- To get charcoal or wood to light, use a pile of small sticks and some dry newspaper. You can also buy firelighters or lighter fluid, or small bags of charcoal bundled in bags that have been pre-soaked with lighter fluid.
- Pile the charcoal in the barbeque with the lighting aid you are using, and light it. The coal will catch fire and burn with a flame for about half an hour. If it dies down quickly, try fanning it with a newspaper to feed the fire with oxygen.
- When the flames have died down and the coals are glowing red, the grill is ready to cook on. Spread the coals out across the barbeque. Pile them high on one side and low on the other to give you two different temperature levels; really hot and slightly cooler. That way, you can sear stuff like sausages and steaks on the hot side, then move them to the warm side to cook through.
- Lay the metal grill over the top of the coals. Let it heat for a few minutes and then place the food to cook. You would generally use pre-marinated meats and vegetables, brushed with adequate oil or butter to enable cooking.