How to Use a Chimney Starter

There are several ways to get charcoal lite in a chimney starter. Let's take a look at a couple of easy methods.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chimney starter
• Charcoal
• 2 full size sheets of newspaper OR
• 1 fire starter

1. Buy a name brand chimney starter. Although there are cheaper versions out there, the name brand version is larger and has more air holes. My father-in-law bought a cheap brand and I bought the name brand. I can consistently get mine started while he has tossed his aside.
   
   You'll also want to buy name brand charcoal. There is a difference in how it burns and how long it burns.
   
   In the following steps, you'll learn two different methods of getting charcoal started. But first, fill your chimney starter with charcoal.

2. The newspaper method - loosely crumple up two full sheets of newspaper. Take one sheet and place under the chimney starter. Light the newspaper. As the first sheet is about to burn down, take the second sheet, place it under the chimney starter and light it.
   
   In colder conditions, it make take a third sheet of paper but typically, two sheets will work.

3. The fire starter method - Buy a fire starter or make one, light it and place the chimney starter with charcoal over it and let it burn. If you want to learn how to make a fire starter, visit my eHow link:
   
   http://www.ehow.com/how_4536548_build-fire-starter.html

Tips & Warnings

• I like to place my chimney starter on a cinder block when I'm getting charcoal started. The cinder block provides a safe and stable place for the chimney starter while the newspaper or fire starter are burning.
• Do not place the chimney starter on the cooking rack of your barbecue grill otherwise you'll eventually ruin the grill.
• Be careful - hot embers that will fall out of the bottom of the chimney starter when you transfer the charcoal to your grill. If you are wearing sandals or flip-flops, keep those toes out of the way.

Resources

• Homemade fire starter