
Think of this as your charcoal reference manual — how much to use, heat ranges, and a simple visual guide to popular charcoal arrangements.
How much charcoal should I use?

- High heat450°F to 550°F1 full chimney
- Medium heat350°F to 450°F½ to ¾ full chimney
- Low heat250°F to 350°F¼ full chimney
Exactly how hot are the coals?

- High heat450°F to 550°F2 to 4 seconds
- Medium heat350°F to 450°F5 to 6 seconds
- Low heat250°F to 350°F8 to 10 seconds
What is the best way to arrange the coals for cooking?
The answer depends on what you’re cooking. See below for basic and more advanced configurations.
Direct-heat grilling
Coals are spread out in a single layer across the bottom cooking grate. Ideal for high-heat cooking and thin cuts of meat. Unless you absolutely need the entire grill space, it’s still best to leave a void zone. Read more about direct-heat grilling- High-heat 450°F to 550°F
- Coals needed: 1 whole chimney, about 100 briquets

The two-zone fire
Your go-to configuration for almost everything. Coals spread out over half the grill, leaving the other half empty. Gives you all the advantages of direct heat for searing and the flexibility of indirect heat for cooking slowly or managing flare-ups. Ideal for steaks, chops, bone-in and boneless chicken cuts, and seafood. Read more about the two-zone fire.- High-heat 450°F to 550°F
- Medium-heat 350°F to 450°F
- Coals needed: ½ to 1 whole chimney, about 50–100 briquets

Two-zone fire: parallel configuration
Coals spread along either side of the grill, with an empty space down the center. Ideal for smoking and low-temperature cooking of larger roasts, whole chickens and turkeys. Read more about the parallel configuration.- Low-heat 250°F to 350°F
- Coals needed: 1 whole chimney to start, about 100 briquets. Additional coals later.

The charcoal snake
Unlit coals and smoke wood are arranged in a circle around the inside edge of your grill. A few lit coals are added to one end of the snake, which burns slowly over several hours. Read more about the charcoal snake.- Low-heat smoking 225°F to 250°F
- Coals needed: 100 unlit coals, six to eight lit coals to start the snake. Additional coals later.

Smoking
Smoking is a low and slow cooking method where meats are cooked over indirect heat at low temperatures for hours at a time. Hardwood chunks or chips of wood soaked in water are added to lend smoke aromas and flavors to the meats. There are several different types of smokers available, but all use indirect heat. Read more about smoking techniques.- Low-heat smoking 225°F to 250°F
- Coals needed: Fill your charcoal bed with unlit coals, and add only a few lit coals to start the process.

Whether searing over direct heat or finishing indirectly, a great way to add flavor is with Kingsford® Smokehouse Style Briquets with Mesquite.
See detailsSize matters. Small, portable or hibachi-style grills need much less charcoal to obtain high temperatures.

Big birds like turkeys and large roasts cook best using an indirect cooking method like the parallel configuration or the charcoal snake.