Are you hunting for the best charcoal for pizza oven?
Did you know that not all types of charcoal are suitable for use in pizza ovens?
Charcoal has the ability to drastically alter the flavor of any pizza. Today, we’ll explain why you should use the best charcoal for your pizza oven. We put the most popular brands to the test and found a clear winner.
So, let’s have a look at them!
Charcoal for Pizza Ovens
It might be rather expensive to get it from a pizza establishment. As a result, many pizza lovers are converting to making their pizza at home, which may be considerably cheaper than the conventional method.
Making handmade pizza is both thrilling to create and delicious to eat.
A standard home oven, on the other hand, cannot replicate the pizza baked in a real pizza establishment oven, which frequently reaches 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
A pizza oven is required to reproduce your favorite pizza at home.
You may pick from a variety of pizza oven fuel types, including propane, charcoal, gas, pellets, and wood.
However, if charcoal is your preferred fuel, you need to invest in a reliable pizza oven and the finest charcoal for pizza ovens so that you may use it for long-term home pizza baking.
An outdoor oven should now be able to achieve high to scorching temperatures without the need for lengthy pre-heating periods, exactly like a typical kitchen oven.
Portable pizza ovens are also more flexible than you would think. It may be used for a variety of baking applications, including steaks, bread, poultry, and vegetable side dishes.
Pizza ovens offer crispy, well-baked dishes. As a result, a charcoal pizza oven is an excellent investment.
Check out our top picks for charcoal for pizza ovens for your next pizza party at home.
Top 7 lump charcoals you can buy for a pizza oven
We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products. The right choice can save you valuable minutes, if not hours, in your cooking process. If you’re ready to try making pizza at home, here are the best charcoals for a pizza oven.
Royal Oak Hardwood Lump Charcoal
The Royal Oak Lump Charcoal was our favorite. While it did not win every category outright, we believe it is the best for the ordinary home cook.
When you open the bag, you’ll see a nice variety of bits. This is a wonderful thing for inexperienced pizza makers since you want a combination of easy-to-light slices and ones that burn for a long period.
Royal Oak Lumps strike a balance between ease of lighting and durability in the kettle. It is the perfect choice for both smoking and grilling. So you can use this lump charcoal for barbecue grill as well besides your wood ovens.
A delicious and smokey smell welcomed us after burning the Royal Oak. It was powerful enough to be noticeable but not overpowering when we were making pizza.
The Royal Oak burnt for an average period of time when compared to other lump charcoals.
We discovered a smaller percentage of huge chunks, so as time passes, you may notice that it burns up quickly, which isn’t an issue if you’re cooking for your family.
Also, because Royal Oak Lump Charcoal is developed for smokers, it gives a sweet, smokey taste to food that we enjoy.
Overall, the pricing, the well-distributed pieces, and the nice aroma convinced us that Royal Oak Charcoal Lumps would be ideal for baking pizza.
Pros
- A good selection of coal
- Ultra-low ash and moisture content
- Sweet and smokey fragrance
Cons
- Nothing that we didn’t like
Jealous Devil All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal
One of the best features of this charcoal is the redesigned bag, which protects the charcoal better during delivery, resulting in bigger pieces and less dust and residue.
It’s a minor detail, but it makes a difference when the heat reaches the coal.
The coal itself is manufactured from South American hardwood, which consumers claim tastes akin to oak but without the disagreeable bitterness that may occasionally slip in.
Even with long, slow cooking, you won’t have to worry about the coal overwhelming your dish because it has a smooth and mild flavor.
The wood is specifically chosen for coal production and is hand-cut and hand-fired in brick kilns erected on-site.
To assure a uniform product in each bag, only the largest and most complete lumps are sold. This wood also sparks less than other varieties, making it a little safer and less dramatic to ignite and use.
Pros
- Smooth and mild flavor
- The packaging keeps the components dry
- It lights rapidly and dependably
- Can be used for brick ovens as well
Cons
- Pricey
Pok Pok Thaan Thai Style Charcoal Logs
This is the original Pok Pok Thai charcoal, which is of great quality.
This was created as a low-cost alternative to Japanese binchotan, which is not only pricey but sometimes manufactured from endangered trees.
This charcoal substitute is both less expensive and more ecologically friendly than traditional Japanese charcoal but slightly less effective.
Thai-style charcoal burns for a long period at high temperatures, providing the ideal heat for crispy crusts of the perfect pizza while yet providing ample burn time for everything from conventional grilling bacon and other meats to slow smoking.
Thai charcoal is one of the greatest varieties of charcoal on the market, and this is the nicest sample available, with a lovely fruity flavor.
It’s also quite affordable, with a modest price tag on this 5-pound package.
