GRILLING ON CHARCOAL GUIDE: How To Grill Better

grilling on charcoal

This is an extremely complete guide that covers all aspects when you’re grilling on charcoal. It’s for both beginners and seasoned grillers. It provides links to further details of several topic sections. This is a part of our Food Equipment & Tools category and also the Grilling section.

Introduction To Grilling On Charcoal

Read plenty of information to enhance your skills of grilling on charcoal. When you use a charcoal grill compared to a gas grill, the flavor of your food is much superior.

Check our answers to frequently asked grill questions. Learn about conveniences and solve common grilling problems. There are many tips on charcoal grilling for beginners and even a few things for experienced grillers or grill masters.

How To Choose The Grill For Grilling On Charcoal

When deciding on equipment for grilling on charcoal, you’ll need to know several steps to choosing a good charcoal grill. First, you’ll need to know your buying commitment and budget range since grills last for several years.

You’ll next need to decide the approximate size of grill cooking space you want. You might also want some workspace on the side and a storage shelf on the bottom or somewhere else.

A major decision will be to decide if you want an extra heat source, besides just charcoal. For example, you might want a hybrid duo-heat grill, like gas and charcoal. There are other combination grills as well. At some point, several brands will attract your attention.

With the tons of features these days, there’s a lot to consider. Some grills come with an easy automated ignition system to light the coals. For the rectangular grills, some will come with an adjustable grate for going up or down towards the top grill. Quite a few come with a removable ash bucket or tray.

The final decision is to confirm by reading reviews of your potential choices. And, as an result of going through all those choices, see below for an example of a good kettle grill I chose.

Learn How To Use A Weber

A common kettle-style grill is the 22-inch Weber Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill. It’s very easy to use with a lot of outstanding features.

This grill has one of the easiest auto-ignition systems for lighting charcoal I’ve seen. It comes with a side workspace shelf and a bottom wire storage shelf. It even comes with a side tall bin for a charcoal bag.

Using the hinged top grill grate makes refilling lumps or briquettes a snap. With proper arranging of the included charcoal carriers, the hinged grill sides lift for easy access.

There are lots of details covered in our article on “How To Use Weber Performer Charcoal Grill“.

learn how to use a weber grill
Learn how to use a Weber grill

Best Types of Charcoal: Briquettes or Lump

There are different pros and cons in choosing briquettes or lump. I’ve used both for quite a few years. Here are a few comparisons of each type below. You can read all the details in our article “Briquettes vs Lump Charcoal“. The article also covers an explanation of how charcoal is made.

open bag of lump charcoal for grilling on charcoal
Open bag of lump charcoal for grilling on charcoal

About Lump Charcoal

Lump has these pros and cons.

  • costs more per bag (but lasts longer)
  • burns hotter
  • much dirtier
  • produces a lot less ash
  • harder to handle because of irregular shapes
  • many brands have sizeable differences
  • no additives
  • often easier to light
  • better flavored food compared to briquettes
About lump charcoal for grilling on charcoal
About lump charcoal for grilling on charcoal

About Charcoal Briquettes

And here are briquettes pros and cons.

  • far cheaper in cost
  • consistently shaped,
  • cleaner
  • many additives
  • excessive ash
About briquettes for grilling on charcoal
About briquettes for grilling on charcoal

How To Set Up Your Charcoal Grill

Below, I summarize steps to set up your charcoal grill. Just ignore if any of the following steps don’t apply to your situation. Later on, we’ll cover the details of some of these steps.

