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Chimney starters

Weber 8 × 5.8 × 10.4 in, under 15 min

Lights coals in under fifteen minutes, and the only starter here that names the grills it fits.

Weber Rapidfire Compact chimney starter in silver

Weber 8 × 5.8 × 10.4 in, under 15 min

Lights coals in under fifteen minutes, and the only starter here that names the grills it fits.

Dimensions
8 H × 5.8 W × 10.4 D in
Lighting time
Under 15 minutes
Fits
Smokey Joe and Jumbo Joe charcoal grills
Lit with
Weber Lighter Cubes or crumpled newspaper
Size
Compact — stated ideal for smaller grills or shorter sessions
Weight
680 g (24 oz)
Capacity
Not published by the maker
Material
Not published by the maker
Heat shield
Not stated
Cone-shaped grate
No — Weber publishes that on its Standard model
Warranty
Not published by the maker
Amazon reference
B009IH0ICG
EAN
0077924019494
  • Publishes a lighting time — under fifteen minutes — which only four starters here do
  • The only listing on this shelf that names the specific grills it suits
  • No capacity, no material and no steel thickness published

Best for: A Smokey Joe, a Jumbo Joe or any small kettle, at the lowest price on this shelf

≈ $13
Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Dimensions
8 H × 5.8 W × 10.4 D in
Lighting time
Under 15 minutes
Fits
Smokey Joe and Jumbo Joe charcoal grills
Lit with
Weber Lighter Cubes or crumpled newspaper
Size
Compact — stated ideal for smaller grills or shorter sessions
Weight
680 g (24 oz)
Capacity
Not published by the maker
Material
Not published by the maker
Heat shield
Not stated
Cone-shaped grate
No — Weber publishes that on its Standard model
Warranty
Not published by the maker
Amazon reference
B009IH0ICG
EAN
0077924019494

What you are getting

A compact chimney starter measuring 8 high by 5.8 wide by 10.4 inches deep, lit from Weber Lighter Cubes or crumpled newspaper.

Under fifteen minutes

One of four listings on this shelf to publish a time, and they agree: CADARA and BEAU JARDIN both say 10 to 15 minutes, and Oklahoma Joe’s claims half that.

So fifteen minutes is the honest ceiling for a chimney of this size.

The grills it fits

The only listing here to name them: Smokey Joe and Jumbo Joe.

That matters because a chimney has to stand somewhere while it burns, and a full-size cylinder on a 14-inch kettle overhangs the grate.

What Weber keeps for the dearer model

The specialized cone-shaped grate appears on the Weber Rapidfire Standard at $24.99 and not here.

That cone is the actual mechanism: it concentrates the starter flame under the coals and increases the draw up the cylinder. The Standard is also 13 inches tall against this one’s 10.4, and height is what makes a chimney draw at all.

What is not published

No capacity — only three starters on this shelf publish one. No material: seven here state galvanized or zinc-coated steel and three state stainless, and Weber says only “durable construction”. No heat shield stated, where seven listings here have one. No warranty.

Availability

On sale at around $13 on the American Amazon store at the time of checking.

Prices and availability are what Keepa reported on the date this page was updated; both move.

Prices quoted in this text were read on 4 October 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.

The questions that come in

How is it different from the Weber Standard?

Two things, and one of them is the mechanism. The Standard at $24.99 is 7.5 inches in diameter and 13 inches high; this is 10.4 inches tall. Height is what makes a chimney work — a tall narrow cylinder creates the draw that pulls air up through the coals. And the Standard publishes a "specialized cone-shaped grate", which this does not: a cone concentrates the starter flame directly under the charcoal instead of spreading it across a flat grate. What this gives back is size: it is sold as "ideal for smaller grills or shorter grilling sessions" and names the Smokey Joe and Jumbo Joe it fits. On a 14-inch kettle a full-size chimney load is more charcoal than the grill holds.

What do I light it with?

Weber Lighter Cubes or crumpled newspaper, and the shelf has useful detail on both. CADARA is the only listing here to give a quantity: "3 pieces of newspaper which was crunched up in the bottom". BEAU JARDIN adds the point that matters outdoors: "the fire cubes can even work normally on rainy days", where damp newspaper will not. And homenote describes what its cubes are made of — "100% From Nature - Harmless wood shavings - odorless and tasteless, will not flavor food". The reason to use any of them rather than lighter fluid is put best by Eau on this shelf: a chimney leaves "no chemical residue... eliminating lighter fluid taste on food and solvent smell in the air".

Is 680 grams enough?

