This site is dedicated to providing its visitors with the most reliable information available. Charcoal used for cooking will be the center of attention. Right up front on the topic of cooking with charcoal is to clear up the confusion associated with what charcoal is made from. As the picture suggest here that charcoal is made from burning wood, and the processes do vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Just like the shapes of charcoal vary in size from lump charcoal to charcoal briquettes, and extruded charcoal, so does the types of wood selected for the flavor and burning properties from temperature to longevity. Some charcoal manufacturers have been adding hickory and mesquite chips to increase the aroma of wood flavoring. I have used numerous types of wood and charcoal to cook with and I can tell you first hand there is a noticeable difference in most types. Choosing the right charcoal and or wood for the job for me is like deciding on the other seasonings like salt and pepper. This is where cooking with charcoal becomes gourmet cooking at it’s best. Hard woods and fruit woods make up the majority of the charcoal produced each year. Some manufacturers use better processing methods than others to control quality from batch to batch. We will examine the quality of these different brands to help you decide which brand to choose from. Cooking with charcoal is usually referred to as barbecuing however BARBECUING is a term used to cook at low temperatures. When most of us visit our BBQ, especially the gas ones we are grilling not barbecuing, and that's ok because grilled meats and vegetables taste wonderful, and this is where we will help you to understand the difference of cooking techniques. The technique section will cover both direct and indirect cooking techniques at grilling temperatures and temperatures suitable to barbecuing.

ENTER  AND START COOKING WITH CHARCOAL