How do you light your kamado?
Lighting a kamado in 7 steps
Step 1. Fill the kamado with large pieces of charcoal.
Step 2. Place 1 to 3 brown, environmentally-friendly firelighters between the charcoal.
Step 3. Light the firelighters with a long match.
Step 4. All vents (top and bottom) are fully opened.
Step 5. Let the firelighters burn with the lid open until they are completely gone.
Step 6. Put the grid on and close the lid.
Step 7. Use the vents to control the airflow and get the right temperature.
Tip 1: use hard pieces of charcoal for the BBQ
The temperature is more difficult to regulate if you use hard charcoal, compared to soft charcoal. Are you unsure whether the charcoal is hard or soft? Pay attention to the weight of the charcoal bag. Is the first bag heavier than the second? The first bag probably contains harder charcoal.
Tip 2: light your kamado with environmentally-friendly firelighters
It's best to light a kamado with brown, environmentally-friendly firelighters. Avoid the white, chemical firelighters. These affect the ceramic of your kamado and give a strange flavor to the meat. Don't use crumpled paper, either. The shreds can end up in your food.
Tip 3: don't use a charcoal starter
Don't use a charcoal starter to light your charcoal in the kamado. Pouring the starter into your ceramic BBQ can cause the ceramic to crack.