The heat is definitely on when you use Fire & Flavor's natural hardwood lump charcoal. I learned about natural charcoal from my Brazilian boyfriend who I thought was crazy when I purchased charcoal at the grocery store and was informed that it wasn't "real" charcoal. In the past, I had always purchased the briquets. They can't compare to the natural charcoal which is easy to light and maintain high heat. The best part is that when you're finished grilling, you can douse them with water and use them again. It's worth the extra money to purchase natural charcoal over the briquets every day.