected are best known for producing high heat levels.
Waterproof
We don’t buy a bag of 35 lb charcoal and use it right away. We use one pack between the timespan of at least 3 months. So, within this time, there is a scope for the charcoal to capture moisture and get damp.
Not to let that happen, many manufacturers are coming in with waterproof bags. These bags are capable of keeping the contents inside dry. That means you can use them for a long time.
Budget
Lump charcoal can be pretty expensive considering the amount and the work you have to go through to use them. Make sure you are not overpaying for something not worth at all. 35lb bags under $60 are pretty good.
FAQ
What Is Lump Charcoal Used For?
Lump charcoal is ideal for high-heat applications such as searing steaks or cooking chicken wings. It can reach temperatures of 1400°F, which is significantly higher than briquettes.
How Long Does Lump Charcoal Burn?
The minimum burning time for lump charcoal is 4 to 6 hours. Some lump charcoal can burn up to 20 hours considering the material quality.
Final Thoughts
So, this is everything you have to know while you are choosing the best lump charcoal for big green egg. If you don’t want any hassle, you can go for the ones I picked.
Instead, if you want to do your own research, make sure you follow the things to consider. That way, it will be easier for you to choose.
Meta: Want to get your hands on the best lump charcoal for big green egg? Here’s the list of the 4 best lump charcoal for your big green egg. Get your bag now!