You Don't Need Lighter Fluid: How To Light Your Charcoal Grill Without It

While lighter fluid may be the obvious choice for lighting your charcoal grill, it really isn't the best. The accelerant produces harsh chemical fumes that can ruin the flavor of your food. Additionally, lighter fluid can cause safety issues and potential fire flare-ups. By not using it, you will have full control of your fire, keep your food chemical-free, and have time to focus on keeping your grill safe and clean. The best option when it comes to lighting your charcoal naturally is a chimney starter. 

Chimney starters are made from a hollow cylinder of metal. You can easily light your briquettes or lump charcoal using natural convection with some paper and oil. Fill up the top section of your chimney starter with the amount of charcoal you want to use. Place some scrunched-up newspaper with a little vegetable oil on the bottom, and then put the chimney over the bottom grate of your grill. Light the paper underneath using long matches or a lighter through the bottom vents.

The chimney's natural updraft will draw flame through the coals. In around 15 minutes, the coals will be hot and ready to use. You will notice that the top layer will have a red glow, and there will be some light grey ash on the top. This means they are fully ignited and ready to be dumped into the grill. Make sure you are wearing heat-resistant grilling gloves, then carefully transfer the hot coals to the bottom grate. Evenly space out your coals so that you have set up your desired heat zones. Place the cooking grate back on top and allow it to preheat for a couple of minutes. And then you're ready to cook with no chemical residue!

Even if you don't have a chimney starter, there are a few solid ways to start your fire without using any petroleum-based products. Electric charcoal starters work by creating a high amount of direct heat from an internal metal heating coil. Place charcoal and the electric starter into the chimney. Leave it in for about 10 minutes, or until you see the coals start to glow red or a flame. When done, turn off the power and carefully take it out with the handle, but make sure you don't touch anything with it, since it'll be very hot. Place it onto a non-flammable surface to cool while your fire spreads naturally.

Paraffin or wax fire cubes are small cubes made from compressed wood fiber and wax that will burn cleanly for up to 12 minutes. To use, make a pyramid of charcoal on the bottom grate of your barbecue. Put one or two cubes at the bottom center of your charcoal pile and light them. This will evenly ignite the surrounding coals without throwing off unwanted chemical fumes, whether you are using fresh briquettes or reusing your charcoal on the grill.

If you do not have any special equipment, you can make a cheap alternative using the paper towel volcano method. Make a firm pyramid of charcoal on your barbecue grill. Then, create a hole in the center of your charcoal pile and add a few paper towels soaked in vegetable oil. This will burn slowly like a candle wick, providing a constant heat source that will ignite the surrounding charcoal. Alternatively, you can use handheld propane torches to apply heat directly to individual coals, allowing your fire to spread naturally across the entire charcoal bed.

Lighting charcoal without chemicals is straightforward once you get the hang of it, but a few common missteps can stall your fire or create unnecessary safety risks. Substituting gasoline or even rubbing alcohol for lighter fluid is extremely dangerous. These volatile liquids vaporize rapidly and cause explosive flare-ups that result in severe burns or property damage. You should also avoid using glossy magazine pages or cardboard coated in heavy inks to start your fire, since burning synthetic dyes and plastic coatings releases toxic fumes. Use only plain newspaper or unbleached paper towels to start your fire.

Depriving the fire of oxygen is another frequent mistake that will quickly put out your coals. Closing the lid too early or shutting down the bottom dampers while your charcoal is trying to ignite smothers the flames before the coals catch. To make sure your charcoal gets evenly hot, keep the grill lid completely off and open all lower vents wide until the coals are fully covered in gray ash.

Likewise, if you dump a big pile of cool charcoal onto a small flame, you will restrict the airflow, and it will choke out. Start with a small pile or light a small amount of charcoal and allow it to fully ignite before adding more. And if you want to reduce smoke when cooking on your grill, it starts with proper ignition. Always allow your charcoal to be covered in a thin layer of grey ash with a red glow underneath before cooking.