The Bincho Grill 7.5 in dia × 11¾ in, uncoated inox

It is the one durability argument made explicitly on this shelf, and it is sound. Seven of thirteen starters here are galvanized or zinc-coated steel, and a chimney starter is the only barbecue tool that routinely runs at the temperature of burning charcoal — so a coated interior degrades, going dull and flaky over a season or two. The Bincho Grill states the case: "uncoated and unplated with no paint or zinc finish to peel, flake, or burn off over time". Bare stainless discolours and keeps its structure. The cost is real: $43.73 against $13.80 for Kingsford’s Heavy Duty. The two cheaper stainless bodies here are Oklahoma Joe’s at $34.99 and KU-koruo at $29.99, which splits the difference.

Because you cannot light it any other way, and this is the only listing on this shelf to explain it: binchotan "is known for being dense and difficult to ignite without a chimney starter that provides proper airflow". Binchotan is Japanese white charcoal, fired at very high temperature until it is almost pure carbon — extremely dense, almost metallic to tap, and nearly impossible to light with a match or a cube on its own. What it needs is sustained forced airflow, which is exactly what a chimney’s draft provides. In exchange it burns longer, hotter and almost without smoke, which is why yakitori is cooked over it. The listing also takes hardwood lump, briquettes and ogatan, and is sized to fit the maker’s own stove burner.

It lets you pour with two hands, and that is the only genuinely risky moment in using a chimney starter. What you are doing when you empty one is tilting a steel cylinder holding a kilo and a half of charcoal at something near seven hundred degrees, at arm’s length, on a single handle, over a grill. The Bincho Grill adds an "integrated secondary metal handle" for "added stability and two-handed control when transferring hot charcoal". Char-Griller on this shelf solves the same problem the other way, with a quick-release trigger that drops the coals without tilting anything. Those two are the only listings here that address the pour, and at 1,588 g (56 oz) — the heaviest body on this shelf — the second handle earns its place.