Best charcoal for smokers

Apart from your smoker itself, the fire is the base of your barbecue. But, with a huge number of different types and brands of charcoals out there, choosing a fuel for smoking can get confusing really fast! Forget trial and error.

It should light easily, burn steadily, and add a pleasantly smoky flavor. Rochelle Bilow is the commerce editor for Serious Eats, as well as a novelist. Based in Vermont, Rochelle specializes in stories about home cooking, techniques, tools, and equipment. She has been writing about food professionally for over a decade. We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

Best charcoal for smokers

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. After 50 hours of testing 13 charcoal smokers, we found four favorites. Jump to a Section. Some prefer the ritual of a stick-burner, while others want the hands-off approach of a smart pellet grill. Somewhere in the middle lies the charcoal smoker. This lets you be an active participant in the process, an element not found in smoking on a smart grill. With the range of designs, construction, and price points of charcoal smokers on the market, how do you decide which is the right one for you? We gathered 13 top-rated charcoal smokers and spent 50 hours putting them through a series of tests to rate their performance, ease of use, and overall value for you. Keep reading to see our top picks, the close seconds, and the also-rans based on the results. Assembly and fuel consumption are two big considerations, and adding more fuel according to directions was challenging. The Dyna-Glo is an intimidating-looking smoker at first glance. At about pounds, the physically imposing design leads one to believe this is a smoker best left to the experts, but we found it easy enough for a beginner to use and get great results. The expansive smoking space means you can easily cook for a large crowd, and we found it highly responsive to temperature tweaks via the baffle system as the cook went on.

It burned consistently, requiring minimal adjustments to maintain the ideal grill temperature. Ultimately, all lump charcoal is a natural product that contains no fillers.

Of all the types of charcoal, lump charcoal has its share of fans. There are several reasons you might want to spend a little or a lot! The main difference between lump charcoal and formed charcoal briquettes is that lump is whole pieces of wood that have been exposed to high temperatures, which drives out volatile chemicals and leaves only the carbon. With briquettes, that carbon is processed further. It's ground up, mixed with various fillers, and compressed into standard shapes. Good quality lump is very clean burning fuel. It also burns hotter than briquettes if it's allowed to get lots of oxygen.

SmokedBBQSource is supported by its readers. We may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you i f you buy through a link on this page. Learn more. A well-built charcoal smoker can hold a steady temperature for hours without much attention. After testing a range of charcoal smokers, we recommend the Weber Smokey Mountain. If you want to try something a little different, the Pit Barrel Cooker is worth checking out. Depending on what your needs are, there are a few other good options so be sure to read through our full list of the best charcoal smokers across a variety of price points. Read our full Weber Smokey Mountain review. With a rich history dating back to , the Weber Smokey Mountain WSM still holds the crown for best all-around charcoal smoker. Over the years, Weber has continued to tweak and improve the smoker, making it a hit with both pro and amateur pitmasters.

Best charcoal for smokers

Not all lump charcoal for smoking is created equal, and some of it even has the potential to harm your health with dangerous chemical additives. We like how it doesn't give out sparks, pops, or snaps when lighting. This may be the most interesting type of premium-quality lump charcoal for smoking that we came across when doing our research, as these are more on the denser side. It's suitable for outdoor cookouts as it's easy to light, whether by the best charcoal starter or charcoal chimney starter.

Never ending synonym

Rochelle Bilow. She has been writing about food professionally for over a decade. Rochelle Bilow is the commerce editor for Serious Eats, as well as a novelist. The overall flavor and scent experience was moderate, pleasant, and, overall, we think pretty crowd-appealing. Packaged in a waterproof, resealable, UV-resistant bag, you can safely store the Jealous Devil Briquettes for as long as you want in the bag they come in. Lump charcoal typically burns cleaner than briquettes and produces much less ash. What charcoal do pitmasters use? Our Favorite. There are a few categories that fall under build. You can light lump charcoal with a handful of methods, including electric lighters, roofing torches, or building a small fire of tinder and kindling. Check price. Burning Brisket is reader-supported.

Good charcoal for smoking lasts a long time and produces a steady high heat. Purists use hardwood logs, but most people use charcoal to give food its smoky flavor. Of course, not all charcoals are created equal.

Either way, consider what you're cooking and what flavor the charcoal brings before purchasing. Straight to the Point The best lump charcoal is quick to light, burns steadily, and produces minimal ash. Final decision? Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Read our affiliate policy to learn more. It was lightweight and easy to assemble, taking less than two minutes to complete. Both use South American hardwoods that have a very long burn time and our trials of both of these charcoals confirmed them to be some of the longest burning options out there. Factors to Consider. Packaged in a waterproof, resealable, UV-resistant bag, you can safely store the Jealous Devil Briquettes for as long as you want in the bag they come in. Moving towards more objective testing, we timed how long the charcoal took to light via chimney or propane torch and how long it took the coals to be ready for cooking.