Lighter fluid gets charcoal going quickly, but it introduces a petrochemical odor that can linger on food, especially if it has not fully burned off before you start cooking. There are cleaner, more reliable methods that produce better-tasting results and give you more consistent heat.
The Chimney Starter: The Best Method
A chimney starter is a metal cylinder with a grate inside that holds charcoal above a chamber where newspaper or a fire starter sits. It is inexpensive and makes lighting charcoal faster, easier, and free of lighter fluid.
To use one (practical advice): crumple two sheets of newspaper into loose balls and place them in the bottom chamber of the chimney. Fill the top chamber with charcoal, to the top. Set the chimney on the bottom grate of your grill with the newspaper at the bottom, and light the newspaper through the holes in the base.
The newspaper ignites the bottom layer of charcoal, which heats the charcoal above it through convection. In practice this often takes around 15 to 20 minutes (practical advice). The top layer will be covered in gray ash, and the coals will be glowing orange and ready to pour out.
Reading the Charcoal
Do not rush the lighting process. Practical advice: coals are ready when:
- The top layer has a uniform coating of gray-white ash
- The coals glow orange in low light
Coals that are not fully lit will produce excessive smoke and uneven heat, and can give food an acrid flavor from incomplete combustion (practical advice).
Alternative: Electric Charcoal Starter
An electric fire starter is a metal heating element shaped like a loop or paddle. Practical advice: place it in the center of your charcoal pile, plug it in, and it ignites the surrounding coals through direct contact heat. After several minutes the coals around the element are lit. Then remove the element, let it cool on a heat-safe surface, and wait for the rest of the coals to ignite. It requires a nearby outlet and produces no lighter fluid odor.
Natural Fire Starters
Paraffin wax fire starter cubes (sold as “natural” lighter cubes, not lighter fluid) are a convenient middle ground. Check the package for what the product is made from and how to use it. Follow the package directions for placing the cube under or inside your charcoal pile and lighting it.
Tips for Success
- Practical advice: dry charcoal lights faster — store bags in a sealed container in a dry place to prevent moisture absorption
- Lump charcoal lights more quickly than briquettes but burns less evenly (practical advice)
- Practical advice: never light or burn charcoal in an enclosed space. CDC says charcoal grills produce carbon monoxide, and says never to burn charcoal indoors.
- Keep your chimney starter dry between uses to prevent rust (practical advice)
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide “About” page, https://www.cdc.gov/carbon-monoxide/about/index.html (last updated January 12, 2026). Checked 2026-10-08.