", "Made me more aware of what I need to do when lighting a grill. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. You will need one layer of burgers and steaks or two layers for roasts and whole chickens. Learn about alternatives and how to light your charcoal grill safely with or without lighter fluid. The first step is to figure out how to get the fire going, preferably without scorching yourself in the process! Be mindful of your food because you just added a lot of extra heat so add coal sparingly. References If you start cooking your food before the lighter fluid burns off, your steak or chicken will taste like petroleum! As you need electricity in … Pour the charcoal on the grill and arrange them in a pyramid shape. The Spruce Eats uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Light the chimney. Rolled up some newspapers and put them under the closed packed charcoal. "Pretty much bang on. If you use turpentine, wait long enough for the turpentine to burn off before you begin grilling. ", "The tip about using paper dipped in vegetable oil was brilliant! Use a chimney starter. Look for bio-fuel lighter fluid made from plant-based oils and alcohols instead. Here are some cool options you can use when lighting your grill without lighter fluid.. Use a Fire Kindler. You need to pay attention to safety since lighter fluid is one of the top causes of grilling-related injuries. As the newspaper burns in the chamber below, the flames light the edges of the charcoal above. ", "I prefer the 2nd method. Pour charcoal into the top, filling it close to the brim. To learn how to use a charcoal chimney, keep scrolling. With the lid on, you will suffocate the fire. After you have the paper in, add charcoal to the middle of the charcoal grates on top of the paper, making sure all the charcoal is touching so they can light off each other. Heap the charcoal into a cone or pyramid shape. Add in your briquettes and use your hands to shape them into a small pyramid. Use tongs and thick rubber gloves to push them closer together. … Are you thinking of using your piles of newspaper in lighting the charcoal? Also, make sure to leave the lid off while heating the grill; the lack of oxygen will cause the fire to be much weaker, if not extinguished completely. No. Always thoroughly clean out the grill, removing ash and grease. Make sure all your vents are open as well. Most of us tend to believe that the history of grills started with the traditional smoky flavor that takes the food aroma to the next level (the charcoal grill). Charcoal grills can add layers of flavor to meats and vegetables when you're grilling out. Fill the chimney with charcoal. But this type of grill raises some challenges too, such as the extensive charcoal consumption and the time-consuming handling of the fire. For years I used the standard method of lighting my grill with lighter fluid but after getting frustrated with mixed results every time, I decided to go out and buy a chimney grill starter (link below) for my grill and I couldn't be happier. Use about 1/4 cup of fluid for each pound of charcoal. Light the newspaper in several spots. Pour out enough charcoal or briquettes to form an even layer on the bottom of your grill. If you don’t have lighter fluid, place a piece of newspaper doused in vegetable oil under the charcoal and carefully light it with a match or lighter. Fill the chimney with the appropriate amount of charcoal. ", "Basic, very clear steps to follow - thank you!". When adding more charcoal should it be precooked or raw? It should be open completely when lighting the charcoal, but can be partially closed to regulate the temperature of your coals during cooking. Fill the … Even if there is no flame, the heat will vaporize the lighter fluid and can cause a serious flare-up the second the vapor encounters a flame. When you are done grilling, make sure the charcoal briquettes are completely out to prevent fires. Follow the package instructions carefully for whatever fuel you choose. The amount of briquettes that are used should be enough to cover the grill in a single layer. Place several charcoal briquettes in the grill. Here’s how to how to light charcoal without lighter fluid. If it is closed all the way, you may starve the fire of oxygen and the fire may go out. Once it looks good, open the bottom grill vent to help the fire get going. Charcoal should never be added to a gas grill. Also, note that turpentine and lighter fluid quickly evaporate. Use An Electric Starter Or Gas Lighter If you have yourself an electric charcoal starter or a gas lighter you can place the charcoal in the grill and use your starter to light the charcoal. You can sear your food over the tallest part of the mound, then move it to the other side and close the lid to finish cooking. With our cookbook, it's always BBQ season. You place a couple of sheets of crumpled newspaper in the bottom of the chimney and charcoal on top of it. How to Light a Charcoal Grill: First remove the cooking grates. It's very clear and easy to do. Precook the coals to get them in the state they need to be in. Pour the lighter fluid on the charcoal cone, pouring a sufficient amount in the middle and around the edges. Another option is an electric charcoal fire starter. The best way to start your charcoal is with a charcoal chimney or similar device. 4 ways to light charcoal. Pour lighter fluid into your charcoal until the coal has become slightly shiny. