The 4 Greatest 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 space for storing is proscribed (otherwise you solely grill as soon as in a blue moon), the 3.5 quart Lodge proved its mettle in my exams.

Airflow Was Every little thing

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 ample 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 will also 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 very best convection design, you may 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 couple of years since I’ve used a charcoal chimney recurrently, 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 very best designs, using warmth shields to deflect warmth and holding the handles cool sufficient to choose the chimney up with naked palms.

Not All Chimneys Are Good for Each Kinds of Charcoal

Since lump charcoal and briquettes are basically totally different animals, you must anticipate totally different lighting outcomes. Some chimneys, just like the Kingsford Heavy Responsibility 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 very best displaying 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 totally different charcoal varieties. 

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

I’ll scream this from the mountain tops: airflow is all the pieces. One of the best charcoal chimneys have good convection: air goes into the underside, will get heated and drawn up by means of the chimney (which will get the coals burning), and exits on the high. Good chimneys even have a warmth protect to guard the deal with, permitting you to carry and dump the coals into the grill. Lastly, it ought to be straightforward to mild with holes on the aspect to make it straightforward (although holes on the underside work in a pinch). After that, the capability is dependent upon your wants, based mostly in your grill measurement and preferences. In the event you primarily use lump charcoal, think about our high performers in that space, just like the Char-Griller or Weber Rapidfire.

Our Favourite Charcoal Chimney Starters

What we favored: 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 slightly below half-hour for a six-quart load of briquettes was a strong efficiency. The Weber additionally had probably the greatest 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 nicely 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 had been simply shy of the scale of my stick lighter, which compelled me to mild it from the underside. If the holes had 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 favored: This chimney’s giant capability and straightforward lighting made it a robust contender for high mannequin. Massive backside holes—greater than ample to insert a lighter—offered glorious airflow and straightforward 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 check, however it had one of many longest lighting instances at about 36 minutes. After the second (three-quart) check I seen a number of the inside end flaking, and the deal with bought 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 favored: The Char-Griller’s giant capability and straightforward lighting had been particular pluses. It was one of many quickest to mild, regardless of the amount or charcoal kind. It was additionally one in every of two chimneys I didn’t need to relight in the course of the lump charcoal check, and it had the charcoal able to go in about 23 minutes. The meting out function, 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 straightforward 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 particular person, and I had some problem 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 process 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 bought 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 it’s important to 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 favored: 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 offered loads of room to insert a stick lighter, making it straightforward to make sure the paper was burning absolutely in the beginning of the check. The deal with stayed cool due to 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 Advisable

• Kingsford Heavy Responsibility Deluxe Charcoal Chimney Starter: This chimney had okay outcomes in the course of 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 thrice and known as it a day. It’s bought giant holes for lighting and may be very straightforward 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 nicely. It has a capability of about two quarts, which is nice for smaller or moveable grills, however it takes extra time to ignite coals than its bigger sibling.

Not Advisable

• 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 contemporary paper in the course of the three-quart and lump charcoal exams since there was treasured little airflow; that is partially as a result of many of the house is dominated by an air shaft supposed to be used with the optionally available 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 optionally available fan matches 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 may ship on its identify with the BBQ Dragon (or an excellent leaf blower), however not by itself.
• Beau Jardin Charcoal Chimney Starter: The Beau Jardin is an efficient charcoal chimney. It did nicely within the three-quart and lump exams, lighting the lump charcoal in about quarter-hour. Nonetheless, I needed to restart the check after the paper burned out with out igniting any charcoal. It carried out nicely, however it didn’t draw any response from me apart from, “It’s okay.” Full disclosure: I’ve used this chimney previously, and it didn’t have nice longevity, because it fell aside after a few month of semi-daily use.
• Konexcel Heavy Responsibility Charcoal Chimney Starter: After I stated “airflow is all the pieces,” I meant it. The Konexcel has little or no; with out that essential convection beginning, a chimney gained’t mild effectively. I needed to restart this chimney throughout each check and deserted the lump check after the third strive. 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 had been free; it simply bought oddly versatile, which gave me low expectations for the chimney’s longevity.

FAQs

Do it’s essential to clear a charcoal chimney?

A charcoal chimney wants about as a lot care and a spotlight 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 have to dump any residual ash and maintain it out of the weather when not in use.

What’s the very best charcoal to make use of? 

“One of the best” is dependent upon your choice for lump or briquette charcoal. I’m firmly within the lump camp as a result of once I grill, it’s normally a sluggish cooking method, and lump charcoal provides extra taste and burns longer than briquettes. Nonetheless, you may discover briquettes simpler for rapidly grilling some burgers or sizzling canines.

Are charcoal chimneys price it?

This reply is dependent upon how you’re feeling about lighter fluid. I can’t convey myself to pour poisonous chemical substances on the charcoal I’ll quickly burn to prepare dinner my meals over. That leaves me with two different life like selections, and the chimney is the extra sustainable possibility. We’ll focus on the opposite in a second.

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

There’s at all times lighter fluid, though I counsel towards it. You should purchase lighter blocks or cubes (like these, from Weber or Kingsford) manufactured from 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 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 prepare 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 exams, that may take between 15 and half-hour.

What’s the science behind a charcoal chimney? 

Chimneys work by way of convection. Whenever 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 hearth upwards till the highest coals ignite and you’ve got ready-to-use charcoal.

Why We’re the Specialists 

• 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 Critical Eats. 
• For this overview, Greg burned by means of 78 kilos of charcoal to search out the very best charcoal chimney starters. He evaluated them based mostly on how straightforward they had been to arrange and use, and the way rapidly and effectively they heated briquette and lump charcoal. 
• He could 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.