The 4 Finest Charcoal Chimney Starters of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

A bigger-capacity charcoal chimney is essentially the most versatile, even if you happen to’re solely grilling a small quantity of meals. That stated, if space for storing is restricted (otherwise you solely grill as soon as in a blue moon), the 3.5 quart Lodge proved its mettle in my checks.

Airflow Was Every part

Convection is the important thing to chimney starter success. After you’ve got lit newspaper or starter blocks, air enters the underside and flows upwards, heating the charcoal till the highest coals are ashy. With out enough airflow, there’s no convection and, consequently, poor ignition. Fashions with too little airflow, such because the BBQ Dragon Chimney of Insanity, carried out poorly and required relighting to get the charcoal burning. An excessive amount of airflow can be detrimental, as I examined on breezy days and located the paper will burn quicker than the charcoal can catch. Even when your chimney has the most effective convection design, you possibly can stymie it by packing an excessive amount of (or too tightly packed) paper within the backside. 

Handles Have been Cooler Than Anticipated

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve used a charcoal chimney repeatedly, so throughout my testing I used to be impressed by the advances in deal with design. Prior to now, it was only a given that you simply’d defend your hand with a kitchen towel or grill glove. Fashions from Char-Griller, Lodge, and Weber had the most effective designs, using warmth shields to deflect warmth and protecting the handles cool sufficient to choose the chimney up with naked arms.

Not All Chimneys Are Good for Each Forms of Charcoal

Since lump charcoal and briquettes are essentially completely different animals, you must count on completely different lighting outcomes. Some chimneys, just like the Kingsford Heavy Duty Deluxe, shone brightly throughout our briquette testing, solely to fizzle when confronted with lump charcoal. Fashions from Beau Jardin, Weber, and Char-Griller put up the most effective exhibiting throughout the 2 varieties, whereas the Outset and Lodge fashions took higher to briquettes. Sadly, I couldn’t discover a clear rhyme or purpose as to why sure chimneys did higher or worse with completely different charcoal varieties. 

The Standards: What to Search for in a Charcoal Chimney Starter

I’ll scream this from the mountain tops: airflow is the whole lot. The very best charcoal chimneys have good convection: air goes into the underside, will get heated and drawn up by way of the chimney (which will get the coals burning), and exits on the high. Good chimneys even have a warmth defend to guard the deal with, permitting you to raise and dump the coals into the grill. Lastly, it ought to be simple to mild with holes on the facet to make it simple (although holes on the underside work in a pinch). After that, the capability will depend on your wants, based mostly in your grill measurement and preferences. In the event you primarily use lump charcoal, take into account our high performers in that space, just like the Char-Griller or Weber Rapidfire.

Our Favourite Charcoal Chimney Starters

What we preferred: The Weber Rapidfire is an especially easy-to-use chimney with a big hopper, ample room for paper or lighter cubes, and a deal with that stays cool. Not one of the chimneys I examined lived as much as their marketed lighting time, so I’m not out of line in saying that the startup time of just below half-hour for a six-quart load of briquettes was a stable efficiency. The Weber additionally had among the finest convection designs, making it one of many quickest to mild, too. It’s additionally fairly reasonably priced. 

What we didn’t like: It didn’t fare as effectively when lighting lump charcoal. After about 10 minutes, when the primary batch of paper burned out, I had so as to add extra and relight it. After that, issues moved alongside quickly. The underside holes that facilitate convection have been simply shy of the scale of my stick lighter, which pressured me to mild it from the underside. If the holes have been only a wee bit bigger, the chimney can be considerably simpler to mild.

Key Specs

• Said capability: 5 kilos
• Examined capability: 100 briquettes
• Dimensions: 12 x 7.5 inches
• Supplies: Aluminized metal, thermoplastic
• Deal with dimensions: 5.75 x 1.25 inches

What we preferred: This chimney’s massive capability and simple lighting made it a powerful contender for high mannequin. Giant backside holes—greater than enough to insert a lighter—supplied glorious airflow and simple lighting. Once more, not one of the chimneys lived as much as their marketed lighting instances, however the Outset was our quickest briquette-lighting mannequin, taking 26 minutes to mild six quarts and 20 minutes for 3. 

