Comparisons · Two fuels
Lump charcoal or Wood
The question underneath this one is usually about smoke rather than heat, and those are separate dimensions in BBQHQ's model for a reason: a cooker can take its heat from one source and its smoke from another, and several do.
What each one is
Lump charcoal
Wood burned in the absence of oxygen until only carbon remains. Lights faster and burns hotter than briquettes, less predictably, and leaves less ash.
Wood
Burning wood directly, so fuel and smoke are the same material. Demands the most attention of any fuel and gives the most control over the character of the smoke.
What actually differs
| Aspect | Lump charcoal | Wood |
|---|---|---|
| How hot it gets The ceiling decides whether a hard sear is available at all, and it is the difference readers notice first. | 400–600 °C | 400–700 °C |
| How long before you can cook This is the difference that decides what gets cooked on a Tuesday. | 15–25 minutes | 30–60 minutes |
| How fast it responds to a change A responsive fuel lets you correct a mistake mid-cook; a slow one means the correction arrives after the food does. | slow | moderate |
Which one, for what
Conditions rather than a verdict. Each line below is a thing one of them can do that the other cannot, or does without arrangement where the other needs it — taken from the what each cooker is documented as doing, rather than from a preference.
Lump charcoal, if:
- You want to be cooking within a few minutes of deciding to.
Wood, if:
- You want the highest surface temperature available, for searing.