Charcoal grills are great for cooking barbecued foods and they are cheap, but they do take some time to heat up. The best way to get your grill up to 500 degrees is to light your charcoal in a chimney starter as soon as possible and to arrange the charcoal in a way that makes the most efficient use of your grill. Place the charcoal on one side of the grill, leaving room for your meat to avoid direct contact with the fire. The charcoal will heat up over the course of an hour or two. Once it is at 500 degrees, you can then place the meat on the other side of the grill to cook.