The 4 Highest Charcoal Chimney Starters of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

Charcoal Chimney Starter Capacities
Product	Selection of charcoal briquettes to fill it
Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter	100
Outset Collapsible Tenting Grill and Chimney Starter	100
Char-Griller Charcoal Chimney	90
BBQ Dragon Massive Chimney of Madness	60
Kingsford Heavy Responsibility Deluxe Charcoal Chimney Starter	66
Hotel Chimney Charcoal Starter	60
Beau Jardin Charcoal Chimney Starter	66
Konexcel Heavy Responsibility Charcoal Chimney Starter	90

A bigger-capacity charcoal chimney is probably the most flexible, although you might be best grilling a small quantity of meals. That stated, if cupboard space is restricted (otherwise you best grill as soon as in a blue moon), the 3.5 quart Hotel proved its mettle in my assessments.

Airflow Used to be The entirety

Convection is the important thing to chimney starter good fortune. After you may have lit newspaper or starter blocks, air enters the ground and flows upwards, heating the charcoal till the highest coals are ashy. With out ok airflow, there’s no convection and, because of this, deficient ignition. Fashions with too little airflow, such because the BBQ Dragon Chimney of Madness, carried out poorly and required relighting to get the charcoal burning. An excessive amount of airflow may also be unfavorable, as I examined on breezy days and located the paper will burn sooner than the charcoal can catch. Even supposing your chimney has the most efficient convection design, you’ll be able to stymie it by way of packing an excessive amount of (or too tightly packed) paper within the backside. 

Handles Have been Cooler Than Anticipated

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve used a charcoal chimney continuously, so all through my trying out I used to be inspired by way of the advances in manage design. Up to now, it used to be only a for the reason that you’d give protection to your hand with a kitchen towel or grill glove. Fashions from Char-Griller, Hotel, and Weber had the most efficient designs, using warmth shields to deflect warmth and holding the handles cool sufficient to pick out the chimney up with naked palms.

No longer All Chimneys Are Just right for Each Varieties of Charcoal

Since lump charcoal and briquettes are basically other animals, you will have to be expecting other lights effects. Some chimneys, just like the Kingsford Heavy Responsibility Deluxe, shone brightly all through our briquette trying out, best to fizzle when confronted with lump charcoal. Fashions from Beau Jardin, Weber, and Char-Griller publish the most efficient appearing around the two varieties, whilst the Outset and Hotel fashions took higher to briquettes. Unfortunately, I couldn’t discover a transparent rhyme or reason why as to why positive chimneys did higher or worse with other charcoal varieties. 

The Standards: What to Search for in a Charcoal Chimney Starter

I will be able to scream this from the mountain tops: airflow is the entirety. The most efficient charcoal chimneys have just right convection: air is going into the ground, will get heated and drawn up throughout the chimney (which will get the coals burning), and exits on the best. Just right chimneys actually have a warmth protect to give protection to the manage, permitting you to raise and unload the coals into the grill. In the end, it will have to be clean to mild with holes at the facet to make it clean (despite the fact that holes at the backside paintings in a pinch). After that, the skill depends upon your wishes, in accordance with your grill measurement and personal tastes. For those who essentially use lump charcoal, believe our best performers in that house, just like the Char-Griller or Weber Rapidfire.

Our Favourite Charcoal Chimney Starters

What we preferred: The Weber Rapidfire is a particularly easy-to-use chimney with a big hopper, abundant room for paper or lighter cubes, and a manage that remains cool. Not one of the chimneys I examined lived as much as their marketed lights time, so I’m no longer out of line in announcing that the startup time of slightly below half-hour for a six-quart load of briquettes used to be a forged efficiency. The Weber additionally had one of the crucial easiest convection designs, making it one of the crucial quickest to mild, too. It’s additionally slightly inexpensive. 

What we didn’t like: It didn’t fare as smartly when lights lump charcoal. After about 10 mins, when the primary batch of paper burned out, I had so as to add extra and relight it. After that, issues moved alongside all of a sudden. The ground holes that facilitate convection have been simply shy of the scale of my stick lighter, which pressured me to mild it from the ground. If the holes have been only a wee bit higher, the chimney could be considerably more straightforward to mild.

