When grilling, how do you light your charcoal? Do you use lighter fluid or fire starters and why?
When grilling, how do you light your charcoal? Do you use lighter fluid or fire starters and why?
by That_Importance_7112
40 Comments
Tumifaigirar
paper and a chimney
yungingr
NEVER use lighter fluid, unless you like the flavor of it in your food.
Chimney and a firestarter of your choice (paper, tumbleweeds, etc.) is the only answer.
polomarcopol
I use a chimney and light it with pieces of the previous bag of charcoal.
Glittering_Yam_3909
Chimney with the Weber cubes
Sabato_Domenica
I find paraffin cubes to burn long and light the chimney well with no residual taste or smell.
Legitimate-Wave-854
Chimney and a natural wood started or a torch in the grill on a spot to start minion / snake. Never lighter fluid.
Ecstatic-Appeal-5683
Lighter fluid is fine. You can’t actually taste it after it’s burned away, especially if you have to add more coals during your cook.
Anyone who says they can taste it is either a “super taster” or it’s in their head.
Oliver_Klosov
Chimney on my gas grills side burner for about 2 minutes, then I shut off and just let the rest catch naturally.
TeurpX
Weber chimney. Best investment ever !
SnooCheesecakes2465
Chimney and a propane torch
DirectCustard9182
Propane.
mytzlplyk
A chimney is going to be the best for coal or lump. I don’t get a newspaper anymore so I always ask for paper bags at the store. Rip one in half to get it going and the other half to send it on its way. If you want to get fancy then drizzle some olive oil on the paper before you stuff it in the bottom. It will burn longer.
Foamy-lizard
I use a chimney starter and I’ve never looked back since.
maniacal_monk
Fire starter cubes if I’m doing low and slow, chimney if I’m going for hot and fast. NEVER lighter fluid because I have a ceramic grill and that’ll screw up the ceramic
Acid_Cat2
I use that electric starter thingy
hurtfulproduct
Chimney and a fire starter like paper.
I will say if I need to speed up and heat up the coals once they are in the grill I’ll use a Looft
OkResearch6865
Fat wood and chimney.
I don’t like using paper or cardboard because of the the unnecessary ashes
dkernighan
Natural starter blocks + chimney
xxMalVeauXxx
I stare at it intensely and imagine all the bad things I can’t change and the injustice of the world and rage-set-fire to it with complete hatred from my soul.
Then I blink, and use a chimney. Never use lighter fluid.
ooba-gooba
Paper and a chimney
uptownrooster
Always a chimney. And for fire starters, I’ve tried all methods but find the Weber lighter cubes are all around the best. For the record, DIY fire starters are great too (paraffin wax, cotton ball, paper egg carton) but I haven’t always had time to make those.
itgoestoeleven
chimney with paper spritzed with oil/cooking spray underneath it.
Joffridus
Charcoal chimney and oil coated newspaper to ignite the chimney. Perfect coals every time.
In my personal opinion, using lighter fluid isn’t terrible if you do it right. If using lighter fluid, soak the coals once and light it, and leave it alone till the coals are white and hot and all the fluid is burned off. People continue to add fluid as it burns down and prolong the amount of time it takes to burn off the fluid.
40ozFreed
Most of the time I’m cooking a lot of stuff so I’ll use lighter fluid just because my chimney isn’t big enough. Once I get a second chimney or a jumbo sized one ill probably only use the chimney and light it with newspaper.
I never really notice a difference in flavor when using lighter fluid and I don’t soak the coals.
Expert-Lock-6751
Chimneys are game changers.
LionOk4755
Chimney filled with last cook’s leftover coals (BGE) newspaper underneath and a couple of Weber Cubes in the chimney.
Unbridled-Apathy
Propane torch. 45 seconds each at 3 spots. No starter, no chimney, no paper.
Gasman1991-
Map gas and torch.
BearDogBBQ
I like to use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and a chimney
FaroutNomad
Chimney is the only right answer.
