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How to use a charcoal grill with fan

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have a fan charcoal grill on the patio, or you are about to buy one, and kettle habits such as petrol paste, water on hot coals or cooling it indoors are the wrong sequence. This page is the order for an electric-fan basket outdoors: cells and fuel, light with the fan already on, hold the cook, extinguish without soaking the basket, and clean without washing the fan bowl. The [charcoal grill with fan comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/charcoal-grill-with-fan) holds the six listings. The Products Compared editorial team used the LotusGrill UK manual plus GOV.UK and NHS rules. We did not cook these ASINs. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a fan charcoal grill on the patio, or you are about to buy one, and kettle habits such as petrol paste, water on hot coals or cooling it indoors are the wrong sequence.

Our top picks

LotusGrill LotusGrill premium set, red

Best overall

LotusGrill LotusGrill premium set, red
8.7/10about £172
View offer
Summit Summit Alfresco smokeless grill

Alternative

Summit Summit Alfresco smokeless grill
6.0/10about £74.99
View offer
VFM e-Store VFM white smokeless grill

Alternative

VFM e-Store VFM white smokeless grill
6.5/10about £28.39
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before you light it
  2. 2.Lighting with the fan already on
  3. 3.During the cook
  4. 4.Putting it out and cleaning

Before you light it

Work outdoors only. NHS and GOV.UK forbid charcoal indoors, in a tent, under an awning or in a caravan. A balcony is not settled by a cool shell. Check charcoal barbecue on a balcony before you treat a ledge as a patio. Level ground away from fences and decking is the safer default on London Fire Brigade's tips. Fit four AA cells the right way round, or connect USB, and confirm the fan spins before gel. LotusGrill's Classic shop copy caps ordinary charcoal around 200 g. The UK manual permits ordinary charcoal with the fan on. The brand charcoal page prefers their beech. Heat beads are not recommended on the FAQ. Never use petrol or paraffin, and do not plan to carry a lit grill indoors.

Lighting with the fan already on

Put a ring of lighter gel about 10 mm wide under the mesh, or two to three capfuls from the brand lighting page. Turn the fan to maximum before the flame. Gel can be nearly invisible, so watch for heat. Set the filled container on evenly, fit the grate, close the latches, and wait. The UK manual puts ready time at about three to four minutes. Keep the fan on. A little dust smoke in the first minute is described as normal. If nothing happens, check polarity, listen for the fan, and confirm the gel lit. A VFM note of will not light is a fault, not a reason to reach for petrol. Spirit, petrol and paraffin stay off the tool.
LotusGrill LotusGrill premium set, red

Testsieger

LotusGrill LotusGrill premium set, red
8.7/10about £172
View offer

During the cook

Turn the ventilation down once the coals are going so the hot centre does not burn the food. Shared LotusGrill UK reviews say the middle runs hotter and heat is slow to recover after a low setting. Brand windows are roughly 40 to 90 minutes a basket. One Summit reviewer wrote about 30 to 45 minutes. You can add fuel mid-cook with heat-resistant gloves after the grate comes off. Stay outside, and keep children away from the open basket.

Putting it out and cleaning

Do not pour water into the charcoal container, and do not cool a hot grill with water. Leave it outdoors until fully cold. London Fire Brigade warns that an extinguished barbecue can keep producing carbon monoxide for many hours, and that fumes can travel through walls. When ash is cold, GOV.UK says empty it onto bare soil, not into a wheelie bin. The grate and inner bowl can be washed after a scrub. The outer bowl with the fan gets a damp cloth only. The charcoal container is a dry brush. If the fan mount has melted, do not relight, and use the Consumer Rights Act 2015 short-term right to reject where it applies. If someone nearby has headache, confusion or trouble breathing and carbon monoxide is possible, get them into fresh air and call 999. Do not stay to air the room.

Common questions

Do I turn the fan on before or after the gel?
Before. The UK manual and lighting page want the fan at maximum before the gel flame so the charcoal lights cleanly and the flame is not quenched. Fit the cells or USB first and confirm the fan spins.
How much gel, and why is the flame hard to see?
About a 10 mm ring under the mesh, or two to three capfuls on the brand lighting page. Ethanol gel often burns with a flame that is hard to see in daylight, so watch for heat and follow the maker's wait time rather than waiting for a campfire look.
What if it will not light?
Confirm the cells are the right way round, the fan is spinning, and the gel is actually lit. Do not move to petrol. If those checks fail on a new unit, treat it as a fault. Thin UK samples in these listings already include will-not-light lines.
Can I turn the fan down and expect the heat to return at once?
No. Shared LotusGrill UK reviews say heat recovers slowly after a low setting. Ease the dial rather than hunting for an instant spike, or the centre will scorch before the edge catches up.
How do I put the charcoal out without water in the basket?
Leave the grill outdoors until the charcoal is cold. Do not soak the container, and do not cool a hot grill with water. Empty cold ash onto bare soil, as GOV.UK describes, not into a dustbin while it is still warm.
Which parts can go in the dishwasher?
On the LotusGrill manual, the grate and inner bowl can. The outer bowl with the fan is a damp cloth only. The charcoal container is dry brush only. Listing copy that says dishwasher safe does not override that split.
Can I carry it inside to finish cooling because the shell feels cool?
No. Carbon monoxide can continue for many hours after the fire looks out, and fumes can travel through walls. Leave the grill outside, away from the home, tent or caravan, until it is fully cold.

Related pages

Charcoal grill with fan buying guide

Charcoal grill with fan vs kettle

Charcoal grill with fan

Charcoal barbecue on a balcony: rules before you light

Best charcoal grill with fan: who each listing suits

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for these ASINs on 19 October 2026, not a live check. Retrieved 22 October 2026.

  1. NHS: carbon monoxide poisoning (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK: fire safety outdoors (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: smoke control area rules (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK: nuisance smoke (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. London Fire Brigade: easy-read fire safety booklet (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. London Fire Brigade: carbon monoxide safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. LotusGrill user manual (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. BBC Gardeners' World: best charcoal barbecues 2026 (retrieved 22 October 2026)