Best Hookah Coals to Buy in 2023 – Buyer’s Review

Probably the most crucial moment of the whole hookah preparation is choosing and preparing the hookah charcoals. They are a fundamental part of your hookah knowledge. Their basic job is to heat up the shisha, but it’s so easy to mess up everything in just a few seconds.

In other words, hookah coals control how much smoke you will have while you’re smoking and how good your shisha will taste. Hookah charcoals are in different shapes and sizes that you can choose from.

It’s also important to remember that every hookah charcoal brand has its own size so using the right size related to your preparation method is on point.

So what are the best hookah coals you can buy in 2023? In this article, I will reveal to you which are my favorite ones.

What are the types of hookah coals?

There are two basic types of hookah charcoal you can choose from – quick light round coals and natural cube-shaped coals made from compressed coconut shells. The right choice ultimately comes down to your needs.

The quick light hookah coals are made from compressed charcoal dust and contain a chemical starter making it so easy to ignite them, just use an ordinary lighter or simple matches. If you consider smoking with these types of coals, make sure they are completely red.

 

As soon as they touch the fire, they will start to crack, which is a reaction caused by the chemicals inside. Leave them for 1-2 minutes so they can reach the right temperature. These types of hookah coals are used to smoke with aluminium foil placed on the top of your bowl.

 

Natural coconut hookah coals. In my opinion, this is the best shisha charcoal you can buy. They are made from compressed coconut shells, which make them 100% organic. Here I can share several advantages of using these type of hookah charcoals:

 

• • There are no chemicals inside
  • They are environment-friendly
  • They last longer on your hookah
  • There is a vast range of sizes and good brands.

List of top 10 hookah coals in 2023

1. Hookah John Titanium Hookah coals
2. Superior Coco Natural Shisha Coals
3. Coco Nara Shisha Natural Charcoals
4. Coco Java Natural Coconut Charcoal
5. CocoUS Hookah Charcoals
6. M. Rosenfeld Coals
7. cocoBUZZ Coconut Coals
8. CocoUrth Coconut Charcoal
9. eCoal Premium charcoals
10. Charcoblaze Coals

1. HookahJohn Titanium Hookah Coals – Review

Hookah John is an American brand that produces high-quality products for every hookah need. Made from 100% pressed coconut shells, these flat hookah charcoals will fit best for your shisha, covered with aluminum foil.

They are perfect for foil-packed hookah bowls because of their size. They are “flat” and not cube-shaped. This means the right amount of heat will be transferred into the shisha preventing it from potential overheating.

A good advantage of titanium coals is that they don’t produce as much ash layer as other brands. This makes them a unique choice on the market. Also, they don’t release any unpleasant odors while igniting.

Sizes, duration and igniting of Titanium coals

As mentioned above, these are flat coals and not cubed. The best way (and just about the only way) to light these is either with a gas grill or electric coil hot plate.

Because they are all-natural, they have no accelerant in them and need about 10 mins to light. They usually stay lit for about 45 minutes to 1-hour maximum.

2. Review of Superior Coco Hookah Charcoals

Compared with price and customer reviews, this product is among the best for me and other hookah enthusiasts around the world.

It’s 100% organic so it’s eco-friendly and there is no unpleasant smell and smoke. It’s a 1kg package with 72 cube coals inside. They are so reliable and not so hard to ignite.

Sizes, duration and igniting of superior coals

These cube-shaped coals are perfect for bigger heat management devices such as metal screens.

Of course, you will need a hot plate or stove to start them and it will take you 6-7 minutes to reach a state of complete red.

They last very long, approximately up to 2 hours, which is fantastic.

3. Coco Nara Hookah Natural Charcoals Review

Coco Nara has a lot of reviews on the market, and they are probably the most hated and loved hookah charcoal products online, because of their inconsistent quality. Fortunately, since past year, they have good reviews and more consistent quality

Made from 100% compressed coconut shells, they are the best choice for most hookah enthusiasts. It’s a reliable product based on price and quantity. You’ve got 120 cube-shaped hookah coals.

Sizes, duration and igniting of coco nara coals

Coco Nara are cube coals that can be ignited just like other coconut coals – on a gas stove or hot plate.

They produce less than 5% ash and last up to 1 and a half hours which make them pretty economical. Also, they don’t produce any sparks during the igniting process.

4. Coco Java Natural Coconut Charcoal Review

Another reliable and entirely natural coconut hookah coals are Coco Java. They also have good customer reviews.

They come in a 1kg package with 108 pieces that are recommended to use with aluminium foil. I like them because of their good price and quantity.

