How do you light a Charcoal Grill with a Chimney Starter?

I have a rather fun way I light my charcoal grills.

I mostly use a Chimney Starter, which is a fantastic,easy way to get white hot coals in no time.

But sometimes – you’re tailgating, or using a public BBQ, and you might not have one available.

This is an easy way to get a rip roaring fire going in no time and the list of items you need is simple, and stuff that should be readily available.

You will need a long stem lighter, some small sticks, charcoal, a grill, lighter fluid, paper, an empty toilet paper roll, and some of the lint from the dryer screen.

You heard me. Lint.

Starting a fire with lint

Most people aren’t aware but our clothes are super flammable. Cotton and especially synthetic materials will burn easily. Often, new clothes come coated with processes from manufacturing that make them even more so. It’s unlikely your clothes are going to spontaneously combust but we can use that property to our advantage.

Every time you dry your clothes, small pieces of the fabric are torn away and left as lint. Dryer’s have a trap to collect this, and if you don’t empty it, you could risk a fire, just from hot air. They’re that flammable.

Sorry to anyone in the UK. I doubt the washing machine in your flat’s kitchen will have a lint trap. Newspaper will have to do for you.

So how do we safely start a fire with lint?

I grab something commonly thrown away. The brown cardboard from the inside of a toilet paper roll. It’ makes the perfect shape for building up lots of heat, and with some newspaper around it, and lint inside it. It’s essentially a grill grenade.

After collecting my toilet paper roll and my lint, I stuff the lint inside, along with a piece of paper turned into a fuse. I position my sticks like a tee-pee over my base of coals. My grill grenade in the center, surrounded by newspapers. I then light the fuse, and usually spray some lighter fluid over the coals and everything. Be sure to spray lighter fluid after your fuse is lit. Once the fuse gets to a lighter fluid coated spot,the whole thing should be up and burning in no time.

Keep an eye on your fire and keep the coals hot. Add more sticks/wood if it’s having trouble. More lighter fluid won’t hurt.

This is an extremely simple, easy, and cheap solution to light your charcoal grill and have it burning hot in no time. All with common household equipment.

Lighter fluid is optional in this, but without it, the fire will need more tending to, and more kindling.