5 lbs may not seem like much, but when you consider how long it burns overall, it balances out how much extra you need to use over time with normal charcoal.
Pros
- Long-lasting burn.
- Maximum heat setting
- The cost is low
- Environmentally friendly
- Delicious fruity flavor
Cons
- Difficult to find
Kingsford Original Charcoal Briquettes
There’s a reason Kingsford has been in business for nearly a century. Kingsford has had time to perfect its recipe over the last century.
Briquettes have shrunk and grown more compact. If you’ve been away from baking pizza for a while, Kingsford briquettes will burn faster and longer owing to the denser composition.
The air filled with a wildfire fragrance as the briquettes began to light inside our oven.
That puts it in first place among the briquettes we examined. The Kingsford Original outlasted the Weber Briquettes in terms of heat and lifespan.
However, Kingsford Original appears to be in supply everywhere, and we can’t disagree with the price.
Kingsford is a well-known brand with a high level of quality control.
Pros
- Widely accessible
- Ensures maximum temperature
- It smells like a campfire
Cons
- We couldn’t find any
Rockwood All-Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal
While it is not the cheapest lump charcoal available, consumers highly recommend it.
Buying numerous bags at once frequently greatly decreases the price-per-item, making it an excellent deal for people who will be preparing pizza at home.
It is frequently utilized by competitive barbecue teams and has been named the finest by websites and chefs.
This charcoal is created from hardwoods gathered in Missouri, with most of the product consisting of oak and hickory, as well as some maple, cherry, and pecan wood.
This strong scent of woods provides a nice flavor to the smoke, which adds a pleasing taste to the dish.
The wood is not chopped specifically for charcoal. Instead, it’s reclaimed wood from previous projects, which is healthier for the environment and your wood-fired oven.
Pros
- It’s simple to ignite and lasts a long time.
- Delicious flavor
- Eco-friendly
Cons
- Inconsistency in quality
Fogo Super Premium Lump Charcoal for Pizza Oven
When it came to the Fogo Super Premium, we had to make a difficult choice.
So much so that we conducted extra testing to acquire a better understanding of how this charcoal performs when baking pizza.
To begin with, the Super Premium is only available in huge amounts. The use of just large chunks of carbon made it more difficult to light, but also translated to great heat and a lengthy burn.
It also increased the price—the Fogo is more than twice as expensive per pound as the Royal Oak. Aside from the costs, our testing revealed that the Fogo excelled in terms of adaptability.
A high heat source on a big wood-fired pizza oven helps you to cook quicker and generate the tastiest pizza crusts.
We realize that most people will not relocate their full kitchen outside, therefore we chose not to award it the top rank despite the fact that the Fogo Super Premium produced some remarkable stats.
The Fogo may be the best option for camping and outdoor pizza ovens.
Pros
- Long burn and high heat
- Excellent adaptability
Cons
- Expensive
Duraflame Cowboy Brand Natural Hardwood Briquettes for Pizza Oven
This charcoal is excellent for the price, however it pales in contrast to the Jealous Devil charcoal mentioned above.
The performance is strong, with a wonderful extended burning characteristic that allows you to make the most of each briquette.
Because it is made entirely of natural hardwood charcoal, it adds a pleasant taste to your pizza without creating a lot of thick, gritty smoke that might ruin the texture.
The briquettes are shaped like pillows, as opposed to the natural “lump” form of Jealous Devil hardwood charcoal.
This doesn’t really important, but it does mean you’ll get more dust out of each bag.
This is a problem in conjunction with the other factor: the price.
It is not prohibitively costly, but it is more expensive per pound than our winner, which is aggravated by the increase in waste product.
The dust isn’t absolutely useless, but you don’t want to see a lot of it.
As a result, it’s tough to suggest the Duraflame Cowboy charcoal above the Jealous Devil charcoal, but it’s not awful; get it if it’s on sale.
Pros
- All natural hardwood of the highest quality
- Pillows are simple to stack
- Lights up quickly and stays illuminated for a long time
- Simple to use and set up
- Excellent value
Cons
- More costly than our winner
How Much Charcoal Should Be Used in a Pizza Oven?
The amount of charcoal you should use in your oven should be determined by the type of food you are attempting to cook.
Some recipes call for low to medium heat. As a result, just a minimal amount of charcoal is required.
Some meals, however, must be cooked from warm to the greatest temperature. As a result, you should use a significant number of coals.
When striving for a wonderful pizza, the optimum amount of charcoal should only be half to three-quarters full.
This amount of coal can reach the appropriate temperature for a delicious pizza.
Still, whether you want to bake your pizza rapidly is entirely up to you.
When should I put charcoal in my charcoal chimney?
The “chimney effect” causes the charcoal to glow from the bottom to the top. When the coals are hot, pour them into the smoker, either with or without extra unlit charcoal, depending on the cooking technique, and begin cooking.
