Square sawdust briquette charcoal is made by compressing sawdust without binders or additives. Square sawdust briquette charcoal is the preferred charcoal in Taiwan, Korea, Greece, and the Middle East. It has a round hole through the center, with a square intersection. Prior to the industrial revolution charcoal was occasionally used as a cooking fuel. Modern "charcoal briquettes", widely used for outdoor cooking, are not charcoal though they may contain some. Square sawdust briquette charcoal is used primarily for barbecue as it produces no odor, no smoke, little ash, high heat, and long burning hours (at least 4 hours).

Charcoal has been used since earliest times for a large range of purposes including art and medicine, but by far its most important use has been as a metallurgical fuel. Charcoal is the traditional fuel of a blacksmith's forge and other applications where an intense heat is required. Charcoal was also Used historically as a source of black pigment by grinding it up. In this form charcoal was important to early chemists and was a constituent of formulas for mixtures such as black powder. Due to its high Surface area charcoal can be used as a filter, and as a catalyst or as an adsorbent.