There are several different options to start your charcoal, starter fluid is not one of them and neither are briquettes embalmed with starter fluid. No, the two best ways to start your charcoal is by using either a charcoal chimney or an electric charcoal starter.
If you want to barbecue like the pros you need to dispose of anything that has fluid in it as fluid only ruins the flavor of the food you’re grilling.
I personally use both charcoal chimneys and electric charcoal starters due to various conditions and situations. If I’m going to be cooking a lot and using one or more grills, I will have several chimneys going so I don’t lose my heat.
Probably the most used charcoal chimney within the BBQ community is made by Weber; the Weber Rapid Fire charcoal chimney. It has an extra large canister and so easy to use. You Just fill the canister to the desired amount of charcoal, place a piece of newspaper underneath the chimney and light, it’s that quick and easy. The Weber charcoal chimney holds enough charcoal for the Weber One Touch Silver 22.5 Inch Charcoal Grill.
However, if I’m in a hurry and I’m cooking a smaller batch of food, majority of the time I use my electric charcoal starter. It will start my charcoal in about 10 minutes and I find it much cleaner and convenient then using the charcoal chimney. Thus, making cleanup a breeze!
Either method is quick and simple to use and doesn’t contain anything that’s going to alter the flavor of your BBQ food. Use one or both these products and you’ll be able to BBQ Like A Pro.
P.S. One other thing to add regarding the use of a charcoal chimney; I have never seen or heard of this done before now, but Larry from The BBQ Grail actually has shown how you can cook on it too! Larry posted this article on my twitter stream a couple of weeks ago and it’s definitely worth the read.
