I’ve been stuck on a few different types of charcoal for a while now and haven’t ventured outward because I was pretty happy with them and decided to stock up. I was recently gifted a box of CocoBuzz 2.0 Charcoal by a friend and it was time to give them a try.
These coals are huge. Compare side by side with CocoMazayas they average about 3-4 grams heavier. They are the usual cube shape that most coconut charcoal uses, so they are just as easy to light on my burner even though they take a bit longer to get glowing red thanks to the additional size. These had a smell similar to Coco Ultimates when lighting that reminds me of a campfire, but that faded away soon enough.
Understandably, these burn for quite a while in comparison to smaller coals. These gave good heat for around an hour and twenty minutes to an hour and a half, which I think is a good length of time for a session. The heat is moderate to high without being so hot that they burn the tobacco. I have been using two on a bowl with good results where I might otherwise use three Coco Ultimates. The flavor was clean and there were no hints of charcoal or campfire, which I was a bit worried about.
All in all I think the CocoBuzz 2.0s are good coals. The only problems I can see are in regards to the size and the price. Because these are sold by the kilo you get fewer in each box then you might with a smaller charcoal and they can get in the way when using taller bowls with a wind cover. Also, because they are so large, they cover more of the bowl and make it a bit harder to fine tune the heat. The price is definitely higher than I would like. They are great coals, but there are similar options for considerably less money. I don’t think I will be using these on a regular basis, but I sure as hell will happily finish the box and wouldn’t be upset to use them again.