Charcoal Briquette Machines in Kenya: Types, Prices, and Buying Guide (2025)
- BeyondForest
- Sep 17
- 4 min read
Image of a Charcoal Briquette for sale at 55,000Ksh
2.)How a Briquette Machine Works (Step-by-Step)
3.)Charcoal briquette Price List
4.)Advantages of Charcoal Briquettes
5.)Disadvantages of Charcoal Briquettes
6.)FAQs bout Charcoal Briquette
Charcoal briquettes are compact fuel blocks made by compressing fine charcoal (or carbonized biomass) with a binder and a little water to form uniform shapes such as pillows, honeycomb discs, or hexagonal sticks. Common feedstocks include charcoal dust from kilns, sawdust, rice husks, coffee husks, bagasse, and coconut shell.
Production typically follows a simple flow: dry and crush raw material to a fine powder, sieve to remove large particles, blend with 6–10% binder (often starch, molasses, or clay), press using a screw, roller, hydraulic, or manual press, then dry/“cure” the briquettes to about 6–10% moisture before packaging. Good briquettes light reliably, burn steadily with minimal smoke, and have low ash—usually 3–15% depending on raw material and binder.
Calorific value commonly ranges from ~18–28 MJ/kg
How a Briquette Machine Works (Step-by-Step)
Materials for making briquettes include Wood wastes; mainly charcoal fines Binder; mainly red clay soil and Clean water
Feedstock is dried to ~8–12% moisture, then milled to a uniform fine powder (≤2–3 mm). The powder is weighed and mixed with water and binder (e.g., 6–10% starch or molasses) until it forms a cohesive, crumbly dough. Material enters the machine’s hopper, where an auger/screw or twin rollers compact it under pressure, removing air and aligning particles.
Mix charcoal fines with the red clay soil binder at
a ratio of 10:1.
Add water to the mixture to make a heavy paste
which is easy to mould.
Compress the mixture either by hand or by use of
a briquette making machine.
In screw extruders, material is heated by friction and die heaters, then forced through a die to form continuous rods; roller presses shape pillow/oval briquettes in cavities. A cutter or guillotine sizes pieces. Fresh briquettes are dried to ~6–10% moisture, cooled, then bagged.
Place the wet briquettes in a shaded drying areа on the ground or on a drying rack to avoid cracking. Briquettes may take 3-4 days to dry.
Upon drying, store the briquettes on wooden shelf under shade.
Charcoal briquette Price List
Image of a Green Charcoal Briquette machine for sale at 65,000Ksh
Advantages of Charcoal Briquettes
Reduced pressure on forests as fewer trees are cut for charcoal making
Diversification of income sources through sale of briquettes
Employment creation
Reduced solid waste from charcoal fines
Cheap and easy to make
Produces smokeless fire
Burns for a longer period
Disadvantages of Charcoal Briquettes
Slower to light, smokier start
Charcoal Briquettes usually need more time and a starter (chimney or gel). Binders/fillers can cause extra startup smoke and, if low quality, off-odors.
Moisture sensitivity & breakage
If not fully dried or stored well, briquettes absorb humidity, crumble, or burn unevenly. Handling/transport can also break them.
Quality variability
Poor mixes (too much clay/filler, weak binder) give brittle briquettes, short burn times, and inconsistent heat output.
Sustainability & health concerns
When made from unsustainably sourced charcoal fines or in inefficient kilns, they can still drive deforestation and produce more particulate emissions; non-food-grade additives can also taint food and air.
FAQs bout Charcoal Briquette
Image of a Blue charcoal briquette machine for sale
What are Charcoal Briquette Used For ?
Cooking/grilling and smoking, restaurant/BBQ caterers, household jikos, poultry brooders, space/water heating, and small boilers. They’re popular where consistent heat and easy transport are needed.
Are Charcoal Briquettes Ok for Smoking ?
Yes use plain (non–self-lighting) briquettes made with food-safe binders. They hold steady low temps well.Avoid briquettes with kerosene/paraffin additives.
What is Charcoal Briquette?
A compressed block of charcoal (carbonized biomass) mixed with a binder and water, pressed into uniform shapes (pillow/hex/rod), then dried to ~6–10% moisture for a steady, low-smoke burn.
What is the best binder for charcoal briquettes?
Food-grade starch (cassava/corn/wheat) at ~3–10% is the most common for cooking briquettes—strong, safe, and low ash. Molasses (3–8%) + a little lime also works. Clay is cheap but raises ash and slightly lowers heat.
What holds charcoal briquettes together?
Pressure from the press + the binder matrix. After drying, the binder locks particles in place.
What are the ingredients for making charcoal briquettes?
Charcoal fines/powder, water, and a binder (starch or molasses+lime). Optional: a tiny amount of food-safe hardener/retarder. Avoid chemical accelerants if the briquettes are for cooking.
How long does it take for charcoal briquettes to be ready?
For newly made briquettes (production): sun-drying can take 6–48 hours; mechanical dryers ~2–6 hours, depending on size and humidity.
Do charcoal briquettes expire?
They don’t “expire,” but moisture ruins them (they crumble or won’t light). Stored dry and sealed, they last indefinitely. Quick-light types may lose ignition strength after a year or two
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