What we didn’t like: The Outset was one of many few that didn’t require relighting in the course of the lump charcoal take a look at, however it had one of many longest lighting instances at about 36 minutes. After the second (three-quart) take a look at I observed among the inside end flaking, and the deal with acquired uncomfortably heat.

Key Specs

• Said capability: 7 kilos
• Examined capability: 100 briquettes
• Dimensions: 10.75 x 8.5 inches
• Supplies: Zinc, chrome, Nylon
• Deal with dimensions: 5 x 1

What we preferred: The Char-Griller’s massive capability and simple lighting have been particular pluses. It was one of many quickest to mild, regardless of the amount or charcoal sort. It was additionally considered one of two chimneys I didn’t should relight in the course of the lump charcoal take a look at, and it had the charcoal able to go in about 23 minutes. The allotting characteristic, which consists of a handle-release latch that releases a “entice door” on the hopper’s backside, was a pleasant addition; it allowed me to carry the entire thing over the grill, squeeze the discharge lever, and the charcoal fell out the underside. It was additionally simple to load, and the deal with stayed cool whereas the charcoal burned.

What we didn’t like: I’m not anybody’s thought of a small individual, and I had some issue holding the chimney with a full six-quart load and squeezing the discharge lever with one hand. The deal with stayed cool in the course of the lighting course of, in order that wasn’t a difficulty—it was simply an unwieldy mixture of holding the chimney upright whereas squeezing. It was a a lot simpler job with the three-quart load, however nonetheless clumsy. A private annoyance: one briquette caught within the entice door association that dumps the charcoal, and life acquired a bit bushy once I shook it free, and the briquette headed straight for my naked foot. Just like the Weber, the underside holes are too small for a lighter, so you must mild the chimney from the underside.

Key Specs

• Said capability: 4 kilos
• Examined capability: 90 briquettes
• Dimensions: 10.75 x 8.75 inches
• Supplies: Zinc-coated galvanized metal, Nylon
• Deal with dimensions: 5 x 1 inches

What we preferred: Let’s be clear in regards to the small-capacity designation—the Lodge chimney nonetheless held 3.5 quarts or 60 briquettes. That’s not an insignificant quantity to get grilling on. Plus, it had three quarts of charcoal briquettes prepared in 22 minutes. The underside design, which featured oval-shaped slots, was glorious for airflow and lighting. These slots supplied loads of room to insert a stick lighter, making it simple to make sure the paper was burning totally in the beginning of the take a look at. The deal with stayed cool because of a warmth defend between it and the hopper.

What we didn’t like: Though lump charcoal solely took half-hour to mild, I needed to restart the take a look at after it didn’t ignite the primary time. A wider hopper would add a bit extra capability with out negatively affecting the airflow.

Key Specs

• Said capability: “Substantial”
• Examined capability: 60 briquettes
• Dimensions: 12 x 6.25 inches
• Supplies: Galvanized metal, wooden
• Deal with dimensions: 7 x 1 inches

The Competitors

Additionally Advisable

• Kingsford Heavy Duty Deluxe Charcoal Chimney Starter: This chimney had okay outcomes in the course of the briquette testing, which took a bit over half-hour to finish. Fifty-six minutes into the lump testing, I had already restarted the take a look at 3 times and referred to as it a day. It’s acquired massive holes for lighting and could be very simple to make use of, however reserve it for briquettes solely.
• Weber Rapidfire Compact Chimney Starter Charcoal Grill: This compact model of Weber’s Rapidfire chimney works pretty effectively. It has a capability of about two quarts, which is nice for smaller or portable grills, however it takes extra time to ignite coals than its bigger sibling.

