BBQ Charcoal Calculator
Enter how many people you are feeding and how long the grill runs. The calculator gives briquettes, chimney starters and kilos - plus the two-zone layout that turns raw fire into actual cooking.
Bag recommendations assume a grill shaped like their brand. This one prices the real variables - guests and hours - and explains the two-zone fire, the chimney starter and the hand test that no bag label covers.
How to use
- Count guests and estimate honest grill hours (burgers an hour, chicken three).
- Buy the kilo figure plus one spare bag; leftover charcoal keeps dry for next time.
- Light in a chimney, bank coals two-thirds/one-third, and cook in the zones, not the flames.
Frequently asked questions
How much charcoal do I need for 6 people?
About 170 briquettes - two chimney starters or roughly 1.6 kg - for a three-hour cook: 25 to establish the fire plus 8 per guest-hour. Wind and winter add a quarter; the spare bag is not optional.
What is the two-zone fire?
Coals banked two-thirds on one side and one-third on the other: the hot side sears, the safe side finishes without burning. Every flare-up is solved by moving food, never by water - the zone system is what separates grilling from arson.
Is a chimney starter worth it?
Yes - coals lit evenly in 15-20 minutes with no fluid taste, for the price of one bag of premium charcoal. Lighter fluid lingers in the first cook of the day and is the reason some burgers taste like a petrol station forecourt.
How do I tell grill temperature without a thermometer?
The hand test: hold your palm at grate height - 2 seconds is searing heat, 4 is medium-high, 6 is gentle. It is imprecise and wonderful; a cheap grate thermometer makes it exact, but the hand keeps the instinct sharp.