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

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.

There are other reviews saying it’s small chunks of lump charcoal. Idk what they were expecting, but this stuff is awesome. Big chunks of lump charcoal. Natural oak. Great smell and flavor. What sold me was the price point. Kingsford and several other brands have jacked up prices………. For burnt wood. Literally could make the stuff myself.However, this brand has remained reasonably priced. For that I tried it. And it’s awesome. I have a 22” Weber. I grill and/or smoke on it probably 3 times per week. Every week.Couldn’t be happier. Kamado Joe, keep up the good work and you’ll have a huge customer base. Unless you decide to do people like the other brands and try to pinch. Great product.

Charcoal works very well. I kept it going for over 10 hours. Very big chunks.

I’ve used this brand lump charcoal for several years and mostly like the variety of size pcs, the bigger bag provides options for longer and shorter burn times. Usually piece or two are too large for my 22” Weber, and probably would be for many larger grills too. Some other pieces are a little too small little chips and stuff, but the majority work very well. I’m switching brands after my last bag though because I found a rock in the ashes after a longer cookout where I used a couple larger pieces for in with a lot of other charcoal. I believe this may have been inside one of the larger pieces and so I just want to see if another brand can provide a more consistently pure product. Some brands like Cowboy ‘Lumps’ have used plywood, etc *accidentally-I think..but it’s best to always try to use the best, and Kamado Joe XL remains one of them despite this lonesome rock I found in probably over 500 pieces I’ve burned. It burns about as clean as any charcoal I’ve used, besides maybe olive tree cubes. And produces good and mild flavored smoke flavor. Hot too and burns well, so temp control isn’t too hard even if a cooler side or slow and even cook is needed like for turkeys or roasts, at least while using some heat diffraction techniques.

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

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.

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.