  1. Start by removing the grill’s vinyl covering.
  2. Open the grill’s cover lid and open all the vents.
  3. Briefly scrub the top grill grate.
  4. Decide on your charcoal placement for lighting where you want direct heat or indirect heat. This differs with everyone. Here’s our article on “How To Cook On A Charcoal Grill Indirect Heat” for further details.
  5. Light it appropriately. This might depend on your planned later arrangement.
    • Follow proper safety precautions for when to remove or place the grill cover lid during this lighting and heating stage. Lighting methods have differing safety guidance.
  6. When the charcoal is properly hot, arrange it for the type of recipe you’re going to cook.
  7. If needed, place your drip pan with water into position.
  8. Ensure the top grilling grate is in place. Sometimes, you’ll want to position it for easier charcoal refilling.
  9. Adjust your vents.
  10. Your grill is now set up. It’s just a matter of letting your top grill grate get hot enough, usually done with the lid on for a few brief minutes.
setting up a charcoal grill
Setting up a charcoal grill

How To Start A Charcoal Grill

These are the details of how to start a charcoal grill. This involves loading and lighting the charcoal, and then arranging it. Sometimes, you’ll need to arrange it in order to light it and then rearrange it after it’s lit. We now cover using a chimney starter.

How to start charcoal grill for grilling on charcoal
How to start charcoal grill for grilling on charcoal

How To Use A Chimney Starter To Light The Coals

You can use a chimney starter to light the charcoal. If using this accessory, follow the instructions suggested by the manufacturer. The starting step is to pour the desired amount of charcoal into the top of the chimney. Then, at the bottom of the chimney, you’ll position a heat source. Heat sources come in different forms, such as crumpled papers, charcoal lighting cubes, and others.

The time to light is depending on how much charcoal you use. You’ll first light the bottom of the chimney. Then, it’s lit and hot, you’ll pour the hot coals onto the bottom grate area you desire.

Preparing to add charcoal into a chimney starter for grilling with charcoal
Preparing to add charcoal into a chimney starter for grilling with charcoal

How To Light Charcoal Without a Chimney

Here are some ways of how to light charcoal without a chimney. Several lighting tools can be used, such as gas, torch, starter cubes, electric starter, etc. Keep reading for a few types below.

Lighting Charcoal with Charcoal Lighter Fluid

Learn how to use charcoal lighter fluid by following the directions on its bottle. When you’re going to light this grill type and use lighter fluid, follow extreme safety precautions and directions.

Usually, you pile up the charcoal on the bottom grate, pour some of the fluid over the pile, wait about 1 minute, and then light it. All this is done with the grill lid open. You then wait about 5-10 minutes for a lot of the coals to get hot. After it’s all hot, you arrange the hot charcoal for how you want it for your grilling recipe.

Lighting charcoal with lighter fluid for grilling on charcoal
Lighting charcoal with lighter fluid for grilling on charcoal

Lighting Charcoal with a Gas Self-Ignitor

This is when you have a gas self-lighting ignition system. It might use a small propane tank or a small camping gas canister. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. It might follow along these steps.

  1. Position the collection of charcoal over where the ignitor flame will occur.
  2. Turn on the gas and press the button to trigger it to create a flame. If appropriate, adjust the gas level.
  3. After a few minutes, some of the charcoal will be lit and you turn off the gas. Then, with the vents wide open, put the grill lid on for the rest of the coals to catch and get hot. This takes sometimes about 10-30 minutes.
Lighting charcoal with gas self ignitor for grilling on charcoal
Lighting charcoal with gas self ignitor for grilling on charcoal

About Direct & Indirect Heating Zones When Grilling on Charcoal

There are many ways to arrange charcoal zones for either direct heat or indirect heat. The charcoal positioning creates one or more heating zones. A heating zone is a dedicated area for cooking. A direct heat zone is extremely hot and is the grill space directly over coals. An indirect heat zone is the grill space that is not over coals. For all details, read our article “How To Cook on a Charcoal Grill Indirect Heat Now“.

You can think of these 2 zones like cooking in an oven.

When the oven is on “broil”, it’s exposed to heat directly and is also good for searing. This is like grilling on direct heat.

When the oven is on “baking”, we expose the food to heat indirectly and it’s more evenly dispersed.

What is 2 zone cooking?

If you have 2 zones, that means you have one area of hot coals for direct heating and one area where there’s not any for indirect heating. This is the most popular arrangement. Here are several ways that 2 zones might be setup.

