Types of Charcoal
Barbecue Fuel
There are three main types of barbecue fuel available on the Australian market, barbecue briquettes, charcoal briquettes and hardwood lump charcoal. From years of testing, we have learnt that choosing the right fuel will lead to a wonderful cooking experience.
Barbecue Briquettes
Barbecue briquettes are made from mineral char and may be blended with other natural ingredients to enable binding and ignition. They are densely packed and pressed into a uniform size to ensure long burning and consistent heat.
Briquettes made with mineral char burn longer than charcoal briquette and can even be reused.
There’s a reason we have used Australian mineral char based briquettes in Weber® Kettles for so long - they can do everything!
Charcoal Briquettes
Charcoal briquettes are made from ground charcoal. They sometimes include materials such as limestone, clay and binders. They are compressed into a pillow shape for consistent heat. Charcoal based briquettes burn out quicker, compared to barbecue briquettes, meaning you may need to add fuel to complete your roast. If you are adding any briquettes to your barbecue while there is food on the grill, ensure that your briquettes are all natural and not covered in any accelerants, they may be harmful and leave a terrible taste on your food.
Lump Charcoal
Hardwood lump charcoal has been used for cooking since man discovered fire, and nothing beats the traditional flavour of a barbecue cooked with natural wood charcoal. Lump charcoal doesn’t provide the longevity that briquettes do, but it lights faster and the high heat output makes it the ideal fuel for direct cooking and small roasts. Steaks benefit greatly from being cooked over charcoal; the high heat creates the perfect sear on the surface, and the smoke infuses the meat with that unbeatable charcoal flavour.
