Charcoal Starters

A lot of people grew up using lighter fluid to get charcoal started. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of the flavor you get from food cooked over lighter fluid-fueled flames. So here’s my favorite ways to start charcoal without using any extra chemicals.

The Rapidfire Charcoal Chimney is great if you want to light a large amount of coals altogether, but what if you only need to light a couple lumps or briquettes for that long and slow cook in your Kamado or Kettle smoker/grill? You will want to use something different to light those couple coals. And put away the lighter fluid, there are better options. I’ll explain below.

Weber RapidFire Chimney Starter Review

The Weber name carries weight and respect in the BBQ world. Apart from its much-vaunted and extremely popular range of grills, Weber also has several excellent grilling accessories on the market and one of the best is the RapidFire chimney starter. As far as chimney starters go, this ticks all the right boxes and is our favorite way to ignite charcoals for the grill grate quickly and conveniently.

The RapidFire sports sturdy, robust construction using quality materials. Since a chimney starter is meant to withstand large amounts of heat on a regular basis, the quality and durability emerge as important factors. The Weber product inspires confidence in this regard, with dimensions of 13 x 7.5 x 12 inches, the product feels comfortable to use without being unduly heavy.

In spite of the small design, the Weber RapidFire allows a lot of charcoal to be packed into its charcoal chamber. This means that you can start off with an adequate quantity of charcoal and do not have to repeat the process multiple times, even for larger cooking batches. The initial batch of hot charcoal can be used to ignite any additional charcoal, if needed.

The large cylindrical charcoal chamber sports a conical shape inside. This is significant as the charcoal at the bottom can heat up quickly and transfer heat and hot air to the top, providing even, consistent heating that gets all your charcoal ready at one go. Uniform heating is essential when it comes to starting charcoal for the grill and the Weber does not disappoint in this regard.

The large fuel chamber in the bottom makes it perfectly simple to fill the chamber with your preferred starter. We use newspaper or any other dry paper product. After you ignite your preferred starter, you only need to wait for a small amount of time before all of your charcoal is ignited. Apart from paper, you can also use Weber Lighter Cubes if you are looking for a quicker way to get your coals going.

Apart from excellent charcoal capacity and ease of use, there are quite a few design features that makes the Weber the best charcoal chimney starter in our opinion. 

Safety of use is one of the prime concerns when it comes to charcoal starters and the Weber is loaded in this regard. You can handle this product safely and easily once the charcoal is hot enough and it comes time to dump it into the grill. 

The handle needs to remain cool for safe handling and the Weber does this remarkably well. The handle is made from a specialized material that stays cool even when the charcoal is hot. Apart from the special material, added safety is provided by a large heat shield that the handle is attached to.

Apart from the main handle, there is also an extra supporting handle for easy two-handed operation. This means that you can maintain excellent precision and safety while carrying your coals to your grill and maneuver the starter with minimal effort.

Overall, if you are looking for a simple, fast, and convenient way to get your charcoal ignited that is inexpensive to use, perfectly safe, and has zero negative impact on the flavor of your food, the Weber RapidFire chimney starter is the best lump charcoal starter that we can recommend.

Chargriller Charcoal Chimney Starter

If you hate tipping your chimney starter over to dump charcoal, Char-Griller has the answer to your frustrations. This chimney starter has a trap door on the bottom that is held by a pin attached to a quick-release trigger on the handle. When you are ready to dump the charcoal, all you have to do is pull the trigger and release the charcoal.

Char-Griller designed the starter to work perfectly with their Akorn kamado-style grills and their kettle grill. All of those grills have a removable center grate that this starter sits right over for easy dumping. However, that doesn’t mean this chimney only works for those grills. You can use it with any charcoal grill or offset smoker to get your coals started.

While others have had issues with the hinged door, I’ve had this chimney for over a year and it works just as well as it did the first time. While the outside has surface-level rust, it hasn’t affected how well it works at all.

