Charcoal Grilling | Grill Mates® | Master the Flame, Master the Flavor

Heat	Temperature	Where to Place Food on Charcoal Grill	Appearance of Charcoal Grill when Ready

High	450 - 650 F	Directly over center of bright red-orange glow	Coals glow bright red-orange (hand 4 inches above grate for 2-3 seconds)

Medium-High	400 F	On edge of red-orange glowing center	Coals glow orange while starting to ash over (hand 4 inches above grate for 4-5 seconds)

Medium	325-350 F	In the 1-2 inch-wide ring surrounding red-orange glowing center	Coals will be lightly ashed over but still glowing orange (hand 4 inches above grate for 6-8 seconds)

Medium-Low	300 F	In the 3-4 inch-wide ring surrounding red-orange glowing center	Coals will be ashed over and have a faint orange glow (hand 4 inches above grate for 9-10 seconds)

Low	225-250 F	In the 5-6 inch-wide ring surrounding red-orange glowing center	Coals will be thickly ashed over (hand 4 inches above grate for 11-14 seconds)

Prior to start, check for adequate fuel. An average fire uses 3-4 pounds of charcoal.
The charcoal is ready for cooking when about 80% of the coals appear gray with ash. (At night, these coals appear glowing red)
To lower the temperature spread the coals.
To intensify the heat, consolidate the coals closer together.
The vents, usually found in the lid, may also be used for temperature control.

Temperature	Minutes from Lighting	Appearance

High (450 F - 650 F)	5-10	Glowing bright orange

Medium-High (400 F)	10-15	Glowing bright orange with a faint layer of ash

Medium (300 F)	15-25	Glowing orange with a light layer of ash

Medium-Low (300 F)	25-30	Pale orange with a medium layer of ash

Low (225 F - 250 F)	30-40	Faint orange with a thick layer of ash