Natural Lump Charcoal vs. Briquettes vs. Extruded Charcoal

I've been grilling for over a decade and I've used all kinds of charcoal. There are LOT of opinions out there on charcoal, a lot of generalizations, and lot of just wrong information. 

 

I'm going to start by mentioning the things that are universally true of nearly every charcoal in the category. These three things are not opinions, but are absolutely true and everyone would agree with. The only exception to the following rules would be odd one-off brand-specific differences, things like Lump made from coconut husk or rare acacia wood.

• Natural Lump Charcoal is essentially whole wood chunks that have been baked without oxygen. It looks like campfire leftovers. It produces much less ash than both Briquettes or Extruded. It has no binders at all and therefore always burns more completely. Even the cheapest, worst natural lump produces less ash than the best briquettes. This is why Ceramic Kamados should use this type of charcoal exclusively. 
  
  
  
   
• Briquettes are the standard charcoal you think of. They are made of sawdust compressed with a binder, then baked. Briquettes are the best product for small fires. If you are trying to smoke in a portable grill or light just a handful of coals, you absolutely must use briquettes. The binder burns through first, allowing even a single briquette to stay lit on its own with proper airflow. Natural Lump Charcoal burns from the outside in and requires a minimum critical mass to crate a large enough coal pocket to maintain the fire.

• Extruded charcoals is also a sawdust mixture that has been compressed without binders into a tight ring and pressed out through a hole. Extruded Charcoal is the densest product, and therefore burns the longest. It is also the most difficult to light. 

This is a good website for ranking charcoals: https://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm

Now, everything else from here on out will be my personal opinion.

I personally use all three and tend to buy whatever is cheapest, or most interesting. I buy Natural Lump when it is under $1/lb and I buy name-brand briquettes or Extruded under 50c/lb. I do not like cheap, no-name briquettes and I only really use them in a pinch, or to do a burn off of the grill, or to light Extruded. 

My honest preference for smoking is Natural Lump. I personally find that in my conditions, with restricted airflow, Lump lasts longer than Briquettes (though not as long as Extruded). I also find that it produces a natural, pleasant aroma that complements most smoking woods. I'm used to how it lights, how it burns, and how it tastes. 

 

Good briquettes, like Kingsford Professional from Costco, or Binchotan Charcoals, produce no aroma at all and the smoke flavor comes from the smoking wood, not the flavor. 

When I buy Natural Lump, I try and buy American Made. Firstly because I like to support American Industry, but also because South American Lump Charcoal probably made from felled Rainforest.

Many Briquettes I use produce an off-odor when lighting up. After a few minutes it burns clean. But, Natural Lump smells like a natural camp-fire when lighting up. So, if I need to add new charcoal to an ongoing cook, I always add Natural Lump, even if I started with Briquettes.

My personal favorite brands are Rockwood and B&B. Cowboy and Royal Oak are fine in a pinch. Kingsford Profession from Costco is my go-to for Briquettes, and B&B Char-Logs are the extruded product I use most.