Chimney starter

A chimney Starter in use

A chimney starter, also called a charcoal chimney, is a device that is used to set either lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes alight. It is usually a steel cylinder about 8" (20 cm) in diameter and about 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) tall. Chimney starters have a plate or grate with several holes that is welded horizontally inside the cylinder about 3" (8 cm) from the bottom. The chimney has large holes drilled around its circumference below the grate. This is to allow air to flow up underneath the charcoal, which rests on top of the grate. They also have handles that are frequently insulated. The chimney starter works by placing newspaper underneath the grate and lighting it on fire. This fire rises through the holes in the grate and sets the charcoal alight. It is commonly used in situations where the use of charcoal lighter fluid, a toxic petroleum derivative, is inappropriate or banned. It is also used when extra charcoals are required while the grill is being used, such as when slowly cooking something for a few hours.

Patent drawing of chimney starter from U.S. Patent 3,167,040

The chimney starter's basic device, used for barbecue grills, was invented in the 1960s by Hugh King, Lavaughn Johnson, and Garner Byars of Corinth, Mississippi and marketed under the "Auto Fire" label.^[1]

Use of a chimney starter

A chimney starter is used by placing charcoal (as lump charcoal or briquettes) in the chimney so that they stack on top of the grate. Once the charcoal is all burning (it will appear glowing red in the bottom and ashed over on the top), the chimney is picked up by its handle and the lit charcoal dumped into the grill.

A non-traditional use is to cook directly over the chimney starter, which provides a high-intensity heat-source for flash-searing fish or other foods.^[2]

Japanese Fire starter

Make one yourself

Making a chimney starter with a grate and handle made out of coathanger wire is one approach ^[3], but a simpler method is to remove both ends of a large can (#10 food can or large Coffee can) and then to place the resulting cylinder on top of several charcoal briquettes. The briquette spacers allow air to enter the can at the bottom. To use, individually crumple up 3 sheets of newspaper and place a modest load (24) of briquettes on top of the newspaper. Light the newspaper from space between the spacing briquettes. Tongs or some other method of removing the hot can is necessary after the charcoal starts^[4].

References

1. ^ U.S. Patent No. 3,167,040, Automatic Dump Type Charcoal Lighter.
2. ^ Transcript of Good Eats episode
3. ^ http://www.opentutorial.com/Make_a_charcoal_chimney
4. ^ http://www.your-camping-guidebook.com/charcoal-chimney-how-to-use.html