Charcoal Chimney Starter

As I walk my dogs, Gwen and Swifty, around the neighborhood on a warm summer night, the scent of smoldering mesquite, oak, and hickory is in the air. Occasionally I catch a whiff of something very disturbing — something so morbid that I stop in my tracks. No, not my dogs. I'm talking about the smell of charcoal lighting fluid. There are a surprisingly large number of people, some acquaintances of mine included, that still use charcoal lighting fluid to ignite their charcoal. Aside from the awful smell that never quite leaves, and the residual taste of toxic petroleum distillates on your food, it's not the safest way to light up the barbecue.

If you know someone who uses charcoal lighting fluid, might I suggest that a charcoal chimney starter makes a great gift? Charcoal chimney starters are not that expensive (around $12) and will save them money in the long run. I've even seen one made from an empty coffee can that had both ends removed with church key holes punched along the edge.

If you've never used one, the charcoal chimney is extremely easy to use. All you need is the chimney, some paper (a couple of pages from yesterday's newspaper works great), some charcoal, and some matches or a lighter. Crumple up the paper and stuff it loosely into the bottom of the chimney, then fill the top section with charcoal. Place it onto a non-flammable surface (I put it on top of the grill) and light. In about 20 minutes your charcoal will be ready to pour into your grill.