How To Arrange The Charcoal For 2 Zones

You can arrange to have one or more heating zones. If you have just one zone, that means it’s all hot charcoal distributed in your grill, all across the bottom grate. However, if you have a pile or other shaped distribution of hot charcoal that doesn’t cover the entire area, you’ll have 2 zones. One zone where the hot charcoal exists is the “Hot Zone” and the area where there’s no hot charcoal is referred as “The Cool Zone”. Also, cooking over the hot zone is “Direct Heat” and over the cool zone is “Indirect Heat”.

What are some examples of 2 zone setups when grilling on charcoal?

  • There is a small pile of hot charcoal off to one side and the rest of the bottom grate is empty.
  • Half the bottom grate might have the hot charcoal spread out. The other half is empty.
  • A hot pile is in the center of the bottom grate and the surrounding area is empty.
  • An outer ring of hot charcoal is all along the bottom grate’s perimeter. The inner area is empty.
Arranging charcoal holders for zones for grilling on charcoal
Arranging charcoal holders for zones for grilling on charcoal

When you have over 2 zones, you arranged the charcoal to have any combination of direct and indirect heating zones. You have 1 or more areas of hot charcoal, separated by 1 or more empty spaces of nothing. Here are some ways that multiple zones might exist.

  • There are 2 heated piles, one on each side of the grill. The space between them is empty. This is a 3 zone setup. It comprises a two-zone fire and a one-zone no fire area.
  • There is 1 long piled up hot row across the center of the bottom grate. It reaches both sides of the grill, and there’s an empty area on both sides. This is 3 zones of 1 direct heat and 2 for indirect heat.
  • An S-shaped pattern of hot charcoal gives a more distributed direct heating zone. This also gives one or more indirect heating zones.
  • A heated spiral-shaped pattern gives the most distributed heat possible.
Rearranging hot coals wearing special gloves for grilling on charcoal
Rearranging hot coals wearing special gloves for grilling on charcoal

Also, Kingsford shows good explanations and details regarding “How To Arrange Charcoal Before Grilling“.

When Charcoal Is Ready To Cook On

You’ll know the charcoal is ready for cooking on when it has some displays of red, along with edges that are white. If you wait until much of it is white, it’s at its peak. You’ll want to put food on the grill only after you let your charcoal properly heat. However, this is before it’s all white.

When charcoal is ready and hot for grilling on charcoal
When charcoal is ready and hot for grilling on charcoal

How To Add Charcoal While Cooking & Grilling On Charcoal

For some grilling sessions, you’ll need to add charcoal while cooking. All grills vary on where you can add in more. And a lot of them don’t have an easy way of doing this.

You might have a grill door available for loading more. Sometimes, you might have a top grill grate that is hinged for lifting to add more charcoal. In the best cases, you might have a gravity feeder chute. In the most common scenario, you’ll have to lift off the hot top grill to add more. Use lots of caution in all cases.

How to add charcoal using hinged grill sides for grilling on charcoal
How to add charcoal using hinged grill sides for grilling on charcoal

How To Keep A Charcoal Grill Hot

Depending on what type of charcoal you use and what you’re cooking, you’ll need to know how to get and keep it hot. It’s one thing to know how to add more. It’s another to understand when and how often to perform this task. So, when you’re preparing to grill something that will take longer to cook, or if you’re having trouble keep it hot, read our detailed article. It has knowledge on any charcoal grill but it references Weber branded grills. Read “Weber Charcoal Grill Not Getting Hot Enough? Fix it Now“.

How To Use Grill Vents While Grilling On Charcoal

You’ll want to research your own grill’s venting purposes. Each manufacturer often has guidance on how to use the vents to manage airflow through the grill.

For mine, the top cover lid vent is for short-term heat management. The bottom vent (of the kettle) is for long-term temperature control.

For those large rectangular grills, there might be a vent on each side. For long-term grilling, you usually leave one side of the grill open and one closed, so it circulates the heat evenly, like for ribs or chicken, when the lid’s closed.

