An American Story

The history of grilling at Kingsford is a classic American story. It all started in 1919 when Edward G. Kingsford helped Henry Ford procure a stretch of timberland to supply wood for his auto plants.

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Kingsford® Preserve the Pit

Kingsford remains committed to celebrating Black barbecue culture by launching the second year of Preserve the Pit and doubling the investment in aspiring barbecue professionals.

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American Pride

An American-made company founded over 100 years ago, Kingsford has a lot to be proud of. Our employees have been continuing the family tradition in backyards across the nation.

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Kingsford®

Match Light® Charcoal

(1410 Reviews)
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  • No lighter fluid needed
  • Ready to cook on in 10 minutes

Kingsford® Match Light® Charcoal lights every time—guaranteed.* Because the briquets are infused with just the right amount of lighter fluid, they light instantly*, and stay lit with no lighter fluid needed. They light with just a match and are ready to cook on in 10 minutes — making them perfect for tailgates and other on-the-go events. And our Match Light® Charcoal is made with North American wood and the same quality ingredients as Kingsford® Original to deliver an authentic wood-fired BBQ flavor — instantly. Available in a variety of sizes, from 4-lb. to 2x16-lb. bags.

For best results, always close the bag tightly after use. Kingsford® Match Light® Charcoal should last 1–2 years in unopened bags stored in a cool, dry place. For best lighting results, partially used bags should be rolled tightly down to the level of the briquets in the bag and securely closed. Additionally, storing open or unopened bags in a cool, dry place will help maintain performance.

* When used as directed
Pairs well with this recipe

Grilled Ribeye

Grilling thick cut ribeye steaks to perfection is simple, fast and fit for every occasion.

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HOW TO ARRANGE CHARCOAL BEFORE GRILLING

Discover the best ways to grill and smoke using Kingsford® Charcoal Briquets. We’ll show you how much charcoal you should be using to achieve the right grilling temperature, and techniques to use for different types of food. It’s easy — just follow along.

