Handle with care and be sure to use heat-proof apparatus for burning incense blends. All you need is the flame from a butane lighter on the edge of the briquet. The sparking begins almost immediately, but may be hard to detect. I would suggest holding it with tongs, or immediately put the charcoal in a burner, because the disk becomes very hot, very quickly. Place incense on the briquets's recessed surface. It will continue to burn the incense for up to an hour.