chimney lighting?

[crazej36]

What do you guys use for lighting up a chimney ? I have been using the side burner on my gasser but I don't think I'm going to refill the tank again.Guess I'm back to newspaper but I get the confetti all over. The cubes seem a tad expensive per use. Has anyone tried sectioning up a smaller starter log? Did it add any unwanted taste?

[cbpeck]

I typically use newspaper, but it is a little messy. If the chiminea happens to be lit I just set the chimney on top, and the charcoal is going in no time!

I know a lot of people skip the chimney altogether and use a weedburner attached to a 20 lb tank.

[MacEggs]

I used to use the newspaper method. Now I use my weed burner. Works great!



cbpeck beat me to it by mere seconds. 

[OoPEZoO]

I hate using newspaper due the black confetti thing.  I love the parafin cubes, but you are right that they get a little expensive once you do the math.  I bought like 5 boxes on clearance last year for under a $1 a piece so at least I'm good for awhile.

My long term plan......I have a crappy Char-something stainless steel gas grill taking up space on my deck that needs to be scrapped.  The only thing that hasn't rotted out is the side burner.  I'm condsidering a mod to my OTP to replace one of the side tables with that working side burner.  Now all I need is some free time and a little ambition

[OGlenn]

Over the past winter I used my performer for lighting the chimney. I had a close call using my gasser side burner when a gust of wind knocked the chimney off the burner, so be careful with that. Once I start cooking beyond my backyard again, the lighter cubes will go with me.  Being cheap, I have sliced them in half with a razor blade and they work just fine.

[MaxBobcat]

A couple paper towels with a drizzle of cheapo Olive Oil works for me.  The paper towels burn up too fast if you don't put some oil on them.  And only 1/100th of the amount of ash confetti that newspapers cause. 

Or the weber cubes.

[pbe gummi bear]

A couple paper towels with a drizzle of cheapo Olive Oil works for me.  The paper towels burn up too fast if you don't put some oil on them.  And only 1/100th of the amount of ash confetti that newspapers cause. 

Or the weber cubes.

Yup +1! You can pick up one of those food service squirters for a dollar to apply oil to the paper towel without much mess too.

[Cuda Dan]

I like to use a paper bag because  they burn longer and hotter than paper. I pull the corners down to the bottom and make it into a loose ball. Then just lite a few spots and you should be ready to go in about 10 to 15 minutes.

[Johnpv]

I like the little weber cubes myself.  I used to use newspaper, even drizzled with some oil.  It just got annoying having to keep check it or add another sheet. 

[G$]

I have used every method I have ever heard or read about, and keep coming back to Weber branded fire starter cubes and a weber branded chimney. 

They are  $3.29 for 24 of them.    Sometimes, if feeling frisky, I cut them in half and use half of one, so my average cost per fire is a little over a dime or so for the cubes.

[SlickedBack]

I'm partial to the cubes as well. I'm gonna try to cut them in half now.



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[AnakiMana]

As Cuda Dan mentioned, the brown paper bags, like from the grocery store, are much better than newspaper. And it's free! (try not to use the plastic grocery bags)

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[jcnaz]

Good call on the 1/2 cubes.
If I am using a pair of baskets I prefer to use two mini-chimneys instead of one large chimney 3/4 full. The only down side has been using two starter cubes instead of one.
I will try this tonight!

[G$]

When I use half cubes, I often  set them atop a piece or two of previously used charcoal to raise them closer to the bottom of the chimney.

[LightningBoldtz]

I get these from an amish store that we go to every so often.

$1.85 is not bad IMO.