Taste the Flavor, Not the Fuel
Check your charcoal with 5 questions
Charcoal is burned wood, right? Not always. In fact, some charcoal has chemical fillers, binders and other additives to hold the particles together. On the other hand, hardwood lump charcoal is made from just that – hardwood material such as maple, oak, mesquite, ebony or hickory.
Does your charcoal measure up?
Charcoal grilling should allow you to taste your food, not chemicals. Use these 5 questions to see how your favorite charcoal brand measures up.
- Is the charcoal hardwood lump? Lump charcoal burns cleaner and longer than other types of charcoal, such as briquettes, and produces minimal ash.
- Is it 100% natural? You don’t want fillers, binders or chemicals cooking your food.
- Does it provide consistent lump size? An average lump size of 2 to 4 inches delivers consistent heat for the best cooking results.
- What is the source of the charcoal? The best cook comes from 100% responsibly and sustainably harvested hardwoods that are kiln-fired to exacting standards.
- Is it right for the grill type? Lump charcoal is perfect for all types of grills, from patio table top grills to kamado-style cookers.
Check your bag
Because no other ingredients are added, 100% natural hardwood lump charcoal takes on the shape of its source – wood. It’s charred and bagged. That’s it.
Take a quick look at the shape of the lumps to evaluate your charcoal’s quality. Keep in mind that lump also lights quicker and burns hotter than other types of charcoal. And, it gives a wood flavor to your food because there are no other ingredients.
In the words of Fire & Flavor founder and CEO Davis Knox, “Grilling out should be about good food and all-natural products. No matter what or where you’re cooking, it comes down to thinking about three things related to your charcoal – no chemicals, no fillers, all flavor.”