It is mid-range here, and weight on a chimney starter is mostly steel gauge. The published figures on this shelf run from 603 g (21.3 oz) (Kingsford Compact) to 1,588 g (56 oz) (The Bincho Grill), with this at 680. Only CADARA publishes a thickness — 0.6 mm (0.02 in) — and that is light: a chimney starter runs at coal temperature every time it is used, and a thin body warps and eventually splits at the seam. What the weight does not tell you is the material, which is the real durability question: seven starters here are galvanized or zinc-coated steel, three are stainless, and Weber publishes neither. The Bincho Grill is the only listing to argue the point, claiming its uncoated stainless has "no paint or zinc finish to peel, flake, or burn off".

Pans this fits

More chimney starters

  • Weber Rapidfire chimney starter standard in silver

    Weber 7.5 in dia × 13 in, cone grate

    The tallest chimney here at thirteen inches, with a cone-shaped grate Weber puts on no other model.

    Diameter
    7.5 in
    Height
    13 in — the tallest body on this shelf
    Grate
    Specialized cone-shaped — the only grate geometry published here
    Handle
    Ergonomic
    Purpose
    Designed to quickly produce hot coals for cooking
    Construction
    Stated durable, for longevity
    Published bullets
    Five, each one line
    Capacity
    Not published by the maker
    Material
    Not published by the maker
    Lighting time
    Not published — Weber’s own Compact says under 15 minutes
    Heat shield
    Not stated, where seven starters here have one
    Weight
    Not published by the maker
    Amazon reference
    B07B5BHKDZ
    EAN
    0077924077388
    • Thirteen inches tall, the tallest here, and height is what makes a chimney draw
    • The only starter on this shelf with a published grate geometry — a cone, to focus the starter flame
    • Five one-line bullets, with no capacity, no material and no lighting time

    Best for: A 22-inch Weber kettle — the tallest draw here, from the people who designed the kettle

    ≈ $25
    Check price on Amazon
  • BEAU JARDIN charcoal chimney starter large capacity in galvanized steel

    BEAU JARDIN Cubes work in the rain

    A galvanized starter with abundant side vents, and the only listing here that mentions lighting in the rain.

    Dimensions
    11 × 6.8 in
    Material
    High-quality zinc-coated galvanized steel
    Vents
    Large bottom holes and abundant side vents, for air circulation
    Lighting time
    10 to 15 minutes in most weather conditions
    Handle
    Non-slip, heat-resistant, with a heat shield
    Lit with
    Crumpled newspaper or fire starter cubes
    In the rain
    The fire cubes are stated to work normally on rainy days
    Taste
    Stated to keep the original food flavor, with no odd taste
    Portability
    Lightweight integrated structure, stated not easy to deform
    Weight
    980 g (34.6 oz)
    Capacity
    Not published, despite "large capacity" in the title
    Steel thickness
    Not published
    Warranty
    Not published by the maker
    Amazon reference
    B074QLZXPT
    EAN
    4502155479640
    • The only starter on this shelf that mentions lighting in the rain, and names the method that works
    • Describes both the base holes and the side vents, which is the fullest airflow description bar one
    • Says "large capacity" in the title with no figure anywhere on the page

    Best for: A grill that lives outdoors in a wet climate — the listing that thought about the weather

    ≈ $24
    Check price on Amazon
  • CADARA charcoal chimney starter BBQ grill lighter in galvanized steel

    CADARA 0.6 mm (0.02 in) steel, 30-day warranty

    The only starter here to publish a steel thickness, a lighting time and a warranty all three.

    Dimensions
    10.7 × 6.5 × 6.5 in
    Steel thickness
    0.6 mm (0.02 in) — the only figure published on this shelf
    Material
    Zinc-coated galvanized steel
    Vents
    Up the side, with large-diameter holes at the base for lighting
    Lighting time
    About 10 to 15 minutes, depending on weather
    Handle
    Nylon, plus a heat shield against heat transfer
    Lit with
    Newspaper or light cubes — three crumpled sheets, per the maker
    Warranty
    30 days — the only warranty on this shelf
    Weight
    798 g (28.1 oz)
    Capacity
    Not published by the maker
    Coating
    Zinc, which burns off a chimney interior over time
    Amazon reference
    B07R17NMY5
    EAN
    0740385139857
    • Publishes a steel thickness, a lighting time and a warranty — the only starter here to do all three
    • The only listing on this shelf that says how much newspaper to use: three crumpled sheets
    • Nought point six millimeters is thin for a body that runs at coal temperature

    Best for: A buyer who wants the figures — thickness, time and warranty, all published

    ≈ $20
    Check price on Amazon

Other things that earn their drawer space

  • Ziruma non-toxic stainless steel mixing bowls with glass lids plastic free 5 piece

    Ziruma 1 to 4.5 qt, glass lids

    Five steel bowls from 1 to 4.5 quarts with airtight glass lids, measurement marks and silicone bases.