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Finally, use a long match or long lighter to light the coal in 2 or 3 places and let it burn for 10 minutes before you start grilling. Sweep out any leftover debris at the bottom of the grill and collect them in a trash bin. Does the vent on the bottom have to be opened, and why? If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Let the fluid sit for about half an hour then take a long match then light the charcoal from the bottom. … You can singe your eyebrows and sustain burns. Let the flames travel up the coals and burn until they’re ashed over. What happens when the flame goes out on a charcoal grill? If the flames get too high and hot, you can put the lid on to soften up the flames. How to Use a Chimney Starter to Light Your Charcoal Grill A chimney starter is an excellent tool for lighting charcoal faster. First, you'll notice the charcoal will glow red and white. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. Before you even light your grill, make sure to open to vents. A charcoal chimney uses newspaper instead of lighter fluid, eliminating the use of a petroleum product that can add unwanted flavor and residue to your food. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. It's best not to buy self-lighting charcoal as it has additives that act as a lighter fluid. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Last Updated: September 2, 2019 Add charcoals to the lower grill grate and arrange in a pyramid, add lighter fluid to the top and sides of the pyramid and light. Open the lid, replace the cooking grate, add the food and start cooking. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 975,338 times. Either of these options allows your coals to burn to a complete ashy surface before you start cooking, ensuring that any glues or additives have been burned off. To learn how to use a charcoal chimney, keep scrolling. With a long-handled instrument, spread the coals evenly across the coal grate. You'll need to locate a charcoal grill or restock gas. Do You Need Lighter Fluid for Charcoal Grill? These can add off-tastes and chemicals to your food if they aren't burnt off completely. Light the newspaper in a few different places with your choice of match or lighter Place the chimney starter on the grate of your grill while the charcoal starts to smoke. It's not hard to light a charcoal grill, but it can be intimidating if you're new to grilling or trying out charcoal verses gas. Drench all of the charcoal in water and make sure it is cool enough to touch before you leave the coals behind or dispose of them. Step 1. Light the charcoal briquettes. The Looftlighter method is another good way to light a charcoal grill. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Pour carefully to avoid getting lighter fluid on yourself. Method #1: How to Light a Charcoal Grill using a Charcoal Chimney Set up your grill: Remove the top grate of your grill. The Electric Charcoal Starter. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. 2) It's possible that you didn't use enough charcoal. White spirit, or turpentine, will give off a nasty smell and taste when burned (which is toxic). Step 2 Shove a few pieces of newspaper into the bottom of the chimney starter. Make sure you have read your charcoal grill's instructions and that you understand them. Before lighting the charcoal, the grill should be free of ash from the previous BBQ. Determine how much charcoal you are going to need. By using The Spruce Eats, you accept our, 8 Tips to Becoming a Charcoal Grilling Master, Emergency Grilling: For When the Power Goes Out, The 8 Best Weber Kettle Accessories of 2020, Choosing the Best Charcoal to Use in Your Smoker, The 7 Best Kamado Grill Accessories of 2020, How to Prevent and Control Grilling Flare-ups. This can be in the form of dry twigs, grass, or any other highly combustible light material that can cause the charcoal to get kindled basically. Take a long match or igniter and stick it in one of the holes on the side to light the newspaper. If you spill any while pouring, change clothes or thoroughly clean up the spill before lighting the grill. This method is also a good way to start your grill without chemicals. With a long match, light the charcoal from the bottom on at least two sides. Should the lid be on while the coal is heating up? Rest it on a flat, fire-safe surface, like a concrete driveway or the grill grate. How to Light Charcoal To light coals, apply fire starter, use an electric starter, or place briquettes in a chimney starter. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. First, you will need to ensure the grill receives enough air. Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. You can use a piece of paper dipped in vegetable oil and place below the charcoal and light the paper. To light a charcoal grill, put an adequate amount of charcoal in there. Stack the charcoal in a shape of a pyramid or a cone. I'm making kabobs! Lighting charcoal can sometimes feel like a chore, especially lighting charcoal without using lighter fluid. The Chimney Starter Method 1) You might need to wait a little longer for the charcoal to heat up before you start cooking. Lighting Charcoal Grill Using Lighter Fluid In lighting a charcoal grill, you need to have charcoal briquettes or char wood. How to Build and Maintain a Strong Fire Keep your coals close together for a strong burning fire. The briquettes should be stacked in a conical pile, then covered liberally with lighter fluid. I normally leave the bottom vent completely open and use the lid and lid vents to control the fire. It’s time to show off your pyramid building prowess to the world! The best way to start your charcoal is with a charcoal chimney or similar device. Use either a long-stemmed lighter or long strips of cardboard to light the charcoals. The charcoals are ready for cooking when they are mostly covered in gray ash. Pour the appropriate amount—according to your grill's directions—of charcoal into the pit. Use more coal in cold or wet weather for a longer burn. I'm sharing a nifty little tool that has made lighting a charcoal grill … The fire will need oxygen to keep going. Stack the charcoal into a cone or pyramid shape. Wait until they turn gray on the outside and glow red in the center before adding food to the grate. Placing charcoal briquettes. You place a couple of sheets of crumpled newspaper in the bottom of the chimney and charcoal on top of it. This lets the charcoal get more oxygen and burn faster. You place it on your grill with the charcoal and it provides enough heat to get the charcoal going. You want them to cook the food and not have the food getting charred from the flames of your coal that are still in preparation. In this video I show you How To Light A Charcoal Grill with a Chimney. If you don't have a charcoal chimney or electric charcoal fire starter available, learn how to use lighter fluid correctly and safely. Pour enough charcoal into the grill to make the layers needed. Now you can remove the electric loop and let the coals come up to temperature. This will accomplish two things for you: 1) your coals will be hot, so they will be ready for use when they get under your food. http://www.grillingcompanion.com/how-to-light-a-charcoal-grill/, http://www.today.com/food/how-use-charcoal-grill-get-best-results-your-cookout-t94631, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuD1ey7LDgw&feature=youtu.be&t=38s, http://www.smokegrillbbq.com/how-to-light-charcoal-grills.html, http://www.addictedtogrilling.com/grilling-tips/charcoal-grilling-tips/how-light-charcoal-grill-using-starter-fluid, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFE1DSYjVTc&feature=youtu.be&t=59s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFE1DSYjVTc&feature=youtu.be&t=1m28s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFE1DSYjVTc&feature=youtu.be&t=2m, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Wait until the coals are ready to begin grilling. Use about a quarter cup of the liquid for every pound of charcoal. Derrick Riches is a grilling and barbecue expert. wikiHow's. If need be, use a thick cookie or something similar to prepare the additional charcoal, then add them when they are ready. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Using one of these tubular starters means you can light charcoal easily with … You can partially close the vent you start to grill your food to regulate the temperature of your coals while cooking, but allow enough oxygen to reach the coal so that the fire doesn’t go out. In case of cold or wet weather, use more coals than you normally would. You may have spread your coals out too early, which means that the coals aren't sharing heat and will take much longer to heat up. Join Davis Knox of Fire & Flavor to learn his best tips on getting the charcoal fire started. Then, squeeze some lighter fluid onto the briquettes or place a newspaper soaked in vegetable oil on top of them. Lighter fluid is the bane of the backyard barbecue artist, even though 70% of people still use it to start their charcoal grills. It will allow for more air to help heat the coals. You’ll need to crumple up some paper and tuck it under the charcoal grate. But the problem with heating up the charcoal with lighter fluid is that it tends to produce a somewhat explosive flame, which could be potentially dangerous. It won’t make the fire heat up faster and you may burn your hands. Place sheets of aluminum foil at the base of the grill before you put and light the coals. ", "Been years since we had a charcoal grill, these were great reminder steps. Cleaning the grill before each use reduces the kind of smoke that can leave a bad taste on foods. Before Lighting a Charcoal Grill. Light it and the charcoal will be ready to add to your grill in about 10 minutes. Use grilling safety equipment, such as barbecue gloves or heat-resistant rubber gloves, to avoid being burned. By using our site, you agree to our. Better than lighter fuel! Tested. You will need to allow about 20 minutes before you can begin to cook your food. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. So the question remains on how to you light a charcoal grill? Second, if it goes it, it will not have enough heat to cook the food and it will eventually cool and have to be reset in a pyramid to light it up again. Pour lighter fluid over the charcoal cone, using more in the center than around the edges. This fine combination will direct heated air towards the charcoal and will ignite within seconds. Place the grill grate back and if all the coals are covered in ash and visually white the charcoal is ready for use and it’s time to get grilling! Leave for 10-15 minutes to allow the charcoal to smoke and light evenly across all the coals. 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