No doubt about it. With the summertime BBQ cooking and picnic season on its' way you want to be well prepared. Yet what is the best fuel? Many professional barbecue chefs will insist that no way out - actual charcoal barbecue briquettes are the "only genuine" way to get that charbroiled flavor. Yet wood briquettes can be hard to come by, inconvenient and somewhat expensive. Propane is easy, convenient and overall more economical. What is a budding briquettes for sale chef and cookout entertainer to do?
BBQ cooks and culinary experts will advise you that charcoal briquettes (made from hickory wood or sometimes just compressed coal dust with hickory wood enhancements), are preferred, if not "the best". Now doubt about it, that they create an even level bed of heat, absolutely perfect for searing meat and overall high level successful barbecuing results. You can count on these professional briquettes not to put out an odor, flare or smoke. It is all clear sailing. Perhaps in your catchments area you can find these BBQ briquettes at your local supermarket, big box store or neighborhood gas station convenience store. Sometimes though, especially at the beginning or end of the picnic season they can be downright hard to find and locate.
What about starting and lighting your briquette fire? Some people on the fly actually may start their fires with good old gasoline. While this may appear dramatic - it is downright dangerous and most fire department authorities will advise. Gasoline is flammable. Gasoline vapor may explode in a flash. While the coals will definitely start in a flash, it is a downright dangerous practice which may well result in home or cottage fires. It is not worth the risk even if the fire starter thinks it is more convenient that running out to the store or hardware store for proper kerosene type barbecue starter fluid, or even an electrical element barbecue starter device.
How many briquettes in a proper BBQ fire? Generally it is about 50 to 60 bricks or pieces of charcoal. The beauty of real wood briquettes is that will have a full life time span of several hour lit.
Lastly to stress again for the safety of your bbq and picnic use proper fire starters or lighter fluid for igniting your barbecue fuel. Fire starters are solid cubes of fuel and ignite instantly and easily, in a flash. A word of caution and advice, do not attempt to cook over your briquettes for sale fuel source or sources while either solid or liquid fuel stuffs are still on fire and burning. You can count on these products emitting kerosene type fumes.
Not only is this odor rather odorous and gives a characteristic poor taint to your cooking, but it is also unsafe to cook at this point if not unhealthy as well.