Does Flavored Charcoal Actually Do Anything?

We are constantly looking for small ways to make our favorite grilled foods more flavorful and delicious. While this can be done by brining your chicken before grilling it or adding Kosmos Q dry rub to prepare your meat, some believe using flavored charcoal is the key to great-tasting grilled food. However, despite trusted companies like Kingsford selling flavored or specially seasoned charcoal, taste tests across the internet indicate that the special fuel doesn't impact the flavor of your food any differently than regular charcoal. In fact, some grillers even consider these flavored charcoal products to be slightly predatory, as they can sometimes cost more than traditional charcoal with no additional benefit to the food.

Whether flavored charcoal is outright deceptive is up for debate, but it isn't hard to see why novice grillers might think the specialized fuel would benefit their food. Compared to grilling with gas, charcoal imparts its own flavors into the taste of your food — which makes the attempt to flavor the charcoal itself an idea that isn't completely far-fetched.

Nevertheless, while most will find flavored charcoal completely unnecessary for cooking on the grill, one area where it could improve your barbecue experience is through its excellent smell. The fragrances produced by many of Kingsford's flavored charcoal variants are generally well-liked by consumers who have given them a shot, even if that's the only true benefit of using them. The garlic, onion, and paprika flavor is especially well-liked for its strong (but not overwhelming) garlic scent. Considering that there are plenty of different flavored charcoals to choose from, you can certainly find a smell that suits your tastes to greatly improve your cookout.

Alternatively, if you're a user of standard charcoal and want it to give your food a different flavor, trying a different kind of charcoal entirely could be your best bet. If you've been lighting lump coal for all your grilling, switching to briquettes — which typically lend more flavor to the food — could be exactly the taste upgrade you're looking for.