Things You'll Need:
- Chimney starter (sold in most grill stores, hardware stores, and many home supply stores)
- Charcoal (not instant light)
- Newspaper
- Lighter (one of the long types work best)
- Grill
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Step 1
Gather your supplies. You will want to make sure you have enough charcoal to fill the starter to the level you need for your grilling. You also need two large pieces of newspaper and a lighter.
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Step 2
Take the first piece of newspaper and lay it out flat. At the corner start to fold it over in small folds going towards the other corner. This should result in a long rectangular piece of folded newspaper. Repeat this step using the second piece of newspaper.
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Step 3
Turn the chimney starter upside down on a concrete surface and wrap one of the pieces of rectangular newspaper around the inside of the bottom rim about the air vents. This is the lower portion of the chimney starter, not the part that the charcoal goes into. After wrapping the first piece of newspaper inside, do the same with the second but leave a little space between the two circles you make with newspaper. This will allow for better oxygen flow, allowing the coals to light faster due to a stronger fire.
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Step 4
Flip the chimney starter up so the charcoal compartment on a concrete surface is at the top of the cylinder. Now you can add your charcoal to the cylinder. Do not place charcoal above the top of the rim.
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Step 5
Take your lighter and light the newspaper that is at the bottom of the chimney starter. Do this by igniting the lighter and placing the flame against the newspaper through the air vent holes. Light the paper in four or five locations and make sure it starts to burn before putting the lighter away.
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Step 6
Remove the grill grates from your grill, and let the coals heat up in the chimney starter on the concrete surface. Once the coals are covered with a thin layer of white ash, lift the chimney starter by the handle and dump the coals into your grill. Spread using tongs or a grill brush.
