How Long Until Charcoal Is Ready to Cook On?

Good lumpwood charcoal is ready to cook on 15 to 20 minutes after lighting. It is ready once the coals are glowing and the smoke from lighting has cleared. You don't need to wait for it to turn white. In a Charlie charcoal oven, you watch the thermometer instead: around 20 minutes for roasting temperatures and 30 minutes for pizza.

How long does charcoal take to be ready?

It depends on the fuel and how you light it. Here is a quick guide.

Quality makes a big difference. Well-made lumpwood lights quickly and cleanly, so you can start cooking sooner. Poor charcoal smokes for longer, smells unpleasant and burns through faster. Our guide to choosing the best charcoal explains how to spot a good bag.

How do you know when charcoal is ready?

• The coals are glowing. Orange or red, not black.
• The lighting smoke has cleared. A little smoke while the firelighter and charcoal catch is normal and burns off quickly. Thick smoke or an oily, petrol-like smell that carries on means poor charcoal. Don't cook over it.
• A thin coat of ash may be starting to form. You don't need to wait for it to cover the coals. By the time every piece has turned white, you have burned through a lot of fuel before cooking anything.
• In Charlie, the thermometer has reached your target. No need to look at the coals at all.

Do you need to wait for charcoal to turn white?

No. The white coating is simply ash forming on the outside as the charcoal burns. Good lumpwood contains no fillers or lighting chemicals that need to burn off first, so once it is hot, you can cook.

The old advice to wait for white coals comes from cheap briquettes and instant-light bags, which need time for their additives to burn away. With good charcoal, waiting only wastes fuel. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations notes that well-carbonised charcoal burns cleanly, while poorly made charcoal with a lot of volatile material left in it burns with a smoky flame. Read the FAO guidance on charcoal quality.

What affects how long charcoal takes to be ready?

• Charcoal type. Lumpwood lights faster than dense briquettes. Smaller pieces catch quickly. Larger pieces take longer but burn for longer.
• Airflow. More oxygen means a faster start, so keep the vents fully open while the coals catch.
• Quantity. A bigger pile takes a little longer to get going.
• Dryness. Damp charcoal is slow to light and smokes more. Store it somewhere dry.
• Weather. Cold, wet or windy days slow an open barbecue down. Charlie lights and cooks in all weathers, because the fire sits inside a closed, insulated oven.

How long until a charcoal oven is ready?

In a charcoal oven, you don't judge the coals. You light them and watch the temperature.

In Charlie, pile about half a football's worth of lumpwood charcoal in the centre of the fire grates, light one or two natural firelighters, open both vents fully and close the door. The chimney draws air up through the charcoal. When the thermometer is about 10°C (20°F) short of the temperature you want, set both vents to about 2.5 cm (1 inch) open and the oven will hold there for hours. Our guide to lighting Charlie and controlling the temperature takes you through it step by step.

When is it ready for pizza?

Allow 30 minutes from lighting before the first pizza goes in. The thermometer may reach 375 to 400°C (705 to 750°F) sooner with good charcoal, but the pizza stones need the full 30 minutes to heat through. For pizza, use three quarters to a full football of charcoal and build the fire towards the back of the oven. Then try our Neapolitan-style pizza.

The hand test for an open barbecue

On an open barbecue without a thermometer, the traditional way to judge the heat is the hand test. Hold your open palm a safe distance above the grill and count how long you can comfortably keep it there. The fewer the seconds, the hotter the fire.

The hand test is rough and a little risky. In Charlie, the thermometer on the door shows the temperature inside the oven, so there is no guesswork.

When is a BBQ ready to cook on?

On an open charcoal barbecue, the coals are ready when they are glowing and the lighting smoke has cleared, usually 15 to 20 minutes after lighting good lumpwood. Spread the coals out, give them a minute to settle, then cook. If flames are still licking up off the charcoal, wait a little longer, as direct flame chars the outside of food before the inside is cooked.

How long does charcoal stay hot enough to cook?

On an open barbecue, a load of lumpwood usually gives around 1 to 2 hours of good cooking heat before it needs topping up.

A charcoal oven makes the same charcoal go much further, because the insulation keeps the heat in and the vents control how quickly the fuel burns. In Charlie, half a football of good lumpwood holds 200°C (390°F) for 4 to 6 hours. For low and slow cooking at 100 to 130°C (210 to 265°F), a full grate keeps the oven at temperature for up to 16 hours. Try it with our seven-hour lamb shoulder.

More charcoal makes the fire last longer, not hotter. To go hotter, you also need to give it more air through the vents. Any charcoal left over when you finish can be used again next time.

Now you know when your fire is ready, our beginners guide to cooking with charcoal covers heat control and your first cook, and our smoked brisket guide shows what a long, low cook looks like in practice. To add flavour with wood, read why smoking food makes it taste better, or browse our charcoal oven recipes for ideas.