How to Light a Charcoal Grill

How do you light a charcoal grill?

1. Prepare your camping grill
2. Choose your charcoal
3. Light up the newspaper
4. Opt for a charcoal starter

One of the memorable parts of glamping in the Philippines is grilling food. Imagine smelling the aroma of the food while enjoying the banter with your campmates in a beautiful beach or mountain location. From marshmallows, hotdogs, hamburgers, steak, kebabs, fish, corn, and many more—there’s just something unique and special with food cooked at the campsite. But to do this, you need to know how to light a charcoal grill. Keep on reading to learn more!

Prepare Your Camping Grill

The first thing you need to do is prepare and clean your grill. Make sure that you set it up on a flat and solid surface far away from objects and structures that can catch on fire. Remove flammable materials such as fuel cans in the surroundings. Other than that, grill in a place with proper ventilation—which means outdoors!

Before you use the grill, empty it out first. Sweep out the leftover ashes and dirt into the trash bag. Remove grease too, as this can cause the grill to smoke more than it should.

If you don’t have a charcoal cooker yet, you can try the Adventure Kings Premium Camp Oven Stove. It’s made of heavy-duty 1.5mm steel to withstand high temperatures. The 2.4m tall chimney also keeps smoke away from your campsite. The flat-top fits two stoves for more efficient cooking. After preparing your meals, you can use it as a fire pit by removing the lid.

Choose Your Charcoal

The next step is to choose your charcoal. This will impact how fast the heat is produced and how long it lasts. If you want something that is easier to maintain at a consistent temperature, you can use a briquette. These are available in uniform sizes so you have an idea how much to use each time. Other than that, it lasts a long time too.

If you’re looking for a more smokey flavor, you can use hardwood charcoal instead. It burns hotter and faster than briquettes and is also less ashy.

Other than the type of charcoal you use; the amount also matters. Obviously, the more you use, the higher the heat produced. This will depend on the size of your griller, the food you’re cooking, and the weather. For example, burgers will cook quickly, so you only need a few charcoals. In the colder months, you might want to use more coal too.

Light Up the Newspaper

The traditional and most inexpensive way to light charcoal is to use a newspaper. This is useful if you often read the news but don’t know how to reuse the paper.

To do this, just roll up a few pieces and insert them underneath the charcoal. Ensure that the paper is not crumpled to the point that air cannot pass through. You can use a lighter or a match to light the newspaper. Keep on adding more as the heat spreads.

This method is useful because paper lights up quickly. As you allow it to burn, it will ignite the charcoal. Wait for a few minutes until the charcoal has turned gray before you cook your food. You can add more pieces of charcoal as needed.

Opt for A Charcoal Starter

If you use a charcoal griller often, it’s also useful to have a charcoal starter on hand. It’s a quick, easy, and safe way to heat up your grill. If you want one that is easy to store and will last a long time, you can purchase the Adventure Kings Charcoal Starter. It’s made with stainless steel so it’s lightweight and tough. The foldaway design means that you can easily pack it on your trip and put it away afterward.

To use this camping gear, simply open up the charcoal starter and place it on a flat, solid, and flame-proof surface. Then fill it with charcoal of your preference. After that, you can put a few pieces of newspaper underneath to help it ignite.

Light the newspaper by inserting a match stick or lighter through the cut-out. Then, let the paper burn for a few minutes. The ventilation holes will allow the air to come in and ignite the charcoal in no time. When the charcoal turns red, you can lift the charcoal starter and pour the contents into your griller. As the process is simple and fast, it can help shorten your cooking time at the campsite!

Key Takeaway

For some of you, lighting a charcoal grill might not be one of the most enjoyable parts of cooking at the campsite. Depending on your technique, the charcoal might not light up easily, so you might feel impatient especially when you’re hungry. Fortunately, you can use a charcoal starter to make the process easier and safer.

By knowing how to light a charcoal grill, you can upgrade your cooking experience at the campsite. If you’re interested in the items mentioned above, you can purchase them here at Overland Kings.