Key Specifications

• Mentioned skill: 5 kilos
• Examined skill: 100 briquettes
• Dimensions: 12 x 7.5 inches
• Fabrics: Aluminized metal, thermoplastic
• Care for dimensions: 5.75 x 1.25 inches

What we preferred: This chimney’s huge skill and clean lights made it a powerful contender for best fashion. Massive backside holes—greater than ok to insert a lighter—supplied superb airflow and clean lights. Once more, not one of the chimneys lived as much as their marketed lights occasions, however the Outset used to be our quickest briquette-lighting fashion, taking 26 mins to mild six quarts and 20 mins for 3. 

What we didn’t like: The Outset used to be one of the crucial few that didn’t require relighting all through the lump charcoal take a look at, nevertheless it had one of the crucial longest lights occasions at about 36 mins. After the second one (three-quart) take a look at I spotted one of the vital inside end flaking, and the manage were given uncomfortably heat.

Key Specifications

• Mentioned skill: 7 kilos
• Examined skill: 100 briquettes
• Dimensions: 10.75 x 8.5 inches
• Fabrics: Zinc, chrome, Nylon
• Care for dimensions: 5 x 1

What we preferred: The Char-Griller’s huge skill and clean lights have been particular pluses. It used to be one of the crucial quickest to mild, regardless of the amount or charcoal kind. It used to be additionally one in every of two chimneys I didn’t need to relight all through the lump charcoal take a look at, and it had the charcoal waiting to head in about 23 mins. The doling out characteristic, which is composed of a handle-release latch that releases a “lure door” on the hopper’s backside, used to be a pleasing addition; it allowed me to carry the entire thing over the grill, squeeze the discharge lever, and the charcoal fell out the ground. It used to be additionally clean to load, and the manage stayed cool whilst the charcoal burned.

What we didn’t like: I’m no longer any individual’s concept of a small particular person, and I had some problem preserving the chimney with a complete six-quart load and squeezing the discharge lever with one hand. The manage stayed cool all through the lights procedure, in order that wasn’t a subject—it used to be simply an unwieldy mixture of preserving the chimney upright whilst squeezing. It used to be a far more straightforward job with the three-quart load, however nonetheless clumsy. A private annoyance: one briquette caught within the lure door association that dumps the charcoal, and existence were given just a little bushy once I shook it free, and the briquette headed immediately for my naked foot. Just like the Weber, the ground holes are too small for a lighter, so it’s a must to mild the chimney from the bottom.

Key Specifications

• Mentioned skill: 4 kilos
• Examined skill: 90 briquettes
• Dimensions: 10.75 x 8.75 inches
• Fabrics: Zinc-coated galvanized metal, Nylon
• Care for dimensions: 5 x 1 inches

What we preferred: Let’s be transparent concerning the small-capacity designation—the Hotel chimney nonetheless held 3.5 quarts or 60 briquettes. That’s no longer a trifling quantity to get grilling on. Plus, it had 3 quarts of charcoal briquettes waiting in 22 mins. The ground design, which featured oval-shaped slots, used to be superb for airflow and lights. The ones slots supplied quite a lot of room to insert a stick lighter, making it clean to make sure the paper used to be burning absolutely initially of the take a look at. The manage stayed cool because of a warmth protect between it and the hopper.

What we didn’t like: Even if lump charcoal best took half-hour to mild, I needed to restart the take a look at after it didn’t ignite the primary time. A much broader hopper would upload just a little extra skill with out negatively affecting the airflow.

Key Specifications

• Mentioned skill: “Really extensive”
• Examined skill: 60 briquettes
• Dimensions: 12 x 6.25 inches
• Fabrics: Galvanized metal, picket
• Care for dimensions: 7 x 1 inches

The Pageant

Additionally Beneficial

• Kingsford Heavy Responsibility Deluxe Charcoal Chimney Starter: This chimney had ok effects all through the briquette trying out, which took just a little over half-hour to finish. Fifty-six mins into the lump trying out, I had already restarted the take a look at 3 times and referred to as it an afternoon. It’s were given huge holes for lights and is really easy to make use of, however put it aside for briquettes best.
• Weber Rapidfire Compact Chimney Starter Charcoal Grill: This compact model of Weber’s Rapidfire chimney works moderately smartly. It has a skill of about two quarts, which is superb for smaller or moveable grills, nevertheless it takes extra time to ignite coals than its higher sibling.