How to use grill vent on kettle bottom when grilling on charcoal
How to use grill vent on kettle bottom when grilling on charcoal
How to use vent as seen inside kettle when grilling on charcoal
INSIDE VENT: How to use vent as seen inside kettle when grilling on charcoal
How to use grill vent on lid when grilling on charcoal
LID VENT: How to use grill vent on lid when grilling on charcoal

How To Use A Charcoal Grill For Cooking

This is our next section in this article, as it’s all about using a charcoal grill for cooking. There’s a lot to cover so, keep reading. And, while we’re on the topic, wikiHow has a good article on “How to Use a Charcoal Grill“.

Various Foods & Cooking Tips While Grilling On Charcoal

Here are some good cooking tips when grilling on charcoal. It ensures you have excellent results when grilling or barbecuing these different food types. Here we cover different foods and their grilling process. It includes a few charcoal grilling tips to give you what you need to know about grilling.

Fast Food Grilling on Charcoal

Here are some ideas for fast food grilling on charcoal. Burgers, hot dogs, & bratwurst on the grill are the top choices. All are quick and easy to make. Also, They’re popular with everyone.

Steak Grilling on Charcoal

A butcher once told that the easiest steak to guarantee is tender on a grill is the ribeye. To be true. I especially like to get them thick, as I can always cut them down to proper serving size before grilling the steak.

For steaks, searing them on direct heat for about 1 minute on each side is great. If they’re real thin, you can finish them on direct heat. If thick, you can finish them on indirect heat with the grill lid on.

Grilling steak when grilling on charcoal
Grilling steak when grilling on charcoal

Here are some steak related recipes and guides.

Pork or Pork Chops Grilling On Charcoal

When you are grilling pork chops, you can cook them like steaks, but they’re actually easier to cook and with less worry. For thin ones, you can grill them on both sides in direct heat. For thicker ones, you can sear both sides for about a minute, and finish them on the side in indirect heat with the lid on.

Sometimes, I’ll barbecue them with sauce. They’re much better loved this way by my family. I’ll apply the sauce a little before they’re done. Then, I cook them on direct heat to burn in the sauce flavor for about a minute on each side. Sometimes, I’ll add a final BBQ sauce layer on top of each just before removing from the grill.

Grilling pork chops with bbq sauce when grilling on charcoal
Grilling pork chops with BBQ Sauce when grilling on charcoal

Here’s some more stuff about grilling with pork.

Seafood Grilling On Charcoal

So, seafood grilling on charcoal can seem a challenge but, if you have the right accessories, it’s all good. You’ll want to consider getting wood planks, a perforated pan, or even just a solid griddle plate.

Grilling seafood when grilling on charcoal
Grilling seafood when grilling on charcoal

Chicken Grilling On Charcoal

Now, chicken grilling on charcoal varies in several forms. You might grill by pieces or by whole hens. Recipes are good about advising how long to grill chicken parts. The fastest is the wing and the longest time is the breast. Slicing large boneless breasts in half reduces their thickness and provides an easier, more consistent cooking time.

Grilling chicken while grilling on charcoal
Grilling chicken while grilling on charcoal

I typically cook chicken parts and whole hens using an indirect heating method. It’s much easier and less worry. Because the breasts are thicker, I tend to place them closer to the edge of the charcoal pile. Then, I finish all the cooking and use the lid to cover the grill.

For barbecued chicken, I’ll apply the BBQ sauce before it’s done. Usually, this is about 5 or 10 minutes before finishing. I’ll brush it on, turn the pieces over, and brush their other side.

Here are some more things related to chicken on the grill.

Ribs Grilling On Charcoal

Ribs grilling on charcoal are very easy. Pork ribs are the easier type to make tender. They’re lightly seasoned with very little salt and some black pepper rubbed on. They cooked off to the side, around 350⁰F, with the lid closed. It usually takes about an hour to an hour and a half for 1 rack of ribs. Here’s our leading post and recipe for the Best Southern Ribs on the Charcoal Grill.

