Questions Aboout Natural Coals

[srawas89]

Hello all I have a question about natural coals. I have just started using them and I LOVE it however its quite a pain to prepare them....I am not talking about how long it takes to light them and such. I use a portable propane stove with an old fashion charcoal holder that I put over the stove with the charcoal inside I put some lighter fluid to speed up the process but I look like an idiot when taking the charcoal holder off with my oven glove cuz its so hot. Also if I could have some advice on what size pieces I should be using because I think I have put in many large pieces. Thanks for the help in advance

[camelflage]

what type of natural coals are you using, fingered or lump style?

how big are the pieces you are currently putting in there?

what size bowl are you using?

[jfaltous]

When you say you "put some lighter fluid to speed up the process", you don't mean on the coals, do you?

[Snoopy1966]

charcoal lighter fuel sounds like a really bad idea. I would not do that. You could be ingesting things into your body that is poisonous. I could be wrong, but it just does not sound like something I would do to my coals to make them light faster.

[Stuie]

If I read that right i see the problem.

1) Never use lighter fluid man
2) Charcoal holder is for transporting coals, not lighting them
3) Put the coals directly on the burner then place them in the charcoal holder with your tongs
4) Flip the coals when notice the bottom half is fully lit

[srawas89]

Ok so as far as the lighter fluid goes I dont see that as a problem since as my friends has been doing it forever and nothing is wrong with him yet. Anyway ill try it without as I didnt reall see it helping. I realize that I was a little vague on my version of the charcoal holder. It is used to hold the charcoal however the bottom is not solid and made of strips of metal. I dont know if that makes a difference. Another problem I encountered is that I tried to light the coals directly on the stove however it kept falling off and rolling underneath the flame making it useless...this is why I used the charcoal holder and I used the lighter fluid so that a flame will start on the coals faster and make the process all faster and such. Anyway I think I was using lump coals and I didnt even know there was a difference....sad really since I am full blooded Lebanese I should know this! Thanks for even more advice in advance

[MatthewLee]

Dude, not to gang up on you but this is serious business.
DON"T use lighter fluid.
Be patient and the coals will light on there own.
If your stove burner isn't working get an old pan and heat them in the pan.
You could also look into one of these (highly recommended) :
Edited June 13, 2008 by MatthewLee

[esheg4ever23]

Dude, not to gang up on you but this is serious business.
DON"T use lighter fluid.
Be patient and the coals will light on there own.
If your stove burner isn't working get an old pan and heat them in the pan.
You could also look into one of these (highly recommended) :

I use an electric coil stove just like that, I let it warm up for about a minute or two, put 2 sticks of natural coals, they're red hot and ready to go within 5 minutes max. Great investment.

[Click]

walgreens ftw.

[antouwan]

ana lubnani mitlak, wine baytek bi lubnan?

anyway...
yes, i use naturals every now and then ( i love to use them outside, they're too much work and too messy indoors) get an electric coil stove, it lights them super quickly. no lighter fluid (although i know codename does this when making large batches - i still wouldn't do it though) i use pieces about the size of a lemon wedge give or take, because they do lose a little volume whilst cooking

[Codename067]

Those electric burners ftw. I use one I bought from Walgreens. 10 bucks.

Lighter fluid burns out very quickly.

Let the flame go out..let the coal sit for a minute or two after its done, and you should be ok [Thats IF you have to use lighter fluid]

[esheg4ever23]

ana lubnani mitlak, wine baytek bi lubnan?

If you were reffering that post at me, I don't speak much Arabic but I'm going to start learning. Primarily Armenian and some French.

[srawas89]

Shou ana lubnani kamen haha. Abi wa Imi min Lubnan bas ana aish fi America. Andi bayt bil Beruit bas I havnt been there in about 4 years, insit wayna. As you can tell I can only speak some arabic. Working on it tho. Anyway I was also wondering how well an electric stove will work, its not a coil, I hear that it may make a bad mess on the stove so I was just wondering.

[MatthewLee]

It will make a slight mess (ash) but nothing permanent or uncleanable.
Not too sure about using the flat / no coil surface on an electric stove. ???
Just get an old pan and heat them in the pan on the cooktop...or as suggested by the group, buy a $7-$10 portable burner.