The body of the grill [where the charcoal resides] should also have adjustable holes in either the bottom or in the sides to allow controlling the amount of fresh air into the chamber [when the lid is closed] so that the fire can continue to burn adequately.
There are basically several to choose from. Two to be exact - briquettes and non-briquettes or rough charcoal. To know more than you want to know about charcoal, you may visit our Charcoal Page. But basically, the charcoal briquettes are more dense and will burn more evenly and longer. They may not have all the flavor of the rough charcoal. Rough charcoal, on the other hand, will burn hotter and shorter. It just depends upon what type of cooking you may want to do. We'll give some examples of what type of charcoal to use later.
FIRST, NEVER EVER USE GASOLINE TO START ANY TYPE OF FIRE! The old boy scout twig method is great for camping, but slows the process way down for grillers! First, there is the tried and true lighter fluid method, a petroleum based produce. Lay the charcoal out in a flat method in order that all the charcoal is coated with lighter fluid. Then stack the charcoal into a pyramid fashion and coat once or twice more. Allow about one minuet to put the remainder of the lighter fluid away. Then light the bottom of the stack and watch it take off. Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for the petroleum vapors from the fluid to burn off. By then the charcoal should have a light coating of gray ash on it. If so, you are then ready to begin.
Second, a charcoal chimney will initially start the fire slower, but you don't have to wait for the fluid to burn off. Place paper in the bottom of the chimney and fill with charcoal. Light the paper and about 15 minutes it should be ready to go. Pour the red hot glowing charcoal into the grill body and get ready to go to work! A large coffee can serve the same purpose, but it has no handles and care must be taken to avoid burns.
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