Chargriller Chimney Dump in Action

Electric Charcoal Starter – HomeRight Electro-Torch Fire Starter

If you are looking for an excellent electric starter, the HomeRight Electro-Torch can fit the bill quite well. This electrical fire starter uses a focused flow of hot air to heat the charcoal quickly. Safe, chemical-free, and easy to use, this electric starter can make the process of getting your charcoal ready for the grill incredibly easy.

The safe, stay-cool handle allows for simple operation with an easily accessible dual-ignition switch. On the first position, you can focus super-heated air out of the nose of the device to get your charcoal ignited. The second position increases the velocity of the air allowing you to fan the flames. In combination, this is an incredibly efficient way to get your charcoal hot in minutes.

In our experience, the Electro-Torch is one of the easiest and fastest ways to ignite charcoal, being able to heat up coals in a matter of minutes. Since this is an electric starter, there are no residues of any kind. The product also comes with a two-year warranty and is extremely reliable in regular use.

Easy to Use – Grill Trade Fire Starter Sticks

If you are looking for a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to get your coals going, the Grill Trade Fire Starter product can definitely make your work a lot easier. These fire starter sticks are all-natural, allowing you to prevent any chemical fumes or residues and preserve the flavor and aroma of your food.

You can use these right on the charcoal themselves or else as a lighter for the charcoal chimney.

These fire starter sticks are made from high-quality natural pine wood shavings that are packed with natural, food-grade paraffin wax. With all natural, organic ingredients, the fire starter does not produce smoke or unnatural smells and are safe to use both indoors and outdoors.

These fire starters get very hot and burn for a long time. If you are looking to light wet or hard charcoal that is stubborn or camping out in wet conditions, this is one of the only ways to get your charcoal consistently hot reliably. The product is compact and takes very little space to store.

When to Use Charcoal Starter Sticks.

Starter sticks are the ideal charcoal starter to use when you want to only light a couple charcoal lumps or briquettes to start a slow progressive cook. A great example is when you want to smoke ribs or a brisket in a Weber Kettle. You can add a charcoal chimney worth of unlit coal into the kettle. Light a starter stick on one side of the charcoal. The lit charcoal will slowly burn and emit enough heat for a smoking temp or 225F. The Snake Method is also a great opportunity to use charcoal starter sticks.

Starter sticks can also be used in conjunction with Charcoal Chimneys. Instead of using lit paper with the charcoal chimney, use a starter stick.

Kingsford Quick Start Charcoal Chimney Starter Review

An excellent, inexpensive alternative to the Weber is this chimney starter from Kingsford. The construction, using tough zinc steel, is especially resistant to rusting and will last you a long time. The large charcoal chamber allows you to get a sufficient amount of charcoal hot to start cooking and the bottom chamber is easy to access, allowing for quick igniting of your preferred starter.

The sturdy construction also makes the product safe for regular use. The stay-cool handle works well, helped along by the large heat shield that protects your hand from the heat. The product requires no assembly and works out of the box.

The diminutive proportions of this chimney starter means that it takes very little effort to use and can be easily stored away when not in use. Altogether, it is an excellent product that does the job well while being inexpensive. If you want a cheap option with no compromise, this chimney starter from Kingsford can fit right into your BBQ arsenal.

A Detailed Look at Charcoal Starters

What are Charcoal Starters?

Charcoal starters are a class of products that allow for quick, easy, and convenient igniting of your charcoal before your put it to work on your charcoal grill. These come in many shapes and sizes and work in different ways. However, the main goal is always to raise the temperature of the charcoal quickly and get it ready for the grill. All these charcoal starters work with lump or briquette charcoal.

Why Lighter Fluids are Bad When Lighting Charcoal.

Many people use lighter fluids (also known as starter fluids) to get the charcoal going. While the process is relatively simple and the fluid gets the job done fast, there are quite a few problems with using this product. 

Starter fluids are extremely flammable and volatile. This makes using and storing them a fire hazard. Even if you are extremely careful, accidents can happen. Moreover, the chemical components of starter fluids can affect the taste of your food, leaving a burnt, chemical flavor behind. This can certainly spoil all your effort.

