It is pretty easy how to use a chimney charcoal starter, but some people are not familiar with it.
Reason enough for me to write about how to use a chimney starter the way I have been doing it for many years.
What Do You Need
There are just a few things you need to get your charcoal started with the Chimney starter. Besides the obvious charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal this is what you need.
- Charcoal Chimney (I love my Weber)
- Some newspaper (Or alternative)
- A lighter
Steps To Take.
There is a roster down in the chimney starter. You put charcoal at the top and newspaper at the bottom.
- Fill the chimney with charcoal
- Crumble the newspaper at the bottom
- Light the newspaper
- Wait till the charcoal is ready
That is all you have to do to get your charcoal ready to use on your grill.
This is my personal setup to get started
Then I crumble up the newspaper
This is the Weber Chimney in action and getting my charcoal ready in about 10 minutes.
After a few minutes, my charcoal is almost ready
This is basically the whole process to get your charcoal started with a charcoal chimney.
Video How To Use A Weber Rapid Fire Chimney Starter
Many times a video can explain it better.
Alternatives For The News Paper
If you have no newspaper there are alternatives on how to use a charcoal chimney without it.
- Toilet Roll
- Lighter cubes
- Tumbleweed
- Blow torch
These are just a few alternatives but I bet you can come up with your own solution.
It also works on other chimneys of course but in my experience, the Weber Rapid Fire is the best charcoal starter.
The reason I claim this is that I have used other brands but they did not last too long, and my Weber chimney lasts me now for many years although it always sits outside.
I don’t know if you have noticed my Weber char basket fuel holder on the right side of the pictures, but I also use them a lot.
The reason I use them is that I like to set my grill up for 2 zone cooking as I describe in this article.
By using this method you have a hot and cooler section on your grill and this will give you a lot more options to grill than just directly under your meat.
By using this method you can also shut the hood of your grill and use your air vents to control the temperature for low and slow cooking.
I hope this small explanation on how to use a charcoal grill chimney starter shows how easy it is to use it and how fast your charcoal will be ready to use.
Where To Buy A Weber Chimney Starter
There are several places to buy a Weber chimney starter. From local hardware stores to online. Here are a few online buying options.
Find The Best Prices for Weber Chimney Starter
If you are not sure if you like to use a Weber chimney starter you can have a look at the top 5 electric Firestarter’s I reviewed.
If you prefer to see even more you can read all my charcoal grill tips to find more ways to use your charcoal grill.
Eddie van Aken
Related Posts
Eddie van Aken is the founder of The Grilling Dutchman, where he teaches practical, no-nonsense BBQ and outdoor cooking. With years of hands-on experience working with grills, smokers, and live fire, he focuses on techniques that actually work in real backyards.
When he’s not cooking, Eddie tests and reviews outdoor gear and equipment for PracticalBackyard.com. Learn more about Eddie van Aken.