The Top 10 Techniques for Starting a Fire with Charcoal

Getting charcoal lit properly makes the difference between a great cook and a frustrating one. Some methods are quick and foolproof; others take a bit more patience but give you better results. Here are ten techniques worth knowing — from the basics to the kit worth investing in.

1. The Chimney Starter

The best all-round method, and the one most serious grillers use. Fill the cylinder with charcoal, stuff a couple of sheets of newspaper underneath, and light it. Twenty minutes later you have evenly lit coals with no chemical taste and no guesswork. If you only buy one piece of grilling kit, make it this.

2. The Pyramid Method

No chimney starter? Stack your charcoal into a tight pyramid with the pieces leaning against each other — this creates natural airflow up through the middle. Light firelighters or crumpled newspaper at the base. It takes a little longer than a chimney but works reliably when you build the pyramid tightly enough.

3. Natural Wool Firelighters

Wood wool firelighters — compressed wood fibres, usually with a wax coating — are clean, fast and leave no chemical residue. Place two or three underneath your charcoal pyramid, light the corners, and leave them to do the work. They burn for long enough to get even restaurant-grade lumpwood going without any babysitting.

4. Charcoal Lighter Fluid

Convenient, but needs a bit of discipline. Soak the charcoal, then wait a full five minutes before you light it — the fluid needs time to penetrate. Light from multiple points and wait until all the fluid has burned off completely before you start cooking, otherwise you'll taste it in the food. Never add fluid to coals that are already lit.

5. The Electric Starter

A looped heating element that you bury in the charcoal and plug in. No flames, no fluid, no mess. It takes about eight to ten minutes to get a good glow going at the contact points, and from there the heat spreads through the pile. Brilliant for anyone who wants a completely fuss-free start.

6. Newspaper and Kindling

The traditional approach: crumple three or four sheets of newspaper into loose balls, lay a few pieces of dry kindling over them in a grid, then stack charcoal on top. Light the newspaper from underneath at several points. The kindling bridges the gap between the paper burning quickly and the charcoal taking hold — skip the kindling and the newspaper often burns out before the charcoal lights.

7. Paraffin Wax Fire Starters

Similar to wool firelighters, wax-based starters burn slowly and hot — ideal for getting stubborn lumpwood going. You can make your own by dipping rolled newspaper into melted candle wax and leaving it to set, though the commercial versions are more consistent. Place them under your charcoal pile and light the exposed edges.

8. The Looftlighter

A superheated air blower that ignites charcoal in sixty seconds with no fluid and no flame. Point it at a single piece of charcoal until it glows, then move on to the next. It's quick, clean, and has a cult following among serious BBQ cooks. The only downside is cost — but if you're grilling regularly it pays for itself quickly.

9. Pine Cones and Natural Tinder

Dry pine cones, bark shavings, and dried leaves all make effective natural fire starters. They burn slower than newspaper which means more time to get the charcoal involved. Best used in combination — a handful of pine cones under a pyramid works well on a calm day. Avoid anything damp: moisture is the enemy of a clean start.

10. Chimney Starter with Wax Firelighter

The most reliable combination of all. Place a single wax firelighter at the base of the chimney starter instead of newspaper — it burns longer, more consistently, and doesn't collapse before the coals are lit. You'll have fully ashed-over charcoal in 15–18 minutes with almost zero intervention. Worth doing this way every time once you've tried it.

Whichever method you use, the principle is the same: good airflow, dry charcoal, and patience. Don't rush it onto the grill before the coals are properly ashed over — cooking on half-lit charcoal is the most common reason a BBQ disappoints.