Grilling - How to Use a Chimney Starter
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How to Use a Chimney Starter
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Learn the easy way to get your charcoal smoking hot
This grill season forget about lighter fluid and fire flare-ups. A chimney starter will let you get your grill going quickly and without a fuss.
Click the picture below to learn how to use one.
How to Use a Chimney Starter
The chimney starter is an essential grill tool that saves you time and allows you to skip the lighter fluid when starting your outdoor barbecue. It allows more oxygen to reach the coals, igniting them and allowing them to burn more evenly. Here, we used the Weber 7416 Rapidfire Chimney Starter.
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Step 1: Open the grill and clean the grate.
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Step 2: Set your chimney starter on a flat surface away from anything flammable.
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Step 3: Find some paper to stuff into the chimney starter's base.
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Step 4: Use a long matches when lighting chimney starters.
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Step 5: Open your charcoal. We've used hardwood charcoal, but briquettes work just fine provided they are not treated with lighter fluid.
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Step 6: Fill the chimney starter to the brim. It has a conical wire grate near the bottom that will catch the fuel.
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Step 7: Set the chimney starter on the grill.
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Step 8: Place the paper in the area underneath the chimney starter's wire coil.
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Step 9: Light the paper.
Michael Y. Park for AOL
Recent Comments
DalesEmail 04:37:49 PM Sep 01 2009
You spread the coals ready to cook on the grate, not the grill!! Let me know how your technique works out. Also, if you put a heavy sheet of aluminum foil (shiny side up)under the chimney it reflects the heat from the chimney back up into the coals allowing for quicker ashing of the coals. Is that all you do is read brochures from Weber's without ever having tested them. So much for writers!
Ponyakken 11:16:09 AM Aug 18 2009
Chimney starter is the ONLY way to go. Forget the newspaper/paper to start the coals. Use the weber starter cubes. They look like "white" colored ice cubes. You only need to place one on the INSIDE before putting in the charcoal. Light from the bottom using long stemmed lighter or match. Once proficient and organized, you will be able to load, start, and have hot coals just as quickly as your lazy friend can "PREHEAT" his gas grill. I like hardwood charcoal because it gets really hot in short time and allows you to "SEAR" whatever meat you wish to cook.
Hint of Smoke
Wood-smoked and grilled ingredients add a fire-kissed hint to these yummy summer drinks.
- Hickory Smoked Cherry Lemonade
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