You’re Literally Paying to Burn Dirt When You Buy Charcoal Briquettes

Gas grills are convenient, but everyone knows that charcoal is where the real flavor lives. Like food doesn't taste good without all the carcinogens.

Growing up, Dad had a classic charcoal kettle. As tasty as the meals were, every cookout included the ritual struggle of keeping those coals burning. Back then it meant more air and lighter fluid, but today there are some handy tools to help get your coals burning hot. You eventually get the hang of it.

Over the years, carrying on the family tradition, I’ve used both natural lump charcoal and briquets, and one thing kept nagging at me. Briquets always leave way more ash behind, even when you start with the same weight of fuel.

Time for an Internet Deep Dive

Turns out, I wasn't the only one wondering. There are a handful of videos on the web where someone starts out with the same amount of different types of charcoal, burns it, sifts the leftovers, and weighs the ash. The result was wild.

The natural lump charcoal leaves nearly nothing after it's all burned away... But a bag of "premium" briquets turned out to be about ten percent dirt.

Not wood ash. Actual dirt, added during manufacturing, probably to cut costs.

After some research, turns out this isn’t some one-brand scandal either. Adding filler is basically an industry standard for pre-formed briquets. It helps them keep that uniform shape and burn, but it also means a chunk of what you’re buying won’t ever turn into heat.

You’re Literally Paying to Burn Dirt

Honestly, it wasn’t a total shock. Companies try to squeeze margins wherever they can. After years of shrinkflation, I'm surprised it isn't more than the industry standard ten percent, but it still feels like a betrayal in the backyard.

So here’s where I landed. If I’m going to spend money on charcoal, I’d rather buy hardwood lump. It burns hotter, leaves less ash, and doesn’t contain dirt. That being said, the cheapest natural lump burns like cheap charcoal. Sparking and spitting embers everywhere because they rushed through the process.

This is one of those unwritten bro-code rules where the expensive stuff is worth the higher price.