Lodge Chimney Charcoal Starter

The other reviewer pointed out some safety issues. These are valid for any chimney starter and are best solved by keeping in mind that there's a fire going in the chimney.There are a few things I really like about this model. 1) Lots of ventilation to get oxygen to all of the coals, even when totally full. 2) You can easily lift it up and put new paper under it if your paper fizzles out (happened to me) and you need to restart. The small holes in the side also help you see what's going on as the heat rises. 3) Most important, it gets charcoal good and hot good and quick.Now for what I don't like. 1) Lodge coated all of the metal surfaces, including the grill inside, with some kind of coating. I guess it's supposed to make it look like "nice" unfinished metal. Problem is, this coating isn't very heat resistant and quickly melts/evaporates, leaving odd streaks of exposed metal after just a couple uses. A better approach would have been to leave the metal alone. 2) Even a large charcoal briquette can slip through the grill in the bottom. Not sure how I'd fix this and keep the system well ventilated. 3) It only holds enough to cook a crowded meal for 2 on charcoal. Easiest way to solve this is buy 2 or more, depending on how much you plan to cook at a time. This seems to be the case for every starter I've seen. They're all basically the same size.

We love this for use with our Dutch Oven. In fact, I wish I'd had one of these back when we used a charcoal grill. Just a couple pieces of newspaper (vegetable ink), no lighter fluid, and you've got nice hot coals within minutes - without the introduction of a bunch of chemicals. Works great and I now consider this an indispensable part of a charcoal cooker's/griller's equipment.It fits enough coals to completely cover the lid of a larger, 12" dutch oven - with a small pile for the underside as well. For most ordinary dinner "grillings" on a standard-sized grill, this probably provides the perfect number of coals for cooking a half-dozen burgers and a few hot dogs.You have to pay attention as your coals are getting lit...the paper burns off quickly...then not much activity for about 4-5 minutes...then steady heating/ashing for 4-5 minutes...then if you let it go too long, the next 5 minutes or so will see your bottom coals pretty much incinerated and wasted. Not a big deal...you just have to pay some attention to it and not walk away for 15+ minutes.

Bigger in diameter and the grimes stop is higher from the bottom than I’d imagined. Would be nice if the mesh was a bit tighter, so smaller coal bits don’t fall through. And be nice if the mesh was a fraction lower. Does the trick but I expected it to hold more.

Think you're great at getting a charcoal fire started? I'll wager that I can beat you hands down if you are not using a charcoal chimney starter like this one. Never will I use quick-start charcoal impregnated with petroleum based products. I thought I had it down pretty good how to get charcoal ready for the grill or Dutch oven. That was until I saw this product in action. So, I decided to purchase the Lodge starter through AMAZON.COM and I have never regretted the decision. It is so cool to be able to get a good set of coals going in 10 to 15 minutes with just a couple of sheets of newspaper! I was going to try to fashion my own starter chimney from a coffee can, but when I thought of the time involved and the possible aggravation I concluded that the Lodge chimney with it's standoff wooden handle would be worth the investment. And it is...!!! I have yet to find any 'cons' with my chimney and I have been using it for almost a year.

I stumbled upon this item in the Instruction Book that came with my Lodge 12" Camp Dutch Oven which requires a set number of Lit Brickettes for a particular temperature (typically 8 below the oven and 16 on the lid for 350 Degrees). The pictures show extracting Brickettes INDIVIDUALLY with a pair of Tongs and placing them in a roughly, set pattern, both below and on the lid. It is also billed as a convenient way to start and store an extra set of Lit Brickettes (start 15 minutes before old coals die down) if longer than 45 minute cook times are required. There's no reason that this device could not be used for general grilling but I'm not sure that that was what Lodge had in mind originally. Therefore, no thought was given, probably, to the dropping out the bottom problem when the device is tipped and dumped. I have not received my unit yet but from the instructions above and other reviews, I expect it to work magnificently with my Dutch Oven.

After years of using starting fluid which gives food a petroleum taste (to say nothing of the health implications), I came upon this chimney starter and was surprised at how quickly and efficiently such a simple product could get charcoal to cooking temperature.I have used charcoal briquettes (impregnated starting fluid definitely not needed, though it works too), as well as hardwood charcoal in the chimney starter with good results.Note that this product works best with pulpy newspaper as a starter in the bottom (surprisingly little is needed), and paper with even a little shine (such as is used in advertising circulars) can be difficult to work with, as it leaves ash which blocks air flow.Note, too, that turning the chimney over to dump the burning charcoals kicks up cinders, which rise on hot air currents, and that considerable heat comes from both ends of the chimney.

I had a cheaper made item but a friend had one of these and it’s design really makes it work so much better!! Your charcoal heats up in just a few minutes, you will love this lighter!!

No more smelly lighter fluid for me. This chimney charcoal starter is marvelous. A couple of crumpled pages of newsprint in the bottom, add charcoal, light, and within ten minutes dump the white hot charcoal briquettes and spread them out. Easy peasy.

An excellent piece of equipment for charcoal barbeques. Has a full load of briquettes ready in about 15 minutes. A little overpacked but the paper in the package is still being used to start the briquettes.

Se acabaron las discusiones de cómo prender el carbón para los asados, aún a los más asiduos iniciadores de fuego para los asados, los convenció luego de probarlo, muuuuuuy buen invento. Lo recomiendo 100%

Muy útil, me permite encender el carbón sin tener que soplar o poner servilletas con aceite. Enciendo con palitos de ocote y me olvido del asunto, el carbón se enciende solo mientras voy por mi cerveza o hago otras cosas.

I bought this for my new barbecue however it arrived without the grille on the inside so I have been unable to use it as it can't hold charcoal.Since I have been unable to reach you via email I posted this comment to try and get a reply

Es una hermosura hacer la "Carnita Asada" con estas herramientas. Sólo tienes que colocar el carbón en su interior, poner alguna servilleta o papel abajo, encenderlo. Y el resto se hace solo. Esperar a que el carbón esté listo en su totalidad. Muy recomendable.