Lighting a Charcoal Grill

Lesson

The best way to light a charcoal grill: use a device called a chimney to fire up the briquettes or charcoal. You can buy one for $10 to $30 online or in hardware stores. Another method is to use an electric charcoal starter, also easily found online or in stores.

Firing up the grill with a chimney

A chimney starter is a round metal cylinder with a metal grate near the bottom and a heat-safe handle mounted on one side. When charcoal and newspaper is placed inside it and lit, it creates glowing coals perfect for the grill—without using lighter fluid.

  1. Take a full sheet of newspaper (2 pages worth), roll it into a long cylinder, and place it inside the bottom of the chimney. Add a second double sheet.
  2. Turn the chimney over and fill the top section with charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal.
  3. Put on barbecue gloves so you don’t risk getting burned.
  4. Place the chimney on a safe surface. Resting in the bottom of the grill is the best place. You can also place it on fireproof bricks. Do not place it on your concrete driveway. The high heat can actually cause the cement to explode.
  5. Using a propane lighter or long match, light the newspaper through the holes in the bottom section of the chimney. The newspaper lights first and the flames move up inside the chimney igniting the charcoal above.



If you are having trouble lighting the newspapers, due to high humidity or strong winds, do not use charcoal lighter fluid. Instead, spray the newspaper with a grillin’ spray, which will help ignite the paper.

  1. The briquettes or coals will heat up in about 15 to 20 minutes. When they’re ready, put on a barbecue glove and carefully pour the lit coals or charcoal into the bottom of the barbecue and spread them out using a long pair of tongs.

Firing up the grill with an electric charcoal starter

  1. Place the burner element of the lighter on the bottom of your barbecue grill.
  2. Pile briquettes or lump charcoal on top of it.
  3. Plug the lighter into a heavy-duty extension cord.
  4. When the coals start to turn grey (flames may appear in the center of the pile), unplug the element. With barbecue gloves on, carefully remove the lighter from the pile and set the lighter on a safe surface (as above) to cool down.
  5. Spread the charcoal out using long tongs and wait another 5 to 10 minutes before cooking.