Grilling ribs and brushing bbq sauce while grilling on charcoal
Grilling ribs and brushing bbq sauce while grilling on charcoal

Sometimes, I’ll carve each bone piece off and cook them individually, if they’re large. If they’re small, I might cut off about 4 ribs per section.

For the barbecue sauce, I’ll coat each side, and let them cook another 15 minutes, covered. They get more tender if you cook them about 1/2 hour past their doneness time.

Vegetables Grilling On Charcoal

You can cook some larger vegetables on a charcoal grill with nothing special. Those items might be like corn on the cob and baking potatoes. However, for common vegetables prepped in pieces, you’ll need a container like a pan or skillet and preferably one that has perforated holes. One example is when you cook the vegetables for Chicken Fajitas on on the grill.

When cooking using lump charcoal, you’ll want to watch the temperature closer as it burns hotter. However, you can use indirect heat or better use of your vents for managing this type of cooking.

Vegetables grilling on charcoal
Vegetables grilling on charcoal

Pizza On The Grill

You just can’t get any better than homemade pizza on the grill. Just make sure you have the thick pizza stone, and that it says it’s okay on a grill.

After your coals are lit, place the pizza stone on the grill directly over the heat. You’ll want the vents wide open, and the lid closed. While the stone is getting hot, roll out the pizza dough and add all the toppings. It might take about 15 to 20 minutes for the stone to be hot enough.

Transfer the topped pizza to the stone and cook it with the lid back on. It won’t take nearly as long as in the kitchen oven. Check it in about 5-8 minutes by lifting the pizza crust with a spatula to inspect the bottom to prevent overcooking.

Rotisserie Grilling on Charcoal

With a rotisserie, you have a whole new world of amazing cooking outside. While it’s often used for whole chickens, you can also use it for large roasts. Rotisserie units have a weight limit so, check your instructions on that. Here’s our detail article on “Complete Guide to Using a Weber Kettle With Rotisserie“.

To make it successful, follow the recipe. Ensure you arrange your heat source to be on each side of the lower grate. Have a drip pan in the middle, with water. If your rotating meat will exceed past the length of the drip pan, you can either put 2 together inline or just add some makeshift foil to contain those areas.

Rotisserie of 2 chickens grilling on charcoal
Rotisserie of 2 chickens grilling on charcoal

Some people have used them for doing several racks of ribs cleverly. I usually do 2 or 3 hens together and then store the extra in the freezer. They taste just as fresh a month later when reheated. Learn how to make a Rotisserie Grill Chicken recipe.

Smoking on Charcoal

You can try to perform smoking on just about any grill; however, it’s best if you have a very good one. You’ll want one that easily allows you to add more charcoal. You’ll also want some excellent venting to keep the temperature low and stable.

Grilling and smoking are dual functions on some models. I’ve used my Weber Performer Grill for several 5-7 hour sessions at 275⁰F-325⁰F for pulled pork on a charcoal grill.

Smoking pulled pork using indirect heat grilling on charcoal
Smoking pulled pork using indirect heat grilling on charcoal

Using Grilling Planks

You’ll want to be sure you read the instructions on using the wood planks. They’re often for grilling fish but can also be for steaks or other foods. Some will suggest soaking them in water beforehand. That’s why they don’t burn up when on the grill.

A safety consideration is to never use detergent or cleanser when cleaning them. It can release toxic chemicals onto your food. Wood planks were not originally intended for re-use, but some manufacturers have guidance on how to prepare them for re-use for a few times. The most I’ve ever read one, it said I could use it up to a maximum of 6 times.

Using Wood Chips For Grilling On Charcoal

Some recipes have added flavor by using wood chips. They come in various popular smoke flavors, like hickory and mesquite. Their usage varies, so follow the package instructions.

With some, you soak them in water for a while. Then, you either toss them on the hot coals or you put them into a smoker box designed for this purpose. Some flavors of wood chips may pair better with certain food types so, read up on it to ensure you don’t use the wrong flavor. Everything doesn’t taste great with mesquite wood chips.