Sizes, duration and igniting of coco Java

Coco Java are flat-shaped coals which makes them great for foil-packed bowls.

It’s an odorless and tasteless product that lasts for up to 1 hour, which is pretty long for flats. The exact dimensions are 25mm x 25mm x 17mm.

5. CocoUS Hookah Charcoals Review

This product has very good positive reviews on the internet. And that’s because of the good quality of the coals.

You can expect a 100% chemical-free and environmentally friendly product. They also are odorless and tasteless. Awesome coals!

Sizes, duration and igniting of cocoUS charcoals

Another cube-shaped product (25mm x 25mm x 25mm) with 72 pieces inside the box. These coals burn 4 times slower than the quick light coals!

6. M. Rosenfeld Cube Hookah Coals Review

M. Rosenfeld coals for hookah are made of natural coconut shells with 0% impurities. The smell and taste of your shisha hookah flavors are always pure as they should be.

This is a premium product and I think that it is worth trying. The price is slightly higher than other brands, but you can use these coals with any heat management device.

Sizes, duration and igniting of M. Rosenfeld charcoals

These coals are cube-shaped ones, with 84 pieces in the package. You can ignite them regularly on a gas stove or electric coal burner.

The advantage here is that they leave less than 2% of ash and last up to 90 minutes which is pretty good! You can check them out below.

7. cocoBUZZ hookah coals by Starbuzz 

The good old Starbuzz! cocoBUZZ Coconut Hookah Charcoals are produced by Starbuzz and have the same fantastic quality as all other Starbuzz products.

These natural hookah charcoals will not impact the flavor of your hookah tobacco, nor will they result in any foul odor. CocoBuzz Coconut Charcoals are 100% organic, made using only natural coconut husks, with no sulfur involved!

These coals are well-loved by hookah lounges and experienced hookah smokers and are perfect for every hookah enthusiast.

Sizes, duration and igniting of cocoBUZZ charcoals

Starbuzz CocoBuzz is available in a 108 piece box allowing you to stock up on this authentic Coconut Hookah Charcoal at a regular price.

It is recommended that you heat the charcoal on an electric stove or open flame before every smoke. They typically last for up to 1.5 hours.

8. CocoUrth Coconut Charcoal

CocoUrth is one of the many brands of natural coconut charcoal on the market. This product is compressed into individual cubes so they do not leave a lot of ash and to prevent the charcoal from rolling off the top of your hookah bowl.

All-natural ingredients are used here and do not contain any quick lighting chemicals. These charcoals are specifically designed for hookah smoking, as they are odorless and tasteless.

Sizes, duration and igniting of CocoUrth shisha charcoals

I can say that CocoUrth burns three times longer than most other charcoals on the market.

They are cube-shaped, perfect for every type of heat management device available. A gas or electric stove is required to light the coals properly.

9. eCoal Premium hookah charcoals review

A very good product from a price and quantity point of view. Again, 100% natural ingredients.

It burns cleanly, without odor or taste. Not a single tree was cut to make this product. Ecoal is the top choice for hookah bars around the world.

Sizes, duration and igniting of eCoal shisha charcoals

An oven or torch should be used to light up these charcoals. They are flat-shaped, perfect for foil packed hookah bowls.

The smoking session typically lasts for around 40 minutes.

10. Charcoblaze Natural shisha Coals review

High-quality product made from 100% coconut shells. There are 150 pieces in the package which is a lot more compared to the other brands, so the value of this product is pretty high.

They don’t spark during the burning process and don’t have an unpleasant smell and taste!

Sizes, duration and igniting of Charcoalblaze

These are flat coals for foil-packed shisha bowls. The manufacturer says that they last more than three times compared to other brands.

I personally think that it’s not that much, but it is still a long 1-hour hookah smoking session. You can start the coals on your electric burner or gas stove.

Why is so important to control the heat with the hookah coals?

Heat control is the key. If you put too much heat on your thin aluminum foil you will get a bitter, and very strong, unpleasant smoke in your mouth.

Here, the wise choice is to use smaller flat hookah coals, and more importantly, put them face to face, as far as possible in both edges of your bowl.

If you are going to use a bigger heat management device such as a metal screen, you will definitely need to use bigger coconut charcoal cubes.

Even though the metal heat management devices are bigger and massive, you could still mess up your shisha.

Pros and cons: quick light coals vs natural charcoals

Cons:

• • There are chemicals inside
  • Bad for health
  • Burn faster than coconut coals
  • Bad smell and taste

Cons:

• • Slightly slower to ignite than quick lights
  • Gas or electric burner is required