553475 Sat Aug 30 11:38:43 -0700 2008 49 41 Cookware 0 3998705 I just bought a Weber outdoor charcoal kettle grill thinking I would try my hand at grilling on very rare occasions. It's a very basic and small sized model with just the bowl and dome. Question is, do I really need a chimney starter, or can I manage fine by lighting the coals in the bowl of the grill with lighter fluid and newspaper underneath? My tendency is to think I can do the latter, and a chimney starter is not really necessary...what do you think? Sat Aug 30 11:38:48 -0700 2008 56216 stratford 1 3998720 Unless you want your occasional forays into grilling to end up tasting like petroleum byproducts, I'd suggest skipping the lighter fluid and getting the chimney starter. Or, try the Weber FireStarter Cubes (http://www.thekitchenstore.com/077924039751.html ). Or, get yourself a propane torch and have some real fun starting the charcoal (http://bernzomatic.com/bernzomatic/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=BernzoProd100016 ). The upside to that expensive option is you can use it to make a crème brûlée, or replace some old copper plumbing around the house! Sat Aug 30 11:48:21 -0700 2008 3998705 10606 Joe Blowe 1 3998742 I have the regular and the small Weber and have never needed the chimney. I do usually only start with a few briquets, use starter fluid, get them going and add more as needed. Sat Aug 30 12:08:09 -0700 2008 3998705 11368 Dennis S 1 3998831 yes Sat Aug 30 13:27:43 -0700 2008 3998705 170997 tim irvine 1 3998871 You don't need a chimney, but it's really helpful because it gets oxygen flowing over the coals more efficiently than anything else. (Well, almost anything else; if you have access to liquid oxygen you can have the grill ready to go REAL quick. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjPxDOEdsX8 ) Lighter fluid also works, but make sure to let it burn off completely before you get food anywhere near the grill. Give it at least 10-15 minutes. Avoid the match-light briquettes; they are permeated with petro-nasties. In fact, avoid briquettes altogether and use lump charcoal. Sat Aug 30 14:05:49 -0700 2008 3998705 58743 alanbarnes 1 3998890 I have a weber kettle and a WSM and I find the chimney starter to be indispensable. I would never go back to using lighter fluid. Sat Aug 30 14:23:13 -0700 2008 3998705 63569 flourgirl 2 4014964 I agree that you do not need a chimney starter. I went several years without one. I'm not a big gadget person, but realized it makes so much sense. No lighter fluid, and it gets the charcoal burning much faster and completely since there are air holes in the chimney. Simply stuff bottom w/ newspaper, pile on charcoal (I use good quality hardwood; left the briquets long, long ago), light the newspaper and you're good to go. Generally sooner than expected, and I have to dump the charcoal out of the chimney and add more charcoal so it keeps burning until I'm ready to grill. Sun Sep 07 08:34:30 -0700 2008 3998890 33755 NYchowcook 1 3998907 agreed you do not need one. that said lighter fluid fumes are nasty smelling, probably unhealthy, and sometimes make the food taste funny a chimney starter is faster, cleaner, and easier i grilled 10x more after i got one then i ever did before Sat Aug 30 14:31:57 -0700 2008 3998705 135229 thew 1 3998932 I have the Weber Smokey Joe grill, which is smaller. The Weber chimney is great, but a bit big for Joe, so I use an electric starter: http://www.amazon.com/Char-Broil-2984810-Electric-Charcoal-Starter/dp/B0001B50BM It really works well. Sat Aug 30 14:55:42 -0700 2008 3998705 164702 wrenhunter 1 3998936 We have a big heating element starter (it looks like it came out of an electric oven) instead of a chimney starter. It works well, and I think it was around $10. Sat Aug 30 14:58:23 -0700 2008 3998705 97825 Coconuts 1 3998997 No you do not need a chimney starter if you love the flavor of charcoal lighter fluid. I dont much care for the flavor though Sat Aug 30 15:56:42 -0700 2008 3998705 53967 chrisinroch 1 3999062 I find it's indispensable, for doing things like adding charcoal to a fire that's already lit, for easily placing charcoal for indirect cooking, most importantly, not have to worry about about that big billowing fire when you light with fluid. Fresh unlit charcoal puts out quite a bit of soot when you first light it and tends to make food bitter and sooty when you are cooking something like a chicken on the rotisserie, so if you add coals