Three different bags of charcoal briquettes, three different promises. One is made entirely from coconut shells. Another is made from acacia hardwood and promises to burn hotter and cleaner. And the third is riding one of the most popular names in barbecue. If you’re trying to figure out the best charcoal for grilling in your backyard, I put all three through the same head-to-head test — and the results flipped my expectations.
The Contenders
- Fogo All Coconut Briquettes — made from 100% natural coconut shells. The bag promises superior burning, natural binding, and a clean-burn wood fire flavor. Coconut shell charcoal has a reputation for burning very hot.
- Meat Church Charcoal Briquettes — the brand-new entry from one of the biggest names in barbecue. The bag keeps it simple: all-natural hardwood (it doesn’t specify which), no chemicals, additives, or fillers. “Heats even and burns long.” And yes — there’s an M on one side of each briquette and a C on the other. Clever.
- The Good Charcoal Super Briquets — 100% chemical free, with exactly three ingredients: acacia wood, corn starch, and water. Supposed to burn super hot.
The Test
I kept everything as equal as I could. Each brand got about three pounds of briquettes in a small Weber chimney, lit with two tumbleweed fire starters. At the 20-minute mark I checked three things: had the smoke cleaned up, had the briquettes ashed over, and how hot were they running on my infrared thermometer. Then each batch went into the same Weber kettle, vents wide open, under the same cast iron skillet for a smash burger cook — plain 80/20 patties seasoned with nothing but kosher salt, so the only variable was the charcoal.
20-Minute Check: One Clear Heat Winner
All three burned a nice clean smoke by the 20-minute mark. The Fogo and Meat Church briquettes had ashed over almost completely; The Good Charcoal was only partially ashed over on top — not a deal breaker, it may just want 25 minutes instead of 20.
The infrared readings were the first surprise:
- The Good Charcoal: 641°F — even without being fully ashed over
- Meat Church: 489°F
- Fogo: 468°F
I expected the coconut-shell Fogo to lead here, and instead it came in last — while The Good Charcoal came out of the chimney a full 150–170 degrees hotter than the other two. If you’re looking at pure hot-start grilling power, those acacia Super Briquets are no joke.
The Smash Burger Cook: The Real Surprise
Here’s where the story flipped. During the actual cooks, both The Good Charcoal and the Meat Church briquettes lost temperature fairly quickly — my cast iron skillet went from the 450–500°F range down into the upper 200s. The Fogo, despite starting off the coolest, was the only one of the three that kept my skillet above 400°F for the entire cook.
So the heat-retention ranking ended up the reverse of the hot-start ranking: the coconut shell briquettes hold their temperature much better than the other two. That’s a meaningful difference if you’re cooking anything longer than a quick sear.
One honest note on my method: I wish I’d used my large chimneys, or poured the lit coals over a bed of unlit ones, because three pounds of briquettes isn’t much fuel for a skillet cook. I kept the test consistent across all three brands, but if you’re doing hot-and-fast cooking with briquettes, use more fuel than you think you need — that’s a lesson worth taking away regardless of brand.
The Taste Test: Can You Tell the Difference?
My prediction going in: no difference. Charcoal’s job is to provide heat, not flavor — flavor comes from your smoking wood, the hickory, apple, or pecan you add. And that’s exactly how it played out. All three burgers tasted like a hamburger patty seasoned with salt. No discernible difference between coconut shell, acacia, or hardwood briquettes.
While we’re on the subject: there’s been a trend of videos lately putting down certain briquette brands for additives and fillers. Barbecue purists have examined this for years, and to the best of my knowledge, the levels of what brands like Kingsford add to bind their briquettes aren’t at levels that cause any discernible health concern. Buy natural if you prefer it — just don’t buy it out of fear.
Price Breakdown (as of June 2026)
- Fogo All Coconut Briquettes — $19.99 for a 15.4 lb bag at Ace Hardware (~$1.30/lb) — the most expensive
- The Good Charcoal Super Briquets — $6.97 for a 6 lb bag at Walmart (~$1.16/lb)
- Meat Church Charcoal Briquettes — $15.94 for a 17.8 lb bag at Ace Hardware (~$0.90/lb) — the most economical
The Verdict: Which One Deserves a Spot in Your Backyard?
I’m always a proponent of buying what’s affordable — charcoal’s whole purpose is heat, and all three of these deliver it. From that angle, the Meat Church briquettes get big points at roughly 90 cents a pound, and they burned hotter than the Fogo out of the chimney.
But if you’re doing hot-temperature cooking and you want coals that hold their heat through the whole cook, my recommendation is the Fogo coconut briquettes — that heat retention was the standout result of the entire test. And if the super-hot start or the sustainable acacia angle appeals to you, The Good Charcoal will absolutely serve your purposes too.
Bottom line: I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these three. Got a charcoal, accessory, grill, or cook you want me to test next? Drop it in the comments on the video — I’m here for all of it.
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