Analysis by Valery Grin · · updated September 26, 2026
NaturBraza marabu charcoal, pack of two 5 kg bags (10 kg)
Dense marabu charcoal for long burns with the vents nearly closed on a Large, Classic or Big Joe
From€47
Reference price on Amazon (June 2026) · subject to change
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- Weight
- 10 kg
- Material
- Marabu wood charcoal, no additives (per the listing)
Quick answer
Yes, if you want a dense charcoal for long fires and accept buying blind from a new brand. Marabu burns slowly and leaves little ash, exactly what a smoke of many hours in a kamado asks for. The listing publishes no origin, piece size or ash figure, has 40 reviews and was out of stock as we wrote this. Dear per kilo next to holm oak in a 15 kg bag.
Marabu charcoal in two 5 kg bags. The listing promises long embers, little ash and no additives, and is silent on wood origin and piece size. With the TODOBRASA, one of two marabus in the catalogue; as we wrote, neither was in stock.
The NaturBraza marabu is wood charcoal sold as a pack of two 5 kg bags, 10 kg in total. The listing publishes little more: marabu wood only, no additives, a shipping box of 39.7 x 33 x 28.2 cm and a presence on Amazon.es since November 2025 with NaturBraza as the manufacturer. There is no figure for wood origin, piece size or ash percentage. The seller promises embers of more than four hours, quick lighting, reduced smoke and few sparks; its claims, not our measurements.
What can be reasoned is the wood. Marabu is a woody shrub with very dense timber, and its charcoal weighs a lot for its bulk: it burns slowly, with a short flame, and leaves little ash. That is the profile a long fire in a kamado with the vents nearly closed asks for. Against the holm oak in the 15 kg bags of our catalogue it is more compact; against briquettes, it carries no binder. [Our guide to charcoal for kamados](/guias/que-carbon-para-kamado) explains why that density matters more than the price of the bag on long sessions.
You use it like any base charcoal: firebox filled to the rim of the basket, a single lighting point in the centre and the vents set so the fire advances at your pace, which is the [Minion method](/guias/metodo-minion-snake-kamado-fuego-largo). On a 46 cm Large or Classic, a well-loaded firebox of marabu is the natural base for a [low-temperature brisket](/recetas/brisket-ahumado-baja-temperatura); on an XL or a Big Joe the load is bigger and the 10 kg yield fewer sessions. On a MiniMax or a Joe Jr medium lumps are no problem; the dust at the bottom of the bag is, because it blocks the holes of the firebox grate: sift it before loading.
The drawbacks lie in what the listing leaves out and in what it gets wrong. Three silences: the origin of the wood, the piece size and an ash figure (the listing only says low); the origin, at least, the holm oaks in our catalogue do publish. One inconsistency: Amazon's table gives a package weight of 8.92 kg against a declared 10 kg; it may be a shipping figure entered badly, but weigh the pack when it arrives. And marabu, given the shape of the shrub, tends to come as medium pieces with dust at the bottom of the bag. On the brand: a marketplace seller, less than a year on Amazon.es, 40 reviews averaging 4.6 stars, 22nd in charcoal for barbecues and smokers, and as we wrote this the listing showed as out of stock. Per kilo it works out dear next to holm oak in a big bag.
The other marabu in our catalogue, the [TODOBRASA Premium Ecológico 10 kg](/accesorios/todobrasa-marabu-premium-10kg), shows as out of stock in our catalogue, which is why this NaturBraza appears here: it is the catalogue's second marabu option, not its only dense charcoal; for long fires the catalogue already has Jealous Devil's quebracho blanco, which was available as we wrote.
Verdict: the right wood for long embers in a kamado, from a brand that has yet to prove anything; it only earns the click if it comes back into stock and the weight that arrives matches the weight it promises.
Charcoal of the right wood for long embers, from a brand yet to prove anything: a short listing, no origin or piece size, out of stock as we wrote. If it returns, it is the marabu alternative.
