This thing is a masterpiece of design. I want to buy one for everyone I know. The ignition gel is available at Walmart with the outdoor camping stuff, made by Sterno. Squirt some of the gel into the little tray, the directions say 20 grams, just once around the little grove in the tray. Put seven to ten briquettes in the other cup. Light the gel, place the cup with the charcoal on, and turn up the fan. The gel smokes for a few minutes, I do this outside. In about three minutes (by the time I get back with my beverage of choice) the charcoal is hot and the smoke nearly stops.Then I carry the grill to the dinning table inside, located in front of the patio doors... plenty of ventilation. There are handles for holding it, the handles never get hot. From that point on you have super hot cooking and the nice smoke from whatever you are cooking. The heat lasts about 30 minutes. We have cooked beef, chicken and fish, and vegetables and mushrooms... everything is grilled to perfection right in front of you... in minutes. It looks expensive but the time you save will pay the price tag. Spend your time with your friends and family. The grill surface is 11 inches across and the super hot section is about 5 inches across... so you can serve up to four people, no more. To serve more people I plan to buy more round tables... and more Homping grills.May 18 Update: I plan to price shop for the next one, I see the price has come down considerably from some sellers, but it has to be this exact make and model.May 20 Update: This grill has not come down in price. Some sellers list it for $81, with $121 for shipping. This is a $200 grill, and it's worth every penny of $200. I bought the same one for the same price and sent it to my dad for his 84th birthday.The gel is Sterno 20216 All-Weather Instant Flame Gel Fire Starter