Sumi Charcoal?

empireman · November 2011

I just purchased a very early edition but new Imperial Kamado to go along side with my new XL BGE. The Egg is set up for baking and will be used for pizza and larger items and the Kamado #5 is the same size as the Large Egg & I'll use that for open flame grilling only. I also got a very interesting box of Sumi Charcoal. Does anyone have any experience with this charcoal? I did research online and found that it was $99.00 for a small box! YIPES! What is that about?? I would love to learn about this and hear your thoughts. I LOVE my XL but it just takes way too much charcoal to fire it up to cook a steak - so now I feel I have the best of both worlds! Anyone know anyone I can pawn off my $3500 DCS grill and island to?? :-) - cause it's collecting dust!

empireman · November 2011

I have no idea what mangrove charcoal is - can you explain?

empireman · November 2011

I just did a search on google for Mangrove charcoal, and it seems that that is exactly what it is. You sounded negative in your response - is there something "bad" about this charcoal??? Do tell! :-)

The Naked Whiz · November 2011

Sumi appears to be a japanese word for either charcoal or "without color", i.e. black. There is sumi ink. I see lots of references to sumi charcoal. I found some mangrove charcoal but it wasn't called sumi. So, I don't think sumi denotes the wood from which the charcoal is made. I'd still bet it is binchotan.

Squeezy · November 2011

I seen one reference linking sumi charcoal to bamboo.

empireman · November 2011

I think it is mangrove charcoal that he had sent to him from Japan. Here's a pic of my new / vintage Kamado. I think it looks awesome in my asian garden. So - I'll be using my XL BGE just as an oven for breads and pizzas - but I'll be doing most of my open flame grilling on this baby!

The Naked Whiz · November 2011

All the references to mangrove charcoal I see call it "kachi", not "sumi".

Little Steven · November 2011

I think it is mangrove charcoal that he had sent to him from Japan. Here's a pic of my new / vintage Kamado. I think it looks awesome in my asian garden. So - I'll be using my XL BGE just as an oven for breads and pizzas - but I'll be doing most of my open flame grilling on this baby!

I can't tell from the pic but I've heard if it is clay the temp limit is around 400 or so.

empireman · November 2011

You know - I didn't even think of that. I have the "original" brochure - and it says that I should grill a steak or any meat LESS than 1" at 700 degrees F.

I'm assuming that since it's in the brochure and it tells you how to get it that hot - that it's made to go that temp. Fair assumption - no? Thoughts?

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