Best Charcoal for Big Green Egg – Top 7 Picks

So you are thinking of making barbeque for friends over the weekend? Or do you just want it to be for the family? Then you must have come across the hard choice grillers face when it comes down to choosing which charcoal will get the job done, especially after your Big Green Egg. 

You would want to use charcoal that won’t get depleted very fast and would require you to add more to it continuously, or one would that bring out the flavor of the food.

By now you already doubt your grilling skills or you probably think the fault is from your cooker. Well, it seems you have been wrong all along the issue is that you are not using the best charcoal for Big Green Egg. The solution to this is simple you can easily switch to using lump charcoal for your cooking/grilling and watch the difference.

Lump charcoal can last for a long time, and it produces very little ash when burning. Also, it lights quickly and saves you the headache of having to question the flavor and quality of your food after cooking.

As expected not all brands of lump charcoal will produce this desired effect, so we have curated a list in no particular order of some of the best lump charcoal for Big Green Eggs available.

There are so many types and brands out there it’s supposed to be a good thing but that only makes it difficult to choose the right one for your needs.

For this reason, many have bought what they don’t need and they now have to hang up with it or spend outside their budget to get another one. Considering the cost and time to get a refund sometimes it’s better to just let go.

We have made it all easy for you. You can now buy exactly what you need and will serve you well.

So let’s head over to the list.

Our Recommended Best lump Charcoal for Big Green Egg

1. Jealous Devil All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal

Jealous Devil is probably one of the most known and trusted brands when it has to do with charcoals. It is user-friendly, and it doesn’t give the food any weird taste as it is made from some of the best hardwoods that don’t require chemicals or other additives for preservation. This alone reduces the chances of food poisoning and gives the food the desired flavor and taste. 

For those concerned about their health and what they allow into their body, this is your best bet. It’s one of the many other reasons why it’s popular in the market.

Furthermore, it produces very little ash as burns efficiently which ensures your food doesn’t get smoky or taste like ash allowing it to give it the actual flavor.

Highlighted Features:

• It is made from pure natural hardwood, so chemicals or additives are absent in it.
• Due to its low burn rate, it provides a superior burn that gets the job done with less charcoal.
• The flavor is mild and pure which allows it to blend in with your food without trying to overpower it.
• It is available in multiple sizes, allowing you to choose from a wide variety depending on your needs.

2. Harder Charcoal 100% Restaurant Style Natural Lump Charcoal

Imagine wanting to use smaller pieces of charcoal for making light food or perhaps even larger sizes to burn for a longer time, that’s exactly what Harder Charcoal offers you with its variety of sizes available.

As a renowned name in the charcoal industry, Harder has consistently produced charcoals that have a very low burn rate and can produce a very large amount of heat to cook your food in a short time.

This means you’ll save yourself time and money with it. It’s one of the reasons we recommend it here. Many others love it because of these two reasons.

It also produces little to no sparks when cooking, and the amount of smoke it produces is very little that you hardly notice in your food.

If you are a fan of saving the environment, then you would probably love this brand more as the trees used in the production of the charcoal are not gotten from living trees.  

Highlighted Features:

• It produces heat levels of any requirement, and more still it has a good burn rate.
• It gives a wide range of sizes to choose from as it contains different sizes.
• Not made from felling or harvesting living trees.
• Produces little amounts of smoke and ash.

3. Fogo Super Premium Oak Charcoal 

If you shop regularly for charcoals then you must have probably come across Fogo on the shelves of your supermarket. It’s not just a popular brand but it is also one of the finest charcoals your money can get. 

Its quality is unmatched, and it has superior coal lumps that burn with strong heat and last for a longer time. The lumps come in big sizes, which might be an issue if you don’t intend on cooking a large meal but it could be cut down to your required size. You don’t have to buy smaller coal lumps you just cut the bigger ones it produces to the exact sizes that suit your need.

