bbq: I want to get a BBQ now that we have a little garden, but I am unsure of the basics. Do you need lighting blocks? Is lighting fluid safe? Are briquettes better or the instant lighting bags? Any ideas will be appreciated.|||Hi, I use wood rather than charcoal as I prefer the flame grilled taste, but the way of lighting it is the same. I use either the lighting fluid or the lighting blocks, I prefer the fluid. Don't be tempted to buy the fuel based fluid though as it tastes in the food. I use one based on vegetable oil. I build a pyramid of wood or charcoal in the middle of the barbecue. Enough to fill the fire tray. Then I squirt the lighter fluid over it and set fire to it. The fluid is not explosive and will just catch with a gentle flame. Leave it alone for about 15 minutes, then, with your barbecue rake, spread out the coals. Leave a bit longer. If you're using charcoal all the coals will turn grey. Once you're ready, put the cooking grill over the coals and start to cook and enjoy your first barbecue. All the best. It's a fabulous method of cooking|||I personally use natural charcoal and either a chimney (you can buy one at a hardware store) or lighting blocks (I use the natural vege-oil based ones). Both are pretty easy. If using the blocks pile the charcoal up in a pyramid like pile and add a few blocks around the edges (my piles usually take about 4-5) and light the blocks, leave the cover off and let the coals catch fire until they're almost ready (starting to be a little ashy) before putting on the lid to heat up the grate and interior of the grill. For chimney's just add the charcoal and stuff a little paper under and light in on fire, make sure it's on a non-flammable surface. Once the coals are ready pour them into the grill and cover to heat up.|||I would not use lighting fluid. The taste will seep into your food. Yuck! We use good old Kingsford Charcoal that cost approximately $6 for a large bag. Put your charcoal in the bottom of the grill and soak with charcoal lighter fluid. Let it sit there for at least 5-10 min. Use of a long stemmed lighter (made for grills) to light charcoal. There is also Matchlite that already has the fluid in it. You don't add anything to it. I have added some newspaper to it to get it started. Once the charcoals start having a whiteness around the edges, they are good and hot. Add your food.|||I much prefer char coal to gas. Better flavor. I use 1/4 cup vegetable oil on the briquettes to get them started. I just don't trust the chemicals in the other commercial fluids.