while cooking your food develops an off taste. For the record I have a Weber Performer which doesn't require the use of fluid, it has a built in propane ignition system that works great, but I still use a chimney it lights faster even using propane. If you decide to get the chimney get the Weber it's much better made than the others on the market and will last much longer. Sat Aug 30 16:55:29 -0700 2008 3998705 215379 Grillncook 1 3999069 I have started lots of charcoal. The best device in my opinion is brush burner hooked onto a 5 gallon propane tank. 250,000 btu's of pure heat, will get briquets or lump charcoal going within minutes, then I throw the grill on and use it to cremate all the stuff from last bbq. Hit with a wire brush and I am ready to throw some rib-eyes on. You can get them at Harbor Freight for about $25-30. Sat Aug 30 17:00:04 -0700 2008 3998705 148886 duck833 1 3999202 No, of course you don't need one, but unlike lighter fluid you never run out and it isn't toxic and hazardous; unlike an electric starter you don't have to plug it in, which limits the number of places you can use your grill. They're less than $20, so in the long term they cost less than lighter fluid. They actually work better than lighter fluid, in my experience. Sat Aug 30 18:43:45 -0700 2008 3998705 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 3999470 I love those easy to use chimney starters. However, if you don't like that method, there is another alternative to that and to the option of using lighter fluid/paper as a starter in your outdoor cooking. When I was a Girl Scout leader, I learned this method which recycles a number of environmentally friendly items and taught it to the girls in our troop. Take a cardboard egg carton and fill each "egg space" with either dryer lint and/or sawdust. Combining the two ingredients or using either ingredient works very well. Take remnant wax from used candles or other wax you might have and melt and pour. Whenever you want to start a charcoal fire or a fire in your fireplace, you have a free, environmentally friendly firestarter as each of these items would be going in the trash....works like a charm. Just break off the desired amount and light. You are on you way to dinner or a nice cozy fire. It's free and you are doing a little bit to help the environment. What a good use for dryer lint or sawdust and combined with the cardboard egg cartons and left-over wax, it's just magic! Even the Boy Scouts started using them and they even worked when it was raining. Sat Aug 30 23:00:21 -0700 2008 3998705 222811 Laura Morrow 2 4000287 Thanks to all the responses. After reading them all, it sounded like the issue most people had is with the lighter fluid and how that can impart a bad taste. OK, so how about I try lighting the charcoal in the bowl of the grill with newspaper, and without lighter fluid? I mean, how hard can that be? My main thought was that it just seemed to me like the chimney starter was just a vessel to hold the charcoal, and that the actual lighting and heating of the coals could be done almost as easily by just doing it in the grill. Or is the chimney starter really SO much of a better and easier way that it justifies needing one? Sun Aug 31 15:02:34 -0700 2008 3999470 56216 stratford 3 4000303 why it works better is in the name - chimney - there is a huge flow of air channeling upwards through it once you light the bottom. this brings heat and air to the charcoal above very quickly and efficiently - that will not happen in the bowl w/out it. the chimney is like a little jet engine (alton brown used it for searing tuna on one show) Sun Aug 31 15:15:43 -0700 2008 4000287 135229 thew 3 4000312 You can do that. But it is sometimes difficult to get the charcoal going, and it always takes quite a while before the coals are ready. The main problem is insufficient airflow--you've either got to draw air through the four little holes in the bottom of the bowl or get it to flow down from above--against the current of heat that's rising out of the grill. Blowing on the coals helps, but sticking your head into a bowl of sparks and combustion byproducts has its downsides. Rigging a bellows (or a blow-drier) to inject air into the bottom of the grill will get things cooking pretty quickly, but requires extra tools and modifications. Or you could just use a chimney. The entire bottom is open, so combustion will create a draft that sucks cold air into the chimney, where it flows over