Best Barbecuing Charcoal of 2025

Toby Butcher Avatar
Toby Butcher
Last Updated: 2 Feb 2025

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Barbecuing charcoal is an essential fuel for outdoor cooking enthusiasts who want to grill and smoke their food to perfection. This type of charcoal is made from natural materials like wood, coconut shells, and bamboo, and is designed to burn hotter and longer than regular charcoal. It produces a consistent heat that helps to cook food evenly and imparts a smoky flavour that enhances the taste of meat, fish, and vegetables. Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a casual weekend griller, barbecuing charcoal is a must-have for anyone who wants to enjoy the great taste of outdoor cooking.

At a Glance: Our Top Picks

Big K Restaurant Grade Lumpwood Charcoal Cover #TOP 1
Big K Restaurant Grade Lumpwood Charcoal
ftb score rating icon 9.9
Big K Dura Restaurant Grade Charcoal, 15kg Cover #TOP 2
Big K Dura Restaurant Grade Charcoal, 15kg
ftb score rating icon 9.8
Marienburg Organic Lumpwood BBQ Charcoal 30L Cover #TOP 3
Marienburg Organic Lumpwood BBQ Charcoal 30L
ftb score rating icon 9.6

Top 10 Barbecuing Charcoal

#TOP 1

Big K Restaurant Grade Lumpwood Charcoal

RCH12
12KG - 1 Bag
Big K Restaurant Grade Lumpwood Charcoal Cover
Big K Chilla-Grilla Restaurant Grade Charcoal, 12kg Bag Lumpwood Charcoal

Big K Lumpwood Charcoal is a premium choice for your barbecuing needs. This 100% natural, restaurant-grade charcoal lights easily, allowing you to start cooking within just 30 minutes. You can enjoy up to 2 hours of grilling, perfect for those long summer evenings. With its high heat output, it ensures that your food is cooked to perfection. Additionally, it is sustainably sourced from an invasive bush in Namibia, making it an environmentally friendly option for home BBQ enthusiasts.

What We Like
100% natural ingredients
Quick lighting time
Long cooking duration
High heat output
Sustainably sourced
#TOP 2

Big K Dura Restaurant Grade Charcoal, 15kg

ACH15
Big K Dura Restaurant Grade Charcoal, 15kg Cover
Big K Dura Restaurant Grade Charcoal, 15kg Bag 100% Natural White Quebracho Lumpwood Charcoal, Long lasting, Easy to light, and burns with no smoke, ‎16 x 45 x 77 cm

Big K Dura Charcoal is a 100% natural white quebracho lumpwood charcoal, perfect for your barbecuing needs. It lasts for over three hours, allowing you to enjoy longer cooking sessions without the hassle of frequent refuelling. This charcoal is ready to use within just 30 minutes, making it convenient for those impromptu cookouts. Additionally, it burns with no smoke, making it suitable for use in smoke control areas, ensuring a pleasant experience for both you and your neighbours.

What We Like
Long lasting cooking time
Ready in 30 minutes
No smoke emission
Easy to light
High heat output
#TOP 3

Marienburg Organic Lumpwood BBQ Charcoal 30L

Charcoal
1 x 30L
Marienburg Organic Lumpwood BBQ Charcoal 30L Cover
Marienburg Organic Restaurant Grade Lumpwood BBQ Charcoal for Barbecues and Pizza Ovens, 30L

The Marienburg BBQ Charcoal is an organic and sustainable option for your barbecues and pizza ovens. It ignites quickly, ready to cook within just 15 minutes, saving you time when you're eager to start grilling. This restaurant-grade charcoal is both smokeless and odourless, ensuring a clean cooking experience without unwanted smells. The family-sized bag contains lightweight charcoal pieces, mostly between 5-20cm, making it easy to handle and store. You can ignite it naturally with a firelighter or paper, eliminating the need for chemical fire starters.

What We Like
Organic and eco-friendly
Ready to cook in 15 minutes
Smokeless and odourless
Lightweight and easy to handle
No chemicals needed to ignite
#TOP 4

Big K 15Kg Restaurant Grade Lumpwood Charcoal

Big K 15Kg Restaurant Grade Lumpwood Charcoal Cover
Drumbecue Big K 15Kg Restaurant Grade Lumbwood Charcoal

The Big K Lumpwood Charcoal is an exceptional choice for barbecue enthusiasts. Made from high-quality residual hardwood, this charcoal offers a longer burn time, allowing you to enjoy your grilling without frequent refuelling. You will appreciate that it rarely sparks or spits, ensuring a safer cooking experience. Additionally, it produces significantly less smoke compared to traditional charcoal, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The durable ‘extra-strength’ bag protects the charcoal, so you can store it without worry.

What We Like
Long burn time
Less smoke production
Safe with minimal sparks
Durable packaging
#TOP 5

Big K Instant Light Lumpwood Charcoal 4x1kg

IL04
Grey
Big K Instant Light Lumpwood Charcoal 4x1kg Cover
Big K Instant Light Lumpwood Charcoal, 4x1kg Bags Instant BBQ Charcoal

Big K Instant Charcoal offers excellent convenience for your barbecuing needs. With four 1kg bags of FSC certified lumpwood charcoal, you can start grilling in just 15-20 minutes. This means less waiting time and more enjoyment with friends and family. There's no need for starting fuels, making the process cleaner and simpler for you. Each bag is dust-proof, ensuring easy handling and storage, so you can focus on cooking instead of worrying about messes.