UnderstandingSmall66
Paper and charcoal chimney. Mostly because I don’t like taste of chemicals on my food.
bitcoinhodler89
$100 bills, personally 😜
Crooked5
Natural fire starters. Lighter fuel is disgusting
ch3ckm30uty0
Tumbleweeds and a chimney
thedrinkingbeer
Tumbleweeds and a chimney
KillerDemonic83
wax cubes/paper and a chimney
Comanche93Alpha
I use my weed torch /flamethrower…takes 2 minutes
anonymouslyHere4fun
Never ever ever ever user fluid!
Chimney
m8k
Egg carton torn up and a chimney, works perfectly every time.
40 Comments
paper and a chimney
NEVER use lighter fluid, unless you like the flavor of it in your food.
Chimney and a firestarter of your choice (paper, tumbleweeds, etc.) is the only answer.
I use a chimney and light it with pieces of the previous bag of charcoal.
Chimney with the Weber cubes
I find paraffin cubes to burn long and light the chimney well with no residual taste or smell.
Chimney and a natural wood started or a torch in the grill on a spot to start minion / snake. Never lighter fluid.
Lighter fluid is fine. You can’t actually taste it after it’s burned away, especially if you have to add more coals during your cook.
Anyone who says they can taste it is either a “super taster” or it’s in their head.
Chimney on my gas grills side burner for about 2 minutes, then I shut off and just let the rest catch naturally.
Weber chimney. Best investment ever !
Chimney and a propane torch
Propane.
A chimney is going to be the best for coal or lump. I don’t get a newspaper anymore so I always ask for paper bags at the store. Rip one in half to get it going and the other half to send it on its way. If you want to get fancy then drizzle some olive oil on the paper before you stuff it in the bottom. It will burn longer.
I use a chimney starter and I’ve never looked back since.
Fire starter cubes if I’m doing low and slow, chimney if I’m going for hot and fast. NEVER lighter fluid because I have a ceramic grill and that’ll screw up the ceramic
I use that electric starter thingy
Chimney and a fire starter like paper.
I will say if I need to speed up and heat up the coals once they are in the grill I’ll use a Looft
Fat wood and chimney.
I don’t like using paper or cardboard because of the the unnecessary ashes
Natural starter blocks + chimney
I stare at it intensely and imagine all the bad things I can’t change and the injustice of the world and rage-set-fire to it with complete hatred from my soul.
Then I blink, and use a chimney. Never use lighter fluid.
Paper and a chimney
Always a chimney. And for fire starters, I’ve tried all methods but find the Weber lighter cubes are all around the best. For the record, DIY fire starters are great too (paraffin wax, cotton ball, paper egg carton) but I haven’t always had time to make those.
chimney with paper spritzed with oil/cooking spray underneath it.
Charcoal chimney and oil coated newspaper to ignite the chimney. Perfect coals every time.
In my personal opinion, using lighter fluid isn’t terrible if you do it right. If using lighter fluid, soak the coals once and light it, and leave it alone till the coals are white and hot and all the fluid is burned off. People continue to add fluid as it burns down and prolong the amount of time it takes to burn off the fluid.
Most of the time I’m cooking a lot of stuff so I’ll use lighter fluid just because my chimney isn’t big enough. Once I get a second chimney or a jumbo sized one ill probably only use the chimney and light it with newspaper.
I never really notice a difference in flavor when using lighter fluid and I don’t soak the coals.
Chimneys are game changers.
Chimney filled with last cook’s leftover coals (BGE) newspaper underneath and a couple of Weber Cubes in the chimney.
Propane torch. 45 seconds each at 3 spots. No starter, no chimney, no paper.
Map gas and torch.
I like to use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and a chimney
Chimney is the only right answer.
Paper and charcoal chimney. Mostly because I don’t like taste of chemicals on my food.
$100 bills, personally 😜
Natural fire starters. Lighter fuel is disgusting
Tumbleweeds and a chimney
Tumbleweeds and a chimney
wax cubes/paper and a chimney
I use my weed torch /flamethrower…takes 2 minutes
Never ever ever ever user fluid!
Chimney
Egg carton torn up and a chimney, works perfectly every time.
Chimney or bust. No lighter fluid … ever