Lump Charcoals: 5 Fast Facts

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Fact #1. Charcoal is a form of half-burnt wood that burns hotter and more slowly than regular logs. It's been in use since at least 4000 BCE. Originating in Asia, early versions were made by covering wood with moist dirt and lighting the whole thing on fire.
Fact #2. These charred blocks soon became extremely important parts of everyday life. They were used for cooking in huts and homes, as they produced less smoke than other forms of fuel. In addition, blacksmiths used them to melt copper and tin in order to create bronze. As a result, creating them became a full-time job for thousands of people. Their product was so in-demand that entire forests in central Europe were decimated.
Fact #3. Both the creation and use of charcoal would remain largely unchanged until the 1920s. An American businessman by the name of Henry Ford found himself with an unusual dilemma. Each Model T he produced required about 100 board feet of hardwood to make. Cutting and shaping it meant there was scrap left over. Ford commissioned a chemist to devise a way to turn that lumber into dense lumps of charcoal.
Fact #4. Today, over one million tons of wood scrap gets converted to charcoal every year. It's used in everything from art and medicine to metallurgy and horticulture. Grilling is still its most famous use, however. The smoke can lend rich flavors to meat that propane could never hope to match.
Fact #5. If you expect that it will take a few hours to grill your meat, you should always have some additional coals ready. Your original ones will likely burn out after 60 minutes or so. This is a good reason to invest in a chimney starter, as you can have your second-string briquettes smoldering while you wait.