Charcoal for grilling

Most fruit woods and hickory, ash, oak, alder and mesquite make excellent grilling fuel.  The wood use should in dry condition.

Wood chunks won’t burn nearly as hot as charcoal yet will burn more quickly than charcoal, so cooking must be timing accordingly.

Natural lump charcoal is becoming widely available and is an excellent fuel for grilling. It burns hot, clean, and imparts a subtle smoky flavor to food.  Lump charcoal is the preferred charcoal for many serious grillers. It is made up of hunks of hardwood that have been burned in an oxygen-deprived environment, with no additives or fillers.

Charcoal briquettes 

Charcoal briquettes are the most common fuel used in the United States and are available almost everywhere. Briquettes are made of granular charcoal compressed into individual pillow shapes. Each briquettes burns at the same rate, giving off reliable, steady heat.

Some people like to use hardwood charcoal because it is natural and gives a better wood flavor.

Choices for lighting a charcoal fire include using a charcoal chimney, and electric fire starter or lighter fluid. The charcoal chimney is an upright cylindrical metal canister, like a large metal coffee can with handle.
Charcoal for grilling