Firing up your charcoal grill can be challenging if you do not have the best charcoal starter. Fortunately, there is no excuse for not equipping yourself with the best charcoal, considering that there are several top-notch brands that you can get.
The best charcoal starters include the following:
- Best charcoal starter overall: Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter
- Next-level charcoal starter: Char-Griller Chimney Starter
- Best electrical charcoal starter: Looftlighter Original Electric Fire Starter
- Best charcoal chimney starter: Oklahoma Joe’s Half-Time Charcoal Starter
- Best charcoal starter torch: HomeRight Electro-Torch C900085 Fire Starter
- Best grill fire starter cubes: Melt Candle Company Fire Starter
If you are out to find the best fire starters for your grilling and outdoor ventures, then you are at the right place. Please keep reading for more details about the best fire starters to get.
How to choose the best fire starters
With several products in the market promising how perfect they can be in helping you start charcoal or fire, it is easy to get confused about the right product to get. However, with extensive research and comparison, you can always make the right choice.
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Here are some of the essential considerations that you should always make whenever you go out to purchase.
The capacity
The capacity of the charcoal starter is one of the essential factors you will need to keep in mind. How big you would want your starter to depend highly on the size of your grill. In other words, if you have a large grill, then a big charcoal starter will be the most appropriate option for you.
Besides the size of the grill, another aspect of the size you would want to look at is the size of the charcoal that you will be using.
Lump charcoals are big, so you require a large starter for convenience.
Ventilation
Choosing a fire starter with ideal ventilation is also important for an easy oxygen supply. Good ventilation ensures an efficient supply of oxygen for efficiency.
The materials
The material used to make the fire starter is a critical factor that you cannot ignore because it influences not only the efficiency of the starter but also its durability. Generally, ensure that your starter is made of materials that can withstand high heat while retaining most of this heat. Steel comes out as one of the best materials for making fire starters.
An overview of the best charcoal starters
To make your work of getting the best fire starter for your grilling or outdoor adventure, we have provided you with the top 6 best charcoal starters to get. Anyone who has had a chance to use the following fire starters can tell you they hardly disappoint.
1. Best charcoal starter overall: Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter
The Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter comes out as the best fire starter to get. While it looks simple, it is a superb and efficient product that gives you real value for many. The Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter comes in a compact and standard size to allow you to make the right choice that you feel will be the most appropriate for your situation.
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Besides the incredible features and capabilities the Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter boasts, it is important to note that it is affordable and easy to use.
Pros
- Fast and efficient; lights coals in less than 15 minutes
- It comes with light cubes
- Available in two styles and sizes to make it easy to choose the best option for your needs.
2. Next-level charcoal starter: Char-Griller Chimney Starter
We classify the Char-Griller Chimney Starter as the next-level charcoal starter because it is efficient and large enough to guarantee the flexibility you may need when grilling your food.
It is its large diameter that makes it a quick-release charcoal starter. Further, the charcoal starter has an impeccable body design, making it durable.
Pros
- ABS handle to provide the much-needed heat shield
- Impeccable design and construction
- Quick-release trap door
3. Best electrical charcoal starter: Looftlighter Original Electric Fire Starter
If you want to save time when firing up your grill, this is the starter you should get. It is one of the best fire starters recommended by many grilling enthusiasts. The Looftlighter Original Electric Fire Starter is fast, efficient, and easy to use and efficiency.
Additionally, you can use your Looftlighter Original Electric Fire Starter for more than starting your grill. For instance, you can use it to create a bonfire.
Pros
- Versatile
- Safe and easy to use
- Very reliable
4. Best charcoal chimney starter: Oklahoma Joe’s Half-Time Charcoal Starter
The Oklahoma Joe’s Half-Time Charcoal Starter is designed to make the charcoal grill easy and efficient. It has a wider squatter silhouette to reduce the time it takes to prepare your grill.
