Appliances & Heat

Chimney Starter

Lights charcoal evenly and fast — no lighter fluid needed

A metal cylinder that lights a load of charcoal evenly using just a sheet of newspaper underneath, skipping lighter fluid and its taste. Wait until the top coals are ashed over and glowing before you pour them out. Faster and cleaner than any other method.

A chimney starter is a simple metal cylinder with a grate inside and a handle outside, and it's the fastest, cleanest, and best way to light charcoal — no lighter fluid required. You fill the top with charcoal, stuff a sheet or two of crumpled newspaper (or a wax fire starter) in the bottom chamber, and light it. The chimney effect draws air up through the coals, igniting them from below and spreading the fire evenly upward until, in ten or fifteen minutes, the whole load is ashed over and glowing, ready to pour into the grill or smoker.

The reason every serious griller owns one comes down to two things: speed and flavor. It lights charcoal far faster and more evenly than building a pile and squirting it with fluid, and it skips lighter fluid entirely — which means no acrid, petroleum taste leaching into your food. Wait for the top coals to turn gray with ash before you pour, handle the hot metal with a glove, and you have a reliable, even bed of coals every single time.

Types & varieties

Standard chimney

The common single-chamber cylinder with a wire grate dividing fuel from charcoal. Holds enough to light a full grill; the default choice.

Large / XL

A taller, wider chimney for big grills, smokers, and lighting more charcoal at once.

Compact / portable

A smaller cylinder for portable and small grills, or for lighting a modest amount of charcoal quickly.

Heat-shield handle models

Versions with an insulated handle and a secondary heat shield, easier and safer to pour the hot coals.

How to use it

Fill, light from below, and wait for the ash. Don't rush the pour — coals that aren't fully lit make for an uneven, sputtering fire.

Fill the top with charcoal and place crumpled paper or a fire starter in the bottom chamber
Set it on the grill grate or a heatproof surface and light the paper through the side holes
Wait until the top coals are gray-ashed and glowing — usually 10–15 minutes
Pour the lit coals out (banked to one side for two-zone cooking), wearing a glove and watching for sparks

Safety

It gets blazing hot and throws sparks. Use it on a stable, non-flammable surface and protect your hands.

Light and burn the chimney outdoors only — never indoors, in a garage, or any enclosed space, as igniting charcoal gives off odorless carbon monoxide
Light and pour on a heatproof, stable surface away from anything flammable
Always wear a heat-resistant glove — the whole cylinder gets searingly hot
Pour with control, away from your body, to avoid showering sparks and loose embers
Let the chimney cool fully before storing, and keep it dry to slow rust

Common uses

Lighting charcoal for kettle and barrel grillsStarting coals for smokers and kamadosBuilding a fast two-zone fireTopping up coals mid-cookLighting lump charcoal and briquettes evenlyStarting a fire pit or hibachiPre-lighting coals away from the grill for a clean startQuick high-heat searing setups

Tips & pitfalls

Skip lighter fluid for good — a chimney lights faster and never leaves that chemical taste in your food.
Wait for gray ash on the top coals; pouring too early gives a weak, uneven fire that struggles to recover.
Bank the lit coals to one side for a two-zone fire and you can sear and finish on the same grill.
A wax cube or a paper-towel knot dipped in cooking oil lights more reliably than newspaper in wind.
Tip in a few unlit coals after pouring to extend a long cook without relighting.

Good to know

What it is: A metal cylinder that lights charcoal via the chimney draft effect
Lighting time: 10–20 minutes to fully ashed-over coals
Fuel below: Newspaper, paper, or a wax/cube fire starter — no fluid
Capacity: Sized to fill a kettle grill in one or two loads
Ready signal: Top coals turn gray with ash and glow
Best for: Lighting charcoal for grills and smokers, fast and fluid-free