There are several notable benefits of charcoal grill and cooking. Food experts have acknowledged the versatility of flavors that can be achieved when cooking over charcoals. Other worthy goodness from using a charcoal grill include dual cooking, less expense, and low-cost maintenance. The challenge however with using charcoal to cook is dealing with the mess afterward and starting a fire at the start. This is where chimney charcoal starter comes in.
Having the best chimney charcoal makes charcoal grilling easier. Using a chimney charcoal starter is an easier way to lit your charcoal. All you need to do is put crumpled newspaper at the bottom, put briquettes on top of the vented base, light the paper at the bottom and wait for the charcoal to light evenly. Once the charcoals are lit, you can transfer them by pouring or dumping them into the grill.
No doubt chimney charcoal starter is a useful tool for charcoal grillers out there. If you are shopping for one and don’t know where to start, this review is for you. Check out our choices below for the best chimney charcoal starters in the market today and take your pick to match your personal preference.
Without further ado, let’s have a look at our top five choices.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Please read our affiliate disclosure for more details.
Page Contents
The Best Chimney Charcoal Starter – Our Detailed Review
Weber 7447 Compact Rapidfire Chimney Starter – Best Chimney Starter with Average Capacity
This Weber 7447 Compact Rapidfire chimney starter is made of unpainted aluminized steel and ergonomic and safe handle. There is a heat shield to protect the handle and your hands from excessive heat.
It lights charcoals in less than 15 minutes with the use of lighter cubes or crumpled newspapers. The Weber Compact Rapidfire is designed with enough ventilation that makes lighting the charcoals easier.
It does not need any assembly prior to use. This chimney starter fits well with Weber’s Smokey Joe and Jumbo Joe charcoal grills. As the name suggests, this chimney starter is compact and is great for smaller grills as well, and it is suitable with other grills, not just Weber charcoal grills
Related posts: The Weber BBQ Grill Review and Weber Performer Deluxe 22 Charcoal Grill Review.
The overall product dimension is 8×5.8×10.4 inches with a canister diameter of 6 inches. This Weber’s chimney starter is top-rated by Amazon users and is the most popular product in this particular category.
What Are The Pros
- It is manufactured by an established grill brand in the U.S.A.
- It has a solid construction.
- It is easy and safe to use.
- It is efficient and compact.
- It is highly rated and popular amongst Amazon users.
- There is no need to assemble.
What Are The Cons
- Some users found the capacity of the Weber 7447 chimney starter to small
- There were complaints regarding the plastic handle not being heat resistant.
Overall
Weber 7447 Compact Rapidfire chimney starter is a good choice if you are looking for a reliable chimney starter for shorter grilling sessions. It is made by a top grill brand, has a solid construction, is efficient and safe to use. It has overwhelming popularity amongst Amazon users and is a top-rated product.
We choose this Weber’s charcoal chimney starter as the best choice for those who are looking for chimney starters with an average size.
Please Check The Price For The Weber Compact Rapidfire On Amazon
Oklahoma Joe’s 9848125R04 Half-Time Charcoal Starter XL – Best Chimney Starter with Extra Large Capacity
This Oklahoma Joe’s charcoal starter has a relatively large capacity that can hold up to 100 briquettes. It can fire charcoals at a faster rate because it is designed with enough ventilation holes. This charcoal starter is made of heavy-duty stainless steel and is unpainted.
There are 2 handles that remain cool even when charcoals are lit. The extra handle makes the dumping of lit charcoals on the grill easier.
This charcoal starter measures 12×15.4×7.8 inches.
Because this chimney starter is wider, some users even use this as a mini grill by putting a stainless grill on top.
Related post: Ultimate List Of The Best Small Portable Charcoal Grills
There is no need to assemble the product before use.
What Are The Pros?
- It has a relatively large capacity.
- There is an extra handle for easy dumping.
- It lits charcoals faster.
- It is made of heavy-duty stainless steel and is unpainted.
- There is no need to assemble.
What Are The Cons?
- You pay more for the extra capacity.
Overall
If you are looking for a charcoal starter with a wider diameter and a shorter height then this product from Oklahoma Joe is the best choice for you. It lights charcoals faster because of its extra ventilation holes.
It has the largest capacity amongst our choices of charcoal starters. It has a decent and safe construction as well.
This Oklahoma Joe’s charcoal starter is our choice for the best chimney charcoal starter with a bigger capacity.
Please Check The Price For The Oklahoma Joe Chimney Starter On Amazon
Kingsford Heavy Duty Deluxe Charcoal Chimney Starter – Runner Up Chimney Charcoal Starter with Average Capacity
This Kingsford Heavy Duty Deluxe Charcoal chimney starter is constructed with durable zinc steel that is said to be rust-resistant. It has a heat shield to protect the handle and your hands from heat.
