How to Build a Charcoal Fire Grill

A charcoal grill is the simplest and most accessible way for most people to cook food over an open flame. While an electric grill may have the advantage of portability, and a gas grill is easy to start, neither are as cost-effective as the charcoal grill. If you have a creative bent, and want to make a statement with the platform you cook on, you may want to try your hand at constructing your own charcoal fire grill.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clean, unused metal trashcan lid Fifty-pound bag of sand Charcoal Charcoal stove Grill top Bucket of water

How to Build a Charcoal Fire Grill

1. Prepare the area where the grill will be located. Because the grill you will be building will be low to the ground, it is important that the ground is heat proof and fireproof. Pick an area that is away from a flammable structure. A concrete surface is the best type of surface to build upon. If you are using a piece of ground, make sure that any grass is pulled up and that you are building strictly on soil. Pour all 50 pounds of the sand onto the surface of the area that you intend building the grill on. Shape the sand into a mound that you have flattened out a bit on the top in order to create a plateau that is as large in circumference as the trash can lid.

2. Insert the trash can lid. With the top of the trash can lid facing down, firmly press the trash can lid into the plateau on top of the sand. Keep pressing downward until the lid doesn't move around anymore. Push the surrounding sand up around the outside of the lid to further support it.

3. Select the correct-size grill top. Measure the circumference of the trash can lid. At your local home and garden or hardware store, look for a slotted grill top that is slightly larger than this measurement. Once home, place the grill top on your inverted trash can lid to make sure it fits.

4. Light a fire in your new grill. Remove the grill top from the inverted trash can lid. Build a small pyramid of charcoal in the middle of the concave area of the inverted trash can lid, with a small well in the middle. Using the charcoal stove, ignite newspaper under a small amount of charcoal and wait until the charcoal in the stove begins to glow. Once ignited, dump the hot coals from the stove into the well in the middle of the coal pile inside the inverted trash can lid. Replace the grill top and stoke the coals until the rest of the pile has ignited. Grill your food as your would on any other charcoal grill. Extinguish the fire with a bucket of water when finished.

Tips & Warnings

• Always have a full bucket of water nearby when building an open flame.