How do you start a barbecue with a chimney starter ? Are they relatively inexpensive ?

Question

We bought two bags of regular briquettes - I just could not get a fire going - I HATE the smell of the lighter fluid, but we went crazy with the fluid in desparation, and the coals STILL wouldn't get hot. It was like the opposite of trying to blow out one of those "trick" candles you can't blow out.

These are NOT Match light - they are old school style - they have these built in "grooves" that are supposed to help, but how I don't know . . . .

Answer 1

You can get a chimney starter for around $15.  You use it by balling up a bunch of newspaper beneath the chimeny (there's a little space on the bottom of it for this), filling the top of the chimney with charcoal, placing it on the grill (remove the metal grill so that the chimney starter rests on the bottom of the grill), and then lighting the newspaper with a match or one of those longer lighter things (there are holes in the sides at the bottom so that you can do this).  Once all of the charcoal is on fire, you dump it into the grill (the chimney starter has a handle on the side; I would suggest investing in a heavy duty oven mitt).  Voila!  Fire!

Answer 2

Chimney starters work great ... just crumple up a few sheets of newspaper in the bottom, put enough charcoal on top to fill chimney, add some lighter fluid and light a match to the paper at the bottom, through a hole there.  The paper will burn and ignite the charcoal, very little or no fluid needed!  When going well dump the charcoal into the grill bottom and place rack over top and grill.

Answer 3

I'm with you and the lighter fluid--YUCK!  The chimney starters work like a champ.  Just wad up some newspaper and plop it in.  Pour on the charcoal and set the paper alight.  In about 10 minutes or so, you have nice hot coals.  I bought one a year  ago while my gas grill was on the fritz--I think it was $7 or so.