 It has a size of around 35 pounds which makes it ideal for someone who uses charcoal regularly to save cost, and it doesn’t produce lots of spark or ash. The quality it possesses puts it on our list of best lump charcoal for Big Green Egg. It wasn’t difficult for us to recommend it here.

Highlighted Features:

• It comes in a large 35-pound size.
• It has large lumps that allow for a slow and longer burn.
• It adds a nice and distinctive Oak flavor to the food.
• Burns without producing lots of ash or sparks.

4. Cowboy Lump Charcoal

On our list for the best charcoal for Big Green Egg is the CowBoy Lump Charcoal. It is among some of the well-known charcoal brands, as it has a large user base. It’s not a popular brand for nothing. We dug deeper to see why many people like to have it in their house.

Its charcoal is made from pure natural hardwood, and it is also free from chemical preservatives and fillers. Like some charcoals found in the market, the CowBoy Lump Charcoal doesn’t crumble easily and burns efficiently for a long period of around 18 hours. 

But perhaps, the reason it is most people’s favorite is because of the amount of heat it produces and the almost no-smoke feature it possesses. If you are looking for the best hardwood lump charcoal, then we would recommend it as we are sure that you would be yearning to use it again after a trial.

Highlighted Features:

• It burns for a long time.
• It doesn’t leave crumbles or generate a lot of smoke.
• It is made from pure natural hardwood, and it’s free from preservatives.
• Produces lots of heat to ensure your food is cooked properly.

5. Royal Oak Lump Charcoal

Made from renewable oak, hickory, maple and walnut, Royal Oak Lump Charcoal is one of the finest charcoal brands available. It has a unique smoky flavor that gives your food an added taste making you want more.

It is free from chemicals, preservatives and fillers, so you have less worries about food poisoning. Another reason it stands out has to be the long amount of time it burns, and its ability to easily light. It also burns quickly which in turn allows your meals to cook slightly faster compared to when regular charcoals are used, the downside to this however is that you may be required to add more charcoal to the grill.

Royal Oak Lump Charcoal produces very little ash and it doesn’t have a sparky nature. Its long amount of burn time and high heat level makes it one of the best lump charcoals for Big Green Egg.

Highlighted Features:

• It has a high heat level.
• It has a fast burn rate.
• No chemical additives or preservatives are added.
• It can be used for a type of grilling.

6. Kamado Joe Lump Charcoal

Probably one of the oldest brands available, Kamado Joe Lump Charcoal is a household name in the charcoal industry and has been used by many for a long time. If you hope to get a natural lump charcoal, then Kamado Joe Lump Charcoal is definitely one of the brands to look out for.

Made from the mixture of White Quebracho and Guayacan to achieve its lump nature, it boasts of 100% preservative and chemical-free lump charcoal. It burns for around 18 hours, allowing you to rest while your food cooks/grills, unlike regular charcoals which require you to add more to keep up the heat.

It has large lumps that prevent it from crumbling and producing lots of ash when used. It also produces low sparks, and it is available in a 20 pounds and 30 pounds resealable bag. Its qualities make it one of the best charcoals for green egg.

Highlighted Feature:

• It is produced from high-quality hardwood.
• It burns for a long duration of over 18 hours.
• It is available in different sizes.
• It has large lumps that prevent crumbling.

7. CHARBLOX Dragon Fire Bamboo Charcoal Logs

Charlbox Dragon Fire Bamboo Charcoal Logs are made from pure natural hardwood and recycled sawdust. Its makers pride their product on the basis that it was manufactured without cutting down living trees, which can be a good reason for an environmentalist to buy their product.

Since we all need to play a role in helping with global warming then it would be a great idea to have this in your house. It’s one of the reasons we recommend it.

Overall, it is an amazing brand and one of the favorites used by most people due to its low price. It has a very good burn rate of over six hours according to its manufacturers, and it lights up easily. It has no added chemicals or preservatives, as it is made from 100% natural hardwood. 

It is super-hot as it has a very high heat level which makes it among the best charcoal for Big Green Egg. It comes in a small-sized 11 pounds box, and it is perfect for any kind of grilling.

