The hottest-burning charcoal, according to Consumer Reports

A bag of charcoal that lights slowly or burns unevenly can turn a quick weeknight cookout into a long wait followed by an inconsistent grill temperature. Heat output, burn consistency and even how much usable charcoal actually ends up in the bag all vary more than shoppers might expect.

Consumer Reports tested lump charcoal and briquets for heat, burn time and consistency, so grillers can find a bag worth lighting.

Credit: Amazon

Jealous Devil Chunx XL Lump Charcoal costs $52.99 and earned Consumer Reports' top overall pick in this lineup. CR found it burned hotter than every other charcoal tested and heated up relatively quickly, though not as fast as the Kingsford briquets or the Good Charcoal Company lump charcoal also tested here, and rated its burn consistency excellent, trailing only the Kamado Joe Big Block $SQ XL. CR clocked about 45 minutes from first lighting to grill-ready, roughly the middle of the pack for timing, and needed extra paper along with noting a few sparks and some crackling during ignition. Testers also found nearly 2 pounds of the 35-pound bag consisted of lumps too small to use, leaving about 33 usable pounds despite what the packaging advertised.

Credit: Kingsford

Kingsford Professional Charcoal Briquets cost $69.58 and earned Consumer Reports' distinction as the top briquet pick in this lineup. CR found these briquets lit faster than nearly every other product tested, trailing only the Kingsford Original Charcoal Briquets, which came with enough other downsides that CR considered the Professional's slightly slower start worthwhile. Testers rated the burn even and noted these briquets needed less starting paper than anything else tested, though CR also observed noticeable smoke and some sparks during lighting, and found both the Jealous Devil and Good Charcoal Company products burned hotter. CR praised the bag design as simple to open, dispense from and reseal.

Credit: The Good Charcoal

The Good Charcoal Company Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal costs $10.77, priced lower than every other charcoal in this lineup, and earned Consumer Reports' distinction for burning hot. CR clocked about 54 minutes from lighting to grill-ready, a longer wait than any other charcoal in this lineup, but found it burned hotter than every product tested except the Jealous Devil, with minimal smoke or sparking and less starting paper needed than many competitors. Testers found the acacia-wood charcoal cooled faster than roughly half the products tested despite the brand's claims of especially even burning, and the bag delivered notably less usable charcoal than advertised, with only about 12.5 of the promised 15.4 pounds usable after removing small pieces, uncarbonized wood and bits of plastic string. CR also suggested transferring this charcoal to a waterproof container, since the bag can fall apart when it gets damp.

Credit: Kamado Joe

The Kamado Joe Big Block $SQ XL Premium Lump Charcoal costs $27.99 and earned Consumer Reports' distinction for a slow, steady burn. CR confirmed the "extra large" marketing claim held up in testing, finding many large, heavy pieces remained after the burn test, and rated its consistency stronger than every other burner in this lineup, cooling more slowly than every other charcoal tested. Ignition took about 45 minutes, landing roughly in the middle for timing compared with the rest of this lineup, though CR found it didn't reach the heat levels many other charcoals in this lineup achieved. Testers identified this as denser than any other lump charcoal tested, likely explaining its slow burn rate, and noted the bag contained little waste and included a moisture-protective layer that only one other product tested also had.