Binchotan Charcoal - anyone use it?

cssmd27 · July 2012

I saw it for $7.50/lb. (!! Yes, you read correctly!) and was wondering if it was ever worth using and how? Mixed or straight? Small fires with longer cook times? Or, do you just need less since it burns so much hotter?

nolaegghead · July 2012

It burns cooler with less smoke. Wow, that charcoal costs twice as much as the average price per pound of the meat I cook on my egg.

It would cheaper for me to start a fire with chuck steak and roast some oak.

Rich_ie · July 2012

It burns cooler with less smoke. Wow, that charcoal costs twice as much as the average price per pound of the meat I cook on my egg.

It would cheaper for me to start a fire with chuck steak and roast some oak.

+1

Duganboy · July 2012

$75 dollars for a ten lb bag of charcoal, just doesn't seem very realistic. Wow.

nolaegghead · July 2012

Interesting.... from: http://www.rikumo.com/Sumi-Charcoal-Kishu-Binchotan-Charcoal-p47.html

"It
helps dissipate Electric Magnetic Fields from electrical appliances.
Charcoal generates negative ions that are said to put people in a better
frame of mind. Binchotan charcoal is an ideal interior object placed
anywhere in the house and office to create healthier environment. More
over, cooking rice with a piece of charcoal in rice cooker, placing a
piece of charcoal in water pitcher to create mineral water are also
recommended."

Also, this charcoal is widely known to cause wold peace. It makes dogs and cats love each other, keeps kids from embarrassing their parents in fine restaurants, and unclogs stubborn drains.

cssmd27 · July 2012

It burns cooler with less smoke. Wow, that charcoal costs twice as much as the average price per pound of the meat I cook on my egg.

It would cheaper for me to start a fire with chuck steak and roast some oak.

I literally LOL'd! Forced me to try and explain it to my wife who responded with a blank stare. I guess you have to be in the club to get it.

FWIW, this site claims it burns 3X hotter: http://korin.com/White-Binchotan-Charcoal?sc=28&category=281236
And, the book, Mastering the Grill claims it burns much hotter than our domestic charcoals.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · July 2012

It burns cooler with less smoke. Wow, that charcoal costs twice as much as the average price per pound of the meat I cook on my egg.

It would cheaper for me to start a fire with chuck steak and roast some oak.

I literally LOL'd! Forced me to try and explain it to my wife who responded with a blank stare. I guess you have to be in the club to get it.

FWIW, this site claims it burns 3X hotter: http://korin.com/White-Binchotan-Charcoal?sc=28&category=281236
And, the book, Mastering the Grill claims it burns much hotter than our domestic charcoals.

I laughed too.

I guess it would burn at almost half the temp of the sun if it is 3X hotter our domestic charcoal.

I think the feng shui properties above might be more valuable

nolaegghead · July 2012

Three times hotter, and (it seems like) for longer? Maybe there's a fusion or fission reaction going on, or maybe it's magical feng shui (certainly not cold fusion). Basically, charcoal's energy is based on weight. Charcoal is a very pure form of carbon, although with some ash in commercial lump. Fillers, esp. in briquettes, lower the BTU. Lump is pretty much the same BTU per pound, unless it isn't converted properly, or has a lot of moisture.

I got my info from wiki: "Although it is often thought that binchō-tan burns hot, it actually
burns at a lower temperature than ordinary charcoal but for a longer
period."

Makes sense, since the charcoal is so hard (rings like a chime if you strike it, they say), it probably moderates the amount of oxygen that can permeate the burning layer inside the ash layer. More likely, the best characteristic is it absorbs electromagnetic radiation from your household appliances and doesn't create smoke. Smoke. That's flavor. I think that's the ringer - doesn't impart a smokey flavor.

I'll bet you could take Wal-mart's "Great Value" or whatever briquettes, and hit them with a lawn blower and forge a primitive iron tool. The hotness of a fire is a function of how much oxygen it can get.

The Naked Whiz · July 2012

.

FWIW, this site claims it burns 3X hotter: http://korin.com/White-Binchotan-Charcoal?sc=28&category=281236
And, the book, Mastering the Grill claims it burns much hotter than our domestic charcoals.

I have some and have tested it. It does not burn hotter in a ceramic charcoal cooker with the vents wide open. But any 3x hotter claim is rubbish since that would mean it burns at about 6000 degrees. Don't think so. Note that the site also repeats the myth of high hear sealing in juices.

I'd have to go check but as I recall, it didn't burn very long either. I think the main usage for binchotan is in hibachi-like applications where you want to do cooking indoors at the table. Low smoke, low flavor.

cssmd27 · July 2012

.

FWIW, this site claims it burns 3X hotter: http://korin.com/White-Binchotan-Charcoal?sc=28&category=281236
And, the book, Mastering the Grill claims it burns much hotter than our domestic charcoals.
I have some and have tested it. It does not burn hotter in a ceramic charcoal cooker with the vents wide open. But any 3x hotter claim is rubbish since that would mean it burns at about 6000 degrees. Don't think so. Note that the site also repeats the myth of high hear sealing in juices.

I'd have to go check but as I recall, it didn't burn very long either. I think the main usage for binchotan is in hibachi-like applications where you want to do cooking indoors at the table. Low smoke, low flavor.

Hmmm, objective data over advertising claims .... think I'll stick with the Whiz!

The Cen-Tex Smoker · July 2012

.

FWIW, this site claims it burns 3X hotter: http://korin.com/White-Binchotan-Charcoal?sc=28&category=281236
And, the book, Mastering the Grill claims it burns much hotter than our domestic charcoals.
I have some and have tested it. It does not burn hotter in a ceramic charcoal cooker with the vents wide open. But any 3x hotter claim is rubbish since that would mean it burns at about 6000 degrees. Don't think so. Note that the site also repeats the myth of high hear sealing in juices.

I'd have to go check but as I recall, it didn't burn very long either. I think the main usage for binchotan is in hibachi-like applications where you want to do cooking indoors at the table. Low smoke, low flavor.
Hmmm, objective data over advertising claims .... think I'll stick with the Whiz!

good call. I don't remeber the whiz ever touting the health benefits of a piece of lump in a glass of water or it's benefits in dissipating electromagnetic fields!

SamFerrise · July 2012

If you dont want a smokey flavor use a gas rig. Why did you buy an Egg in the first place?

Binchotan Charcoal - anyone use it?

Comments

Categories