Shutting Down The Charcoal Grill

When the cooking’s done, it’s time to shut down the grill. Here are some excellent steps to follow for how to put out the charcoal.

How To Put Out A Charcoal Grill

When shutting down the grill, you need to focus on putting out the hot coals. Good grills will snuff it all out if you close up all the vents and the lid. But, I’ve had some grills that don’t seal air tight. In those cases, the coals are never reusable because they all continue to slowly burn until they’re ash.

How to put out a charcoal grill after grilling on charcoal
How to put out a charcoal grill after grilling on charcoal

You can spray some water over the coals, but that damages the coals a bit for reuse. It also adds excess moisture to your grill, eventually leading to rust. So, I don’t recommend it.

When To Put The Cover On A Charcoal Grill

The safest time to put the cover on a grill is when all the coals are out and cooled down. It’s important to know that grill covers aren’t always fireproof or fire resistant.

I’ve always practiced the safest methods, and that is to wait for the grill to get below 100⁰F.

When to put covering on grill after grilling on charcoal
When to put covering on grill after grilling on charcoal

My Weber Performer snuffs out coals fast. I can usually put the cover on it about 1 hour after grilling is done and all the vents and lid closed.

Grilling On Charcoal Safety Tips

Grilling safety is important, especially with weather, nature, nearby structures, bacteria, high heat, grease, and fire. Although not all-inclusive, here are a few short food and grill safety tips to consider.

  • Have a fire extinguisher nearby, but not directly at the grill. It should be able to handle chemical, oils, and electrical issues as a minimum.
  • Ensure a hot grill has no obstacles around it and is not too close to any structures like fences, buildings, furniture, etc. that could catch fire.
  • Ensure the area under the grill is fire proof or highly resistant. If not, get a quality pad that’s resistant to high heat.
  • Never store charcoal lighter fluid, gas canisters, like for gas starters, outside. It’s never stored around the grill and never in outside storage.
  • Practice good food safety by washing hands before handling food.
  • Don’t store foods out of refrigeration for long before grilling.
  • Avoid exposing foods, especially meats, to flies and critters outside.
  • Avoid any practice of “total unattended” grilling. The term “unattended” means you don’t have to be tending to the foods being cooked. It doesn’t mean leave the area. “Total unattended” means you left home or went across the street.
  • Secure the grill from high winds. Lock any wheels. Consider moving it to a suitable location away from strong winds when not in use.

How To Manage The Flames While Grilling On Charcoal

You can control flames rather easily if you know a few methods. The key is not to panic and have confidence in applying what you’ve learned. Here are some quick tips on how to snuff out or reduce the amount of flaming.

How to manage flames when grilling on charcoal
How to manage flames when grilling on charcoal
  • I have a fire extinguisher nearby when grilling. I recommend everyone have one when cooking outdoors. And, you’ll want to ensure it’s the kind that’s good for all kinds such as grease, gas, electrical, and chemical. I include electrical because I sometimes use an electric rotisserie. And you might have other things nearby that might involve electricity, such as an outlet, lights, or even a bug zapper.
  • I used to have a spray bottle of water handy nearby. The idea is to spray the base of the flames heat source, not the flame itself. This is an immediate solution. However, the downside of this is it will sometimes cause some ash to get on your foods. Also, if you use too much spraying force, you can scatter some hot embers out of the grill, which is dangerous.
  • I most often today will just cover the grill with its own lid for about 5 to 10 seconds. Then I’ll remove the lid and pull the grilling foods away from the direct heat. This has always worked for me. However, if it doesn’t, and if the flame is still present, I’ll just put the lid back on and close all the vents to deplete the flames’ oxygen.

Charcoal Grill Maintenance Tips

You can have a reliable grill only if you follow some maintenance tips. To ensure it’s routinely going to work immediately, keep it well cared for. This will also extend its life and reduce the expense of an early replacement. Here are just a few maintenance tips. Read for more in our article “Maintaining a Charcoal Grill“.

