Reduced from £9.99 (and still selling for £9.99 in homebase - UPDATE NOW £4.50 at homebase too)
Ideal for those wanting a cheaper alternative to more expensive options such as the Weber version (approx £20).
If you've not seen these in action then do a quick YouTube search
Would recommend buying a couple if you plan to BBQ for a few people as they're only really big enough for smaller parties
Top comments
dudwood_fudwood to hcc27
27 Jun 1631#9
Voting on something you don't understand? This is why we are leaving the EU!
Latest comments (29)
bucksend
15 Jul 16#29
Just got myself one of these, much bigger than I expected for those wondering about size
Edward_Nigma
28 Jun 16#28
Brilliant :smiley:
lassy
28 Jun 16#27
hubby has been using one of these for a few years and he swears by them and we regularly have 20+ family members round and never found need for a second starter. Heat added :smiley:
ellarain
28 Jun 16#26
These things are a must have for charcoal cooking.
Duelling Duck
28 Jun 16#25
If you're not doing tons of stuff you can cook directly over the top of one of these - just put the grill from your barbeque or grill pan over the top. If you're doing some meat or burgers sous-vide then it's a great way to finish them, or use a butane weed-burner which looks crazy but is awesome. I use a sprayer bottle to snuff out the coals and reuse them with no problems.
moislam79
28 Jun 16#24
I just bought one two weeks ago at £10. Was planning to return for an exchange as the top metal has come loose from the handle but now will return as faulty and have got two reserved for the same amount of money! I agree with op two is better to cater for larger parties and I have a big family, been firing the bbq everyday for the last two weeks. Heeeeaaat! :sunglasses:
bridtown
27 Jun 16#23
lol mybe he does thats why we got out
chrisross22
27 Jun 16#22
This is spot on for the price but does not work aswell as the Weber ones.
Best thing to do is drill a few more holes in the side to give better air flow but the main reason the Weber ones work better are because the coal sits on a cone shape inside rather than flat so it is easy to get started.
KendallC
27 Jun 16#21
I bought this one recently but not used it yet. It seems nicer than all the others I've come across in the 10 quid or under category. Handle feels better.
dribspak
27 Jun 16#16
i reserved 2 then watched a youtube video saying it took 45 minutes to get the bricks hot.....
reservation cancelled.
stuysmith to dribspak
27 Jun 16#20
Should only take 10-20mins dependent on the coals you use and the quantity mate
prash_2k
27 Jun 16#19
Just got one the thing is huge. Awesome for £5
ukdoctor
27 Jun 16#18
I use the weber version. Need to fill it completely if cooking completely on direct heat on my 57" weber.
Can get away with half if using only one side direct and the other side on indirect heat.
Another tip I learnt from an expert is that the weber briquettes can be reused .
After you finish cooking on the weber close all the vents so that the fire goes out. When you are going to cook next time take out the used briquettes and shake off the ash .
( some versions of weber BBQ's come with spacers to hold the charcoal). Its easier with these as the ash falla off the used briquettes when you shake it)
Now put new briquettes at the bottom and top of the chimmeny starter and reuse the old ones in the middle and start the fire .
Not sure if there much difference in what these and the more expensive ones achieve, but I recently bought the weber chimney starter (in a starter kit with briquettes and lighter cubes), and they really are the best thing for a BBQ. Never had briquettes get up to heat as quick before, and burn hot for as long.
Saying that, the Weber briquettes we got with the chimney starter definitely burned hotter for longer, than the cheap bags I got afterwards... hence, I got an 8kg bag of Weber briquettes at the garden centre last weekend.
dudwood_fudwood
27 Jun 161#13
Nah, votes were counted, decision was made, democracy. End of. Still fun to have a laugh with it though.
drnkbeer
27 Jun 16#12
I did wonder, just seen too many of these comments today I think. It's Poe's Law all over.
dudwood_fudwood
27 Jun 16#11
It was a joke mate. Why so salty?
drnkbeer
27 Jun 161#10
Yep and voting due to being scared of any change is why half the people voted remain. I'm a remain voter and even I think this comment is stupid.
hcc27
27 Jun 16#5
I'm not exactly sure what it does but 4.99 sounds pretty cheap so heated.
dudwood_fudwood to hcc27
27 Jun 1631#9
Voting on something you don't understand? This is why we are leaving the EU!
rastbury
27 Jun 161#7
Looks like an overpriced baked bean tin mug
Rickardo to rastbury
27 Jun 161#8
Some people do use the giant catering size tins with holes drilled in.
theybrokemywatch
27 Jun 16#6
These are great. I have one and use it with my small Weber. I only fill it to about 2/3 and it is plenty.
Disco Dave
27 Jun 16#4
Smoking
col11
27 Jun 161#1
"Would recommend buying a couple if you plan to BBQ for a few people as they're only really big enough for smaller parties"
surely you would just use one of these to get the BBQ started (early) then just add a bit more fuel if you need it bigger, I thought that was the idea of these? I had a cheap Tesco one last year and that's all I done, wouldn't of thought you would ever need more than one
jdandi to col11
27 Jun 161#2
depends on the size of your bbq and how you wish to operate - I would agree with Op stuysmith
KendallC to col11
27 Jun 16#3
We had an all day/evening BBQ a few weeks back, 20+ people using a Weber 57 Kettle and a small chimney starter like this was fine. You could just add more coals to the BBQ itself but in order to keep temp high we would use the chimney starter every time a top up was needed and add to the existing ones once ready. I can't really see the advantage of the bigger ones unless you are perhaps cooking whole chickens/big meat joints or perhaps cooking burgers and hot dogs at a commercial level.
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Opening post
Ideal for those wanting a cheaper alternative to more expensive options such as the Weber version (approx £20).
If you've not seen these in action then do a quick YouTube search
Would recommend buying a couple if you plan to BBQ for a few people as they're only really big enough for smaller parties
Top comments
Latest comments (29)
Best thing to do is drill a few more holes in the side to give better air flow but the main reason the Weber ones work better are because the coal sits on a cone shape inside rather than flat so it is easy to get started.
reservation cancelled.
Can get away with half if using only one side direct and the other side on indirect heat.
Another tip I learnt from an expert is that the weber briquettes can be reused .
After you finish cooking on the weber close all the vents so that the fire goes out. When you are going to cook next time take out the used briquettes and shake off the ash .
( some versions of weber BBQ's come with spacers to hold the charcoal). Its easier with these as the ash falla off the used briquettes when you shake it)
Now put new briquettes at the bottom and top of the chimmeny starter and reuse the old ones in the middle and start the fire .
I can save 30-40% in new briquettes this way.
Saying that, the Weber briquettes we got with the chimney starter definitely burned hotter for longer, than the cheap bags I got afterwards... hence, I got an 8kg bag of Weber briquettes at the garden centre last weekend.
surely you would just use one of these to get the BBQ started (early) then just add a bit more fuel if you need it bigger, I thought that was the idea of these? I had a cheap Tesco one last year and that's all I done, wouldn't of thought you would ever need more than one