Not Advisable

• BBQ Dragon Chimney of Insanity Charcoal Starter: A reputation like Chimney of Madness units expectations for spectacular outcomes, for higher or worse. Sadly, as a standalone chimney, this mannequin was exceptionally mediocre. I needed to restart it with recent paper in the course of the three-quart and lump charcoal checks since there was treasured little airflow; that is partially as a result of many of the house is dominated by an air shaft meant to be used with the non-obligatory BBQ Dragon. It will definitely lit the briquettes, taking about 20 minutes to take action. As an experiment, after the chimney had timed out of consideration for the lump charcoal take a look at, I made a decision to emulate the BBQ Dragon. This non-obligatory fan suits into the Chimney of Madness’s air shaft. I inserted a leaf blower into the shaft (this is the reason girls reside longer than males), the chimney burst into flames, and the lump charcoal was prepared a short while later. This chimney may ship on its identify with the BBQ Dragon (or a superb leaf blower), however not by itself.
• Beau Jardin Charcoal Chimney Starter: The Beau Jardin is an effective charcoal chimney. It did effectively within the three-quart and lump checks, lighting the lump charcoal in about quarter-hour. Nevertheless, I needed to restart the take a look at after the paper burned out with out igniting any charcoal. It carried out effectively, however it didn’t draw any response from me aside from, “It’s okay.” Full disclosure: I’ve used this chimney up to now, and it didn’t have nice longevity, because it fell aside after a few month of semi-daily use.
• Konexcel Heavy Duty Charcoal Chimney Starter: After I stated “airflow is the whole lot,” I meant it. The Konexcel has little or no; with out that essential convection beginning, a chimney received’t mild effectively. I needed to restart this chimney throughout each take a look at and deserted the lump take a look at after the third attempt. After the three-quart take a look at, the deal with turned “bouncy,” for lack of a greater phrase. The deal with did not wiggle just like the rivets have been free; it simply acquired oddly versatile, which gave me low expectations for the chimney’s longevity.

FAQs

Do you could clear a charcoal chimney?

A charcoal chimney wants about as a lot care and a focus as a hearty houseplant, which is to say, the naked minimal. You don’t want to clean, rinse, or in any other case wash your chimney, however you do must dump any residual ash and preserve it out of the weather when not in use.

What’s the most effective charcoal to make use of? 

“The very best” will depend on your desire for lump or briquette charcoal. I’m firmly within the lump camp as a result of once I grill, it’s normally a gradual cooking approach, and lump charcoal provides extra taste and burns longer than briquettes. Nevertheless, you may discover briquettes simpler for rapidly grilling some burgers or scorching canines.

Are charcoal chimneys price it?

This reply will depend on how you are feeling about lighter fluid. I can’t deliver myself to pour poisonous chemical compounds on the charcoal I’ll quickly burn to cook dinner my meals over. That leaves me with two different life like selections, and the chimney is the extra sustainable possibility. We’ll talk about the opposite in a second.

What can I take advantage of if I don’t have a charcoal chimney? 

There’s all the time lighter fluid, though I counsel towards it. You should buy lighter blocks or cubes (like these, from Weber or Kingsford) product of compressed wooden or cardboard, typically coated in paraffin, and place them within the grill round your piled-up charcoal to start out it. There’s additionally the choice of constructing a small kindling fireplace and including your charcoal after it’s burning.

How lengthy do you allow charcoal in a chimney? 

Time is a horrible unit of measure in cooking. There are just too many variables to say X will all the time cook dinner for Y time. That stated, you’ll go away your charcoal within the chimney till the highest layer is glowing and ashy. Per my checks, that may take between 15 and half-hour.

What’s the science behind a charcoal chimney? 

Chimneys work through convection. If you mild a fireplace within the chimney’s backside, you create a draft of warmth rising. The holes within the backside permit airflow, heated by the burning paper (or lighter block.) The heated air rises, spreading the hearth upwards till the highest coals ignite and you’ve got ready-to-use charcoal.

Why We’re the Consultants 

• Greg Baker is a former James Beard nominated chef from Tampa Bay, Florida.
• He’s written about sous vide machines, vacuum sealers, and pizza gear for Severe Eats. 
• For this overview, Greg burned by way of 78 kilos of charcoal to seek out the most effective charcoal chimney starters. He evaluated them based mostly on how simple they have been to arrange and use, and the way rapidly and effectively they heated briquette and lump charcoal. 
• He might have gotten a bit enthusiastic and used a leaf blower to instigate one of many poor performers to mild—sadly, it was nonetheless a loser.