If you coat your fingers and fingernails with a touch of petroleum jelly before starting any messy work, cleaning them afterward will be much easier.

If your grill is new, it's important to "season" it (remove any impurities or residue and residual metals). Just light some charcoal in the grill (the same amount you'd use for cooking) and let it burn at a low temperature for several hours (you'll need to add a few briquettes now and then to keep it going; see Step 3 for temperature guidelines). When the fire dies down, rub down the cooking grids and the inside of the barbecue lid with an old rag.

2torial #0816: Learn2 Light a Charcoal Grill Arrange and light the charcoal To get things started, open the grill's lid and all of its vents. Remove the top rack (where the food cooks) and set it aside. To determine the proper amount of charcoal to use, spread a single layer of it across the bottom of the grill (if there's a bottom rack, put the charcoal on top of it). The layer should extend about one to two inches beyond the top rack's cooking area. If the weather is humid or windy, add a few extra coals (to keep up the heat). You can use any of several methods to light your charcoal. Check out the options listed here and decide which is right for you. Like most cooking methods, it basically comes down to a matter of personal taste. Method One: Use a charcoal chimney Charcoal chimneys, which are basically aluminum cylinders with holes around the bottom, are extremely easy to use (no lighter fluid necessary). You can purchase them in most hardware stores, but it's just as easy to make one yourself using the following steps: Remove both ends of a clean, empty one-gallon metal can. Use a handheld can opener to punch several holes around the bottom edge. Punch two holes directly across from each other on the top edge. Bend a coat hangar into a handle, and attach it to the chimney by bending the wire ends through the top two holes. Move the charcoal aside and place the chimney in the grill. Put a few pieces of wadded-up newspaper in the bottom of the chimney and fill the rest with the charcoal. Light the newspaper from the holes in the can's bottom edge. When the coals are glowing (they will be after about 15 minutes), use your tongs to slowly lift the can out of the grill, leaving the coals behind. Keep your chimney with your grilling tools for the next barbecue. Method Two: Use a milk carton Fill a half-gallon paper milk carton with the proper amount of briquettes, place it on the bottom of the barbecue, and light the bottom of the carton. The briquettes will be glowing when the last of the carton burns away. Method Three: Use lighter fluid Squeezing the can of fluid firmly, squirt the contents over the charcoal, dousing all of the briquettes. You'll need approximately two fluid ounces per pound of charcoal; it takes about one second to squirt out an ounce. Stack the charcoal into a pyramid. Put the remainder of the fluid away. Far away. Using it after the charcoal has already been lit is a bad and extremely dangerous idea. Light the bottom of the pile with a long match or barbecue lighter (you may need to light it in a few different places if you're using a lot of charcoal). Method Four: Use self-igniting briquettes Stack the charcoal into a pyramid and then light it at the bottom. Method Five: Use alternative "jump starters" Various other charcoal "jump starters," including jellies, waxes, compressed wood pieces and electrical devices, are available at many hardware stores. If you use them, simply follow the manufacturers' instructions. Note: Petroleum-based products such as liquid charcoal starter and self-igniting briquettes can in some cases affect the taste of your food (and not in a good way!). Use them as a last resort, and be sure to let their fumes burn off completely before placing your food on the grill. This will take 30 to 45 minutes. Step 2