Lump charcoal can be lit sans lighter fluid and with just a match and some newspaper which means no off-flavors. One pound of hardwood charcoal produces the equivalent heat of two pounds of briquette charcoal. Current price is nearly twice that of briquettes. Lump charcoal is bulkier, has odd shapes, and crushes more easily. It tends to become dusty and flakes-off.
Most charcoal manufacturers sell their product as a briquette.
This market has been dominated by several companies to include Kingsford , Embers , and Royal Oak . An entrepreneur hoping to survive in the charcoal industry will require originality and very good and aggressive marketing. Innovative ideas like developing a product in a bag that has a fuse, which when lit will ignite the charcoal. This quick light product combined with a easy to use paraffin coated container filled with natural charcoal has been a modest success in some local markets. A major hurdle is creating an appealing package.