Alton Brown's Ingenious Hack For Lighting A Grill Without Lighter Fluid

Lighting a charcoal grill can be a particular problem, one all too readily resolved with lighter fluid. Yet that easy solution comes at the risk of unhealthy fumes and chemical-tasting food. But celebrity chef Alton Brown is full of convenient cooking hacks, including a foolproof way to light a charcoal grill without lighter fluid.

On his Instagram, Brown explained that he starts with a chimney starter, a metal cylinder used to light charcoals on a grill. Normally, the top is filled with charcoal and some crumpled-up newspaper is stuck underneath in the lower chamber and lit on fire, to in turn light the coals. But, as Brown pointed out, "the newspaper's gonna burn up in about 10 seconds and the charcoal's not gonna get lit."

Brown explained that "my fire starts every time simply because I drizzle the paper with a little bit of oil." This hack uses any kind of cooking oil as extra fuel for the fire to keep your kindling from becoming instant ash. "It will burn ten times longer and I promise you, even in a stiff breeze, all will be well," Brown assures his audience.

Avoiding lighter fluid is one of the top 12 tips for grilling with charcoal, and for good reason. Lighter fluid can pose a significant fire risk to the user, in addition to emitting volatile organic compounds which can cause respiratory irritation, drowsiness, and affect preexisting health conditions. Alton Brown's cooking oil trick is a much safer alternative.

Your chimney starter has uses beyond just lighting a grill, though. Brown also uses his chimney starter to cook what he calls a chimney grilled cheese. Wait for the coals to get nice and hot before putting slices of bread brushed with olive oil in a cast iron pan set directly underneath the starter — being sure the starter covers the bread. Let it sit there for about a minute, then flip the slices of bread to toast on the other side for another 45 seconds. Then sandwich some grated cheese and caramelized onions in between the bread and place that back under the starter for a final few seconds of broiling. The end result is a delightfully smoky sandwich — just don't walk away, it cooks up quickly. 

A chimney starter is a great way to grill vegetables, too. Rest a fire-safe wire rack on top of a hot chimney starter, and grill the vegetables of your choice. The concentrated heat helps them grill nicely, but like the chimney grilled cheese, watch them carefully to avoid burning.