If you want to learn how to start a charcoal grill, you’ve come to the right place. It’s a little more involved than lighting a gas or propane grill, but it’s not complicated.
Here are four easy ways to start your charcoal grill.
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You have several options to light your charcoal grill without lighter fluid. These techniques are safer than lighter fluid but they take a little longer to light your charcoal grill. A chimney starter is one of the best options. Newspapers work great to ignite your chimney starter.
To start a charcoal grill with newspaper, crumple up a couple of pieces. Set them into the bottom of the starter and load it with coals. Ignite the newspaper with a long lighter through one of the holes in the bottom of the starter. Let the charcoal burn for 10 to 15 minutes and you’re done! The hottest coals will look white.
Here’s a closer look at this method.
Here’s a quality chimney starter from Amazon if you don’t have one yet. It makes lighting your charcoal grill quick and easy.
Don’t crowd the chimney starter with newspaper as it’ll have trouble lighting.
You can fill the whole starter with coals if you are going to do a lot of grilling. With more coals, you reduce the risk of cold spots on your grill. But if you’re only grilling for a short time, it’s fine to use fewer coals.
There should be quite a bit of smoke coming from the starter. Charcoal typically produces white smoke. The hottest charcoal should look white, while cooler coals will have a little white around the edges.
Lay the charcoal evenly across the bottom of your grill. If you’d like, you can put just a couple of coals under one area of the grill. Or leave an area without coals. This can be the resting area for food if your grill gets too hot. That way you can avoid burning your food.
If you’re doing some slow cooking, you can fill the starter halfway with coals and let it burn for five to 10 minutes. Here’s a quick video on that method.
To get the hottest grill, you’ll want about 75 to 100 briquettes. This is equivalent to a full chimney. If you are cooking at a lower temperature, you can use about 50 briquettes.
When lining the coals, the arrangement matters. The way you arrange coals depends on what you’re cooking. Spreading them out evenly works well if you want less intense consistent heat. You could also concentrate coals on one half of the grill, perfect for searing steaks. Here’s a closer look at a few popular ways to arrange coals.
Depending on the size of your grill and where you lay your coals, you may need a few paper towels for this. You can use any kind of cooking oil. In the video, olive oil is used.
This is just meant to get the fire started. You do not need to light the entire paper towel. A little fire will get the coals burning over time. A long lighter is safest to use.
After a few minutes, you should start to see smoke. The coals in the middle will be completely white, while others will be white on the edges. You can move some of the coals on the edges to the middle so they can all heat up evenly.
Here is an electric chimney starter from Amazon that works quite well.
You can pack the starter full of coals for the most intense heat. Or fill it about halfway if you don’t need high heat.
Every electric charcoal starter may be a little different. So it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly.
The lighter fluid method is one of the fastest ways to light your charcoal grill. But, if you use too much, grilling with lighter fluid can sometimes transfer an unpleasant taste to your food. It’s not healthy to consume traces of lighter fluid. Also, this method can be dangerous if not done properly. Do not apply lighter fluid to lit coals. You might cause a flare-up.
Look for petroleum-free plant-based lighter fluid which is healthier than petroleum lighter fluids if ingested. It also has a fainter odor. Not to mention it’s more environmentally friendly. Here’s one from Amazon.
Follow the steps below to safely light your charcoal grill with lighter fluid.
Keep the lid open to maximize airflow. With abundant oxygen, the charcoal will heat up quickly. Closing the lid cuts off the oxygen and makes it difficult to heat up the charcoal.
Lighter fluid is one of the fastest ways to light charcoal. Just pour it over the coals, wait 30 seconds, and use a long lighter to ignite the charcoal. Gently pour the lighter fluid, as you don’t need much to light your charcoal grill. If it struggles to light, you can add a little more. But if you put too much, your meat may impart some chemical flavor which is unhealthy.
It usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes to start a charcoal grill. The coals should look gray or white.
Let coals burn for about 20 minutes before cooking. If it’s cold or wet, they may need to burn longer. The coals will turn from black to white. Some coals may still be black in the middle and white on the edges.
Open the vents on your grill to maximize airflow. Also, you can try stacking coals in layers which creates more intense long-lasting heat.
Your charcoal might not have enough oxygen, so open the vents on your grill. Also, you might not be using enough coals. You can add coals to produce more heat.
Yes, reused charcoal will not last as long as new charcoal. But it’s a cost-effective way to grill. Mix in some new briquettes with old ones to keep your grill burning hot.
Hopefully, this post helped you start your charcoal grill. Using a chimney starter is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to light your charcoal grill.
For more outdoor grilling and kitchen content, check out the links below.
Can I line my grill with foil?
Can you use a cast iron skillet on a grill?
How to Get Your Outdoor Kitchen Ready for Summer
Keep the lid open to maximize airflow. With abundant oxygen, the charcoal will heat up quickly. Closing the lid cuts off the oxygen and makes it difficult to heat up the charcoal.
Lighter fluid is one of the fastest ways to light charcoal. Just pour it over the coals, wait 30 seconds, and use a long lighter to ignite the charcoal. Gently pour the lighter fluid, as you don’t need much to light your charcoal grill. If it struggles to light, you can add a little more. But if you put too much, your meat may impart some chemical flavor which is unhealthy.
It usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes to start a charcoal grill. The coals should look gray or white.
Let coals burn for about 20 minutes before cooking. If it’s cold or wet, they may need to burn longer. The coals will turn from black to white. Some coals may still be black in the middle and white on the edges.
Open the vents on your grill to maximize airflow. Also, you can try stacking coals in layers which creates more intense long-lasting heat.
Your charcoal might not have enough oxygen, so open the vents on your grill. Also, you might not be using enough coals. You can add coals to produce more heat.
Yes, reused charcoal will not last as long as new charcoal. But it’s a cost-effective way to grill. Mix in some new briquettes with old ones to keep your grill burning hot.
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