How to Quickly Light a Charcoal Grill

Member

By brianc780
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (3 Ratings)

Ready for Grilling

It's undeniable that a charcoal grill adds a whole different element of flavor compared to a gas grill, however, the lighting of a charcoal grill is one of the most hotly debated topics throughout backyards all summer long. This article will show you how I've managed to conquer the lighting of a charcoal grill fairly effortlessly and you can too!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Bag of Charcoal
Charcoal Lighting Fluid
Lighter (Stick Lighters work best)
Heat proof gloves or sturdy tongs to move cooking grate

Step 1

Before doing anything else, make sure that the air vents on the bottom of your grill are open and not blocked by ash from prior times. This is an easy step to completely forget about and without opening the vents, your grill will never get going.
Step 2

Now remove the cooking grate and gather any left over coals towards the center of the grill. Even though they make look they're piles of ash, they will actually create a nice base for the new coals. Now you're ready to add new coals to the grill. Depending on how much you're cooking, you don't want to add too much or too little. I always err on the side of caution and add a little more. Just dump in a bunch of coals and arrange them into a circular upside down cone shape. Basically wider at the bottom and narrowing towards the top. A good rule of thumb that I use is to not go any higher than the level of the cooking grate if it were on.
Step 3

Here's where most arguments start. Adding the lighter fluid. What works for me is adding lighter fluid all around your pile of coals, starting at the bottom and going in a circular motion towards the top. This ensures that all coals have lighter fluid on them and that you'll get a more even start. Now let the lighter fluid soak in for about 3 minutes. Disregard what the directions say on your lighter fluid abouting soaking them and let them soak anyways.
Step 4

Before lighting the charcoal, give it one quick douse with lighter fluid again. Now take your lighter and light the pile. You'll probably want to go around and light the charcoal in a few spots. If done successfully, in about 15 seconds your pile of charcoal should be blazing.
Step 5

**Optional Step** While the coals are blazing, I always take this opportunity to carefully place the cooking grate back on and let the flames heat up the residue from the previous time cooking. Then, once the flames have died down I'll use either a bunch of wadded up newspaper or wadded up tinfoil to clean the grate. Just be careful not to burn yourself when placing the grate back on and when cleaning the grate. It will be hot!
Step 6

At this point you just need to be patient and let the coals heat up. Depending on how many coals you used, you'll probably want to wait at least 15 minutes or more. If you don't wait long enough you risk your coals dying down or your food tasting like lighter fluid. This is a good opportunity to get your food prepared.
Step 7

Once the coals have turned whitish and are somewhat ashed over, the coals are ready to be spread out. If you've put the cooking grate back on to clean it, CAREFULLY remove it with heatproof gloves or tongs and set aside. Take a long stick or your tongs and carefully spread the coals around to create an even base. You don't want the coals to be higher in some sections and lower in others. You want a nice even base. Now carefully put your grate back on and you're ready to start cooking!
Step 8

Once you're done cooking, don't just let the coals die down and ash away. Close all the vents and put the cover on the grill to snuff out the coals. You'll then have some left over as a base for next time.

Comments

tracysmith159 said

Flag This Comment

on 7/16/2009 Thanks for the easy to follow steps. I'm just learning to cook on the grill. Going to go do some hiking and try using a stationary charcoal grill this weekend.