Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter, Standard, Silver

I am delighted to share my thoughts on the fire starter chimney that I recently purchased, which has truly elevated my grilling experience.Before using the chimney, starting a charcoal fire was a frustrating and time-consuming task. However, with the help of this ingenious tool, I can now start a fire quickly and easily, with minimal effort and fuss.The chimney itself is well-constructed and built to last. The metal is thick and sturdy, and the design is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. I appreciate the thoughtful features, such as the heat-resistant handle, which makes it easy and safe to handle, even when the chimney is full of hot coals.Using the chimney is a breeze. I simply fill it with charcoal, place it on my grill, and light a fire starter. Within minutes, the coals are evenly lit, and I am ready to start cooking. The chimney ensures that the fire is hot and consistent, making it easy to achieve the perfect sear or cook food to a precise temperature.Overall, I am thrilled with my purchase of the fire starter chimney. It has revolutionized the way I grill, and I cannot imagine going back to the old way of starting a fire. If you are a serious griller or barbecue enthusiast, I highly recommend investing in this game-changing tool. It is well worth the cost and will undoubtedly enhance your grilling experience

I got this smaller charcoal chimney for about half price through the Amazon Warehouse, and it works just fine. I think it must have been returned because the person buying it thought it was too small. For me, it’s just right. I measured out 2 lbs. of lump charcoal, which was recommended for cooking a 16 inch pizza without wasting coals, and that’s pretty much what this chimney holds. I’ve never used a charcoal chimney before, but I put a few pine cones underneath the grid instead of newspaper as my kindling, and I soon had glowing coals in the chimney above. I worried that some of the pieces of the lump charcoal would fall through the grid, so I set it where I planned to dump it and just let any of the small stuff fall through.

Very well made and charcoal lights fairly fast.

Man, I couldn’t believe how well this thing works . Got my charcoal blazing hot in no time . A must have for charcoal cooks !

I use this with the Lodge Sportsman Grill. It works well but I wish it were about an inch taller to more easily hold about 6 more coals. The larger chimneys are too wide in diameter to sit flat on the coal grate of the Sportsman Grill. If I am doing a full cook on the grill this is not quite enough coals for my liking. I need to pile the extra few coals above the rim. No biggy but an inch taller would be nice.This is the first time I have used a chimney and I was very impressed how well it started the coals. I will never go back to fluid.Update: I still like this a lot. I still wish it was an inch taller, but it works. I looked at the weber full size chimney, it is massive. Almost as big as my Lodge Sportsman grill. I'll stick with this compact model for this grill.Tip for easy lighting: Tear the newspaper into 1" wide shreds. Even better, run it through an office shredder. It lights way easier since there is better airflow through the shredded paper. Its harder to get the paper to stay in place though. Roll it in a ball, stuff it under the chimney and hold it in place until you set the chimney in place. Tip it slightly and poke your lighter underneath. Don't tip it too much or your paper will fall out. It lights so much easier.Update 2: I bought some Weber starter cubes. So much easier than newspaper and way less smokey. Even brief exposure to the newspaper smoke left me smelling like a campfire. One cube gets this chimney roaring in 10-15 minutes.

Three sheets of newspaper, one match and this chimney gets a chimney full of lump into a bed of coals ready to cook in 20-30 minutes. The “lump” you buy will determine the cook time, along with coal to grill distance, of course. 5 Star Product.I will NEVER return to charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid. This full Weber chimney will easily do 4 large hamburgers or three large steaks over direct heat.Optionally: It can still do some great offset ribs at the same "burn" if you think it through, and have the floor space. I like to go slow with the ribs and start just AFTER the burgers or steaks come off and the lump coals are not so hot. Perhaps 20 minutes? 1 after dinner dessert rib and next day ribs are excellent. 😋 It would be a waste to not take advantage of the leftover heat!Tip: The lump charcoal bag on it’s way to you can't be tossed around, because the contents are fragile like eggs. Bag tossing makes the pieces turn into gravel! Ideally, few pieces should as small as your old whole briquettes. So shipping is not recommended. Some brick and mortar stores treat the bags right, and others toss them around like bags of rice. Ideally you find a store that still has the bags on the pallet as they come from the manufacturer, insuring the bags have not been abused.Tip2: There are web pages that rate lump for flavor. Many are biased for certain brands. It is suggested that you go to the biggest BBQ equipment stores and ask what is good in your area. B&B Oak has been my favorite, but went through a "sparking" and mondo size logs phase, that I hope has past. Academy Sports has been known to have them on original pallets. RockWood is another good lump, usually if carefully stocked, or may be ordered from Ace Hardware stores. Ask around, and you might find lump the right size and flavor for you. Then you may find steak and burger heaven! (That never contacted lighter fluid.)TPinSwUSA rating scale:★ Well below expectations. And/or Listing is false.★★ Below expectations and/or Significant listing errors or Significant problems.★★★ Neutral - some good, some bad. Or highly priced for no known reason.★★★★ Meets expectations. Price seemed competitive when review was written.★★★★★ Exceeds expectations and/or the competition with Value. Unique.