Fill a chimney starter with charcoal, put two wood wool firelighters or a few sheets of newspaper underneath, and light them. The coals are ready when the top layer is coated in grey ash, roughly 12 to 15 minutes. Never use lighter fluid.
Step by step
Fill the chimney
Set the chimney starter on the charcoal grate and fill it with charcoal. A full chimney of briquettes is around 80 to 100 coals, which is enough for high heat direct grilling in a 22 inch kettle. Half full is medium heat.
Load the starter underneath
Put two wax-dipped wood wool firelighters, or three or four loosely crumpled sheets of newspaper, in the bottom chamber. Do not pack them tightly. They need air to burn hot enough to catch the charcoal.
Light from below and leave it
Light the starter through the holes in the side. The chimney does the rest: hot air rises through the stack, so each layer of charcoal lights the one above it. This is why a chimney works and a pile does not.
Wait for grey ash on top
12 to 15 minutes. Do not judge by the flames at the bottom. The coals are ready when the ones at the very top of the chimney have turned grey and ashy at the edges. Tipping them out too early gives you a fire that dies twenty minutes into the cook.
Tip them out and arrange
Pour the coals into the grill, either banked to one side for a two zone fire or spread evenly for direct high heat. Fit the grate, put the lid on, and give it five minutes to come up to temperature before the food goes on.
Why not lighter fluid?
Lighter fluid is a petroleum distillate. Most of it burns off, but not all of it, and the residue is absorbed into the charcoal and then into your food. That is the source of the acrid chemical taste people associate with charcoal grilling and then blame on the charcoal.
It is also unnecessary. A chimney starter lights charcoal faster than fluid does, more reliably, in wind, and with no risk of the flare-up that happens when someone adds more fluid to coals that are already lit. There is no situation in which lighter fluid is the better option, which is why it does not appear anywhere else on this site.
How long does charcoal take to light?
| Method | Time to ready | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney starter | 12 to 15 min | The standard. Works in wind and cold. |
| Electric charcoal starter | 8 to 10 min | Fastest. Needs an outdoor socket. |
| Looftlighter or heat gun | 3 to 5 min to catch | Lights a spot fast, then spreads. Needs power. |
| Charcoal chimney of lump | 10 to 12 min | Lump lights around 30 percent faster than briquettes. |
| Pile with firelighters, no chimney | 20 to 30 min | Unreliable and uneven. Only if you have nothing else. |
What if I do not own a chimney starter?
Build a pyramid. Stack the charcoal into a cone in the centre of the charcoal grate, with three or four firelighters buried in the middle at the base. The cone shape does roughly what a chimney does: it channels heat upward through the stack. Once the outside of the pile has caught and greyed, spread the coals out.
It takes longer, lights less evenly, and you will get some coals that never properly caught. It works, but buy the chimney. It is the cheapest meaningful upgrade in charcoal cooking.
Light the chimney on a non-flammable surface, never on decking or grass. It gets extremely hot on the outside and will scorch anything it stands on. Always wear a heat resistant glove to pour it, and pour slowly, away from yourself.
How do I know when the coals are ready?
Grey ash on the surface, and you can feel serious radiant heat from a foot away. Black coals with orange edges are still outgassing and will taint your food. Fully white coals throughout have already burnt past their peak.
The one exception is the snake and Minion methods, where you deliberately tip a small number of fully lit coals onto a large bed of unlit ones and let the fire spread slowly over hours.
Common questions
How many coals do I need?
A full chimney, around 80 to 100 briquettes, gives high heat across a 22 inch kettle. Half a chimney gives medium heat or a good two zone fire. For low and slow, use 8 to 10 lit coals on top of a large bed of unlit ones.
Can I add more charcoal during a cook?
Yes. For short cooks, add unlit coals directly and accept a brief dip and some smoke. For anything where flavour matters, light the new coals in a chimney first and add them lit.
Does lump charcoal light faster than briquettes?
Yes, roughly 30 percent faster, because it is less dense and has more surface area. It also burns hotter and for less time.
Related guides
TechniqueHow to Set Up a Two-Zone Fire
One fire, two temperatures, and suddenly a charcoal grill can do everything an oven and a frying pan can do together.
TechniqueThe Snake Method: Low and Slow on a Kettle
A line of unlit briquettes, lit at one end, burning along at about an inch an hour. It is the cheapest smoker you will ever build and it is already inside your kettle.
TechniqueThe Minion Method Explained
Fill the basket with unlit charcoal, drop a few lit coals on top, and let the fire eat downward through the pile for the rest of the day.