HI,
As already said, you can buy the charcoal that already has "lighter" in it. Just put a match to it, wait just a little, and it start to slowly flame up by itself. Takes about 15 min. or so to form ashes all over it, meaning it's ready to go.
I always put a layer of aluminum foil down over the grill itself, then lay the charcoal over the foil. The foil reflects heat much better, and doesn't require using as much charcoal.
During cooking, take a stick or something, and gently tap the top of the charcoal, letting the ashes fall off it. The ashes act as "insulation", stopping some of the heat from going upwards.
I clean out the grill after cooking, when the ashes cool down. Then, the foil can do its things again, reflecting heat upward, when wanting to cook the next time. Best of luck, and good bbq' ing.
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