I think the Weber Firestarters are the best thing ever for charcoal starting, besides the chimney.
And something about the chimney. I had a Charbroil chimney for a while. Until the bottom rusted/burned out. Then I got another Charbroil because the Lowe's/HD were out of Webers. The only way i knew that the charcoal was ready with the Charbroil was when fire would be coming out of the top. There was no "light coating of grey ash".
After finding this site, I decided to get the Weber chimney - mainly for recipe's sake. That way, if it called for 1 lit and .5 a chimney of unlit, I would have the right amounts.
The unexpected bonus was that the Weber chimney somehow got the very top coals to be ashed over, without the flame coming out of the top, and the bottom coals almost completely used up.
When it comes to grilling, fire, charcoal, and even gassers- -I don't see ANY reason to use anything but Weber products. They rule.