old fashioned fire starter.

[fxsales1959]

I've been consumed with using my new Smokey Joe 14 for whipping up steaks, as its small and easy and doesn't take but a handful of briquettes to burn a couple steaks. Mama likes the little fill-ay min-yons( I don't) and I can pick up 8oz pairs at the latin meat market. Figured a good time to give my new Inkbirdbbq INT-11p-b wireless therm a second chance (IMHO it failed again miserably) . I was rummaging thru the garage trying to make more room for the 4-wheel buggy and found an old electric coal starter. Thought it might be fun to see if it would work on a double handful of briquettes. I was happily surprised. no tripped breakers or fires, other than the coals.
Steaks were fork tender but too lean for me.

 

[mr mac]

I used one of them once in an old home we rented and ended up popping the breaker many a time. Been using a chimney ever since...

 

[radioguy]

Wow haven't seen one of those in many years.

RG

 

[Gonna Smoke]

found an old electric coal starter.

Wow haven't seen one of those in many years.

RG

It has certainly been a long time since I've seen one, but a cool memory...

 

[mike243]

Sorry the IB isnt working properly, pretty sure they have a warranty, love my SJ,

 

[Cattoon]

I actually use one of those with a chimney, I put a couple of layers of briquettes or lump in and then stick the electric starter in and fill with whichever I’m using. About 5-10 minutes and pull the electric and let the charcoal finish lighting off. I’ve never had any luck using a chimney with newspaper or paper in general.

 

[801driver]

Myself, I have used a chimney (replaced a couple times) with a single sheet of waded newspaper for close to 40 years. Occasionally the charcoal will have collected moisture and it will be a little slow starting, putting off a lot of steam at first. We all have our own ways of doing things that work best for us.