How to light charcoal

Getting a good fire going is straightforward once you know the method. No lighter fluid, no fan, no drama. Just the right technique for your cooker and a few minutes of patience.

We have been lighting charcoal since 1992. This is how we recommend doing it.

Use a chimney starter

A charcoal chimney starter is the simplest, most reliable way to light charcoal. It works every time and costs about thirty dollars.

Fill the chimney with lump charcoal. Scrunch two sheets of newspaper loosely and tuck them into the chamber underneath. Light the paper through the holes at the base. Set the chimney on a heatproof surface or your lower grate.

In 15 to 20 minutes the charcoal at the top will be ashing over. You will see flames licking above the rim. That is when it is ready to pour.

Tip the lit charcoal into your cooker. Arrange it for the cook you are doing. Direct heat means an even spread. Two-zone means banked to one side.

A chimney starter works with any charcoal. Natural lump lights faster than compressed logs because of the irregular shapes and exposed surfaces. Charcoal logs take a few minutes longer in the chimney but burn more consistently once they are going.

Firelighter method for kamado and kettle users

If you cook on a kamado or a kettle BBQ, the chimney is not always practical. Some kamado manufacturers advise against pouring hot charcoal onto the firebox. In that case, use natural firelighters.

Arrange your charcoal in the firebox first. Nestle two or three natural firelighters into gaps between the pieces near the centre. Light the firelighters and leave the lid off with the bottom vent fully open.

Let the fire build for 10 to 15 minutes before closing the lid. Once you close the lid, use the vents to bring the temperature to your target. On a kamado this happens quickly. On a kettle, give it another five minutes.

Use only natural firelighters. Wax-and-wood-fibre cubes or coconut-husk blocks. Nothing petroleum-based.

Why not lighter fluid

Lighter fluid is petroleum distillate. It works, in the sense that it gets charcoal hot. But it leaves a chemical residue that taints your food. You can taste it on the first few rounds of cooking, sometimes longer.

There is no reason to use it. A chimney starter or a couple of natural firelighters will have your charcoal ready in the same time, with no chemical taste and no flare risk. Learning how to light charcoal without lighter fluid is not harder. It is just a better habit.

We do not sell lighter fluid. We have never needed to.

Tips for different cooker types

Kettle BBQ

Fill your chimney to the top for a hot, direct cook. Half a chimney for low and slow. Pour onto one side for indirect heat. The bottom vent controls airflow once the lid is on.

Kamado (Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe)

Fill the firebox to the top of the fire ring for high heat cooks. For low and slow, fill to three-quarters and light from a single point at the top. The small ignition point gives you a slow, controlled burn that lasts for hours.

Use lump charcoal in a kamado. The airflow design works best with irregular pieces that allow air to move through the stack. Dust and small fragments restrict flow, so shake out the fines before loading.

Offset smoker

An offset needs a bed of hot coals in the firebox before you add splits. Light a full chimney and pour it into the firebox. Let it burn down for 10 minutes, then add your first split of cooking wood. Manage temperature with the intake damper and the stack vent.

For a cleaner burn, preheat your wood splits on top of the firebox before adding them. This drives off moisture and reduces the initial white smoke.

How to know when charcoal is ready

The charcoal is ready when the pieces are covered in a thin layer of white-grey ash and glowing orange underneath. If you are using a chimney, this means flames visible at the top and ash forming on the upper pieces.

Do not rush it. Charcoal that is only partially lit will give you uneven heat and produce more smoke than you want. Black pieces mixed with glowing pieces means you need another few minutes.

For a hot sear, the coals should be glowing bright orange with minimal ash. For a moderate cook, let them ash over fully. The ash insulates the coal slightly and gives you a more even, slightly lower temperature.

A rough guide:

• Chimney starter, lump charcoal: 15 to 20 minutes
• Chimney starter, charcoal logs: 20 to 25 minutes
• Firelighter method in a kamado: 10 to 15 minutes with lid off, then 5 to 10 minutes to stabilise with lid on

The short version

Get a chimney starter. Use natural firelighters or newspaper underneath. Wait until the charcoal is ashed over before you cook. Skip the lighter fluid entirely.

Good charcoal lights easily and burns clean. If you are fighting to get your fire going, the charcoal might be the problem. Hardwood lump charcoal with low moisture content lights in minutes. That is what we stock.

Come past the yard at 259 Great North Road, Grey Lynn. We are happy to talk you through what suits your cooker.