Kamado Joe Big Block XL Premium 100% All-Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal Reusable Up to Three Times and 18-Hour Burn Times, 1-Pack, 20LBS Model KJ-CHAR

So many brands just give you kibble to burn, shattered remnants of broken pieces that more resemble what’s in a box of cereal. This is the first brand I have tried and been happy with. Large chunks that will go low and slow all day. The smaller pieces tend to run away on temps and generally be less consistent. Not these.I have tried primo, big green egg, cowboy and royal oak. All garbage: tiny pieces with rocks left over in every cook. Steer clear.Still on my list to try: Rockwood, fogo, jealous devil and b+b. All have a good rep, I just can’t speak to them.

The description doesn’t lie, this product is big chunks of natural lump charcoal. I’ve bought this product several times now, & I like the performance, & unlike some other brands I haven’t found any rocks or other foreign debris mixed in. The rounder chunks average on the size of lemons to oranges, the biggest round chunks that I’ve gotten were about the size of grapefruits. The longer, narrower chunks are about the size of bananas to cucumbers. Of course some of these pieces get broken down in shipping & handling, but overall, there’s a pretty good consistency of large pieces. The charcoal is made from a blend of 4 hardwoods from Argentina that I had never heard of before, namely guayacan, guayaibi, mistol, & white quebracho, according to the package. Because of this, it doesn’t have a particular flavor profile that you would expect from a charcoal made entirely of familiar American hardwoods such as hickory or oak or mesquite, it’s flavor is more of a gentle generic smokiness. It burns very well, with a nice consistent heat over the course of the burn. For these reasons, I find it best suited to use for making a deep bed of coals in my Weber kettle when I’m cooking several rounds of food for guests, and also in my smoker as a nice consistent heat source after I have wrapped my meat and I’m no longer trying to impart any more smoke flavor. Overall, I’m happy with the product, have bought it several times now, & will continue to buy it in the future.

I purchased the Kamado Joe Big Block XL Premium 100% All-Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal about four months ago, and I've found it to be a good choice for grilling. The box is quite large, offering good value for the amount of charcoal you get. One thing I appreciate is that this charcoal lights quickly and maintains a steady heat throughout grilling sessions. The larger size of the charcoal pieces is also a plus as it reduces the presence of small particles in the grill.While the flavor of the charcoal isn't particularly pronounced in my experience, it does its job well, and I haven't encountered any issues with it. I primarily use it with my Weber charcoal grill, and together they create an awesome grilling experience. Overall, if you're looking for a reliable charcoal option that provides consistent heat and good value, this charcoal is worth considering.

Big Block XL? Not really. There are a few big blocks in the bag but mostly medium to small pieces. If you need big blocks for your smoker this is not the bag for you. To be fair, some of the blocks probably get broken down during shipping. However, the coals light quickly, last a long time, and burn hot. As long as I can get these on a Black Friday special I'll keep buying them. They are still great for the traditional bbq.

Didn’t feel like going to the store for Charcoal so I ordered it to have it the next day. I used to get the temperature around 250 degrees with other charcoal and using fat wood fire starter. With this charcoal and some fat wood fire starter the temperature gets up to 400 degrees. You won’t be disappointed. Only con is that the pieces are pretty big

These are great. Very consistent with size of lumps with a handful of very large pieces that stay red hot long. Going to be my go to for XL lumps from now on.

Used in my smoker. Quality was great and easy to light quickly. Smoke was clean and stayed hot for a longer time then most charcoals I used. Would highly recommend it and does not smell bad either.

This KJ lump still comes in the same bag as before, but is now delivered in a KJ-branded box (as pictured in the product description) as well. I'm guessing they did this to help keep the larger chunks from breaking up druing transport. If this was their goal, then it seems to have worked well. In the two boxes I've ordered in the new packaging, both have resulted in a higher ratio of large lump to small lump than I've had in my previous ~20 bags.That being said, huge chunks aren't really all that important -- they're just useful if you're doing very long cooks in my experience. What's critical is that you get a bag that isn't full of pebbles. This is where KJ bags of lump always deliver - every bag I've had has come with at least a little but of pebbles and dust, but compared to 4 other brands I've tried, KJ is, by far, when it comes to the amount of __usable lump__, the best.With regard to the smoke produced by KJ lump -- it's pretty neutral. Even if it is lump, it's still charcoal, so you're simply not going to get the same smoke as you would with wood. But, as far as lump goes, it's actually really easy to get that elusive 'blue smoke' with KJ lump, and if you want a little bit of specific smoke flavor then all you need to do is add the type of wood you like, which is one of the reasons why this KJ lump is ideal -- it's very flexible.The only drawback is the price. Other than that, this is the perfect lump for a ceramic grill.