Weber Chimney Starter for Charcoal Grill Review

I can tell the difference between charcoal and gas grilled food. There's a huge flavor difference. I gas sometimes, but I mostly char grill, because that's what makes outdoor cooking different and special.

The one down side to grilling with charcoal is that some of those nuggets can be hard to start. There's the self-start charcoal and the squirt fluid, but those tastes are not what you really are shooting for. Also, you may still have a heck of a time getting the fire going.

I struggled with this problem for years. I considered an electric starter like my dad used sometimes, but we weren't always near electricity. We take our Weber on the road too.

I kept looking at the Weber charcoal starter. It sounded like a good idea. But, I wasn't sure how it worked and if it worked. It's a company I trust, but some things sound too good to be true. I wondered if this might be the case.

Finally I broke down and bought one. Since it's under $20, it wasn't a real splurge. But, still. A few dollars is a few dollars.

This thing is amazing. I kid you not.

All you do is crumple up some newspaper - 2 or 3 sheets in the bottom. Pour in charcoal. Light the paper. The coals catch up and are perfect in minutes. You then dump them in the grill, and you are a master griller with red hot coals.

Now, don't use school paper or other trash paper. That doesn't work. It does need to be thin news print paper. Trust me on this. I've tried stuffing other paper in there. Doesn't work well.

But, if you use newspaper, then you are good to go and fast with a chimney starter.

I wrote an article at Garden & Hearth where I'm the Barbeque Master. You can get the details (if you need or want them) at:

http://www.gardenandhearth.com/BarbequeMaster/Chimney-Starter.htm

Seriously, if you grill over charcoal, a chimney starter is a great investment. You never have to buy lighter fluid, and you save a lot of frustration too. I can't believe that I waited so long to get one. I guess I thought it sounded too simple to really be that great. I was wrong. Weber came out with a terrific low tech charcoal starter, and it only sets you back a few bucks while saving you lots over time.

If you're still on the fence, I posted up step by step directions with photos on chimney starters at:

http://cooking.consumerhelpweb.com/kitchensecrets/advice/chimney-starter-guide.htm