Fire starter

[Spaggy 2]

What do you guys use as a fire starter? I bought some zip cubes but they have kerosene in them. I think I'll keep them for camp fires but not for the keg.

[willys1 20]

Cotton balls soaked in 90% alcohol. Use 1 or 2 per cook.  50 of them cost about $3 with no taste or odor  imparted to your fire. 

[Spaggy 2]

Thanks willys1

 

[Lesta80 12]

I bought a ‘big boy kamado’ electric stick lighter which I use if I am in a hurry, it lights up quick and then the blower helps to really kick the coals into gear - Cost around $80...

 

But more recently I have been using Xtraflame natural firefighters.. 1-2 per cook, never had a failed start, but takes a bit longer to get the coals going.

 

[pmillen 222]

21 hours ago, willys1 said:

Cotton balls soaked in 90% alcohol. Use 1 or 2 per cook.  50 of them cost about $3 with no taste or odor  imparted to your fire.

 

+1 on cotton balls & alcohol.  I store a bunch of them in a small screw-lid jar.

 

Be careful, tho'.  Alcohol fire is invisible.  A cotton ball may not appear to be burning when it is.

[Walrus 44]

Trigger start MAPP torch

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bernzomatic-TS4000KC-Trigger-Start-Torch-Kit-TS4000KC/203368730

[mike echo 252]

-got this from a Guru a few years ago. Still viable.

 

I use  Rutland fire starter squares cut in half. They looked  like the KJ fire starter squares.

 

Got a huge box on sale somewhere for $8 or so. Probably will last quite awhile. 

 

M.

[Ogopogo 73]

On 2/29/2020 at 9:48 PM, willys1 said:

Cotton balls soaked in 90% alcohol. Use 1 or 2 per cook.  50 of them cost about $3 with no taste or odor  imparted to your fire. 

 

+1. Cheap, reliable, and double as quick hand//tool/moving grill part cleaners.

[JeffieBoy 719]

I second the Xtraflame product.  Quick, easy, no late night drugstore runs for cotton balls, fussing with jars of flammable fluids, invisible skin burning flames, or my wife changing the bandages twice daily...  and they are about $4 for 48 pieces at your local BBQ-Mart.

[SmallBBQr 732]

+1 on the MAPP / Propane torch....  1001 uses around the home.

[prowe 1,766]

On 2/29/2020 at 10:48 PM, willys1 said:

Cotton balls soaked in 90% alcohol. Use 1 or 2 per cook.  50 of them cost about $3 with no taste or odor  imparted to your fire. 

ditto

[wallawu 214]

https://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-91033.html?_br_psugg_q=torch

 

Had this for over a year.  Slightly overkill, but gets the job done in a hurry and I've had more consistent burns than I did with cotton balls on the Big Joe, never having a fire go out.  If you get their mailers you can use the "20% off one item" and get it for $20.  Starts wood fires and burns weeds, too.

[Polar Bear 297]

Depends on how much of a rush you are in vs how much spare money you have 

Cheapest (but also slowest) is cotten balls and alcohol 

Fastest (that i've found) but also most expensive is a starter wand (gas or hot air)

An option that is somewhere in the middle is a Heat Gun from your local hardware store 

Theyre not as fast as a proper starter wand but can be had for around $15 and do the job well 

[Ron K 0]

I use a charcoal chimney, a couple of paper towels drizzled with cheap olive oil, and a Harbor Freight triggered hand-held propane torch (https://www.harborfreight.com/electric-start-propane-torch-91061.html?_br_psugg_q=propane+torch). Has served me well for years.