Different Type of Charcoals available in Singapore

Which types of charcoals should you use?

It is well-known among many experienced and aspiring cooks that charcoal can imparts the flavour to the foods. Rice tastes better when cooked over a charcoal fire. In addition to marinates, BBQ meats get extra desirable smoky flavour when cooked above the burning charcoal. It must be remembered that all charcoal is created from the same thing – wood burned in low oxygen environment. 

Now, what is the best charcoal for grilling? There are strictly no right and wrong answer to this question. Ultimately, it all boils down to personal preference and the types of charcoal suited for certain purposes.

 (1) Lump Charcoal

Absolutely 100% Natural made, meaning it contain no fillers or additives. It is simply made by burning wood without the presence of oxygen. It can come in the shape of broken, small and short logs. Most commercially available packed in 3-5 kilograms at most supermarkets. Many chefs love it for its versatility and inexpensive price tag. There are two types of lump charcoal available.

Black charcoal – Most common type of lump charcoal you see at all supermarkets.

White charcoal (Binchōtan) – Japanese charcoal, it has the attributes similar to metals; makes sonorous sound and is extremely hard.

Pros: 100% Natural. Burns hot and fast. Mostly cheap. Produces less ash than briquettes.

Cons: Many small pieces of charcoals can be found for low-end packages.

(2) Charcoal Briquettes

Hexagonal shaped charcoal briquettes

Mostly made from sawdust and without binding additives. Like its name suggests, it has a hexagonal intersection and a hole in the centre of the briquettes. It is mainly valued for being smokeless and long burning time.

Pros: Efficient storage. Burns at a consistent heat and longer time. Even heat distribution. Mostly cheap.

Cons: Takes longer to ignite.

Hexagonal shaped charcoal briquettes

Pillow shaped charcoal briquettes

The basic pressed charcoal import brands can be found at some supermarket in Singapore. If you wanted a large selection of different briquettes, you might have to explore bit further into specialised BBQ shops in Singapore. Compressed charcoal are factory made using wood by-products such as sawdust and scrap wood, along with chemical additives.

Pros: Generally lasts longer than other types of charcoal. Each piece is at same shape and size. Burns at a consistent heat.

Cons: Briquettes are laden with binding additive and other additive. Generally expensive in Singapore.

Pillow Shaped Charcoal Briquettes

The gist of this article is that you can dish out a delicious meal from using your charcoal with any type of charcoal. Keep in mind that different types of charcoal have their different advantages and disadvantages. If you are throwing barbecue event and require long cooking time, generally briquettes is preferred. However for small barbeque party, lump charcoal should suffice. 

BBQ Tips: How to use Charcoal the right way

It doesn't take a BBQ expert to know the ins and outs of charcoal. Have a quick look at our tips to using the charcoal in the correct and effective ways, so that you don’t sweat over how to start a fire on the charcoal.

Use either natural lump or charcoal briquettes – It doesn't matter much, really.

The price disparity for both types of charcoal is not that large to justify choosing one over other. It all depend on your preference. Lump hardwood charcoal is more commonly found in Singapore. It is also additive free, unlike many charcoal briquettes which may contain binding additives and other. However, charcoal briquettes normally burn longer than lump charcoal.

Keep it dry at all time

Singapore has high humidity all year long, which mean charcoal can get ‘wet’. You don’t want wet charcoal as it can give off more smoke. That will make BBQ less desirable. If possible, use a fine net bag or cardboard box to keep your unused charcoal. Always keep them in dry area.

Prepare beforehand

Unlike convenient gas stove and grill, it is not possible to light up the fire starter and have the charcoal ready for cooking in ten minutes or less. Before you cook, allow 15-30 minutes buffer time for the lit charcoal to stabilise. You know the charcoal are ready when you see a layer of grey ash over them and have little to zero flames.

Quick start up the fire

Pour a batch of charcoal on the pit, then pile the charcoal into a rough pyramid pattern. This way, it can encourage air flow within the arrangement, which can make the fire start faster. Alternatively, consider chimney starter if you frequently barbecue as this piece of equipment can help you start a fire on the charcoals relatively easy.

There is another way of starting the fire quickly, which is by using lighter fluid (don’t use gasoline or other flammable liquid). This method is popular in United States. However, we don’t recommend that as it can give off a chemical taste. In fact, there’s a danger associated with flare-ups when you add lighter fluid to the hot coals.

Clear Charcoal only when they are cooled

It applies to everything about cooking. Should you need to go off, let the heat die down before the removal of ashes. Don’t ever drop hot ashes onto the floor. It could burn someone accidently when they step on the burning residues. This is particularly true when still-hot charcoals are unloaded on the grass or into the dustbins. It might cause unwanted fire. If you need to cease charcoal fire urgently, use a bottle of water and pour it on the burning hot charcoal. Just be aware that doing so will increase the rate of wear and tear of your barbecue equipment, particularly the metal ones which will rust after being drenched by the water.

Eliminate the common misconception

The advertisements about BBQ have you fooled. You may see the pictures and videos about beautiful meat being cooked by the ‘flames’. It is a misconception shared by many. Bear in mind, It is the heat from charcoal that ‘cook’ the ingredients, not the flame.