Cube sizes
What does the number on the pack mean?
With cube charcoal, the number stands for the edge length in millimetres. “26 charcoal” therefore refers to cubes with an edge length of 26 mm, “27 charcoal” to cubes of 27 mm. Some manufacturers write the size directly into the product name, such as CUBES26.
How big is the difference?
One millimetre sounds like little. But because the edge length has an effect in all three directions, a 27 mm cube has around 12 % more volume than a 26 mm cube. Between 25 and 28 mm, the difference is around 40 %. How much of this is reflected in the weight depends on the density of the charcoal, which manufacturers rarely state.
Which size fits?
This depends mainly on three things:
- Head and heat management device: smaller cubes fit more easily on a small head or a narrow heat management device. Large heads offer more surface.
- Amount of tobacco: more tobacco distributes the heat over a larger surface.
- Dosing: smaller cubes can be distributed in smaller steps. Larger ones bring more mass onto the head with fewer pieces.
There is no fixed rule. The information from the head and heat management device manufacturers is a good starting point.
Cubes and other shapes
Besides cubes, there are flat shapes and hexagonal sticks. In the comparison, we currently only list cube charcoal, because checked images and manufacturer information are only available for this type.
Safety
The following applies to every size: glowing charcoal releases carbon monoxide (CO), a gas that can neither be smelled nor seen. Therefore only use charcoal with good ventilation. More on this under “Lighting charcoal”.