Char-Griller Charcoal Grill Chimney Starter with Quick Release Trigger – Best Choice for No Pouring Feature
Just like most chimney starters, it is cylinder in shape. The ventilation holes are found at the bottom. You can use these holes when lighting the charcoal using crumpled newspapers.
The charcoal chimney starter from Kingsford measures 10.74×6.8×11.25 with a diameter of 6.5 inches.
You can use it directly from your delivery box and there is no need to assemble the unit.
What Are The Pros?
- It is made by a leading grill brand in the U.S.A.
- It has a solid construction with safety features.
- It is highly rated and popular amongst Amazon users.
What Are The Cons?
- It has a relatively small capacity.
Overall
This Kingsford Heavy Duty Deluxe Charcoal chimney starter is my runner-up for the best chimney starter next to the Weber charcoal chimney starter featured above. It is from a leading brand and features heavy-duty construction with the right features making it easy and safe to use.
It is a top-rated product and very popular amongst Amazon users.
Please Check The Price For The Kingsford Charcoal Chimney On Amazon
Char-Griller Charcoal Grill Chimney Starter with Quick Release Trigger – Best Choice for No Pouring Feature
This Char-Griller chimney starter is designed with zinc-coated galvanized 0.6 mm steel. It has a stay-cool handle with a heat shield to protect your hands from the heat.
This unit is made with a patented quick-release trigger so you don’t need to pour the lit charcoals into the grill.
All you need to do is pull the trigger and the charcoal will be released from the starter to the grill. You can light the charcoals by using a crumpled newspaper at the bottom. There are hole vents to speed up the lighting process.
This way, the hottest coals remain at the bottom for better heat distribution.
The product size is 7.75 inches by diameter and 12 inches by height.
There is no need to assemble the product as well.
What Are The Pros?
- The Char-Griller chimney starter has a solid construction with safety features.
- It has adequate ventilation holes.
- It features a quick-release trigger for dumping the coals hence it is less messy.
What Are The Cons?
- Some users report fast discoloration of the body.
Overall
If you are looking for a chimney charcoal starter that does not need pouring, then this is the best choice for you. This Char-Griller chimney starter has a quick-release trigger for dumping the charcoals into your grill.
It is easy to use with heat-resistant handles and has enough hole vents to speed up the lighting process.
Please Check The Price For The Char-Griller Chimney Starter On Amaon
CampMaid Collapsible Charcoal Chimney Starter – Best Choice for Outdoor Adventures
The CampMaid Collapsible Charcoal Chimney starter as the name suggests folds for your easy convenience and is especially helpful when you are going on an outdoor adventure.
It fits inside 12-inch or larger dutch oven. It is designed with enough vent holes that can easily speed up the lighting process.
The CampMaid chimney starter is constructed with high-quality paint lock steel with a heat barrier and stay cool handle.
You can light about 45 briquettes with this portable grilling accessory.
This chimney starter is lightweight at 2.1 pounds.
What Are The Pros?
- It is collapsible and lightweight.
- It has a solid construction with safety features.
- It has enough vent holes and makes starting a fire easy.
What Are The Cons?
- It has a relatively small capacity.
- Price is higher than other chimney starters.
Overall
This collapsible charcoal chimney starter is a great choice for campers or those who want to cook while on an outdoor adventure. It is durable and designed for convenience with safety features in the right places.
It is extra portable and lightweight so you can worry less about storage.
Please Check The Price For The Campmaid Chimney Starter On Amaon
Wrapping It Up
There you have it our review for the best chimney charcoal starters in the market today. We hope you’ve found the best one for your charcoal grilling needs from our above choices.
If you cannot decide yet on which model to choose, please be reminded of the things you need to consider when shopping for one next time such as the capacity, built, safety features, price, and brand.
Built can determine the durability of the product as well as how efficiently it can light the charcoals.
While the safety features refer to the heat barrier and handle construction.
Here is a tip: If you have a charcoal grill at home already, you can determine the capacity of your chimney starter by the amount of charcoal your grill needs or the length of time of your grilling sessions.
Also, don’t forget that chimney starters should be used with extra care and safety considerations.
We hope we’ve made your shopping for chimney charcoal starter easier. Enjoy charcoal grilling with the chimney charcoal starter of your choice and you will surely appreciate the difference that it can make in your cooking sessions.
WoodFiredPizzaOven.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
If WoodFiredPizzaOven.org links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link) and you buy this item or any other product, WoodFiredPizzaOven.org will get a small percentage of the sale.
