Chimney starter

A chimney starter is a metal cylinder, usually with a handle on the side and a grate partway down, used to light charcoal without lighter fluid. Crumpled newspaper or a paraffin starter cube goes underneath the grate, charcoal is loaded on top, and the paper is lit from below through vent holes in the base. Rising heat and airflow through the chimney's shape gets the whole load glowing evenly in around fifteen to twenty minutes.

The main advantage over lighter fluid is flavor and consistency. Lighter fluid can leave a faint chemical taste in food if the coals are not given enough time to burn clean, while a chimney starter produces evenly lit charcoal with nothing to taste, ready to pour straight into the grill in one batch rather than lighting unevenly across a pile.

When choosing one, capacity matters more than most people expect. A chimney sized for a small grill will not fully light enough charcoal for a long two-zone or low and slow cook, so it is worth matching the chimney's volume to how much charcoal a typical cook actually needs. A common mistake is dumping coals before they are fully ashed over, which leads to an uneven, slow start.