Why do you have limited opening hours?
We are usually working or studying off-site during the day. Many hours are committed to processing logs and splitting wood – and we also undertake contract work as professional arborists.
Please check the current opening hours on the front page of our website before visiting the Grey Lynn yard.
Where are you located?
The yard is located at 259 Great North Road in Grey Lynn, Auckland – directly opposite Bunnings.
What is the difference between lump charcoal and charcoal briquettes?
Lump charcoal is made from carbonised hardwood chunks – while compressed or carbonised logs are made from sawdust.
For cooking, lump charcoal will burn extremely hot – whereas compressed logs will burn for longer, but at a more moderate temperature, typically around 180-250° Celsius.
What is the size of your lump charcoal?
Our lump charcoal is comparatively large – each piece averaging 50-100mm. Ci5 is the code that our supplier Commodities uses for this size range.
What is a briquette?
Briquettes are made from compressed and carbonised sawdust. Poorer quality briquette products are often made with softwood.
High quality Commodities hardwood compressed logs are a popular alternative to briquettes.
Can I mix charcoal and firewood?
Yes, most definitely.
Clint Davies from Morepork BBQ advocates mixing fruitwood with charcoal when slow cooking. He believes that firewood and charcoal add noticeably different flavour notes to barbequed meat.
Clint says that – while slow cooking is possible with either firewood or charcoal on their own – you will not achieve the desired depth and complexity of flavours without both.
Why use charcoal for grilling instead of firewood?
The quick answer is convenience.
When grilling with firewood, directly over hot coals, you will need to wait at least 40 minutes for the flame to disappear before you can begin. Once charcoal starts glowing hot, you can begin grilling almost immediately.
What are the benefits of charcoal compared to a gas BBQ?
- It is simply impossible to achieve the desirable, aromatic, smoky flavours of charcoal on a gas BBQ.
- A regular domestic gas BBQ cannot match the immediate heat intensity produced by charcoal.
- Burning wood for energy, as an alternative to burning fossil fuels, is internationally encouraged. Trees absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere, creating a short-term, balanced carbon cycle. Here in New Zealand, green thinkers are exploring wood as a power source for major manufacturing industries.
- You don’t need to clean charcoal BBQs. Tipping the ash into the garden can improve soil structure properties and aid plants in the uptake of available nutrients.
Reduce your carbon footprint and say goodbye to that gungy gas BBQ. Charcoal is the cleaner, tastier alternative.