Place the chimney starter on the bottom grate in the grill. Crumple up about 4 pieces of newspaper and place it in the bottom of the chimney.
Fill the chimney with charcoal. I use 2/3 standard charcoal briquets for the lasting heat and 1/3 lump mesquite charcoal for flavor, but this can vary depending on what I'm cooking. The amount of charcoal you use should also vary, depending on if you are using direct or indirect heat.
Light the newspaper in a few places through the holes on the bottom of the chimney. I use a butane torch (maybe a little overkill), but you can also use long-stick matches.
The coals are ready to use when there is a thin layer of ash on the top layer of coals, about 20 minutes.
Notes
Check the chimney after five minutes to make sure they coals are starting to burn. In the rare instance that they didn't light, simply add more paper and light again.
The coals and everything around them are VERY HOT. Carefully pour the hot coals in the desired placement in your grill. It's a good idea to use some BBQ heat-protecting gloves to pick up the chimney starter.