No longer Beneficial

• BBQ Dragon Chimney of Madness Charcoal Starter: A reputation like Chimney of Madness units expectancies for spectacular effects, for higher or worse. Unfortunately, as a standalone chimney, this fashion used to be exceptionally mediocre. I needed to restart it with recent paper all through the three-quart and lump charcoal assessments since there used to be valuable little airflow; that is in part as a result of lots of the house is ruled by way of an air shaft meant to be used with the non-compulsory BBQ Dragon. It in the end lit the briquettes, taking about 20 mins to take action. As an experiment, after the chimney had timed out of attention for the lump charcoal take a look at, I determined to emulate the BBQ Dragon. This non-compulsory fan suits into the Chimney of Madness’s air shaft. I inserted a leaf blower into the shaft (this is the reason ladies out survive males), the chimney burst into flames, and the lump charcoal used to be waiting a little while later. This chimney may ship on its identify with the BBQ Dragon (or a just right leaf blower), however no longer by itself.
• Beau Jardin Charcoal Chimney Starter: The Beau Jardin is a superb charcoal chimney. It did smartly within the three-quart and lump assessments, lights the lump charcoal in about quarter-hour. Then again, I needed to restart the take a look at after the paper burned out with out igniting any charcoal. It carried out smartly, nevertheless it didn’t draw any reaction from me as opposed to, “It’s ok.” Complete disclosure: I’ve used this chimney up to now, and it didn’t have nice longevity, because it fell aside after a couple of month of semi-daily use.
• Konexcel Heavy Responsibility Charcoal Chimney Starter: Once I stated “airflow is the entirety,” I intended it. The Konexcel has little or no; with out that the most important convection beginning, a chimney gained’t mild successfully. I needed to restart this chimney all through each and every take a look at and deserted the lump take a look at after the 3rd take a look at. After the three-quart take a look at, the manage changed into “bouncy,” for lack of a higher phrase. The manage did not wiggle just like the rivets have been free; it simply were given oddly versatile, which gave me low expectancies for the chimney’s longevity.

FAQs

Do you want to scrub a charcoal chimney?

A charcoal chimney wishes about as a lot care and a spotlight as a hearty houseplant, which is to mention, the naked minimal. You don’t wish to scrub, rinse, or another way wash your chimney, however you do wish to unload any residual ash and stay it out of the weather when no longer in use.

What’s the most efficient charcoal to make use of? 

“The most efficient” depends upon your choice for lump or briquette charcoal. I’m firmly within the lump camp as a result of once I grill, it’s generally a sluggish cooking methodology, and lump charcoal provides extra taste and burns longer than briquettes. Then again, it’s possible you’ll in finding briquettes more straightforward for temporarily grilling some burgers or sizzling canines.

Are charcoal chimneys price it?

This solution depends upon how you are feeling about lighter fluid. I will’t carry myself to pour poisonous chemical substances at the charcoal I’ll quickly burn to cook dinner my meals over. That leaves me with two different reasonable possible choices, and the chimney is the extra sustainable choice. We’ll speak about the opposite in a second.

What can I take advantage of if I don’t have a charcoal chimney? 

There’s at all times lighter fluid, even if I counsel towards it. You’ll purchase lighter blocks or cubes (like those, from Weber or Kingsford) fabricated from compressed picket or cardboard, continuously lined in paraffin, and position them within the grill round your piled-up charcoal to start out it. There’s additionally the choice of creating a small kindling fireplace and including your charcoal after it’s burning.

How lengthy do you permit charcoal in a chimney? 

Time is a terrible unit of measure in cooking. There are just too many variables to mention X will at all times cook dinner for Y time. That stated, you’ll depart your charcoal within the chimney till the highest layer is sparkling and ashy. According to my assessments, that may take between 15 and half-hour.

What’s the science in the back of a charcoal chimney? 

Chimneys paintings by means of convection. Whilst you mild a fireplace within the chimney’s backside, you create a draft of warmth emerging. The holes within the backside permit airflow, heated by way of the burning paper (or lighter block.) The heated air rises, spreading the fireplace upwards till the highest coals ignite and you’ve got ready-to-use charcoal.

Why We’re the Professionals 

• Greg Baker is a former James Beard nominated chef from Tampa Bay, Florida.
• He’s written about sous vide machines, vacuum sealers, and pizza tools for Critical Eats. 
• For this evaluation, Greg burned thru 78 kilos of charcoal to search out the most efficient charcoal chimney starters. He evaluated them in accordance with how clean they have been to arrange and use, and the way temporarily and successfully they heated briquette and lump charcoal. 
• He could have gotten just a little enthusiastic and used a leaf blower to instigate one of the crucial deficient performers to mild—unfortunately, it used to be nonetheless a loser.