  • Protect it with a weather covering when not in use.
  • Keep the grates fairly clean using a scrubbing tool or pad.
  • Wipe down the grill’s exterior fairly thoroughly at least once a month.
  • Empty the ash bucket or tray before it gets full.
  • If you have a tray for capturing ashes, line it with some aluminum foil to help prevent rusting. You don’t need this for ash buckets.
  • Scrape out any buildup of excessive residue from the grill interior.
  • Check the tubing used for any self-ignitor systems. Replace it if any cracks or other indicators reveal themselves.
  • Keep all sides, top and bottom grill vents operating smoothly. This ensures vents control the airflow properly.
  • Ensure the entire frame, wheels, and base of your grill are sturdy. This ensures you can roll it to the side with no issues.

Clean Your Grill

Now and then, you’ll want to perform a deep clean of your grill. I’ve determined, along with others, that Zep all-purpose cleaner and degreaser is great for this.

You’ll remove everything that’s readily removable away from the grill. Just remove anything that’s not bolted or screwed into it. Remove hanging cooking tools. Clear anything in or on any storage areas out and set aside. Remove any batteries, gas canisters, tanks, etc.

Scraping off large debris from kettle interior after grilling on charcoal many times
Scraping off large debris from kettle interior after grilling on charcoal many times

Then, move the grill over to a cleaning area. Scrape off any excess debris initially. Avoid getting wet any electronics, ignitor parts, gas systems, or any other part of the grill recommended by the manufacturer.

Then, lightly hose it down. Then, spray a good coating of Zep cleaner in areas needed for cleaning. Let it soak for about 10 minutes. Hose it down.

Follow-up with applying Zep cleaner again, soaking, and this time manually scrape and scrub off any remaining gunk.

Clean your grill with zep after grilling on charcoal many times
Clean your grill with Zep after grilling on charcoal many times

Ensure you get to the very bottom of the grill interior and the outer walls of the grill surface. Then hose down to rinse and repeat as necessary. This is the time you clean every area of your grill, whether or not you’ve hosed it down.

After this type of cleaning, don’t cover it overnight. Let it thoroughly dry out with the lid open or off.

After fully dry, the next day, consider applying a very thin coat of car polish or wax and manually buffing it. However, use at your own risk. Consult your brand’s instructions for acceptable options for added protections of any grill coatings.

Tools and Accessories for Better Grilling Experience

Here are some really great tools and accessories that make a much more convenient and time saving batter grilling experience.

  • grilling grates
  • long grilling gloves
  • cooking tools (spatula, tongs, fork)
  • fire extinguisher
  • black charcoal bag
  • rotisserie
  • foil drip pans
  • charcoal holder bins
  • grill brush to clean grates
  • grill lifter (gripper)
  • perforated pan (w/removable handle)
  • grill weather protecting cover
  • food temp gauge for internal temps confirmation
  • grill temp gauge for monitoring internal temperature of your grill
Grill grate gripping tool accessory for grilling on charcoal
Grill grate gripping tool accessory for grilling on charcoal
Accessory long heat protective grilling gloves for grilling on charcoal
Accessory long heat protective grilling gloves for grilling on charcoal
Rotisserie kit accessory for grilling on charcoal
Rotisserie kit accessory for grilling on charcoal

Conclusion of Grilling on Charcoal

Enjoy the grilling season every time you’re grilling on charcoal. In this article guidebook, you’ve seen the following:

  • things to think about buying a charcoal grill
  • use of a fire starter
  • how each type of charcoal is made
  • having enough charcoal on hand for long sessions
  • the difference that charcoal makes in food flavor
  • determine how much charcoal to use
  • how lump hardwood charcoal vs charcoal briquettes burn
  • what’s involved to clean your grill
  • how to light the coals and keep the grill hot
  • how to cook different foods at different zones
  • steps to take before you grill
  • how to cook quickly and monitor the time to cook

When you want to cook and see grill marks, you now appreciate everything that goes into the time you cook outdoors. You’ve received more details using this complete guide. Now, plan your next grilling session!

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