Hum... not so sure about this...

[K Frame]

Reading CR's article on "How to Cook on a Charcoal Grill," https://www.consumerreports.org/grilling/how-to-cook-on-a-charcoal-grill/.

This sentence gave me pause...

"Fill the chimney to the top and rest it on a level, heatproof surface, like an asphalt driveway..."

You know, the last thing I'm going to do is put a charcoal chimney, which develops a lot of heat, on an asphalt driveway. Concrete, no problem. Yes, asphalt is "fireproof," but you can still damage it with localized heat.

[Scout26]

I generally let it sit in the grill on the grate.  Simply because there will be bits of charcoal (I use lump, not brickettes), that fall through, so instead of having hot coals on the ground somewhere, they are right were they are supposed to be.  Then when it's ready, I just flip and dump into the grill.  Put the food grate over the top and let it heat up before I put the food on there.

Why is that so hard ??

[K Frame]

Same here, I put it on my Weber bottom grate.

Occasionally, if I'm adding coals to an established coal bed (or adding new coals to a previous fire's coals) I'll start it on my concrete patio. I tend not to do that anymore now that I have Seren, though.

[wmenorr67]

I generally let it sit in the grill on the grate.  Simply because there will be bits of charcoal (I use lump, not brickettes), that fall through, so instead of having hot coals on the ground somewhere, they are right were they are supposed to be.  Then when it's ready, I just flip and dump into the grill.  Put the food grate over the top and let it heat up before I put the food on there.

Why is that so hard ??

This right here.

[lupinus]

Yep. Only time I start it outside the grill is to add to an already going fire.

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[T.O.M.]

I start in the Weber, too.  I also follow the Minion method of putting unlit chunks on the hot coals for longer cooks.  No need to fire up a second chimney if you can extend the existing one.

[Jim147]

In the Weber here also. If I am doing a long cook I use my grate with the flip up wings and add as needed.

[K Frame]

I also use the grate wings, as needed, but there are times when you need that extra blast of heat that a fully started charge of coals will bring.

[makattak]

My grill is not conducive to setting the chimney on top. It generally goes onto dirt.

I'm not concerned about burning the dirt.

Completely unrelated note, but if you've already gotten the bottom coals started and a sudden, unexpected downpour occurs, you can pick up the chimney and stand under a tree while the rest of the coals get started.