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Grilling season has arrived, and it’s time to bring out the charcoal grill and enjoy the warmer weather with perfectly cooked food.
Charcoal is one of the best fuels for cooking, thanks to its convenience, high heat potential, and unique smoky flavor that it creates.
If you’ve stocked up on charcoal but forgotten the liquid fuel to get things going, you don’t have to worry.
Below are two of the best ways how to light a charcoal grill this summer.
Lighting a Charcoal Grill with a Chimney Starter
Every grilling enthusiast should own a chimney starter.
This handy device will help you to start your charcoal grill in the safest way, without the need for lighter fluid.
The steps are quick and easy, with most products able to get your charcoal grill going in less than ten minutes.
- Start by crumpling some paper towels at the bottom of the chimney starter.
- Sprinkle a small amount of vegetable oil over the paper towels.
- Fill the chimney starter with charcoal.
- Light the paper towels at the bottom of your chimney starter.
- Place the chimney starter on the top of your grill and wait for the magic to happen.
Within ten minutes, the coals in your chimney starter will be burning, and you can then empty them into your grill’s firebox.
This is the best method to start a charcoal grill without lighter fluid.
You can follow the steps again if you need to top up your charcoal for long grilling sessions.
Chimney starters are affordable.
Take a look at this Rosle Stainless Steel Charcoal Starter Chimney for a low-cost and highly reliable option.
Using Starter Briquettes with Your Charcoal Grill
There is a range of briquette-style starter products available on the market today.
These are useful if you want to start your grill without a chimney.
A single briquette is usually all that’s needed to get your first batch of charcoal burning.
They work with lump charcoal as well as hardwood charcoal and briquettes.
Simply place the starters underneath your charcoal and then ignite them.
They will burn for around ten minutes, at which point the rest of your charcoal will already be ignited.
You can also place a single briquette at the bottom of a chimney starter instead of using paper towels.
There are different types of starter briquettes and fire starters on the market.
Look for products without chemicals and that are designed for grilling.
Always follow manufacturer safety instructions.
Safer and More Flavorful Food When You Start Your Charcoal Without Lighter Fluid
Lighter fluid can taint your food with chemical flavors.
Using too much lighter fluid to start your charcoal can even be dangerous.
Decide to avoid fluid altogether, and use a chimney starter or briquettes for safer and more flavorful grilling this summer.