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Hardwood Charcoal vs Charcoal Briquettes

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Hardwood Charcoal vs Charcoal Briquettes

Charcoal is the building block of everything that we grill. Made from natural hardwood, hardwood charcoal is often considered as one of the best charcoals for commercial as well as for personal usage.

Well, people are not sure of choosing either Hardwood charcoal or the Charcoal Briquettes and it is quite tough to distinguish between them to find out which one is better because both have their benefits that are provided to the customers.

Hardwood Charcoal

Hardwood Charcoal

Let us discuss the hardwood charcoal. It is made from maple, oak, mesquite, or even hickory. The shape of the original wood is rough but when it is reduced into the form of charcoal then you will be able to identify from far away from the quality of the charcoal. This hardwood charcoal lights more quickly than any other thing. This charcoal is perfect for creating a small spread-out fire that could have been burned hotter around 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. More so, it does not create more fumes and ash and thus people are eager to use this charcoal for their personal as well as commercial usage.

Charcoal Briquettes

Briquettes

Let us now come to the second type of best charcoal briquettes for smoking and that is always in the air for the benefits and efficiency that it offers to the users. It is made from the sawdust of scrap wood. This crap wood includes soft, hard, and composite wood and it does not depend on any such criteria.

It is then combined with chemical binders and filler that includes coal dust as well. They are then compressed manually into their shapes. Another point that we should mention about Charcoal Briquettes is that they burn cool for around 700 degrees Fahrenheit to 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Briquettes

Briquettes are like the fast food for charcoal. Have you ever wondered why are they called fast food of charcoal? If yes, then here is the answer for you. Briquettes are extremely cheap, reliable and you will be able to find them anywhere. But once you go looking for the pure lump charcoal, the struggle for searching it will begin. The Briquettes are manufactured by additives other than wood that makes them burn continuously and the burning light is quite cool. When you will light up the briquettes then you will get the off-putting smell.

Which one is Better?

Well, now comes the most interesting part. In general, both Charcoal and Briquettes have their pros and cons, and it is difficult to conclude a fine line to determine which one is better.

With Charcoal, the first thing that happens with heating wood is drying. The hardwood charcoal always has some moisture left because of the internal structure of the wood. This makes the charcoal provide more heat when burning.

Now, let us discuss what happens when we use the Charcoal Briquettes. As we have discussed earlier Briquettes are nothing, but sawdust scrap woods that are crushed into many small pieces.

The burning temperature for a single briquette is not more than 50F and therefore its burn time also remains consistent. Apart from this, the most important benefit that we get from this Briquette is that it is easy to be maintained and that is why it is affordable for everyone, and it is available everywhere.

Charcoal Usage

Charcoal is an evergreen material that is truly an all-purpose material. It has many uses and that is why it is called an evergreen material. Some of its major uses include grilling fuel, in fines and powder form as well.

It is also used to retain the moisture and minerals for your backyard soil. It makes the soil more nutritious that then helps the plants to grow well. That is why Charcoal is too much popular in Europe. Another such use of charcoal includes helping in animals’ digestion. It calms the pH level of the stomach and hence helps indigestion.

Charcoal Briquettes Usage

Briquettes are everywhere! Yes, you have heard it right. You will find briquettes in many hardware stores across the United States of America. The most important thing about Briquettes is that they are affordable and have much less prices than the hardwood charcoal. This makes the Briquettes affordable and that is why it is famous everywhere. Apart from this, briquettes are a mixture of charcoal fines and binders all along.

How to Determine the Quality of the Charcoal?

Well, this is one of the most interesting questions. To determine the quality of charcoal, one needs to have enough knowledge about hardwood, lumps, and briquettes and only then you will be able to determine the quality of the charcoal.

The hardwood when resolved into fine pieces of wood then it becomes charcoal. As we know that charcoal is famous for lighting and burning more. So, if the quality of the charcoal would not be good enough then it will result in empty smoke only.

The first thing that the charcoal presents is its dryness. So, the hardwood should have high moisture that could be a good factor that will help in predicting the quality of the charcoal.

Sum it Up

Overall, both Charcoal and Charcoal Briquettes have their benefits, and both work well. So, it depends on the type of task that you want to perform through them that will determine which one you should go for.

Rachel Thompson
Rachel Thompson, a culinary arts graduate from The Culinary Institute of America, has shared her passion for cooking and food culture since 2022. She joined our culinary writing team and is known for her approachable and sophisticated recipes. Her experience includes working in several high-end restaurants and running a successful food blog. Rachel is also a certified wine sommelier, adding depth to her gastronomic expertise. Her hobbies include urban gardening and pottery.

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