What We Like
Quick lighting
Ready in 15-20 minutes
No starting fuels needed
Clean and easy to use
Dust-proof packaging
#TOP 6

Lumpwood Charcoal 10kg by Big K Products

CH10
Black
10kg
Lumpwood Charcoal 10kg by Big K Products Cover
Lumpwood Charcoal 10kg by Big K Products

Big K Lumpwood Charcoal is a 100% natural option for your barbecuing needs. It heats up quickly, ready to cook in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for spontaneous grilling. You can enjoy uninterrupted cooking for up to 90 minutes, allowing you to serve delicious meals without constant refuelling. Plus, it burns cleanly with no additives, ensuring that your food tastes pure and natural. Packaged in waterproof bags, this charcoal is ideal for home BBQs, providing convenience and ease of use.

What We Like
Natural lumpwood charcoal
Quick heating time
Long cooking duration
No additives for clean cooking
Waterproof packaging
#TOP 7

Scorchieze Professional Eco-Friendly Charcoal 12kg

WSG
5060895031232
Black
1X 12KG
Scorchieze Professional Eco-Friendly Charcoal 12kg Cover
Scorchieze Professional Restaurant Quality Lumpwood Charcoal - Eco-Friendly, Long-Burning BBQ Formula - 12kg Bag (1X 12KG)

Scorchieze Lumpwood Charcoal offers professional-grade performance for your BBQ needs. Its eco-conscious design ensures you can grill with confidence, knowing it’s sourced from sustainable wood. You will appreciate the consistent heat distribution, allowing for evenly cooked food every time. With minimal ash production, cleanup is a breeze, giving you more time to enjoy your delicious meals and relax with friends and family.

What We Like
Professional grade performance
Eco-friendly and sustainable
Consistent heat for grilling
Minimal ash for easy cleanup
Versatile for any occasion
#TOP 8

Homefire Premium Natural Lumpwood Charcoal 12 kg

10FUEL18
1 Bag (12 Kg)
Homefire Premium Natural Lumpwood Charcoal 12 kg Cover
Homefire Premium Restaurant Grade Charcoal, Excellent for Grilling and BBQs, 12 kg (Pack of 1)

Homefire Lumpwood Charcoal is a premium quality grilling product, perfect for your barbecues. Made from 100% natural lumpwood, it offers a long burn time, allowing you to enjoy extended cooking sessions without frequent refuelling. This charcoal delivers intense heat, ensuring your food cooks evenly and thoroughly. Additionally, it produces very little ash, making clean-up much simpler for you. With its authentic barbecue flavour, your grilled dishes will impress family and friends alike.

What We Like
Premium restaurant-grade quality
Long burn time
Intense heat for grilling
Produces little ash
Authentic barbecue taste
#TOP 9

Emma Basic White Charcoal Binchotan 10Kg

Z001
Black
10 kg (Pack of 1)
Emma Basic White Charcoal Binchotan 10Kg Cover
Emma Basic - White Charcoal Binchotan 10Kg | Konro Grill Charcoal | Smoke- Free | Odour-Free | Longer Burning

The Emma Basic Charcoal offers longer burning hours due to its high-density fir sawdust, carbonised at nearly 1000 ˚C. This allows you to enjoy extended barbecuing sessions without frequent charcoal replacements. However, it can be difficult to ignite, so following the provided instructions is essential to avoid frustration. For those aiming to create authentic Japanese Yakitori, this charcoal is indispensable, providing the perfect cooking environment. Additionally, it emits far-infrared rays, ensuring juicy meat by locking in umami flavours.

What We Like
Longer burning hours
Perfect for Yakitori
Juicy meat retention
No sparks or smoke
Odour-free experience
#TOP 10

Big K 20kg Charcoal Briquettes for BBQ

Big K 20kg Charcoal Briquettes for BBQ Cover
Big K 20kg Real Charcoal Briquettes Charcoal For BBQ Barbecues Restaurant Charcoal

The Big K Charcoal Briquettes are perfect for your BBQ needs, whether at home or in a restaurant. Supplied in a convenient 20kg bag, these briquettes provide solid fire fuel that ensures long-lasting heat for grilling. You will appreciate how easy they are to light, making your barbecuing experience hassle-free. With their consistent burning quality, these briquettes allow you to cook your food evenly, enhancing the flavour and texture of your grilled dishes.

What We Like
Long-lasting heat
Easy to light
Even cooking
Convenient 20kg bag
Buying Guide Image

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Do you leave the lid open or closed when heating charcoal?

The lid should be open while you arrange and light your charcoal. Once the coals are well-lit, close the lid. Most charcoal grills are hotter right after lighting. The heat then tapers off.

2. When can you start cooking on charcoal BBQ?

Depending on how much charcoal you're lighting, make sure to set 15-20 minutes aside to let your charcoal properly heat up before pouring it into the base of your grill.

Editor's Notes

During our barbecuing charcoal research, we found 102 barbecuing charcoal products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 45,917 customer reviews through our big data system to write the barbecuing charcoal list. We found that most customers choose barbecuing charcoal with an average price of £21.13.

The barbecuing charcoal are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of barbecuing charcoal, including Big K, Marienburg, WSG, Homefire, Emma Basic. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 7,845 consumers with an average rating of 4.8.

Written by
Toby Butcher Avatar

Toby Butcher is a Horticulturist, and he earned his title as a Master Gardener in 2016. Toby has acquired a 25-year experience as a home gardener planting, designing, grooming vegetables and flowers. He is the leader of a plant group in Durham. Toby owns a blog where he publishes articles on growing and growing your flowers at home, in a vase, or in a garden.