Advantages of Using Charcoal Starters

There are a few things that you are ideally trying to accomplish while getting your charcoal ignited for the grill. You want a method that gets the charcoal uniformly hot in very little time and with minimal effort. Using charcoal starters allows you to accomplish all this while not having to spend much time, effort, or money.

Charcoal starters are generally inexpensive products. With just one simple addition to your cooking Arsenal, you would be able to get your coals hot in very little time so that you can preserve all of your energy and concentration for the cooking itself. 

This saves your energy for the fun part and takes out any unnecessary labor from the initial part of the process.

Another major advantage of using charcoal starters is the fact that it is inherently safe in every way. Charcoal starters usually do not pose fire hazards, can be incredibly simple to store and use, and typically do not leave behind any unpleasant residue on the food. Since these do not involve the use of chemical components usually, you can be sure that you are not exposing yourself to undo health risks.

Using charcoal starters is also a great way to ensure that the process you use to ignite your charcoals does not have any unpleasant effect on your food. Charcoal starters do not leave behind chemical residues that can alter the taste and aroma of your food. 

This means that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor just the way you intended.

Attributes to Look for in Charcoal Starters

With charcoal starters, you are looking for a quick, no nonsense, and convenient way to get your charcoal hot quickly so that you can commence with the fun cooking process. Consequently, these are the attributes that you need to check out while choosing the right charcoal starter for your needs:

• Quick and uniform heating of the coals
• Simple operation with minimal effort
• Convenience of use and storage
• Inexpensive in terms of starting costs and running costs

If your charcoal starter ticks all these boxes, you can be reasonably sure that you have made the right call and selected a solution that can make the cooking process much more fun without adding any extra effort.

Charcoal Starter Safety

A few basic safety rules need to be followed while using charcoal starters. Doing this can ensure that you get the best results from your starter solution without exposing yourself to any risk of injury or fire exposure. Remember, you care about your safety unlike Fire Marshal Bill.

First off, make sure the charcoal you are using is in good condition. If you’re attempting to light some charcoal from a bag that was opened a couple years ago and wasn’t kept in a low humidity area, odds are it will not light very easily and will not burn as well as fresh charcoal. Make sure you are using quality charcoal that is in good condition.

If you are using a chimney starter, it’s crucial to remember that the handle can get warm as the coals start heating up. Once the coals are hot and you use the handles to dump them into the grill grate, it is a good idea to use some gloves so that your hands are protected.

When using electric starters, remember that the heating element can get hot very fast. Avoid any physical contact with the element and maintain careful distance. 

You can use tongs to handle the coals safely. These also involve another layer of careful use as they use electricity to operate. Be on the lookout for loose wires and exposed connections just like you would for other electrical appliances.

Here is our recent post on the best ways to light a charcoal grill. Great info to have if you’re in the market for a new charcoal starter.

Let us now take a look at our top product recommendations. With these chimney starters, you can have a seamless, convenient experience that works every time.

The Right Product for You

Using the right fire starter can make the process of getting coals ready for the grill simple and convenient. Using the right product can ensure that your grilling and smoking experiments remain fun and productive. With the fire starter solutions discussed above, it is difficult to go wrong.

While all of these products are excellent options, our top recommendation is the Weber RapidFire chimney starter as our preferred method of getting your charcoal hot. It is an excellent addition to your list of grilling accessories that can stand the test of time and allow for easy ignition of your coals every time. It provides thorough, consistent heat and the charcoal can then be easily used to grill, smoke, or heat up more coals if you need.

Of course, you can also go for the ease and convenience of using an electric starter or fire starter sticks. All that matters is that you find a solution that works well within your cooking workflow and makes the process of grilling and smoking enjoyable, easy, and fun. We hope these products help you concentrate on the cooking and result in many delicious grilled and smoked meals.

Since you have all the tools to light the charcoal, now learn some unique ways to put it out.