Hardwood Lump Charcoal – Preferably in New Jersey

[taetopia]

Does anyone know of a place that sells a good variety of lump charcoal in Northern New Jersey or near New York City?

We used to purchase our charcoal from Home Town Hearth & Grill in Whippany, but they closed shop last year. They had a fairly good selection, and would stock Dragon Breath, which is an exceptional, hot-burning, low-smoke, long-lasting brand http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag78.htm.

Since Home Town closed, I've been searching high and low for a local place. I'm open to mail order as well, but would like to avoid high shipping charges, if possible.

I'll be using the charcoal for both barbeque and grilling.

I'd be most grateful for any suggestions. Thank you!

[HungryC]

Ace Hardware stores carry Wicked Good, another dense, long burning hardwood lump good for low & slow cooking. You can buy it online through Ace's website and have it shipped for free to the nearest Ace store for pickup. It usually arrives in a week or so.

See it here: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12791311

[Joe Blowe]

Also check Wicked's list of retailers: http://www.wickedgoodcharcoal.com/retail_locations.htm

[Jeff L]

I've been really pleased with Royal Oak. I get it at my local Wall Mart. I think it's like 8 bucks or something ridiculous. Check it out:

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=charcoal&ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=0

[Martin Fisher]

Yes, Royal Oak is usually good and readily available, it's what I use if I run out of homemade.

Royal Oak also private label packs for some grocery stores and the like.

Wegman's lump charcoal is Royal Oak.

[budrichard]

Be aware that most 'lump charcoal' these days is really mill tailings from wood manufacturing'

We use Nature Glow which is Royal Oaks institutional line.-Dick

[Syzygies]

The cleanest burning charcoal I can get my hands on for regular use is made from coconut shells, from the same guy who makes my best-of-category ceramic cooker. He ships anywhere, but most affordably if one buys or shares a pallet:

http://www.komodokamado.com/komodo-kamado-coconut-charcoal

To do better one would have to buy Japanese bincho charcoal, which costs even more. I've used coconut charcoal to bake cherry pies when my oven was out of service; it really burns that clean. For low and slow barbecues I add the smoke I want, by putting wood chips or chunks in a two quart cast iron dutch oven, with holes drilled in the bottom and the lid sealed on with library paste.

For less critical uses I make regular pilgrimages to Lazzari charcoal outside San Francisco, and fill up the car with their hardwood charcoal. They're known for mesquite, but at their distribution center (a disintegrating building with a Mad Max feel to it) they sell many types of charcoal and wood. Eventually I figured out that they use the same hardwood in their briquets as their lump, and a neutral binder I can't taste. I find the briquets burn a whole lot cleaner and more predictably in practice. I can reach 800 F as easily, not that I want to. So why was I part of the obsession over lump charcoal? Something about Kingsford tasting like a petroleum refinery? This isn't true for all briquets, one might consider broadening one's search.

[Jason Perlow]

Seabra's Supermarket in Newark sells a Argentinian brand of lump charcoal that is very dense and burns for a very long time. I don't know the brand but I know for a fact they carry it at least during the summer months.

[lancastermike]

Seabra's Supermarket in Newark sells a Argentinian brand of lump charcoal that is very dense and burns for a very long time. I don't know the brand but I know for a fact they carry it at least during the summer months.

Is this the stuff that comes in a plain blue bag? I can get it at Fred's BBQ in Shillington PA

[MSRadell]

Fresh Market sells their own brand, which we have found is quite good as well as being reasonably priced.

[Jason Perlow]

Seabra's Supermarket in Newark sells a Argentinian brand of lump charcoal that is very dense and burns for a very long time. I don't know the brand but I know for a fact they carry it at least during the summer months.

Is this the stuff that comes in a plain blue bag? I can get it at Fred's BBQ in Shillington PA

I think it was in a plain brown bag that says "Carbon de Argentina" or something like that. Very heavy, very hard dense charcoal. Kind of a bitch to light, but it burns for a long time.

[karlos]

Wegmans brand lump is surprisingly good, it's Royal Oak as someone upthread pointed out.

[Sebastian Bussert]

Fogo Hardwood Lump Charcoal is now available in Northern New Jersey, right at Newark Airport. 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009P166SU

 

Give us a call to pick up some bags or a pallet!!

786-427-9805