Love Logs British Premium Cherrywood Charcoal
British cherrywood lumpwood charcoal with a slightly sweeter smoke than oak. It lights fairly quickly and gives steady, controllable heat for pizza, grilling, pork and seafood.
- No fillers or bindersNatural lumpwood charcoal
- Free deliveryMainland Great Britain
- Comes with your ovenWhen you order with one
- 14 day returnsOn unopened bags
Delivery and returns
- Delivery
- Free to mainland Great Britain
- With an oven
- Comes with the oven
- Returns
- 14 days on unopened bags
DetailsWeight, what's in the bag and how to store it
In the box
- 12 kg: 2 × 6 kg bags of lumpwood charcoal
- 24 kg: 4 × 6 kg bags of lumpwood charcoal
- About 8 to 12 cooks per bag, depending on how long you cook
Material
- British cherrywood lumpwood charcoal, no fillers or binders
Care
- Keep the bags dry and under cover, ideally raised off a concrete or earth floor or in a lidded container. Store away from petrol, paint and solvents. Handle bags gently so the lumps don't break into dust. Leftover charcoal can stay in the closed oven until the next cook.
Made in
- Made in the UK by Love Logs
Enough for most cooks.
Half a football of charcoal holds 200°C (390°F) for 4 to 6 hours. For pizza, use three quarters to a full football.
Know where your fuel comes from.
Charcoal from a named British maker has a clear story: wood from responsibly managed woodland, made with care and carried a short distance to you. Imported and supermarket bags often can't tell you where they came from, or how well they were made.
How to Choose the Best Charcoal for a Charcoal Oven
Ash or oak, lumpwood or briquettes, and how much to use for each kind of cook.
Get the most from every bag.
How to light a Charlie charcoal ovenLight the fire, set the vents and hold a steady temperature for hours.
How long until charcoal is ready to cook on?Lumpwood is ready 15 to 20 minutes after lighting. No need to wait for white ash.
Cooking with charcoal for beginnersLumpwood or briquettes, how much to use, and the mistakes to avoid.Questions, answered.
How much charcoal do I need?
About half a football of charcoal is enough for most cooks, and holds 200°C (390°F) for 4 to 6 hours. For pizza at 375 to 400°C (705 to 750°F), use three quarters to a full football. A full grate holds 100 to 130°C (210 to 265°F) for up to 16 hours. If your oven has two-height fire grates, lower them to make room for more charcoal and a longer burn.
How long does Charlie take to heat up?
With good lumpwood charcoal, about 10 minutes to reach 100°C (210°F), 20 minutes to reach 200 to 250°C (390 to 480°F) and 30 minutes to reach 375 to 400°C (705 to 750°F). Never take the oven above 400°C (750°F).
Do I need to wait for the charcoal to turn white?
No. Good charcoal can be cooked over as soon as it is hot. The white coating is just ash forming on the outside, and waiting for every piece to turn white wastes fuel before you have started cooking.
How do I light it?
Build a small pyramid of charcoal in the centre of the grates with one or two natural firelighters in the base. Close the door and open both vents fully. Charlie comes up to temperature in 10 to 30 minutes. Never use lighter fluid. Our lighting guide takes you through it step by step.
Which charcoal should I choose?
Ash lights quickly and burns steadily, so it is the easiest to cook with. Oak is denser and slower to light, then burns for longer, which suits roasts and long cooks. Cherrywood gives a slightly sweeter smoke. Read more in how to choose the best charcoal.
Will the food taste smoky?
Not unless you want it to. Good charcoal mainly gives clean heat. The barbecue flavour comes from meat fat and juices dripping onto the hot charcoal, so bread and pizza don't come out tasting smoky.
Can I use briquettes?
You can, but we don't recommend them. Briquettes contain fillers, and because Charlie keeps the heat and smoke inside, the food takes on their taste. Natural lumpwood charcoal tastes cleaner.
Why does some charcoal leave so much ash?
Ash is the part of the wood that doesn't burn, so a lot of ash doesn't mean the charcoal burned hotter or longer. Good lumpwood charcoal leaves around 3% ash. Empty the ash drawer about every 8 to 10 cooks on the Charlie Charcoal Oven and the Professional, or every 6 to 8 on the Cheeky Charlie Tabletop Oven.
How can I tell good charcoal from poor charcoal?
Good charcoal comes from a named British maker, smells clean, and has a mix of solid pieces with very little dust. It catches cleanly and leaves a modest amount of ash. Poor charcoal smells oily or chemical, smokes as it lights and burns through quickly.
Can I add wood for a smoky flavour?
Yes. Add one small chunk of wood, no bigger than the palm of your hand, straight onto the hot charcoal. Charlie needs far less wood than a barbecue, and too much can make the temperature jump.
Can I reuse leftover charcoal?
Yes. When you finish, push both vents in fully to put the fire out. Any charcoal left on the grates can be lit again next time.
How many cooks will I get from a bag?
About 8 to 12 cooks from a 6 kg bag, depending on how long you cook. Any charcoal left at the end stays in the oven and can be used again next time.
The right fuel for your Charlie.
Good charcoal burns cleaner and holds its heat for longer. If you don't have a Charlie yet, start there.
Hand-built in Britain · Good Housekeeping Best Outdoor Oven 2024