How to Use Charcoal in Pizza Ovens
There are several ways to cook a pizza over charcoal. This section will provide you with some useful information on charcoal for pizza ovens.
- Make use of some wood
- Make careful you utilize high-quality woods
- Making use of pizza stones
- During the cooking procedure, ensure that you only use the appropriate instruments
- Examine the temperature
- Cover the area with foil or any other metal material
- Find the best recipe
- Use only the specified charcoal cooking items
How Does Charcoal Pizza Taste?
Pizza tastes vary based on the flavors and toppings used. Some people prefer cheesy pizzas, while others choose a healthy version of a vegetarian pizza.
For some, there is a significant difference in flavor between a charcoal-cooked pizza and a standard oven-made pizza.
Because of the smoke created when cooking, the charcoal pizza may have a smoky flavor. People like charcoal-cooked pizza because it is the most genuine way to prepare a pizza.
However, the flavor would still be determined by the person eating the pizza.
FAQs about Charcoal for Pizza Ovens
Can you cook pizza with charcoal on a grill?
If you believe you can’t cook pizzas because you have a charcoal grill, think again! Several pizza stones are available, as well as fantastic grill accessories for cooking pizza.
With the right tools and technique, your homemade pizza cooked on a charcoal grill can be as good as an artisan pizza.
Would charcoal work in my pizza oven?
Yes. You may use any fuel to generate heat and cook pizza, but you should consider the coals’ flavor, heat, and smoke.
Is charcoal pizza any different from regular pizza?
It looks different and tastes different. A charcoal pizza may look somewhat like a burnt pizza, but interestingly, it isn’t burnt; it’s just a dark shade of pizza infused with delicious taste. It also has a smokey flavor which you won’t get with regular pizza.
What kind of charcoal do you use for pizza oven?
Anthracite coal is used in most coal-fired pizzerias because it has a greater carbon content, fewer impurities, and a longer burn period. Coal ovens use a “fire-in-the-oven” method to cook the pizzas. A big flame is built on a vast bed of coals to bring the oven to an extremely high temperature.
What is the best charcoal for Ooni pizza oven?
Lump charcoal is a popular fuel source, especially for Ooni pizza ovens. The heat produced by lump charcoal is long-lasting, allowing you to cook many pizzas in your oven.
According to the Ooni website, they suggest Ooni Premium Lumpwood Charcoal. It was hand-picked for Ooni pizza ovens but is also suitable for other BBQ grills.
The Ooni Premium Lumpwood Charcoal is composed entirely of birch hardwood. It has no chemicals, scents, or additions, making it a high-performance, pure fuel that fills your foods with all-natural flavors.
Can I put charcoal in my pizza oven?
Yes, you can use any fuel to generate heat and cook pizza, but you must consider a few factors, including the flavor, heat, and smoke produced by the coals.
When it comes to baking pizza, woodfire ovens are the traditional method. The type of wood used in these ovens significantly impacts the pizza’s appearance, flavor, and aroma.
Although coal-fired ovens are not advised, many pizzerias use them commercially because they provide better heat distribution and, in certain situations, burn faster than wood.
However, not all coals are created equal, so you should always use high-quality hard coals when cooking in a coal oven.
Can you use briquettes in a pizza oven?
Because each briquette is similar, they are ideal for use in pizza ovens where a consistently high temperature is required. They produce a good all-purpose fuel for log burners, open flames, and fire pits.
Their pure materials, very high density, and exceptionally low moisture content are the key to their success. Unlike kiln-dried logs, which might take some time to heat up, pizza briquettes reach a high temperature immediately and then burn for an extended period at a consistent temperature.
This makes it significantly easier for chefs to maintain the appropriate cooking temperature in the pizza oven than when using oak logs.
When used in the house, much fewer logs are required to generate the same heat output, and with moisture content as low as 7%, they are a very clean-burning fuel, creating practically no smoke and very little waste to clean up afterward.
What fuel is best for a pizza oven?
Kiln-dried hardwood is the finest fuel for a pizza oven since it is very dry and provides a clean burn with little smoke and great heat. The kiln-dried wood must be kept dry before use since any moisture will reduce the effectiveness of the fire.
Final Verdict: Best Charcoal For Pizza Oven
Using a pizza oven requires some practice. My experience with cooking pizza has led me to try many different methods, but every new technique or product takes time to master. Even when you think you have perfected a process, you will find that you are still learning new things.
Charcoal pizza ovens are no exception. To figure out which one works best for you, you need to experiment with these different tips.
I suspect that you will have a different view of what makes a perfect pizza than I do (or anyone else, for that matter). Therefore, you will also have a different ideal solution.
Related Articles:
