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

A bigger-capacity charcoal chimney is probably the most versatile, even for those who’re solely grilling a small quantity of meals. That stated, if cupboard space is proscribed (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 have lit newspaper or starter blocks, air enters the underside and flows upwards, heating the charcoal till the highest coals are ashy. With out satisfactory airflow, there’s no convection and, consequently, poor ignition. Fashions with too little airflow, such because the BBQ Dragon Chimney of Madness, 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 sooner than the charcoal can catch. Even when your chimney has the perfect convection design, you possibly can stymie it by packing an excessive amount of (or too tightly packed) paper within the backside. 

Handles Had been Cooler Than Anticipated

It’s been a number 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. Previously, it was only a given that you just’d defend your hand with a kitchen towel or grill glove. Fashions from Char-Griller, Lodge, and Weber had the perfect designs, using warmth shields to deflect warmth and protecting the handles cool sufficient to select the chimney up with naked arms.

Not All Chimneys Are Good for Each Sorts of Charcoal

Since lump charcoal and briquettes are essentially totally different animals, it’s best to count on totally different lighting outcomes. Some chimneys, just like the Kingsford Heavy Obligation 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 perfect displaying throughout the 2 sorts, whereas the Outset and Lodge fashions took higher to briquettes. Sadly, I couldn’t discover a clear rhyme or cause as to why sure chimneys did higher or worse with totally different charcoal sorts. 

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

I’ll scream this from the mountain tops: airflow is every little thing. The most effective charcoal chimneys have good convection: air goes into the underside, will get heated and drawn up by the chimney (which will get the coals burning), and exits on the prime. Good chimneys even have a warmth protect to guard the deal with, permitting you to raise and dump the coals into the grill. Lastly, it must be simple to mild with holes on the aspect to make it simple (although holes on the underside work in a pinch). After that, the capability depends upon your wants, based mostly in your grill measurement and preferences. In case you primarily use lump charcoal, take into account our prime performers in that space, just like the Char-Griller or Weber Rapidfire.

Our Favourite Charcoal Chimney Starters

What we preferred: The Weber Rapidfire is a particularly 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 slightly 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 inexpensive. 

What we didn’t like: It didn’t fare as properly 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 could be considerably simpler to mild.

Key Specs

• Acknowledged 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 giant capability and straightforward lighting made it a robust contender for prime mannequin. Giant backside holes—greater than satisfactory to insert a lighter—supplied wonderful airflow and straightforward lighting. Once more, not one of the chimneys lived as much as their marketed lighting occasions, 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 through the lump charcoal check, but it surely had one of many longest lighting occasions at about 36 minutes. After the second (three-quart) check I observed a few of the inside end flaking, and the deal with received uncomfortably heat.

Key Specs

• Acknowledged 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 giant capability and straightforward lighting have been particular pluses. It was one of many quickest to mild, regardless of the amount or charcoal kind. It was additionally certainly one of two chimneys I didn’t must relight through the lump charcoal check, 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 “lure 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 concept 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 through 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 activity with the three-quart load, however nonetheless clumsy. A private annoyance: one briquette caught within the lure door association that dumps the charcoal, and life received a little 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

• Acknowledged 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 concerning 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 wonderful 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 absolutely at the beginning of the check. The deal with stayed cool because of a warmth protect between it and the hopper.

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

Key Specs

• Acknowledged 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 Beneficial

• Kingsford Heavy Obligation Deluxe Charcoal Chimney Starter: This chimney had okay outcomes through the briquette testing, which took a little bit over half-hour to finish. Fifty-six minutes into the lump testing, I had already restarted the check 3 times and known as it a day. It’s received giant 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 properly. It has a capability of about two quarts, which is nice for smaller or transportable grills, but it surely takes extra time to ignite coals than its bigger sibling.

Not Beneficial

• BBQ Dragon Chimney of Madness 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 through 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 elective 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 check, I made a decision to emulate the BBQ Dragon. This elective fan suits into the Chimney of Madness’s air shaft. I inserted a leaf blower into the shaft (for this reason ladies reside longer than males), the chimney burst into flames, and the lump charcoal was prepared a short while later. This chimney would possibly ship on its identify with the BBQ Dragon (or a great leaf blower), however not by itself.
• Beau Jardin Charcoal Chimney Starter: The Beau Jardin is an effective charcoal chimney. It did properly within the three-quart and lump checks, lighting the lump charcoal in about quarter-hour. Nevertheless, I needed to restart the check after the paper burned out with out igniting any charcoal. It carried out properly, but it surely 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 Obligation Charcoal Chimney Starter: After I stated “airflow is every little thing,” 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 check and deserted the lump check after the third attempt. After the three-quart check, 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 received oddly versatile, which gave me low expectations for the chimney’s longevity.

FAQs

Do you have to 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 wash, 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 perfect charcoal to make use of? 

“The most effective” depends upon your desire for lump or briquette charcoal. I’m firmly within the lump camp as a result of once I grill, it’s often a gradual cooking method, and lump charcoal provides extra taste and burns longer than briquettes. Nevertheless, you would possibly discover briquettes simpler for shortly grilling some burgers or sizzling canines.

Are charcoal chimneys price it?

This reply depends upon 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 reasonable selections, and the chimney is the extra sustainable possibility. We’ll focus on the opposite in a second.

What can I exploit if I don’t have a charcoal chimney? 

There’s at all times lighter fluid, though I counsel in opposition to it. You should purchase lighter blocks or cubes (like these, from Weber or Kingsford) manufactured from compressed wooden or cardboard, usually coated in paraffin, and place them within the grill round your piled-up charcoal to begin it. There’s additionally the choice of constructing a small kindling fireplace and including your charcoal after it’s burning.

How lengthy do you permit charcoal in a chimney? 

Time is a horrible unit of measure in cooking. There are just too many variables to say X will at all times cook dinner for Y time. That stated, you’ll depart 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 by way of convection. If you mild a fireplace within the chimney’s backside, you create a draft of warmth rising. The holes within the backside enable airflow, heated by the burning paper (or lighter block.) The heated air rises, spreading the fireplace 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 evaluate, Greg burned by 78 kilos of charcoal to search out the perfect charcoal chimney starters. He evaluated them based mostly on how simple they have been to arrange and use, and the way shortly and effectively they heated briquette and lump charcoal. 
• He might have gotten a little bit enthusiastic and used a leaf blower to instigate one of many poor performers to mild—sadly, it was nonetheless a loser.