Starting a Charcoal Grill – Pros and Cons of Different Grill Starters
Charcoal grills have a vastly different flavor from the BBQ grills. Not only is the taste of the food much more vibrant – the charcoal imparts a natural smokiness to the meat- but it also lends an individual old-time feel to the entire example of grilling.
Honestly, for any BBQ enthusiast, nothing can beat a summer evening spent with a charcoal BBQ grill, the company of friends and family, and a favorite beverage.
At the same time, I’m under no delusions: charcoal grills aren’t made for newbies. If you are new to grilling, you are usually better off working with a gas grill.
Even something as simple as controlling the temperature within the grill can take months to years of research before you get the hang of it. It’s because of this reason that gas grills have become so common these days. Charcoal leaves a flavor to the meat in which gas can’t match, and I must say that despite the steep learning curve, any BBQ enthusiast should try using a charcoal grill.
The basics first: tips on how to start a charcoal grill?
Unlike gas BBQ, which needs just a turning of the knob, charcoal requires some connected with a starter to get heading out. Your choice of the starter can differ depending on what’s available, as well as what you are comfortable with.
The most common type of starter is lighter fluid. It’s nothing special, just the standard lighter fluid that would likely be put in your Zippo style lighters. Start by building a flat-topped pyramid with the charcoal then dousing techniques with lighter fluid for a few seconds (a maximum of 5 seconds).
Next, remove darkness from the charcoal with a sturdy fireplace matchstick. If you’re are feeling macho, a robust piece of wood. The charcoal will immediately set on fire and start burning.
Charcoal requires oxygen to remain ignited. At the same time, a fledgling fire needs to be protected from the high winds. Try to spend the charcoal until it may be hot enough to catch fire by itself, but make sure that allowing enough room for oxygen to get through. Prone to feel that the fire is burning out, add some more fluid to it.
If you are unfamiliar with charcoal grills, you will find that it takes a few tries before you get the grill begins. But don’t jump to conclusions and start doubting your technique or ability to obtain a charcoal grill started. More often than not, the fault may lie using your choice of the starter itself – lighter fluid is notorious for being tough work with.
Other Ignition Options
You can always turn to alternatives. A visit to your local grill or home store will reveal several different options. If you don’t want to have to figure out what you need in a store, check out Amazon.com. I love being able to see real reviews from real people before I make a purchase. It is like a social validation that the products work as advertised.
A variety of these includes an electric charcoal starter and a charcoal chimney starter. Hmo’s works on electricity and generates a tremendous level of heat that sets the charcoal off. The latter works by placing the charcoal in a cylindrical chimney, which is lit by using newspapers or matchsticks. The temperature is distributed throughout the charcoal pieces, making it tremendously easy to get.
This method is often the ‘traditional’ way of lighting charcoal.
For those interested in BBQ and grilling, I recommend employing a chimney starter. Generally, make short work of getting the grill started and is ideal for newbies as well as experienced users. Lighter fluid, while more popular, has substantially of shortcomings as the starter, and I’d personally advise you against using it.
If you need some excellent fire starters, here are my recommendations below.
Happy Grilling!
