How to Create a Charcoal Fire with an Electric Charcoal Starter

Every barbecue expert needs an electric charcoal starter. The meat tastes better and is better for you because you don't use any chemicals to start it. There's no need to get newspapers and the electric charcoal starter lasts a long time. When you create your charcoal fire with the electric starter, there isn't any downside.

Things You'll Need

• Grill
• Electric charcoal starter
• Charcoal
• Extension cord
• Outlet

Instructions

1. Create a base for the electric charcoal starter to work. Put several layers of charcoal briquettes in the bottom of the grill. Keep them close together in a tight pattern in the middle. The center should be two briquettes high.

2. Lay the electric charcoal starter on the middle of the stack. You want it to cover the area with the double layers of briquettes.

3. Put several more layers of charcoal on the top of the electric charcoal starter. When you surround the lighter with other briquettes, you create enough fuel for the starter to work.

4. Plug in the starter. Use an extension cord if you don't have a cord long enough. Many starters use an extension cord.

5. Work on the salad or other part of the dinner as you wait for the electric charcoal starter to do its job. These take 7 to 12 minutes to heat the charcoal to a high enough temperature.

6. Watch for the red glow of the charcoal briquettes. Once you see some of the charcoal white and others glowing red, remove the starter. Unplug it first and carefully use the plastic handle. Use a hot mitt when you do this to avoid a burn.

7. Wait a while to give the coals more time to heat and then spread them around the bottom of the grill. The electric charcoal starter takes a little longer than chemical starters but is much healthier and tastes better. Do other things while you wait.

Tips & Warnings

• Another type of electric charcoal starter looks like a curl-making hair blow drier. It heats the air and gets the fire started as rapidly as charcoal fluid. You need to stack the briquettes and point the heat gun at the stack. It also needs an extension cord.