Where once the smoky scent of burning charcoal wafting over garden fences was the precursor of summer, now year-round grilling over hot coals is not uncommon. This demand for charcoal raises questions about its environmental impact and sustainability, and the associated issue of forest management.

Here, we have a selection for charcoal barbecues available on the high street and online from specialist companies working with sustainable methods. These include lump wood, briquettes and binchotan, all with FSC certification.

Lump wood is a charcoal made by slowly carbonising hardwood to produce a 'lump' of charcoal. This style is usually more expensive, but not always; it lights quickly and easily and often burns more rapidly than briquettes.

Briquettes are made by compressing wood products into even shapes with added binders to hold them together. These binders can sometimes be chemical additives, but more often they are natural additives such as starch. Briquettes are usually cheaper, light quickly and burn longer than lump wood.

According to chefs and cooks, binchotan, originally from Japan, is considered the best charcoal in the world. It has an exceptionally long burning time, maintains the cooking temperature throughout, and can even be reused.

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Best charcoal for barbecues at a glance:

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Best charcoal for barbecues 2024

Weber Barbecue Briquettes, 8kg

Available from B&Q (£17, 8kg), Amazon (£21.99, 8kg)

Weber Briquettes 001

Best for value

Pros

  • Great price
  • Good quality
  • Improved air circulation
  • Fast ignition

Cons

  • Imported from France

Though Weber Barbecue Briquettes are aimed at use on Weber barbecues, they can also be used on any American, kettle or other regular-style barbecue. The briquettes are made with carbonised wood, starch and water, which are then compacted to make them sturdy. They are entirely natural, devoid of chemicals, and leave no nasty aftertaste or flavouring.

The extra-large pillow shape with dual grooves has excellent air circulation, enabling the briquettes to ignite quickly and easily, and burn long and strong.

They come in a resealable recycled bag with a handy carrying handle. The charcoal is imported from France, which we felt was the only drawback. The price per kilo for this quality makes the Weber briquettes an exceptional-value product.

Yorkshire Charcoal, 8kg (also available in 6kg from local suppliers)

Available from The Log Company (£12.50, 3kg), House of Charcoal (£31, 8kg)

Yorkshire Charcoal Co 001

Best for British mixed hardwood charcoal

Pros

  • Ready to cook in 15 minutes
  • Long, slow, steady burn
  • Sustainably sourced
  • 100% chemical-free
  • Easy to light
  • A great all-rounder

Cons

  • None

This charcoal is made from oak, beech, birch and ash, sourced from Yorkshire Charcoal's sustainable and carefully managed woodland in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire. The charcoal is very easy to light: they recommend simply wrapping it in newspaper and setting it alight, so there is no need for firelighters.

The charcoal is excellent for fast or slow cooking and has a long, clean burn. There's no hissing or popping, occasionally found with some charcoal. There is also little smoke, so food only picks up a very light, smoky flavour, which won't overwhelm lighter foods such as fish, vegetables or cheeses, but is also robust enough for beef.

Price-wise, Yorkshire Charcoal sits somewhere in the middle, but delivers exemplary sustainability. For anyone considering their carbon footprint, this is the one for you.

Available from:

Whittle and Flame Beech Charcoal, 4kg

Best for British with sustainability credentials

Whittle and Flame 001

Available from House of Charcoal (£22, 4kg)

Pros

  • Made in Britain
  • Made from regeneratively harvested wood
  • High density and burns efficiently
  • Long, even burns so great for low and slow
  • Consistent heat so easy to control
  • Almost neutral, clean flavour profile
  • No chemicals
  • There is little smoke, low ash

Cons

  • Slightly slower to light than other charcoals due to density

Whittle and Flame charcoal is exclusive to House of Charcoal. The charcoal is made from regeneratively harvested wood in Oxfordshire, using trees felled as part of woodland management. The resulting charcoal burns beautifully and cleanly with little smoke, even though its density means it does take slightly longer to light. It works well for long, slow cooking and is superb for cooking directly on coals.

It's not the cheapest on the market, but its quality and sustainability make it one of the best. If you like this beech charcoal, other flavour profiles are also on offer.

Available from:

Big Green Egg Premium 100% Natural Oak and Hickory Lump Charcoal, 8kg

Available from Amazon (£27, 8kg), Big Green Egg (£27, 8kg)

Big Green Egg 001

Best for Big Green Eggs and similar

Pros

  • Great price for quality lump wood
  • A variety of aromatic profiles are available
  • 100% hardwood
  • Sourced from sustainable plantations
  • 24 hours of cooking in one bag
  • Superb for both fast and long, slow cooking

Cons

  • Imported

This charcoal is the only one recommended explicitly for Big Green Egg and other similar barbecues, being free of from toxins, accelerants and chemicals which can damage the all-important ceramic interior of this style of barbecue as well as affecting the flavour of the food.

We liked this charcoal for its quality and clearness; it's also available as a natural hardwood, which comes in large, sturdy chunks and is a neutral charcoal for a clean burn, and Canadian maple, which adds a light sweetness to the food.

Binchotan Komaru Charcoal, 1kg

Available from The Wasabi Company (£12.50, 1kg), Knives for Chefs (£12.50, 1kg)

Binchotan 001

Best binchotan-style charcoal

Pros

  • Long burning time
  • Stays at cooking temperature for several hours
  • It can be extinguished and reused
  • It can be used on all types of barbecues
  • Burns with little to no smoke

Cons

  • Price
  • Hard to light

Binchotan charcoal originated in Japan, but this one is from Laos. Nonetheless, it's made in the traditional way by the company's founders, who trained in Japan and built their kiln to match the Japanese design.

Binchotan is the most expensive charcoal on our list and, to many, will seem extraordinarily expensive. However, its exceptionally long burning time and consistency of cooking temperature make it a favourite with professionals and passionate barbecue cooks, who cite the unmatched flavour it produces. Remarkably, binchotan can also be reused, by extinguishing and relighting when needed. The only downside (apart from the price) is that it is more challenging to light, and a chimney lighter is recommended.

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How much charcoal should you use for a barbecue?

A good starting rule of thumb is to cover two-thirds of the grill with coals or briquettes. Overloading the grill wastes coals, and if you use too little they'll be slow to light, which means cooking time will be longer and maintaining heat will be difficult. The ratio of briquette to lump coal is about 1:1.5kg, so you'll need one and a half times the amount of lump coal to get the same output as briquettes.

Another popular rule of thumb to experiment with when cooking meat is 1kg of coals to 1 kilo of meat. As you get more experienced and more used to your grill, you'll get a more intuitive sense of how much charcoal to use.

How to light charcoal for a barbecue

Safety first. Whether using a chimney starter or not, safety is critical. You should always wear thick, heatproof gloves and only use recommended lighting methods. Never pour any accelerant fuel on a lit barbecue.

A chimney starter is one of the easiest and safest ways to light a barbecue. Simply load the chimney as directed in the instructions, place your chosen firelighter on the grill, light it and then place the chimney over it. Once the coals near the top are hot, tip the coals onto the grill using heatproof gloves and carefully rake to where you want them.

If not using a chimney, place a layer of coal close together, put a couple of firelighters on top, cover with coals into a mound and set fire to the firelighters. Leave them to reach good heat with grey ash, and then rake them carefully where you want them.

Natural firelighters are now readily available, made from various natural substances, such as untreated, sustainable wood shavings and wood wool. Never use chemical firelighters, as they taint food.

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