These Are the Best Lump Charcoals to Light Up Your Next Cookout

Best Overall

The Good Charcoal Company Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal

$27 at Walmart $20 at Home Depot View on Dkhardware.com

The Good Charcoal Company is a new player in the charcoal market, but after testing it out twice, it definitely earns the top spot on this list. The charcoal is made from sustainably harvested acacia wood, and the company claims to sell the first charcoal approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in the United States.

When it comes to using the charcoal, the bags that were tested had charcoal that was reasonably uniform in size, and mostly mid-sized—so, no large branch-like pieces. There were also smaller chunks, but that’s to be expected as bags jostle around in shipping and pieces break off.

The charcoal fit nicely into our chimney, with very little wasted as it caught flame, and the entire chimney lasted for over two hours of cooking. The mid-sized pieces lit easily and burned cleanly, providing a nice hot burn and consistent heat with very little ash, while the smaller ones were handy for starting fires or for adding just a little more wood.

Wood Type: Acacia hardwood | Sizes Available: 8 pounds, 15.4 pounds

Best for Kamado Grills

Jealous Devil Chunx Lump Charcoal

Orig. $48 $36 at Amazon View on Walmart View on Target

One of the top-selling points for this charcoal is the redesigned bag that protects the charcoal better in shipping, so there are larger pieces and less dust and residue. It’s a small thing, but it makes a difference when the fire hits the coal.

The coal itself is made from South American hardwood that created a smooth and mild flavor when we used it in a Weber kettle grill. You don't have to worry about the coal overpowering your food, even with long, slow cooking. The wood is purposely selected before being hand-cut and hand-fired in brick kilns built on-site for that purpose. The largest and most intact lumps are sold to ensure a consistent product in each bag.

Our charcoal lit easily, and stayed a nice consistent temperature throughout our grilling session. It didn't pop a single time during our testing, so it's a bit safer and less dramatic to light and use. You will have to pay for the quality of this charcoal, but we think it is worth it.

Wood Type: South American hardwood | Sizes Available: 8 pounds, 10 pounds, 20 pounds, 35 pounds

Best for Beginners

Royal Oak Hardwood Lump Charcoal

Orig. $36 $34 at Amazon $15 at Walmart $18 at Home Depot

Royal Oak Hardwood Lump Charcoal is affordable and great for new users who are just getting used to the fuel, but it’s also popular with experienced grillers who like the smoky flavor. Made from American oak and hickory hardwood, it lit quickly and stayed hot while we used it for an hour-and-a-half of grilling. It also impressed us during a low-and-slow 4-hour smoking session

In addition to being easy to light, it produced little ash and imparted a subtle flavor to our chicken breasts. We should note that some users have found that the quality can be inconsistent with bits of rock or metal appearing in the bottom of the bag. We didn't experience that, though there was a range of sizes in the bag.

Wood Type: American oak and hickory hardwood | Sizes Available: 15.4 pounds

Best Budget

Masterbuilt 16-Pound Lump Charcoal

$31 at Amazon $23 at Walmart $18 at Home Depot

Buying inexpensive lump charcoal can mean receiving an inferior quality. Not only can it be hard to light, but can also pop and spark throughout your grilling session making it somewhat dangerous. But we found that Masterbuilt's lump charcoal is inexpensive and very safe, though there are a few other tradeoffs.

When we wanted to add this to a Weber kettle grill, it was quick to light in the chimney and did pop and spark for a few minutes. The coals burned slow and steady, making it a great choice for low-and-slow cooking, and produced a wonderful mild smoky flavor. The biggest downside was the pieces weren't uniform at all, though the small ones did help get the larger chunks lit. This charcoal also produced a fair amount of ash, which made cleanup a bit more tedious.

Wood Type: Hardwood | Sizes Available: 16 pounds

Best Splurge

Big Green Egg Oak and Hickory Lump Charcoal

$56 at Amazon View on Instacart.com

If you want a higher-end lump charcoal that won't pop or smoke, will burn clean, and gives you that signature smoky barbecue scent without overpowering your food, Big Green Egg's natural oak and hickory lump charcoal should be your go-to for grilling. We really liked this quality charcoal, and felt it's definitely worth the price per pound.

This charcoal stood out when it came to that classic barbecue scent, which developed as a moderately intense smoky flavor in our chicken breasts and grilled vegetables. Not enough to overwhelm the food, but we definitely knew it was cooked over a live flame. We also enjoyed the cleanliness of the bag and the minimal amount of ash after grilling. We will warn that this burns quickly though—about half burned in the chimney alone, and if you're looking to smoke meats, you'll need to refill the grill at least once.

Wood Type: Oak, hickory | Sizes Available: 17.6 pounds

Best Flavor

Cowboy Hardwood Lump Charcoal

$41 at Amazon $40 at Walmart $18 at Tractor Supply Co.

Made from a mix of hardwoods, this is a great charcoal for folks who are just starting to dabble with lump charcoal and for all those times when premium charcoal isn’t needed. While it’s not the least expensive lump charcoal you’ll find, the price is reasonable for everyday grilling, whether it’s burgers, ribs, or a roast.

This charcoal burns hot and fast when needed for excellent searing and has the longevity required for low and slow cooking. It imparted a wonderfully smoky flavor to our food without any off-notes, akin to what you'd expect from a BBQ restaurant. We were able to easily get a mound of it lit with a propane torch, and were impressed by how little ash was left behind. We weren't fans though of how much it popped and sparked—it was enough for us to consider safety precautions—and the coals were in a huge range of sizes with a lot of broken pieces.

Wood Type: Hardwoods | Sizes Available: 8.8 pounds, 20 pounds

Best for High Heat

FOGO Super Premium Lump Charcoal

$36 at Walmart $33 at Home Depot View on Bbqguys.com

Lump charcoal generally gets to a higher heat than briquettes, but some options are better suited for high-heat grilling than others. One of the best from our high-heat testing was FOGO's Super Premium lump charcoal. Made from sustainably sourced oak, this gave us a mild smokiness and produced some of the lowest amounts of smoke.

When we went to test it at high heat, the 18 minutes it took to get the grill to temperature was one the fastest times recorded. And, since it burns slowly, we had coals left over so you can sear up a second or third round without refilling. We did experience a lot of different-sized pieces, and saw a few small pops at the beginning of our low-and-slow test, but not enough to be considered a hazard.

Wood Type: Oak | Sizes Available: 17.6 pounds, 35 pounds