Wood and wood combined with fillers and pressed into briquettes isn’t the only option out there. Charred coconut shells, pressed into cubes or rods, can also work for grilling. “If it’s good coconut charcoal,” Hanthorn says, “it has a wonderful, almost sweet smell to the smoke, and it’s very low in ash and burns very evenly.” This has made it a favorite for overnight low-and-slow cooks, since it’s more dependable and forgiving like briquettes than lump. But, Hanthorn warns, the lower-quality stuff can produce huge amounts of ash, and still cost more than your typical briquettes, so ask around. Hanthorn likes Charcos brand . To summarize: If you’ve got a Weber-style grill, and don’t feel like you want a lot of smoke going on, charcoal briquettes are totally fine. If you want to have a little more fun with it, and get a little more smoke going on your food, go for the hardwood lump, and stick to the American hardwoods if you want consistency. If you’ve got a ceramic grill, you already know you’ve got to stick to the lump charcoal, but feel free to check out Doug Hanthorn’s site, the Naked Whiz, to see what some of your more specialized options are. And happy grilling.