Editorial rating from spec sheet, measurements and kamado fit · not a hands-on test
Pros
- Marabu wood only and no chemical additives, per the listing
- Dense wood: compact charcoal, short flame and little ash, the low and slow profile
- Two 5 kg bags: open one and the other stays sealed; they store better than one 10 kg bag
- 4.6 stars on average from 40 reviews and 22nd in barbecue charcoal on Amazon.es
Cons
- The listing says nothing about wood origin, piece size or ash percentage
- Amazon's table gives 8.92 kg of package for a declared 10 kg: weigh the pack on arrival
- New marketplace brand on Amazon.es (Nov 2025), 40 reviews and out of stock as we wrote
For you if…
For anyone doing low and slow on a Large, Classic or Big Joe who wants a dense, low-ash charcoal for long sessions with the vents nearly closed.
Not for you if…
If your thing is thick steaks cooked direct, or a MiniMax used for short sessions: holm oak in a big bag is cheaper per kilo, though the ones in our catalogue were also out of stock as we wrote.
Specifications
| Weight | 10 kg |
|---|---|
| Material | Marabu wood charcoal, no additives (per the listing) |
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Essentials to get started
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Weber Firelighter Cubes (17612): 48 odourless blocks
A dense charcoal calls for a reliable, odourless lighting point, not a squirt of liquid that seeps between the pieces and turns up later in the meat. One or two cubes in the centre of the firebox are enough to start marabu by the Minion method, and the box of 48 covers a great many sessions. It is the consumable that runs out before the charcoal does.
€5
Onlyfire stainless steel charcoal basket for kamado
Marabu, with no piece-size figure on the listing, may arrive as medium lumps with dust at the bottom of the bag. A stainless steel basket lifts the charcoal, lets the dust and fine ash fall through underneath and lets you shake it and rescue what did not burn for the next session, which with a dense charcoal is a fair amount. Check the diameter of your firebox before ordering.
€32
Weber Hickory Smoking Chunks 1.5 kg
The seller itself sells the marabu as a clean-flavoured charcoal, so the smoke is yours to supply. Two or three hickory chunks on the lit coals at the start of a brisket or a pulled pork give the perfume this charcoal does not bring as standard, and dry chunks, unlike chips, release fine smoke for hours without turning bitter.
€12
FAQ
How long will 10 kg of marabu last me in a kamado?
It depends on your kamado. The listing gives only the seller's figure, embers of more than four hours, without saying how it was measured. In a kamado with the vents nearly closed, charcoal burns more slowly than in an open barbecue, but nobody knows under what conditions that figure was reached, so do not carry it over to your kamado as it stands. Whatever is not consumed is put out by closing everything and relit next day. Count the kilos your basket holds and divide; there is no figure of our own.
How does it differ from the TODOBRASA marabu in the catalogue?
On paper, very little: both are marabu wood charcoal in 10 kg. The TODOBRASA is sold in a single bag and is advertised as eco-friendly; the NaturBraza comes in two 5 kg bags and its listing mentions no certification, origin or piece size. The practical difference today is another matter: the TODOBRASA shows as out of stock and the NaturBraza was out of stock when we wrote this, so buy whichever is available and weigh it on arrival. Neither has been through our kamado.
How do you light marabu in a kamado?
Like any dense charcoal: with patience. The listing talks of quick lighting, but compact wood takes longer to get going than a less dense charcoal, and that is physics, not a defect. Put a firelighter cube or the tip of an electric lighter in the centre of the firebox, leave the lid open until that spot is clearly glowing and close the dome with the vents half open. No liquids, and no lighting the whole firebox at once: that way dense charcoal is spent long before the cook is over.
Does it give a smoky flavour, or do I need wood as well?
You need wood as well. The seller describes a natural aroma and a clean flavour that does not mask the meat, and that is consistent with a dense, well-carbonised charcoal: it brings heat, not perfume. For a brisket or ribs with real smoke, add two or three chunks of hickory, apple or holm oak onto the lit coals at the start, not soaked chips, which give white, bitter smoke. The charcoal provides the long, steady fire; the flavour is yours to add with the wood.
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