What’s a good charcoal starter cube torch that’s refillable?


 
Mike - LA

Mike - LA

TVWBB Super Fan
Been using the old cheap low flame short life long sticks for years and was thinking about one of those small hand torch cigar lighter types. Any commentary on that good or bad or just use a match?
 
I use used and oily paper towels. Cooking oil, bacon grease, fry oil or similar. Put them on used paper towels and save them in a 1 quart container. Place them below a chimney or one in each CB and add coals on top of them. Then light them with a crème brûlée torch and 10 mins later, hot coals.

Limited-time deal: Sondiko Butane Torch S400, Refillable Kitchen Torch Lighter, Fit All Butane Tanks Blow Torch with Safety Lock and Adjustable Flame for Desserts, Creme Brulee, and Baking—Butane Gas Is Not Included https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L8YPYQK/?tag=tvwb-20
 
I buy a pack of kingsford branded throw away lighters at costco. Last I looked they were $5.99 for five or six. These last me a couple of years.
 
I use the tack lite too. Love it. Since it is electronic, it is unaffected by wind and cold. Rechargeable. The limit is that the item to be lighted must fit between the two electrodes. Like an edge of a piece of paper.

I load up a Dixie cup with cubes, paper towels, napkins, cooking oil, sticks, starter gel, etc. Basically anything everything flammable. Burns like crazy and fits great under a chimney.
 
I use something like this..... Fish fryer.... and a five gallon tank of propane to like my chimney most of the time works better than anything else. I just used cheap bic long shaft lighter to light the burner. It can get a full chimney lit and going in a fraction of the time of anything else. I've used cubes, I've used newspaper strips crumbled under a chimney, I've used torches.. big and small.. propane and mapp.... This is hands down the most effective, quickest way to get chimney going. It may be too much heat for most chimneys wire supports that are in the bottom... They are just glowing red even before the heat is turned up very high.. but works it does.

The newspapers leave you frustrated because they go out sometimes depending on how much moisture they have in them. Starter cube are ridiculously expensive. On a per start basis this is cheaper. A little bit of propane at bulk propane prices.
 

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Mike,
To light starter cubes, I just use the cheap Bic long lighter. It's not refillable but it holds enough butane to last me a good long while. The starter cubes and wafers are so easy to light I never thought I needed much horsepower to get them going.

This might work for you. It works good for lighting cigars and is refillable. From Amazon.

GOLDNCONN Jet Torch Cigar Lighter, Strong Flame Windproof Butane Fuel Cigarette Lighter (Black)​







  1. GOLDNCONN Jet Torch Cigar Lighter, Strong Flame Windproof Butane Fuel Cigarette Lighter (Black)

 
MartinB said:
I use something like this..... Fish fryer.... and a five gallon tank of propane to like my chimney most of the time works better than anything else. I just used cheap bic long shaft lighter to light the burner. It can get a full chimney lit and going in a fraction of the time of anything else. I've used cubes, I've used newspaper strips crumbled under a chimney, I've used torches.. big and small.. propane and mapp.... This is hands down the most effective, quickest way to get chimney going. It may be too much heat for most chimneys wire supports that are in the bottom... They are just glowing red even before the heat is turned up very high.. but works it does.

The newspapers leave you frustrated because they go out sometimes depending on how much moisture they have in them. Starter cube are ridiculously expensive. On a per start basis this is cheaper. A little bit of propane at bulk propane prices.
Click to expand...
Yup. The side burner on my E330 works well for full chimneys of coal.
 
The thing I didn't like about using crumpled newspaper is the ash that would get blown around the yard when you lift the chimney. I used a turkey fryer burner for a while, then a weed burner, but now I use a 2-burner outdoor range. I don't use charcoal all that much any more, TBH. If you wanted to get fancy, you could use one of those single burner camp stoves if you have one.
 
grillblazer.com

GrillGun Basic

GrillGun Basic includes the GrillGun - High power propane torch, designed to light Charcoal and Wood grills and smokers comes with the Bottle Stand - Convenient vertical stand that enables you to set your GrillGun attached to a propane bottle - upright and easily accessible while cooling down...
grillblazer.com grillblazer.com
 
I’ve been pretty much lighting my JD in the CBs of late with oiled napkins or paper towels. Haven’t used my chimney all summer. From all these posts, y’all are spending a lot of time and money and something that’s so simple. Why over engineer such a simple step? I’m confused.
 
DanHoo said:
I buy a pack of kingsford branded throw away lighters at costco. Last I looked they were $5.99 for five or six. These last me a couple of years.
Click to expand...
I always end up using the wind proof 2 first and still have a bunch of the regular kind.
Greta deal though.
 
Brett-EDH said:
I’ve been pretty much lighting my JD in the CBs of late with oiled napkins or paper towels. Haven’t used my chimney all summer. From all these posts, y’all are spending a lot of time and money and something that’s so simple. Why over engineer such a simple step? I’m confused.
Click to expand...
I think the OP is interested in what we are using to lite starter cubes or in your case oiled napkins or paper towels.
I keep two of those cheap candle lighters. One in the garage for summer time and one in the house for winter.
Propane and zero temps don't work well together. I have the GA on the performer for most of the time.
 
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