How-to
How to light charcoal — and how much charcoal you need
Lighting charcoal well takes a chimney starter, a few natural firelighters and about twenty minutes. Below: step by step for lump charcoal and for briquettes, how to tell when the coals are ready, how much charcoal a home grill, a spit-roasted lamb or a restaurant grill uses, and how to store it.
How to light lump charcoal with a chimney starter
A chimney starter is a metal cylinder with a grate and a handle. It concentrates the heat, so the charcoal catches evenly without lighter fluid, which can leave a chemical taste on the food.
- Put two natural firelighters (wood wool or wax cubes) or two sheets of crumpled newspaper on the lower grate of the grill.
- Set the chimney on top and fill it with lump charcoal.
- Light the firelighters through the side openings.
- Wait 15–20 minutes, until the top pieces are glowing and edged with grey ash.
- Wearing a heat-proof glove, pour the coals onto the charcoal grate and spread them.
How to light charcoal briquettes
Briquettes are denser than lump charcoal, so they take longer to catch: allow 20–30 minutes in a chimney starter. They are ready when almost the whole surface is covered in grey ash. Once lit, briquettes hold a steady, even heat for a long time, which suits long cooks and indirect grilling.
When is the charcoal ready to cook on?
Wait until the flames have died down and the coals are coated in grey-white ash. Cooking over flames chars the outside before the inside is done.
A quick test: hold your palm about 12 cm above the grate. If you can keep it there for only 2–4 seconds the heat is high, right for steaks and ćevapi; 5–7 seconds means medium heat, right for chicken, sausages and vegetables.
How much charcoal do you need?
It depends on the grill, the wind, the charcoal and how long you cook, so treat the figures in the table as a starting point. Dense charcoal such as Marabu burns longer than beech or acacia, so you use less over a long service.
Lump charcoal or briquettes?
Lump charcoal lights faster, burns hotter and reacts quickly when you open or close the vents; briquettes burn longer and more evenly and are easier to dose. Grill houses usually choose lump charcoal, home grillers often prefer briquettes. Our guide to briquettes versus lump charcoal compares them in detail.
Safety and storage
Never light or burn charcoal indoors, in a tent, a garage or a closed balcony: it releases carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell. Do not use petrol or spirit to start or revive a fire.
Let the ashes cool for at least 48 hours, or douse them with water, before throwing them away, and use a metal container. Store charcoal and briquettes dry, in closed bags, off the floor and away from heat sources: damp charcoal is hard to light and sparks more.
| Use | Typical amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Home grill, 4–6 people, about 1 hour | 1.5–2.5 kg lump charcoal | About one full chimney starter |
| Long home cook (2–3 hours) | Start with 2–3 kg, add 0.5–1 kg each hour | Add fresh charcoal to the edge of the hot coals |
| Spit-roasted lamb or pig (10–15 kg) | About 1 kg charcoal per kg of meat | Rule of thumb; depends on wind and spit design |
| Restaurant grill, one service | Measure for one week, then order | Dense Marabu lasts up to about 7 hours (indicative) |
Questions buyers ask
How long does charcoal take to light?
In a chimney starter, lump charcoal is ready in about 15–20 minutes and briquettes in 20–30 minutes. They are ready when the top pieces are covered in grey ash and the flames have died down.
How do you light charcoal without lighter fluid?
Use a chimney starter with two natural firelighters or a few sheets of crumpled newspaper underneath. It lights the charcoal evenly and leaves no chemical taste on the food.
How much charcoal do you need for a grill?
For 4–6 people and about an hour of grilling, plan on 1.5–2.5 kg of lump charcoal, roughly one full chimney starter. For longer cooks, add 0.5–1 kg each hour.
How much charcoal for a spit-roasted lamb?
A common rule of thumb is about 1 kg of charcoal per kilogram of meat for a 3–4 hour spit roast, more in cold or windy weather. Dense, long-burning charcoal reduces how often you need to top up.
How long does charcoal burn?
In a home grill, lump charcoal gives about one to two hours of good cooking heat. In restaurant grills, dense Marabu charcoal holds steady heat for up to about 7 hours, oak about 5 and beech about 3; these values are indicative and vary by lot and grill.
Can you reuse charcoal?
Yes. Close the grill vents to put the fire out, let it cool, shake off the ash, and add the leftover pieces to fresh charcoal next time.
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More guides
- What charcoal do restaurants need?
- How much charcoal fits on a pallet, in a truck and in a container?
- What should you check before importing charcoal into the EU?
- Charcoal for HoReCa distributors and hotel groups
- Private label charcoal: your brand on the bag
- Briquettes vs lump charcoal: which should you buy?
- How to choose a wholesale charcoal supplier