the burning newspaper (and later the hot coals) at the bottom, igniting the coals higher up, and creating an even stronger draft, which lights more coals, etc., etc. Seriously, you don't need one. There are plenty of other ways to get charcoal lit. They just don't work as well. Sun Aug 31 15:28:56 -0700 2008 4000287 58743 alanbarnes 3 4000549 Not to mention that it can annoy your neighbors. I keep thinking I'm going to figure out which of mine always lights up with the fluid and go buy them a chimney. It's the only way of lighting that actually gets turbocharged if there's a breeze. In summary, not just "yes" but "hell, yes." Sun Aug 31 18:46:34 -0700 2008 4000287 12626 ted 4 4000570 i almost did the same... i actually got the people below me to start using one, and was going to throw one into the balcony next door, but they moved Sun Aug 31 19:01:56 -0700 2008 4000549 135229 thew 5 4022443 I did the same. The people next door were using so much lighter fluid that we could smell it in our house. I went over and gave them my old chimney starter and a foot-high stack of newspapers, and never smelled lighter fluid again. Tue Sep 09 22:14:13 -0700 2008 4000570 17548 BarmyFotheringayPhipps 3 4000621 I have four weber kettles and two chimneys, and have been doing this for 40 years. I quit the chimneys and now go with a good squirt of fluid. First, be aware that the chimney with a piece of newspaper under it will give off a load of foul smoke as it gets going, so the initial nastiness is not so different. Usually the chimney lights... but sometimes it doesn't. When you use the fluid, make a little mountain out of the coals. They must be piled up to light well. Squirt, then wait a minute, then light it. No newspaper. Yes, it will give off fumes at first, so walk away. Make sure the bottom vents are open, and keep the lid off. In 15 minutes the coals will be white and ready to cook. If they are not yet white, then you could still get fumes from them, so you just have to wait til they are fully lit. you will not pick up fluid fumes on the food. Sun Aug 31 19:29:21 -0700 2008 4000287 92288 woodburner 4 4001860 I'd take paper smoke over unknown hydrocarbons any day. My simple solution when I want to speed up the chimney is to stuff a second sheet of paper under there 5-10 min after the first. Mon Sep 01 13:52:38 -0700 2008 4000621 12626 ted 5 4001932 right... the second sheet makes an occasional appearance. Both types of initial smoke are too nasty to sit in front of... and you need to walk away for a few minutes, so its really just a preference it seems to me. I maintain that after the initial burn to white ash, the charcoal has burned off the fluid and does not impart any negative taste. So you can go either way and be safe and happy. Mon Sep 01 14:31:45 -0700 2008 4001860 92288 woodburner 5 4002931 if you splash a little cooking oil on the paper it slows and lengthens the burn. works like a charm (thank you alton brown) Tue Sep 02 06:37:40 -0700 2008 4001860 135229 thew 1 4000452 I just did a quick google search to see the price of a chimney starter and saw that Sears has one on sales for $7.99. Seriously, for less than $10 you can get an implement that will last your for years. What's the debate? http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07110144000P?vName=Lawn%20&%20Garden&cName=Grills&sName=Grill%20Parts%20&%20Accessories&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a Sun Aug 31 17:29:10 -0700 2008 3998705 10195 KTinNYC 2 4000878 Sears may look good but its not a Weber, wont work as well, or last as well. http://www.amazon.com/Weber-87886-Chimney-Starter/dp/B00004U9VV Sun Aug 31 23:22:04 -0700 2008 4000452 56131 jayt90 3 4002281 Man, you guys have convinced me that I need a chimney, and I don't even have a grill! I live in an apartment w/o a balcony, so I have been considering buying one of those small little grills, that I could take outside and grill on the sidewalk. I also have the option of grilling on a community type grill that's right outside of our apartment. I guess a chimney would come in handy for either one. I had never even seen a chimney, until I saw Alton Brown use one. When it came to a non gas grill, I've only seen lighter fluid being used, and yes, there was a funny taste. I never thought that it was b/c of the lighter fluid. Mon Sep 01 18:17:28 -0700 2008 4000878 207725 amselby81 4 4002403 You can also make a steel wok super hot with a chimney for searing. Mon Sep 01 19:23:12 -0700 2008 