I do a chimney spread over the whole grate and rotate the skewers every couple of minutes. No cooking grate installed. I usually give the coals 10-15 minutes or so to settle down after I dump them so it isn't so roaring hot. The distance added by the ring really helps, I can cook everything together. No longer have to cook veggies and meat for different amounts of time. One of my favorite accessories, Weber should definitely bring it back.