How to Use a Charcoal Chimney: The Easiest Way to Light Your Grill

How to Use a Charcoal Chimney: The Easiest Way to Light Your Grill

What’s up everybody! I’m Miguel, and welcome to Chavez DIY. If you’re new here, I love helping folks out with all kinds of DIY tutorials and how-to videos—from small home repairs and car maintenance to grilling, electronics, and more. If you want to learn something new or just solve a problem together, check out my YouTube channel, Chavez DIY for more tips and projects. Let’s get right into it!

Today, I’m breaking down one of my favorite grilling tools: the charcoal chimney. If you’ve ever struggled with lighter fluid or just want an easier, cleaner way to get your charcoal going, this is the method for you.

What Is a Charcoal Chimney and Why Use One?

A charcoal chimney is a simple tool that helps you light your briquettes without using lighter fluid. It’s got vents built in, so you don’t have to do any fanning or guesswork—just set it up, light it, and let it do its thing. Plus, no weird chemical taste on your food!

Step-by-Step: How to Light Charcoal with a Chimney

1. Prep Your Paper:
Start by flipping the chimney upside down. There’s a little pocket at the bottom—this is where your newspaper goes. I like to use one and a half sheets of newspaper (one full sheet plus a half). If you use too much paper, it can actually smother the fire, so stick to that sweet spot.

2. Add a Fire Starter (Optional):
Sometimes I’ll toss in a lighter cube wrapped in foil for a little boost. Totally optional, but it can help things get going faster.

3. Fill with Charcoal:
Turn the chimney right side up and fill it with your charcoal briquettes.

4. Light It Up:
Use a long match or lighter to ignite the newspaper in several spots around the bottom. You don’t need to fan it or mess with it—just let the chimney do the work. I usually light it, then go back inside and finish prepping my meat. From my window, I can see if the match stick is still burning, and that’s my signal it’s almost ready.

5. Wait About 15 Minutes:
Give it about 15 minutes. You’ll notice two types of smoke: first, a heavy white smoke from the newspaper, then a lighter blue smoke as the coals catch. Once the coals start to get ashy, you’re good to go.

6. Dump the Coals:
When you see flames coming out of the top and the bottom coals are glowing, it’s time to pour them into your grill. Sometimes I’ll dump them in before the top is fully ashy—those super hot coals on the bottom will get everything going.

7. Clean Your Grill:
Right after dumping the coals, I use the flames to scrape my grill grates clean with a grill brush. Then I close the lid and let the grill come up to temp—usually around 400°F for most cooks.

Pro Tips

  • Place your chimney in a well-ventilated spot so it gets plenty of air.

  • Don’t overload with newspaper—too much can smother the flame.

  • Skip the lighter fluid! The chimney gives you a clean burn and no chemical taste.

  • Use the initial flames to clean your grill before you start cooking.

Why I Love the Charcoal Chimney

Back in the day, people used to stack their coals into a pyramid, douse them with lighter fluid, and fan them like crazy. The chimney makes all that a thing of the past. It’s quick, easy, and gives you perfect coals every time.

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