4002281 56131 jayt90 2 4002985 I purchased a chimney at Home Depot that I believe is the same brand and model as the one at Sears. It didn't last very long, the one I had was made of painted steel which began to rust wherever the paint got scratched. I got about a season and a half before having to throw it out and buy a weber. Tue Sep 02 07:10:32 -0700 2008 4000452 73013 LabRat 3 4003027 I wasn't endorsing the product I was just pointing out that they are as cheap as chips. Tue Sep 02 07:33:23 -0700 2008 4002985 10195 KTinNYC 4 4004167 I didn't mean to imply that you had, just wanted to relate my experience with that particular chimney (or one just like it, it's been awhile since I replaced it) Tue Sep 02 15:17:19 -0700 2008 4003027 73013 LabRat 1 4002343 You can use two large cans with the bottoms cut out and church key air holes punched into the side near the bottom of one can. Stuff newspaper in the bottom and stack the second on top, and use like a chimney starter. Honestly, though this arrangement can be difficult to light and a pain with the two cans needed to get enough charcoal lit. Chimney starters are so cheap, and on discount this time of year, so unless you're on a really tight budget, go ahead and buy one. Mon Sep 01 18:50:37 -0700 2008 3998705 24126 amyzan 2 4013903 I did the same... Made my own chimney starter. People used to make their own then some genius came along and cranked them out in heavy gauge steel and made a mint. He's a retired zillionaire now and the Chinese are making them now Sat Sep 06 15:57:39 -0700 2008 4002343 143858 gafferx 3 4014228 my pop made his own chimney out of folger's cans and bragged about saving the $9 or whatever when he could make it for free. . . then i heard something about him burning himself, or the deck, or both, trying to hold the contraption with tongs and pour hot coals, and the next time i visited, he had a weber chimney!!! :-P Sat Sep 06 18:58:45 -0700 2008 4013903 46030 soupkitten 4 4014586 I've never had a problem. But you inspired me to put a handle on my homemade tin can BBQ chimney. I won't be buying one anytime soon--- I mean this is a simple boy scout project that I did at age ten. Nope- I won't be caving in anytime soon but I will be improving my construction Sat Sep 06 23:23:42 -0700 2008 4014228 143858 gafferx 1 4002405 I suppose you could do without but in my humble opinion there is no better way to cook a steak than over a grill placed over a cherry red hot bed of charcoal in a chimny starter. I've never found a better way to get a crusty exterior and a rare interior. Mon Sep 01 19:23:38 -0700 2008 3998705 109552 garfish 1 4002409 They're cheap,easy, get hot fast. Wait, what are we talking about again? Oh yeah. There isn't a better way. Seriously, if the chimney is too much trouble, I'd look at a gas grill. Mon Sep 01 19:25:40 -0700 2008 3998705 10737 Bobfrmia 1 4002954 fer eff's sake get the chimney! if you want your grilled food to taste like girl scout water-- well, no comment from me, but i'd look at you funny if i came to your house for a cookout. your coals also get to ideal temp much faster and you can add hot coals straight from the chimney for longer cooking projects. spring for the chimney and you'll never have to screw around with lighter fluid, gasoline, kerosene, or whatever people who don't think chimneys are necessary use to start their cooking fires. for eff's sake get the chimney!!!! Tue Sep 02 06:51:45 -0700 2008 3998705 46030 soupkitten 1 4002988 a chimney starter is much better than using lighter fluid. Tue Sep 02 07:11:44 -0700 2008 3998705 26725 swsidejim 1 4004049 I use the chimney but with a single starter cube instead of newspapers. The newspapers leave a pile of ash. Tue Sep 02 14:24:49 -0700 2008 3998705 223351 roadfix 2 4008963 I've got a Weber Performer; its gas assist method to light coals in a chimney is fantastic but I'm ALWAYS forgetting to buy those little replacement propane tanks (why I don't keep about a dozen on hand I don't know). In the meantime, I've been crumpling up a few paper towels and drizzling vegetable oil on them, works great for the chimney, doesn't leave much ash at all. I heard people use old bacon grease instead of oil, sounds good to me. Thu Sep 04 13:21:38 -0700 2008 4004049 86408 healthyscratch 1 4004802 I started using the chimney starter when I started doing Dutch oven cooking. The chimney is perfect for getting a small batch of coals going in a hurry, and to keep new coals on hand (to