Learn How
Reviews
4.1
1410 Reviews
Rated 1 out of 5 by from It won't light I used to use the regular charcoal, but decided to give this match light a try. It did not light at all. The bag has not been opened and it was stored in my cool garage. I stacked the briquettes and lit from the bottom corners. Absolutely nothing happened on either side. So of course I had no choice but to use lighter fluid. I hope my food doesnt taste like lighter fluid because if its already infused in the coal they should light right up and I should have to use lighter fluid. But nothing happened. I am highly disappointed!
Date published: 2022-01-24
Rated 1 out of 5 by from would not light After years of using kingsford it has now become one of the worst "instant light" charcoals on the market. The past 4 bags purchased have never caught flame like they used to. EVERY SINGLE ONE has required the use of lighter fluid just like normal charcoal. I have to say the quality has definitely lost its touch over the past years. At one point I had even gone back to the grocery store for a store brand knock off that was way better. I kept going back to you, however you have continued to let me down. Its just another disappointment in what used to be a great brand. Sorry kingsford but you have now lost a loyal purchaser because of your product quality.
Date published: 2022-01-16
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Will not light Just bought a bag and can not get it to light. Even using lighter fluid it will not burn.
Date published: 2021-12-21
Rated 5 out of 5 by from We have a charcoal We have a charcoal grill and this is the only kind of charcoal my husband will use. The instant light takes the struggle out of lighting the coals. It is a little bit more expensive than just regular coals but it’s worth the price.
Date published: 2021-11-25
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Terrible product I would never buy this product ever again, it flamed up to quickly only to put itself out. The result was half cooked chicken that had to go in the oven. What made matters worse is I bought the bag with 1/3 of the bag filled with charcoal.
Date published: 2021-11-09
Rated 2 out of 5 by from Briquette would not light! Have used them numerous times before with no issues…At our Lions Club BBQ Tuesday they would not light. After several attempts we had to use lighter fluid to start the briquets and then they burned away very quickly. The extra cost of the match light is not worth it.
Date published: 2021-10-21
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Not what it Used to be I have bought bags before they just don’t work like they used to very disappointing
Date published: 2021-10-12
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Doesn't light instantly I bought this a week ago. Isn't lighting instantly at all
Date published: 2021-10-02
Rated 3 out of 5 by from DIssapointed I used this product three times and when I went to use it for the fourth time(and I had a guest here) the product didnt light up, I had no lighter fluid(match light ) so I had to go and unwrap my large 6 person grill and fire that up to make dinner for two...whats up with this product ......
Date published: 2021-09-06
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Did not light I bought this a few weeks ago and it did not light like it says on the bag. I went through almost a box of matches. Had to go to store to get different charcoal and lighter fluid.
Date published: 2021-09-06
Rated 2 out of 5 by from Fluid taste! I generally use the original Kingsford briquettes, that require fluid. I've NEVER had a problem with the original, and love it. Just last night, I decided to barbeque a rack of ribs, and a pack of chicken thighs. My mouth was drooling at the thought of this dinner. Come to find out I needed more charcoal. Ran out & Tried the match light for the first time. I will say that it did light, without any problem, so that was convenient and why I gave it 2 stars.. The smell of the fluid was rather strong, upon opening the bag, but it kind of made sense if it doesn't require fluid, right? Right. So, I carried on. Lit the grill and waited a good 25 mins until the charcoal was coated over with ash, and I felt like any fluid would be burned off! Wrong! My entire dinner was sadly ruined. Everything tasted like fluid, despite waiting. I've always turned to Kingsford, and had high hopes for the match light experience. Unfortunately after this experience, I can't say I'll ever try it again. Literally wasted a whole rack of ribs, pack of chicken thighs, and I have about half a bag of the match light left, that I don't see me using again. I'm sorry to be this person, but I have to keep it real.
Date published: 2021-09-03
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Going back to either gas or charcoal and fluid I'm on my 3rd bag of Matchlight and have only had 1 good experience. I've stored as directed and followed instructions for use. I'm done. I've been trying for 30 minutes to get it to light with no success. No wind and dry charcoal. The concept is great but it still needs work. I don't recommend this product at all.
Date published: 2021-08-29
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Caution On the 4th of July we had a bag self ignite. It was not near a heat source, but was in the sun. It caught the house on fire. we put the fire out but had to replace garage door, the jam and electrical. I will never buy this charcoal again.
Date published: 2021-08-15
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Beyond disappointing I rented a camp in the Adirondacks and when I arrived,I discovered the grill was charcoal. So naturally I picked up a bag of match light because of Kingsford's exceptional reputation. In hindsight, I should have gone with the no name brand. It took at least 10 minutes to get the charcoal lit because it kept going out. Then it took well over 30 minutes for the coals to turn gray. I can deal with that but then my food tasted like lighter fluid. I had to drive to the closest town about 15 miles away to get something for dinner because the meal I grilled was inedible.
Date published: 2021-07-30
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Bring backup lighter fluid I bought a bag of Match Light to take a baseball game to tailgate beforehand. We could not get the coals to light. We even tried burning part of the bag to ignite the coals. Still didn’t work. We ended up eating the overpriced food in the ballpark spending about $150 rather than the good food we brought.
Date published: 2021-07-14
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Won’t burn I’ve been using Match Light for years with no problems. Now all of a sudden, we’ve had three bags that wouldn’t light in the last couple of weeks - stacking, newspapers, etc., nothing has worked. What is going on with Match Light?
Date published: 2021-07-13
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Nasty Used Kingsford Match Light yesterday. It very difficult to light and wen we grilled our $40 tenderloins on it the came out tasting like light fluid. Buyer beware
Date published: 2021-07-12
Rated 1 out of 5 by from 4th bag since May that doesn't burn 4th bag I've bought since May that must've been rained on or too hold to light...
Date published: 2021-07-10
Rated 2 out of 5 by from Works great unless it’s windy I bought a bag from Kroger thinking I’d save some money and skip out on lighter fluid. Then about the third time using it, the wind blew it out right after it lit and I couldn’t get it started without lighter fluid, which I didn’t buy because the instructions literally say not to use it.
Date published: 2021-07-08
Rated 5 out of 5 by from This is what we This is what we always use anytime we do cookouts or just cooking on the grill! Prefect to no need for lighter fluid
Date published: 2021-06-21
Rated 5 out of 5 by from The Best I have been using this product for years and never had any issues with it. It lights up easily and stay lit for long cooking times. Don't waste your money on anything else.
Date published: 2021-06-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Simplified grilling! A friend of mine recently recommended this particular brand of charcoal. Purchased a bag yesterday and was amazed! The charcoals burned so smoothly and grilled my food to perfection! This will now be the only brand that I purchase in the near future! Definitely recommending this to other!
Date published: 2021-06-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by from We use to buy We use to buy different kinds now we buy just this match light because it’s easy to light and stays on longer
Date published: 2021-06-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easiest way to get Easiest way to get the grill going. I use the throw it in and light on fire method... no fancy methods. Works well, no nasty after taste on food.
Date published: 2021-06-18
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Doesn’t light I have used Match Light for years and lived the ease of using it. Unfortunately, none of the briquettes from my last two bags lit.
Date published: 2021-06-14
Rated 4 out of 5 by from This charcoal briquettes are This charcoal briquettes are great for a last minute cookout. Go get a bag throw them in the grill Ina pyramid and light them up. Quick and easy. Don't have to mess with a chimney or lighter fluid.
Date published: 2021-06-11
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Took a few but Took a few but it lit up decently. We had a small grill but it worked great for what we needed but we added lighter fluid to get a bigger flame.
Date published: 2021-06-10
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Horrible Would not light. I bought this specifically so I wouldn’t need to buy starter fluid. What a mistake that was. Would not light with matches, lighters, etc. I even tried pouring whiskey on it and it still refused to light. Looks like I’ll be boiling my brats tonight. Thanks Kingsford for the horrible product. 0 stars WOULD NOT recommend.
Date published: 2021-06-10
Rated 3 out of 5 by from Funny taste? Great lighting and very convenient, tho beef has a chemical taste after grilling.
Date published: 2021-06-06
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Failed To my amazement the first bag lit instantly with a match. Second bag? Failed miserably. Matches and torch lighter couldn’t light these up. $10 down the drain.
Date published: 2021-06-05
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Light your fire with all new Kingsford® products.

Explore our full range of charcoal, pellets and flavor boosters to take your grilling to the next level.