Weber Fire Starter Cubes


 
RCBaughn

RCBaughn

TVWBB Super Fan
Well, I have been lighting my Performer with newspaper and veggie oil since I got it and that was what kept me from using the Performer a lot more than what I did. Just kind of a hassle to find newspaper since I don't subscribe to one and spraying it in veggie oil can be a bit messy, so most of the time if it was just me eating I'd fire up my Spirit and just use gas to cook whatever it was. Still good, but not charcoal flavored for sure.

Well, I was at Walmart and saw the Weber cubes and thought what the heck, I'll pay $3.98 and give them a try since there's 24 of them. Not like I'll run out soon and that price is fair.

That said, I think that anyone who cooks with charcoal and lights it in a chimney needs to go ahead and just get these. It made cooking on the Performer no harder than turning my Spirit E-310 's knob on the gas tanks and pressing the igniter button. No fooling with having to relight another piece of paper or dancing in and out of the house to make sure that the chimney was lit and not sitting there cold. The cubes got my chimney ready to go in 10 mins and after I dumped it the grill was piping hot at 450 degrees.

It's almost an epiphany really, and I don't know how much I'll use the gasser since I've finally found an easy, fast, and cheap way to light my Performer. All the great flavor of charcoal and none of the work. I can't say how much of a fan I am of these little $3.98 wonders.

Is anyone else a fan of these? And do you use two cubes like Weber says or just one? And if you do use one, does it light the charcoal at the same rate? If you can truly just use one cube then these are literally the convenience deal of the century for someone who grills on charcoal.
 
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Love 'em. I don't use anything else. I will use two if I have a full chimney, otherwise I'll use one. I don't know if it's actually faster, but it sure works well.

Mike
 
I like them and buy a bunch at the end of season closeouts. I'm a little confused here tho.. You have a Performer with Gas assist and you still need to add a starter media of some type to the chimney??

Tim
 
Since i started using cubes i havent used papper. Often i dont even use the chimney. Place a cube in the coals...Light it and add a few more ontop. Lid off. 20 min and you have a decent fire.(faster if using lump)

Never seen the Weber cubes...I use these:


21$ / 200 cubes(bags) Works like a charm.
 
I do like using the cubes over newspaper but the gas assist in the Performer is my most preferred way to light. My experience has been that I only have to leave the gas on for about 60-90 seconds and the coals are lit. They are usually ready to pour from the chimney in 10-15 minutes. I am glad to be out of the newspaper business.
 
I made the same discovery a while back. I use the Touch-N-Go on my Performer, but use the fire cubes to start everything else. IMO, they are so much less of a hassle than newspaper or paper towels and oil. I use two with both the regular chimney and full mini chimney. I only use one when lighting a small load of charcoal in the mini chimney for the minion method start in my mini WSM.
 
Love the cubes. For years, like an idiot I thought I knew better because "why would anyone need to buy these."

I'll never stop using them.
 
I use them (1 cube works fine) and love them.

Tip: Keep them sealed in the foil until ready to use. Whatever the flammable is in them will evaporate once they are unsealed, and what's left in a day or so is harder to burn than a brick. If you want to give some to a friend or take on a camping trip, cut a few squares of the package so they stay sealed.
 
Have never tried the cubes. I "recycle" my newspapers with the chimney. It seems to work well enough for me.
Pretty much anyway to light the coals is good except for charcoal igniter fluid, that stuff is nasty.
 
I use the Weber cubes once in awhile but got a propylene fueled torch in a slickdeals buy that lights them in about 20 seconds and have been using that lately. Hit them with the torch in a circular movement for about 20 seconds and its good to go...
 
I love the Weber cubes as well. Funny timing for the thread though. I just bought a new pack and have tried using two of them and both were difficult to light and keep burning. First time I've had that happen. Not giving up on them but found it strange.
 
I used to use paper but I never liked it. Now I use a single burner camp stove that screws onto a small propane tank. The chimney I use fits perfectly on top of it. I have also used the side burner on my gas grill.
 
The one thing I don't like on the Weber Cubes is the foil and the stray bits of paraffin wax that drops out on the ground. I have dogs which I love and that bothers me when they try to lick that up.

Tim
 
Chris in Louisiana said:
Tip: Keep them sealed in the foil until ready to use. Whatever the flammable is in them will evaporate once they are unsealed, and what's left in a day or so is harder to burn than a brick. If you want to give some to a friend or take on a camping trip, cut a few squares of the package so they stay sealed.
Click to expand...

Good to know. Thanks for the tip!

I use the cubes if out of town or on the front porch, but for most suppers, the Performer (back patio) can even light two chimneys at once.
 
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