Big Green Egg Pure Charcoal

It happens to all of us sometimes: you feel like preparing some delicious food in your Big Green Egg, but the wind is blowing in the direction of your neighbours. Or you open the lid of your EGG and the smoke that meets you makes your eyes sting. Now smoke can cause some inconvenience, but smoke generation is a thing of the past with Pure Charcoal. A fine feature of this very sustainably produced, eco-friendly and therefore unique charcoal. But what exactly makes Pure Charcoal so unique?

What types of wood does the charcoal contain?

Pure Charcoal consists of a mix of sustainably produced FSC certified European oak, beech and hornbeam. A conscious choice in which each type of wood has its own characteristic properties. Beech wood is a softer species and ignites quickly. Oak and hornbeam are harder woods. Thanks in part to this premium mix, the charcoal glows quickly compared to many other charcoals, but also for a long time and in a stable way. Moreover, the mix provides a nice, neutral flavour that perfectly matches any dish and ingredient you prepare or cook in your Big Green Egg.

How is charcoal made?

To explain to you why Pure Charcoal is such a sustainable and responsible choice, we will first briefly explain the general production process of charcoal. Charcoal is wood charred by heat in a low-oxygen environment. This process of decomposition is called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis causes wood to decompose at high temperatures into gases, liquids and a dry residue (carbon). During this process, unwanted gases are released, some of which remain in the final charcoal. The smoke from charcoal contains for instance polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as tar and particulate matter. But thanks to Pure Charcoal’s special production process, unwanted substances are extracted in a sophisticated way, without being released into the atmosphere. The result? A very pure, smoke-free charcoal, with no tar and 62% less nitrogen and 82% less particulate matter (PM10 and smaller) emissions compared to most charcoals. Results confirmed by Dr.-Ing. Mohammad Aleysa, project leader of the Working Group on Energy Use of Biomass at the Fraunhofer Institute in Stuttgart, who has conducted extensive research on charcoal with his team.

Years of research

Years of research preceded the realisation of this innovative charcoal. Its pyrolysis takes place in patented Retort ovens. This is not to say that every charcoal produced in these or similar ovens has the same quality properties. For Pure Charcoal, each type of wood undergoes its unique process, whereby first moisture and then unwanted gases and particulate matter are extracted. Depending on the type of wood, this process takes 8 to 20 hours, working with different temperatures. This is very important for extracting as much of the gases, particulate matter present in the wood as possible and for achieving the highest possible percentage of carbon. Since these substances are extracted during the process, it’s an additional advantage that fewer PAHs are released when, for instance, grease, marinade, or other liquids drip onto the charcoal while using the EGG. It is only after pyrolysis that the charcoal mix is composed.

Better environment

The unwanted substances do not enter the atmosphere with this special method of production. They are stored and recycled, including as raw material for plastic production and road construction. As the waste from charcoal production is recycled, by buying Pure Charcoal you are therefore not only contributing to a better environment and to your own health, but also to a circular economy.

Discover for yourself

Are you now curious about this unique charcoal? Discover the benefits for yourself. You can find Pure Charcoal at these outlets. Typically, you can only discern when something delicious is cooking in your Big Green Egg by the temperature indicated on your dome thermometer, as Pure Charcoal is practically smoke-free. After all, Pure Charcoal is practically smoke-free. Are guests coming over? Then the surprise will be all the greater! It only very occasionally happens that a piece of charcoal is not fully charred during the production process. In addition, smoke can be generated by firelighters and grease dripping onto the charcoal. Also, always brush your grill thoroughly to avoid unwanted smoke.