Shoyeido - Square Charcoal Type B - 24 Piece(s)

This is charcoal originally made for traditional Japanese kōdō use, like Soradaki, gently heating aromatic wood. This product’s heat output is moderate, so I mostly use it for warming incense ash to release the scent from wood or incense (rather than burning it directly). It’s been a long-time bestseller from Shoyeido, and the quality is reliable. The “B” size is large and burns for about an hour. The burn is stable, and leaves behind the ash that is very similar in color and texture to miyako ash, so I can just mix it in with existing ash which makes cleanup a lot easier. For my use, “A” is more preferred but I purchase B size when A is not Prime applicable and just cut B piece in half by a nipper. Judging from the low ratings, it seems like many people may have purchased it for the wrong purpose. Japanese incense charcoal is designed to heat gently and preserve delicate aromas, while bakhoor charcoal discs burn much hotter and produce strong, smoky fragrance. Since Japanese charcoal doesn’t contain ignition chemicals (to avoid affecting the scent), it takes longer to light and burns more gradually instead of flaring up all at once like quick-light discs. So if you are looking for a charcoal for direct burning of wood resins, this product may not be the best.

Light using tongs over a flame for about 15-30 seconds. Candle or gas stove work great. Easy. No harsh burning chemical smell. Love it. The only downside is there is no dimple to hold incense.

very nice and exactly what I needed

I bought these with the intention of using them to burn resins. Let's get into it: Pros: No smell when burning Burn clean Easy to light Cons: They are square so the resin slides off. My solution for this is to bury them into the sand a little or use tongs to hold the resin in place until it coats the coal. You can't light them with a lighter. My solution is to set them on the stovetop until they are ready to use. They burn out pretty quickly or do not burn all the way through leaving behind chunks of charcoal. I feel like that's a bit of a waste.

I love that these have a clean burn. I was using quick lite, but the smell was awful. These are used for incense in my home a couple of times a week. They don't break easily, which is great, but I also can't use just a portion. I've found that I can relight them, and I'm so thankful. They have a nice burn time, plenty to fill my home with the scent of the moment. The 5 stars is mostly because of the clean burn and that I can get several burns out of one brick. I will say since they are not quick lites, it does take a minute to get them going. Some people have said they put them on a burner, I don't. I hold a lighter to the brick and use tongs. It works. And it lights before a cheap lighter gets hot, so win! I still have over half of a box left...impressive for me just because of how frequently I burn incense. I'll be buying these again when I get closer to running out. I've tried several, and these are by far my favorite.