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Moreover, the Oklahoma Joe’s Half-Time Charcoal Starter is characterized excellent ventilation structure designed to enhance airflow for high-end efficiency. The incredible design also plays a role in preventing the handle from getting too hot.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Sturdy and compact
- Durable
- High heat resistance
5. Best charcoal starter torch: HomeRight Electro-Torch C900085 Fire Starter
The HomeRight Electro-Torch C900085 Fire Starter is robust, efficient, and easy-to-use. It provides an excellent and clean way to prepare your grill for cooking your favorite meals. The power blower on this fire starter fastens the process.
It is also important to note that the HomeRight Electro-Torch C900085 Fire Starter is great for grilling, RVing accessories, and camping. With this tool, you can start a fire conveniently without using starter fluids.
Pros
- Chemical-free fire starter
- Hot air fire starter
- Dual switch
- US-based fire starter
6. Best grill fire starter cubes: Melt Candle Company Fire Starter
The Melt Candle Company Fire Starter is an excellent tool for your grilling experience. It is durable and efficient, meaning that by getting it for yourself, you will tremendously reduce the time you use to prepare your grill.
Further, the starter is compact with an excellent design, making it easy to take it wherever you want.
Pros
- Safe to use
- Burn when wet
- Take it anywhere
What is the quickest charcoal starter?
While grilling using charcoal allows you to impart a sweet, smoky flavor to your food, the challenge many grilling enthusiasts face is starting the grill. With the right tools, starting your grill can be easier.
The Chimney method is the most convenient way to help light your charcoal grill fast without using lighter fluids that can easily interfere with the flavor or even introduce toxic substances to your food.
After extensive research and comparison, we can confidently assert that the Char-Griller Chimney Starter is the quickest fire starter to get.
What can I use as a charcoal starter?
Using the wrong charcoal starter may even end up interfering with the quality of your food. Therefore, it is important always to ensure that you have the right charcoal starter to make your grilling experience even more rewarding.
You can use a chimney starter, lighter cubes, or a newspaper to switch the coils into action. While a newspaper can help you fasten the process, they are far from what a lighter cube can offer.
How do you make charcoal start faster?
While starting a charcoal grill is one of the common challenges that many BBQ enthusiasts face, they are several ways that you can use to solve the problem.
There are five best ways that you can embrace to make your charcoal start faster. They include the following:
- Using a chimney
- Using a wax starter
- Propane torch
- Using a bison air lighter
- Using a light fluid
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However, using lighter fluid is not recommended if you use charcoal for cooking your food directly. This is because they may introduce strange smells to the food or even introduce toxic substances to the charcoals.
What is the best portable charcoal starter?
If your passion is traversing the world, you need a portable charcoal starter that won’t take much of your space when packaging your stuff.
The Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter is the best portable charcoal starter to get. Its compact and sturdy design provides incredible efficiency and allows you to travel with it wherever you want.
What charcoal is the best flavor?
Besides focusing on the best and easiest way of starting your charcoal, it is also important to ensure that you use the best charcoal for your grilling ventures. So, what charcoal is the best flavor?
The charcoal with the best flavor is Oak Lump Charcoal. In addition to the incredible flavor, it burns for a long time, and it is environmentally friendly.
Are Charcoal chimney starters worth it?
If you love grilling on a charcoal grill or a smoker, then a charcoal chimney starter is one of the best tools that you should have to advance your grilling ventures. It provides one of the easiest and the best ways to get your charcoals into live for a thrilling grilling experience.
Is a fire starter better than lighter fluid?
Yes, fire starters are better than lighter fluids because they are safe and do not introduce undesirable smells or chemicals into your charcoal. Hence, it is important to avoid lighter fluids if you want to use your charcoal for direct grilling.
Courtney is a professional grilling enthusiast who has spent a good portion of his life grilling and exploring different methods and techniques for preparing delicious meals. As he always says, creativity is key to preparing sumptuous meals.