Lump charcoal
$42
100% natural charcoal. No binders, fillers, or chemicals. Burns hotter than briquettes, responds faster to airflow changes, and leaves almost no ash.
We have sold cooking-grade lump charcoal from this yard since 1992.
What you get
Commodities NZ Ci-5 premium lump charcoal. Professional-grade, made from Vitex pubescens hardwood.
Sourced sustainably from Indonesia under strict licensing.
This is the charcoal that restaurants and serious home cooks use. It is a different product from the bags that sit outside at the hardware store all summer.
What to look out for
Quality varies more with lump charcoal than with any other solid fuel.
Dense hardwoods burn hotter and longer. Softwood charcoal lights fast but burns out fast and throws sparks. If the bag does not tell you the wood species, the manufacturer is probably using whatever is cheapest.
Good lump charcoal has large, solid pieces that hold their structure through a cook. A bag full of chips and dust burns too quickly to be useful. Look for chunks in the 50 to 100mm range.
Under-carbonised charcoal still contains volatile compounds. It smokes heavily, sparks, and gives inconsistent heat. Properly carbonised lump lights cleanly and holds a steady temperature. Tap two pieces together. Quality lump has a metallic ring. A dull sound means too much moisture.
Which one suits your cook?
Both work. They are different tools for different jobs.
We sell compressed charcoal logs for long, consistent heat. You can pair either with cooking wood for smoke flavour.
What people ask us
Commodities NZ Ci-5 is the best lump charcoal we have found for BBQ cooking. Dense Vitex pubescens hardwood, low ash, high heat, and pieces large enough to last a full cook. The qualities that matter most are wood species, piece size, and proper carbonisation.
A load of lump charcoal burns for 45 to 90 minutes. Burn time depends on piece size, airflow, and how much charcoal you use. Larger pieces burn longer. Restricting airflow extends the burn. In a kamado-style cooker with tight airflow control, you can stretch lump charcoal well past 90 minutes.
1 x Pohutukawa cooking wood + 1 x Commodities Ci-5. Smoke flavour and long burn. Everything for a low-and-slow cook.