Building the Fire Step by Step

The numbered procedure from lighting to cooking temperature, with the timings and failure points at each step.

A reliable fire is built in a fixed order, and each step has a real duration. Skipping or shortening a step is the most common reason food comes out acrid or unevenly cooked.

Step 1 — Load the chimney. One full chimney is the standard starting amount for a 57 cm kettle. Fill it level; overfilling slows the light and underfilling gives too little heat.

Step 2 — Light from below. Paper, a firelighter, or a paraffin cube under the chimney is enough. Lighter fluid is not needed and, if used, must burn off completely before food goes on.

Step 3 — Wait 15–20 minutes. The signal that the fuel is ready is grey ash on the top layer and no visible flame. Visible flame means volatiles are still burning, which means acrid smoke.

Step 4 — Tip out and arrange. For a two-zone fire, bank the coals on one side and leave the other side empty. This gives a direct searing zone and an indirect finishing zone on the same grate.

Step 5 — Test the grate. Hold your palm about 10 cm above the grate. 2–3 seconds is searing heat (roughly 200–230 °C), 5–6 seconds is moderate, and longer means the fire is not ready for food.

Step 6 — Cook, then top up. A stable fire holds temperature for 30–40 minutes. Add fuel before the next batch, not during a sear, so the temperature does not collapse mid-cook.

• Typical failure at step 3: food goes on too early and tastes bitter.
• Typical failure at step 4: coals spread evenly, leaving no indirect zone for thick cuts.
• Typical failure at step 6: fuel added mid-sear, dropping the grate temperature.

Further reading

• Lump Charcoal vs Briquettes
• Beginner Grilling Mistakes