Next. . . What Fuel and How do I Light it?

For most Americans, composite briquettes are the fuel of choice. They’re convenient and widely available. My advice: don’t use them. They often include petroleum products and other chemicals, and who needs that on their food? Instead, use untreated hardwood charcoal (also known as charwood) such as mesquite. Hardwood charcoal is produced by burning wood slowly in a low-oxygen atmosphere until nearly all of the wood’s solids have been converted to carbon. Hardware charcoal contains no additives of any kind. It burns cleaner and hotter than composite briquettes and can be regulated more easily because it is almost pure carbon. I find that it pays to purchase hardwood charcoal in 40-pound bags from a hardware store, feed store, or big-box retailer. The cost can be at least 60 percent less.