Lighting Coals

When using a grill that requires charcoal, it´s important to get all the briquettes equally hot so that the food is cooked uniformly. To do this, stack 20-30 coals in a pyramid before starting the fire.

Kindling

Take pieces of newspaper and roll them into a long cylindrical shape. Tie the ends in a knot. Place the knots on the fuel grate and cover with twigs or wood scraps. Mound 5-8 coals on top and carefully ignite the newspaper knots. As the coals ignite, add more (15-20) coals. When all coals are hot, use tongs to spread them out evenly over the grate.

Liquid Starter

Liquid starters are very easy to use, but they can also add an unpleasant taste to your food. To avoid this problem, place a few coals on the fuel grate and sprinkle with liquid starter. Add the remaining coals in a pyramid pattern and light the treated coals. With only a few coals treated with the liquid starter, your food won´t have a chemical taste.

Electric Charcoal Starter

An electric charcoal starter is a heating element attached to a handle with a cord that plugs into an electrical outlet. The element is placed with the coals and when it´s plugged in, it gets hot enough to ignite the coals touching the element. It takes about 8-10 minutes for all of the coals to become hot.

Block Starter

Place a few of these chemically -treated cubes among the coals and ignite with a match. It´s easy and the starter won´t affect the taste of your food.