MasterbuiltPremium Hardwood Lump Charcoal for Gravity Series Charcoal Grill and Smokers, Compatible with All Barrel, Kamado, and Kettle Grills, 1 Pack, 16LB

Pros:Fair price.Good flavor. It smells a little stronger than some, but pleasant and robust.Performance: Burns long and responds well to restricted or increased airflow. Perfect for reverse searing, high heat grilling or low n slow smoking.The size of the pieces range from briquette sized to larger than a fist, with minimal chips and useless small pieces at the bottom of the bag.This stuff is dense and very hard. I think this contributes to the longevity and the perfect sizing because it doesn't break apart easily, allowing it to survive shipping and handling a little better than other brands. Very important for a commodity like this that is shipped across country and handled a lot.Cons:Takes a bit longer to light. This is actually a good sign, meaning that it won't just burn up really fast.It smokes a little more than some brands upon first lighting, and sometimes sparks and pops a bit. Kinda fun if you're a pyro like me, but be aware of the fire hazard.Conclusion: If the price remains at or below $1 a pound I will continue using this stuff. I like it better than FOGO, all things considered because it's half the price and actually performs better, with a similar smell (although stronger). I am on my 7th bag of this stuff and so far it has been consistently the best overall value, flavor and performance.

Great Great quality. Flaky crispy shiny well made lump charcoal. Very light weight. Easy to break up for use. Some of the chunks are practically logs of charcoal but carbonized through and through. I've bought several bags and will continue to buy as long as the price and quality are the same. You could easily pay twice as much for the same quality from others.

Better than most available, if it had shipped properly, (arrived in box 2x bigger than bag of charcoal), no packing material, so it broke down in transport. Will update after grilling to see if it sparks and how it burns.Ok, 4-5 grilling sessions using mixed sizes, burns slow and have to wait longer before cooking than others, 20 + minutes more. Unfortunately there is a type of off gas or chemical smell in the smoke until they are all grey and hot then I grilled, no bad taste in any of the meats I cooked. No sparks as it was hand placed and no tiny pieces.Now of the 5 times cooking 3 days we’re still air other days with a slight breeze. I’m cooking on a typical back patio with a roof. Grill is a Char Griller Akorn Jr.The smell isn’t like other charcoal I’ve used over the past 30 years of grilling. I’m curious if Masterbuilt sprayed something on these to burn slower for their gravity fed smoker.I came back in and as in any smoke my clothes absorbed the smell, not sure if I’ll keep on auto ship, will consider going back to more expensive charcoal. The price is inviting, but I’d like to hear from the manufacturer if my curiosity is correct. Photos of top view and then laid bag out cut away, there was of course dust and so far one brick chip.

Used these to smoke a 6 pound pork butt, which took about 9 hours. Nice big chunks of lump charcoal, some somewhat obnoxiously large, so large they would not fit in my charcoal chimney. Regardless, even after a 9 hour cook, during which I didn't have to refill the smoker once, the coals appeared to even be reusable. So I did... I added a few new pieces to my chimney with some old ones for the next cook... same result. Amazing. Best value charcoal I've ever used.

This works fantastic with the master built lump charcoal!!

Priced well for what you get. Took a bit of extra effort to light compared to other premium brands of lump, but once started it burns well and creates good heat. As others have reported, it does spark a lot! I might buy this again, but I may also go back to a premium brand I pay twice as much for which lights easier, less sparking, and produces a better flavor smoke. We will see…..

Bigger pieces than Kamado Joe charcoal and other brands I have tried

The charcoal lumps were constantly popping violently and sending chunks of charcoal all throughout my grill and stirred up ash. It was already hard enough to get it lit with insanely inconsistent size chunks ranging from half a typical fireplace log to small flakes. At one point 2 hours into my cook I opened the lid and a piece immediately exploded sending a chunk of unlit charcoal right beside my eye hitting me on the cheek. Lit sparks were flying off of it and overall my cook was ruined. For those of you charcoal briquette users who want to try some lump charcoal out for the first time... this isn't it. The fact that I was doing an indirect cook and it still managed to coat my brisket in unlit charcoal should tell you this product is garbage.