    Pieces
    FIVE bowls — 1, 2, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 quarts
    Lids
    Glass, airtight and dishwasher safe — the only glass lids on this shelf
    Why glass
    Plastic lids warp in a dishwasher and stop sealing; glass keeps its shape
    Plastic
    None anywhere — steel bowls, glass lids, silicone bases
    Measurement marks
    Inside the bowls, for accuracy
    Bases
    Non-slip platinum silicone
    Material
    100 per cent food-grade stainless steel
    Storage
    Nesting
    Cost per bowl
    $12.99
    Microwave
    Not claimed — no steel set here does
    Weight
    Not published by the maker
    Steel gauge
    Not published
    Pour spout
    None
    Warranty
    Not published by the maker
    Amazon reference
    B0D9ZL5DFX
    EAN
    5060960291127
    • The only glass lids on this shelf, and the only listing to explain why plastic ones fail
    • Every capacity published — 1 to 4.5 quarts across five bowls — which four sets here do not manage
    • Thirteen dollars a bowl, against six for a five-bowl steel set on this shelf

    Best for: Mixing, measuring and storing in one bowl — with lids that will still seal in five years

    ≈ $65
    Check price on Amazon
  • Zulay Kitchen 12 piece plastic mixing bowls with lids set stackable

    Zulay Kitchen 6 bowls, 6 lids, lifetime

    Six plastic bowls with transparent leak-proof lids, stackable, with a lifetime guarantee.

    Pieces
    12 — SIX bowls and six transparent lids
    Lids
    Transparent, tight-fit and stated leak-proof for transport
    Material
    Thicker food-grade plastic, stated not to bend under a hand mixer
    Microwave
    Safe
    Freezer
    Safe
    Dishwasher
    Top-rack friendly; hand washing also stated
    Storage
    Stackable and nesting
    Guarantee
    Lifetime
    Cost per bowl
    $5.00
    Capacities
    Not published for any bowl
    Material name
    Not published — only "food-grade"
    Non-slip base
    None, where six sets here have one
    Pour spout
    None
    Weight
    Not published by the maker
    Amazon reference
    B0D4SPDSBL
    EAN
    0195702022884
    • A stated lifetime guarantee, which only two other sets on this shelf offer in any form
    • Transparent leak-proof lids on all six bowls, so a mixing bowl becomes a fridge box
    • Publishes no capacities at all, so you cannot tell whether the biggest bowl takes a batter

    Best for: Mixing and storing in the same bowl — six lidded bowls with a lifetime behind them

    ≈ $30
    Check price on Amazon
  • AOTHOD silicone cooking utensils set heat resistant kitchen utensils

    AOTHOD 446 °F, steel-reinforced

    A steel-reinforced set rated to 446 °F, seamless so no food lodges, and dishwasher safe.

    Heat rating
    446 °F — the consensus figure on this shelf
    Reinforcement
    Stainless steel, stated to hold shape and never warp
    Head
    Thickened silicone, soft and elastic, for close contact with a non-stick pan
    Construction
    Seamless one-piece, so no food residue lodges
    Dishwasher
    Safe
    Named pieces
    Large and small slotted spoon, turner, deep soup ladle, spatula, solid spoon, basting brush, flexible spatula, slotted turner, pasta server, egg whisk, kitchen tongs
    Material
    Food-grade silicone, BPA-free
    Packaging
    Elegant, stated suitable as a gift
    Weight
    1250 g (44.1 oz) — see the FAQ on the oannao comparison
    Piece count
    Not totalled by the maker
    Steel grade
    Not published — only BESTZMWK publishes 304
    Handle material
    Not stated
    Warranty
    Not published by the maker
    Amazon reference
    B088DGBRMC
    EAN
    0643934552452
    • Stainless steel reinforcement with the reason given — it holds its shape and will not warp
    • A seamless one-piece body, which is where a two-part silicone tool starts to smell
    • Never totals its piece count, where five sets on this shelf state one

    Best for: Non-stick pans — a cored, seamless set at the shelf’s consensus heat rating

    ≈ $20
    Check price on Amazon

All chimney starters

Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.