What is the best charcoal?

If you mean charcoal for grilling, there isn’t one universal winner—it depends on what you’re cooking.

• Best all-around lump: FOGO Premium Hardwood Lump — good balance of heat, clean burn, and chunk size.Food Network+1

• Best for steaks/high-heat searing: Jealous Devil Chunx XL — very dense, large pieces and strong heat output.Consumer Reports

• Best for long, slow smoking: Kamado Joe Big Block XL or FOGO Super Premium — large pieces and longer, steadier burns.Food Network+1

• Best inexpensive everyday option: Royal Oak All-Natural Lump.Food Network

• Best inexpensive briquette: Kingsford Original — predictable, easy to find, and good for steady cooking.Backyard Embers

• FOGO Premium Lump Charcoal - $45.95 (FogoCharcoal.com)

• Jealous Devil Chunx XL Lump Charcoal - $49.94 (The Home Depot)

• Kamado Joe Big Block XL Lump Charcoal - $34.00 (The Home Depot)

• Royal Oak Hardwood Lump Charcoal - $14.97 (Walmart)

• Kingsford Original Briquettes - $16.10 (Walmart)

If I were buying one bag for a typical backyard grill, I'd go with FOGO Premium lump. If you tell me whether you're cooking steaks, burgers, chicken, ribs, or brisket (and what grill you have), I can narrow it down further.

If you mean charcoal for grilling, there isn't one universal “best”—it depends on what you're cooking.

• Best all-around: hardwood lump charcoal — gets hotter, lights quickly, produces less ash, and works especially well for steaks and burgers.Consumer Reports+1

• Best for long cooks/smoking: quality briquettes — burn more evenly and predictably, making temperature control easier.Consumer Reports+1

• Good lump option:

• FOGO Premium Lump Charcoal - $45.95 (FogoCharcoal.com)

• Good budget/everyday option:

• Royal Oak Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal - $17.97 (The Home Depot)

• Good briquette option:

• Blues Hog Charcoal Briquettes - $12.97 (Walmart)

If you're mainly grilling steaks, burgers, chicken, and vegetables, I'd go with lump charcoal. If you tell me what you're cooking and what grill/smoker you have, I can narrow it down to a specific charcoal.

If you mean charcoal for grilling, there isn't one universal best—the choice depends on what you're cooking.

• Best all-around: FOGO Premium Lump Charcoal — good balance of heat, relatively low ash, and medium-sized pieces for everyday grilling.

• FOGO 17.6 lb. Premium Wood Lump Charcoal - $19.95 (The Home Depot)

• Best for steaks/high-heat searing: Jealous Devil Chunx XL — large hardwood chunks that can produce very high heat and burn for a long time.

• Jealous Devil Chunx XL - $16.97 (Walmart)

• Best for long, steady cooks/smoking: Kingsford Original Briquettes — briquettes are more uniform and predictable than lump charcoal, which makes temperature control easier. Consumer Reports also found briquettes more even-burning in its testing.Consumer Reports

• Best budget natural lump: Royal Oak Hardwood Lump.

• Royal Oak Hardwood Lump Charcoal - $17.97 (The Home Depot)

If I were buying one bag for burgers, chicken, steaks, and vegetables, I'd choose FOGO Premium Lump. For brisket or an 8+ hour smoke, I'd switch to briquettes.

If you tell me what grill you have (Weber, Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, etc.) and what you usually cook, I can narrow it down to the right charcoal and size.

The best charcoal depends on your cooking style, but [Jealous Devil Hardwood Lump Charcoal ](https://www.homedepot.com/p/JEALOUS-DEVIL-20-lbs-Chunx-XL-Lump-Grill-Charcoal-All-Natural-Hardwood-JDCHXXL20LBS/318029712) is widely rated as the top premium lump charcoal, while [Kingsford Original Charcoal Briquettes ](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kingsford-Original-Charcoal-Briquettes-8-lb/280501185) remains the best overall choice for reliable, everyday consistency.[reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/grilling/comments/w7o303/which_charcoal_brand_and_variation_does_everyone/)

Choosing the right charcoal means matching the fuel type to what you are grilling or smoking.

Charcoal Comparison Breakdown

Choosing Between Lump Charcoal and Briquettes

• Lump Charcoal: Made from pure charred hardwood with no additives. It lights faster, burns hotter, responds rapidly to vent adjustments, and leaves very little ash. It is ideal for kamado grills, offset smokers, and high-heat steak searing.[1][2]
• Briquettes: Made from compressed wood byproduct and binding agents. They burn at a more uniform, predictable temperature for a longer, steady duration. They are ideal for standard kettle grills and long smoking sessions where consistency matters more than raw heat.[reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/grilling/comments/w7o303/which_charcoal_brand_and_variation_does_everyone/)

If you'd like, let me know:

• What type of grill you are using (kettle, kamado, pellet, offset smoker)
• Whether you usually cook fast (burgers/steaks) or slow (brisket/ribs)

I can recommend the exact brand and style that fits your setup.

If you mean charcoal for grilling, my top pick right now is Jealous Devil Chunx XL. Consumer Reports and several 2026 grilling guides rate Jealous Devil among the best for high heat, even burning, and long burn time.Consumer Reports+1

• Jealous Devil Chunx XL Lump Charcoal - $49.94 (The Home Depot)

My picks

• 🥇 Best overall: Jealous Devil Chunx XL — very large, dense chunks; excellent for steaks and long cooks.

• 🔥 Best for long/low smoking: FOGO Super Premium — exceptionally large pieces and long burn.Food Network

• 💰 Best value: Royal Oak Natural Lump — considerably cheaper and widely available.Food Network

• 🍖 Best everyday option: FOGO Premium Black Bag — medium-sized pieces that are convenient for burgers, chicken, steaks, etc.

• FOGO Premium Black Bag - $27.95 (FogoCharcoal.com)

• Royal Oak Natural Lump - $17.97 (The Home Depot)

• FOGO Super Premium - $55.95 (The Home Depot)

• Kamado Joe Big Block XL - $29.29 (The Home Depot)

If I were buying one bag for a normal backyard grill, I'd get Jealous Devil. If you're mainly smoking brisket/ribs, I'd choose FOGO Super Premium instead.

If you meant charcoal for a specific grill (Weber, Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, etc.), tell me which one and I'll narrow it down.

If you mean charcoal for grilling, my top pick is FOGO Super Premium Lump Charcoal. It has very large pieces, burns hot and long, and is particularly good for steaks, brisket, and long cooks.

• FOGO Super Premium Lump Charcoal - $55.95 (FogoCharcoal.com)
• Jealous Devil Chunx XL - $16.97 (Walmart)
• Rockwood Natural Lump Charcoal - $42.95 (Walmart - The Saint Louis Charcoal Co)
• FOGO Premium Lump Charcoal - $19.95 (The Home Depot)

My picks

• 🏆 Best overall: FOGO Super Premium — excellent large chunks and long burn.
• 🔥 Best for high-heat searing: Jealous Devil Chunx XL — very dense, hot-burning lump.
• 🌳 Best flavor: Rockwood — oak, hickory, and cherry hardwood.
• 💰 Best value: FOGO Premium — a strong everyday option without paying for oversized chunks.

If you're cooking burgers/steaks on a regular charcoal grill, I'd buy FOGO Premium. For brisket or long smoking, go FOGO Super Premium.