You've polished your grill, stocked up on steaks, and set a bucket of beer at your feet. Summer's about to start, just as soon as you get the fire started. Luckily, the last step—grabbing a bag of charcoal—is the easiest. Right?

Sort of. One stroll through the outdoor cooking aisle reveals that there's a whole slew of charcoal options available—classic briquettes, hardwood, and instant-this-or-that. Which gives the best burn? Which gives the best flavor? Below, we sort through the ashy madness.


Photo by Matt Duckor

This is your best case scenario. The stuff's made from real chunks of charred hardwood and will give you the cleanest burn with the purest flavor possible—while remaining firmly within the economical camp. Plus, because it's actual wood, anything you grill will pick up a whiff of that smokey flavor. Just make sure to look for "100% All Natural" and "Hardwood Lump Charcoal" on the packaging and you'll be set.

What to Buy: Royal Oak All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal


Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Peer into the back of many high-end restaurant kitchens and you'll spot a small Japanese-style hibachi grill loaded with what looks like charred branches plucked straight out of the forest. That burnt gold is binchotan, Japan's answer to charcoal briquettes. binchotan's superpower? It lasts incredibly long. Whether you opt for the more expensive white charcoal (known as kamitosa or kishu) or the more budget-friendly aramaru, you're looking at a fire that will last for 3-5 hours. It also burns at extremely high temperatures, ensuring quick sears for meat and fish.

What to Buy: Korin Binchotan Aramaru Charcoal


Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Pok Pok chef Andy Ricker wanted to capture the high heat and long burn times of binchotan, but without the high price tag or ecological issues (much of the binchotan imported to the US comes from the endangered mangroves of Malaysia, ). So Ricker did what any superstar chef would do: he developed his own charcoal. His uses rambutan wood, a sustainable product that burns nearly as hot and as long as binchotan, but for a fraction of the price.

What to Buy: Pok Pok Thaan Charcoal


Photo by Chelsea Kyle

This is probably the charcoal you grew up with. Briquettes are compressed, perfectly uniform, and sold at every hardware store, gas station, and grocery store in America. But what exactly are they made of? There's wood, but charcoal briquettes also contain a bunch of other ingredients, such as starch, sodium nitrate, sawdust, and borax. It's nothing that's going to hurt you, but it's not going to give you the smokey flavor of hardwood charcoal, either.

What to Buy: Kingston Original


Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Unless your choice is between building a fire with these or not building a fire at all, instant charcoal briquettes should be avoided. Sure, they're easy to light, but only because they've been presoaked in lighter fluid, which lends a less-than-desirable, chemically-laced aftertaste to everything around it.


Photo by Chelsea Kyle

If you happen to come across these, do yourself a favor and run in the opposite direction. Why? They're loaded with all sorts of synthetic chemicals and additives. Plus, they're completely unnecessary—grab a simple chimney starter, half a newspaper, and the charcoal of your choice instead.