Highlighted Features:

• It is perfect for any kind of grilling.
• Heat level is very high.
• Made from 100% natural hardwood.
• It is produced without felling trees.

You can also buy charcoal from the following website.

Big Green Egg
BBQ Grill people

Lump Charcoal vs. Briquettes

So you are about to grill, and you are faced with the tough decision of using either a lump charcoal or a briquette. Well, if this is your problem right now, you set your worries aside. We have done all the hard work for you. When looking at the difference between charcoals, how long charcoal burn is one of the key things to put into consideration. So in this part, we also would talk about the difference between lump charcoal and briquettes, and their various use case.

This would give you an insight into both choices with their pros and cons and you shouldn’t be worried again about what to go for with all the needed information laid bare before you. Let’s begin with Lump Charcoal.

Lump Charcoal

Lump charcoal is produced made from purely natural hard through carbonization. This process requires removing the substances that contaminate the wood by burning and creating lumps of carbon in the process. Due to the process by which they have produced Lump woods generally have high burn temperature and an inconsistent burn rate. They are recommended when you want to retain the flavor of the food and you are not cooking or grilling for a long period.

Pros of Lump Charcoal:

• Lights up easily.
• Higher burn temperature.
• Low ash production.
• Purely natural

Lump Charcoal Cons

• More expensive.
• Faster burn rate.
• Inconsistent burn rate.

Briquettes

Briquettes are more similar to traditional charcoals. They are produced by the compression of several wood products into regular and similar shapes. They are known to contain additives and some lighting agents that may alter the taste of foods cooked with them. Briquettes have low burn temperature as well as a consistent burn rate due to their consistent shapes. Briquettes are recommended if what you are cooking or grilling requires a longer time cook and needs a standard temperature.

Pros Of Briquettes

• Easy maintainability.
• Consistent burn rate.
• Low and consistent burn temperature.
• Less expensive.

Briquettes Cons

• Takes longer to light.
• Produces a lot of ash.
• Contains chemicals and other additives.

If cost, maintenance, speed or even the taste of your food, you now know exactly what to spend your hard-earned money on. You wouldn’t have to buy what you may later discover you don’t need as it happens to many others.

I know some people who just buy both for variety sake and use the one that best fits the occasion but I’m aware not everyone has the luxury of that.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much Lump Charcoal to Use in Big Green Egg?

It is recommended that you use around one and a half kilogram of lump charcoal on Big Green Egg to achieve desired results.

What kind of Charcoal Do You Use for Big Green Egg?

Lump charcoals that are made from 100% natural hardwood are recommended as the best charcoal for Big Green Egg.

How Long does Lump Charcoal Burn?

Lump charcoals burn for an average of four to six hours. This is because the main purpose of lump charcoals is to cook the food faster and hotter and not to last as long as briquettes.

Is it True That Lump Charcoal Produces a Better Taste Than BBriquettes?

Lump charcoals are generally known to produce a better taste than briquettes as they burn for a shorter time and contain no additives which give the food its desired taste. Briquettes on the other hand may change the taste of the food as they contain additives and produce lots of ash.

How much Lump Charcoal Should I Use?

Since the ratio between briquettes and lump charcoal is around 1:1.5 kg. It is advisable to use around 1.5 kg of lump charcoal when cooking or grilling. 

These are the most commonly asked questions people want answers for before buying charcoal for big green egg. If you have other questions we didn’t answer here you can let us know and we’d be glad to help.

Final Verdict

While you could use either a briquette or a lump charcoal to achieve your aim, it is recommended that you know the difference between the two and the desired result to expect. In the article, we showed you the types of charcoal, and the best to use to achieve various results.

We also talked more about lump charcoals and how it is the recommended charcoal for Big Green Eggs. Also, we made a list of some of the best charcoal for Big Green Egg to help reduce your options.

We hope the article is informative and helpful. We would love to hear your experiences, and if you feel we left any product you’ve tried please leave us a comment.

Happy grilling!

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