replace exhausted coals as cooking progresses). If you are using your Weber for indirect cooking, this works much better than adding unstarted coals, since you skip the big temp drop when the black coals are added and the big temp spike when the new coals are in their "gray ash" phase. The chimney starter is a LOT faster than the "pile the briquettes in a pile and soak with lighter fluid method". Once a couple of briquettes light, the chimney starts developing a draft which increases the temperature very quickly and gets all the coals in on the party. Usually with the "pile" method, you end up with a few spots that are ready to go while the rest is just getting going. Really don't think the smoke from the newspaper is too bad (only need 1 or 2 pieces). Once the draft gets going, there is very little smoke. A whole lot better than the petroleum fumes. No need to spend a lot, no need to buy the Weber model. The heat and smoke will make any starter look pretty nasty so I am afraid that spending more will just make you feel bad when it starts to look bad. I have had a generic starter that I picked up from the local hardware store for 3 years and have had no problems. It spends most of the time between April and November outside in the elements. For the truly cheap (or for over-enthused Boy Scouts who used one of these in their youth), you can make a perfectly fine starter out of a large tin can (big juice or coffe can). Use a church key to punch a bunch of holes in the side near the bottom, cut out the top and bottoms. Drill some holes in the sides about a third of the way up and put enough 9 gage steel wire across to keep the briquettes from falling through (bend the ends of the wire to keep the wire from slipping out). Works great, but you will need a pair of welding gloves and a pot gripper to manage things once you have a mess of hot coals. Tue Sep 02 20:25:52 -0700 2008 3998705 219575 MikeB3542 1 4008663 Lighter fluid is a pollutant and a health danger. I believe Los Angeles banned its use some years ago. And, as other say, the chimney works great. And, if it gets a little rust on it, who cares? We're natural gas now but before that we probably bought only two chimneys in twenty years. Thu Sep 04 11:37:58 -0700 2008 3998705 131001 c oliver 2 4023417 I live in LA and I heard something about banning them several years ago but I've always seen starter fluids on store shelves, even now. Wed Sep 10 09:41:47 -0700 2008 4008663 223351 roadfix 1 4011329 I'm all for the chimney for a myriad of reasons (most of which have already been discussed) safety and ease of use are my favorite, no nasty lighter fluid taste and the ability to reliably and evenly light large amounts of coal is great too I will never go back since purchasing my Weber chimney Fri Sep 05 11:23:22 -0700 2008 3998705 209906 joshlane4 1 4011774 I heart my chimney starters. I have a cheapo Aussie charcoal grill that I actually upgraded to (my first was a little thing that I got for $7.99 at Menards). Lighter fluid always put me off grilling, but I "invested" 7 or 8 bucks for a chimney starter at Lowes. Since then I've been grilling a lot more! I now have two, the one from Lowes and a bigger one from Weber. I use the bigger one if I'll be doing more grilling (like for a party) or if I'm grilling something that will take longer. The CS is easy to use and it doesn't leave a nasty taste. Had dinner at a friend's last weekend--he has a small Smoky Joe and he used the lighter fluid. It really does impart an off smell and taste. Fri Sep 05 14:01:02 -0700 2008 3998705 131171 nofunlatte 1 4023442 Just to point out, depending on the type and design of your charcoal grill, loading the grill with chimney full of started coals may be impractical, or even sometimes impossible. But these are rare cases. Wed Sep 10 09:47:22 -0700 2008 3998705 223351 roadfix 2 4025469 You don't always have to have the starter chock full -- just figure how much coal you need, fill up your starter (add a little bit more than you think you need) and away you go. Most starters will fit on all but the tiniest hibachis. Most of my charcoal needs are for Dutch Oven cooking so usually only need 24 briquettes, which is less than half of my starters cappacity. Obviously, don't set your starter on your wood balcony if that is what you got. Wed Sep 10 20:35:56 -0700 2008 4023442 219575 MikeB3542 1 4032175 Another fervent "YES" for the starter. Sat Sep 13 11:29:08 -0700 2008 3998705 109573 coney with everything