Garden 
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. We do not buy, test, or physically handle the products we cover; our rankings come from aggregated owner reviews, ratings and expert consensus. Commissions never change our verdicts. How we rank · full disclosure.
Use a full chimney — about 80 to 100 standard briquettes, or roughly 6 quarts — for high-heat searing on a 22 inch kettle; two-thirds of a chimney for medium heat around 350 to 400F; and for low and slow at 225 to 250F, fill the basket with unlit coals and light only 8 to 12 of them. The number that matters is not how much charcoal is in the grill, it is how much is burning at once. That distinction is why the same 5 pounds of fuel can give you 45 minutes of searing heat or 10 hours of barbecue.
Quantities by grill size and cook
| Grill | High heat 450F+ | Medium 350–400F | Low and slow 225–250F |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 in portable kettle | ~30 briquettes | ~20 | Full small basket, 6 lit |
| 18 in kettle | ~55–65 | ~40 | Full basket, 8 lit |
| 22 in kettle | Full chimney, 80–100 | ~60 | Full ring, 10–12 lit |
| 26 in kettle | 1.5 chimneys, 120–150 | ~90 | Full ring, 12–15 lit |
| Barrel / offset smoker | 2 chimneys | 1 chimney plus splits | Full basket, 12–15 lit |
| Kamado (large) | Fill to the top of the firebox | Half firebox | Full firebox, 3–5 lit spots |
A kamado behaves differently from a kettle: the ceramic holds heat so well that you always fill the firebox and control everything with the vents. Never partially fill a kamado for a long cook — fill it and light only a small area.
Converting between measures
| Measure | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 full standard chimney | ~80–100 briquettes, ~6 quarts, ~5–6 lb |
| 1 full chimney of lump | ~40–60 pieces, ~4–5 lb |
| 16–20 lb bag of briquettes | ~3 full chimneys |
| 1 layer covering half a 22 in charcoal grate | ~50–60 briquettes |
| Snake, 2 wide x 2 high around a 22 in kettle | ~90–110 briquettes, 8–12 hours |
Lump versus briquettes changes the amount
Lump charcoal burns hotter and faster than briquettes, so for the same target temperature you generally use a slightly smaller volume of lump and expect it to last about a third less time. Lump also produces less ash, which matters on long cooks where ash buildup chokes the bottom vent. Briquettes are more uniform, which makes them easier to measure and better suited to snake and minion arrangements where predictability is the whole point. The full comparison is in lump charcoal vs briquettes.
What it costs in 2026
As of 2026, a 16 to 20 pound bag of standard briquettes runs about $12 to $22 across most US markets and lump runs $18 to $30 for a comparable bag, with warehouse-club multi-packs at the low end and specialty hardwood lump at the high end. Regional variation is modest — usually a couple of dollars — with the Northeast and West Coast slightly above the national average and the Southeast slightly below. Practical per-cook figures:
| Cook | Charcoal used | 2026 fuel cost |
|---|---|---|
| Weeknight burgers, full chimney | 5–6 lb | $4–$7 |
| Chicken, two-thirds chimney | 3–4 lb | $3–$5 |
| All-day pork shoulder | 12–15 lb | $9–$18 |
| Season of weekly grilling (25 cooks) | ~120 lb | $90–$160 |
Reusing coals cuts that by a third or more. If you shut the grill down by closing both vents rather than dousing it, the partly spent coals left on the grate light quickly next time — see how to put out a charcoal grill. Mix them roughly half and half with fresh, and add about 25 percent more by volume since reused coals burn shorter.
The mistakes that waste charcoal
- Lighting the whole bag for a 20 minute cook. The most common and most expensive habit. Light what you need.
- Spreading coals evenly across the whole grate. You lose the cool zone and burn twice the fuel. Bank to one side.
- Letting ash block the bottom vent. Airflow dies, the fire dies, and you add fuel to fix a problem that was ash. Clear it mid-cook on long sessions.
- Dousing with water at the end. Every reusable coal is destroyed. Close both vents instead.
- Adding raw briquettes onto a live fire. They smother the fire and give off acrid smoke while they light. Add pre-lit coals from a chimney.
- Storing charcoal where it gets damp. Damp briquettes light poorly and burn cool. Keep the bag sealed, off a concrete floor, and under cover.
Getting the heat you paid for
Fuel quantity sets the ceiling; vents set everything below it. Once the coals are lit, the bottom intake is the throttle and the top exhaust stays mostly open — the settings for each target temperature are in controlling temperature on a charcoal grill. A chimney starter is the one accessory that pays for itself here, since it lets you light a measured amount evenly in 15 to 20 minutes with no lighter fluid. If your grill will not hold heat regardless of fuel, the seal or the ash is usually the problem, and our charcoal grill picks cover the models owners rate for airtight vent hardware.
Safety
Light and use charcoal outdoors only, on a stable non-combustible surface, clear of siding and overhangs, in line with NFPA's grilling safety guidance. Charcoal produces carbon monoxide the entire time it burns and smolders, and it is odorless — never take a lit or cooling grill into a garage, tent, screened porch or any enclosed space. Never add lighter fluid to lit or warm coals — NFPA says to use only charcoal starter fluid and never add it to an existing fire. Handle ash only when cold, at least 24 hours after the fire is out, and store it in a metal container with a metal lid away from the house, which is exactly what NFPA recommends for charcoal disposal.
We never buy, test or physically handle the products we rank. Recommendations come from aggregated owner reviews, star ratings, review volume and expert consensus — see how we rank.
More from this hub: Outdoor Living & Grills · Charcoal temperature control · How long a bag of charcoal lasts · Lump vs briquettes · Best charcoal grills · How we rank