Whether you're a barbecue fanatic or you just like to grill every once in a while when the weather's warm, no doubt you'll have your own personal preferences in terms of how you get your food cooked. While some prefer to use a gas-fuelled grill, others like to burn over an open flame, especially when they can add chips of different woods, like hickory or oak, to add a beautiful wood-smoked flavour. When it comes to the fuel you choose, though, you'll have two different options to choose from: lump charcoal or BBQ briquettes. There are major differences between the two, so here's a guide to why briquettes are so great and the different options to choose from.

What's the difference between lump charcoal and briquettes?

Lump charcoal consists of lumps of pure wood that have been burned slowly without oxygen. What is left is charcoal with the water and sap removed: often in unevenly shaped and sized lumps. While lump charcoal lights very quickly, burns clean and hot and leaves very little ash behind, it does have its downsides. Lump charcoal can be very expensive and also burns very quickly - which can be challenging if you're looking to cook something long and slow or if you want to keep your barbecue fired up for some time to cater for multiple guests. On the other hand, briquettes are made from offcuts and shaped into evenly sized and shaped pieces - sometimes with additives included to increase burn time and heat. While they can take a little longer to light than charcoal and can produce more ash, they have some incredible benefits:

• • They are easy to source.

• • They are inexpensive compared with lump charcoal.

• • They burn for far longer and more consistently, too, meaning that there will be less work for you to do to keep your grill going.

You will notice that there are different types of briquettes available, all with their own properties. Here's a guide to what to look out for.

Traditional charcoal BBQ briquettes

Traditional charcoal briquettes are made from charcoal fines: tiny pieces of charcoal that are crushed and mixed with water or another binding agent, like vegetable starch, to stick them together. Once mixed, the charcoal is placed in a press where it is compressed into shapes (generally pillow or oval shapes) and left to dry. The process means that they resemble lump charcoal in their colour, but they are all uniform in shape and size, which makes them burn more consistently - and often for longer - than lump charcoal. However, the additives that are used to bind the charcoal can sometimes give off a smell when cooking, and some believe that these fumes can impact the flavour of your BBQ food. What's more, they can also struggle to reach as high a heat as lump wood, which means that your BBQ cooking times may be longer with charcoal briquettes.

Hardwood BBQ briquettes

While charcoal BBQ briquettes are the traditional alternative to lump charcoal, many are instead turning to hardwood BBQ briquettes for a number of reasons. These briquettes are formed using offcuts of wood and sawdust, which are compressed into blocks that are generally shaped like logs - some solid all the way through, some with a hole through the middle. Both heat and high pressure are applied in a process that will generally take several days, to remove moisture and form solid blocks. Some of these briquettes are then carbonised into charcoal, while some are left as natural logs. Both will need a greater amount of heat to light than traditional charcoal briquettes and can take longer to get going; they will provide a long-lasting burn and a consistent temperature. However, there are certain things you may want to consider when choosing hardwood briquettes for your next BBQ...

2. What is the moisture content?

When buying hardwood briquettes, different brands will dry their briquettes to different levels. The more moisture in your briquette, the longer it will take to light. It will also affect the burn quality as well as the amount of smoke produced - high-moisture briquettes produce far more smoke, which is not ideal if you are hosting a BBQ for friends and family.

3. Where does the wood come from?

While all briquettes tend to use wood that may otherwise have gone to waste, that's not to say you shouldn't be concerned about sustainability. Check the labelling before you buy: do your briquettes come from UK forests, and are their sources fully traceable and sustainable?

4. Do the briquettes have any certifications?

There are two key certifications to look out for on BBQ briquettes: BSL and FSC. FSC - or Forest Stewardship Council - certification shows that the wood in your briquettes comes from certified forests that meet the FSC's social and environmental standards. BSL is the Biomass Suppliers List. A BSL logo demonstrates that your briquettes meet the requirements that make them eligible for the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme. To learn more about our BBQ briquettes or to purchase our premium-grade BBQ products, head over to our website at Cozilogs.