Olive wood coals

[Lugia]

I'm using the Japanese coals now, having pretty much sworn off the
Goldens. I got tired of the really volatile behavior of those damned
things. Some would explode minorly, and throw burning bits about the
room. Others would fizzle for a while, then stop, and just as you'd
started smoking they'd hit another pocket of nitrate and start kicking
up again, infusing the ma'assel with that nasty sulpherous taste.

The Japanese coals I'm using are not the ones George carries, but are
in a red box, brand name "Silver Coal". If these are the 'cheap ones',
you wouldn't know it, as I don't detect anything off about the smell or
taste when using them. 60 pieces per box, in 10 2x3 'sheets', and they
seem to have a size that's a rather bit larger than the usual Japanese
'golden' squares, which I'm familiar with from their use at the
Buddhist temple I attend. In fact, the area they occupy on the bowl is
more like something in between the larger rounds such as 3 Kings/Queens
and Goldens and the smaller rounds like the cheap German ones I won't
touch again. Lighting requires a good bit more exposure to an open
flame (I use our gas stove) than the nitrate-impregnated charcoals, but
once they've started, they spread on out fairly quickly. I'll be
sticking with these, I think...they work well, they don't do anything
disruptive. Works for me.

[entrailsgalore]

They dont have the same properties as nour finegrs. They pretty much
feel liek real wood, just painte dblack. It takes awhile to light them
but they last a LONG TIME.  I had one stick light three bowls,
which was about 2 hours of smoking. They last a long time. And when you
let them sit, they eventually stop burning, unlike the nour fingers, so
youll have a chuck or two left to use later one so you dont have to
keep using new coals. I really like them. They are 4 bucks over here
for a bag the size of a ceral boz, so Im going to stick with these.

[mushrat]

bumptity bump bump....

[cypress]

Damn, I didnt realize that the last two postson these where 8 months
old. I was catching up from over the weekend and didnt look at the date.

[mushrat]

heh,
Ya, I bumped those up after linkdead asked about olive wood coals.
 

[yashman19]

As for the Nour Fingers, I too find them horrid if you start smoking with them and they are still a little black (not fully lit). But once the entire coal is grey from ash and fully lit, I don't really notice a bad taste from them.
I just use my Propane torch and get them fully grey. Seems to work fine. Althogh in the process of lighting them, the coal will actually start to smoke and give off a horid oder, but only for like 10 seconds. Just giving some of my experience with the Nour's. I like em just for their price. 4.50 for a large bag at my local Mediteranian Market.