what's best to start lump charcoal

scottcrazydog

I've been using the starter squares from bge to start the lump but just wondering what most of you start yours with?

Ozzie_Isaac

Weedburner

Mickey

Carolina Q

Mapp torch (actually with a propane canister at the moment)). Have also used paper towels with oil which also works well and no sparking. I have a box of starter cubes, but haven't used one in years.

DMW

Thermonuclear weapons

Chowman

Electric starter

beachsmoke

Electric starter here in Florida never starter fluid will destroy flavor of egg

bo_mull

Electric Starter

SmokeLife

The Looftlighter works great for me, very fast lighting with no starter cubes.

AUCE

Looftlighter..love mine

WeberWho

Weed torch 

Walt2015

Paper towel + veg oil

MeTed

Paper towel and veggie oil. Works great!

gamason

BGE starter blocks. No fuss,cheap and easy!

fljoemon

I use a Bernzomatic weed burner .. the long handle lets you light the lump from a safe distance: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008ZA0F/

I normally use a cheap propane canister used for camping that I buy from Home Depot/Lowes

ryantt

I've always like to use fire....lol. Actually it depends I've used my chimney and a parafane cube or paper for high temp cooks .  If doing it in the egg  for low and slow I like to place one weber cube in the middle and start it.   

Wowens

Propane torch, it has the pezzo ignitor.  Super quick to get the fire lit.  No electrical cords, no lighter, quick and easy.

fishlessman

this
http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1143722/napkin-and-oil-trick-was-messy

Lmidkiff

Mapp tourch. 

Mthead7

Looft lighter. Love that thing!

NCEggSmoker

I use generic starter cubes that come a gross to a box for like 10 bucks. I've done oil on paper towel and that works fine. Likely going to get a torch when the box of starters runs out. 

NPHuskerFL

MAPP torch for me. 

@DMW
https://youtu.be/ecPeSmF_ikc

paqman

I either use a butane torch or BGE starter cubes.   I prefer the starter cubes.   I am cheap so I cut each cube in 4 pieces.   For regular cooks, I just use one cube; for low and slow, I use 3 cubes.

johnkitchens

This has been my progression since I bought my eggs:

BGE starter cubes (too slow for me)
Papertowel soaked in oil (too slow and sometimes it didn't work)
Heat Gun (worked great, but had to plug it in)
Mapp Torch (works great, but sometimes I get popped with a hot ember)

I am sticking with the Mapp torch. 

tarheelmatt

Weedtorch....

https://youtu.be/E5k-u8lP2eA

SwampBadger

It depends.  I vary between a MAPP torch; a Looftlighter (not when it's -20 out); a cheapie Harbor Freight heat gun; a starter cube; leftover paper towel after cooking bacon (got that brilliant idea from someone here); cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol; a shovel of embers from the fire pit; charcoal chimney; it just depends.  They all work.  I think it really depends on how fast you want to get up to temp, what style of cook you're doing, and what your time constraints are.

fishlessman

johnkitchens said:

This has been my progression since I bought my eggs:

BGE starter cubes (too slow for me)
Papertowel soaked in oil (too slow and sometimes it didn't work)
Heat Gun (worked great, but had to plug it in)
Mapp Torch (works great, but sometimes I get popped with a hot ember)

I am sticking with the Mapp torch. 

speed wise it makes a huge difference to have the papertowels soaked ahead instead of the day your lighting. soaked ahead its almost as fast as the weedburner and much faster than mapp

BigWader

I'm like others here - I started with the BGE cubes, found a cheap knock off at the Dollar store and use those for low and slow where I want it to come up to temp slowly.

I tried the oil soaked napkin and it works but is as slow or slower than the starter cubes (I always worried about burying the napkin like the starter cubes)

I got a looftlighter and use it a fair bit but have melted the guard at the end so not sure how long it is going to last now.

Then I got the Harbor Freight weed burner and I am very happy with it!  I used to have issues trying to cook weeknights by the time the fire was ready.  This thing takes care of that.

johnkitchens

fishlessman said:

speed wise it makes a huge difference to have the papertowels soaked ahead instead of the day your lighting. soaked ahead its almost as fast as the weedburner and much faster than mapp

I bet that was my problem. I would pour oil on the papertowel in the house and immediately walk outside and light it. 

That makes sense that it would work better if I had some soaked ahead of time. 

Zmokin

Count me as another electric starter.

tarheelmatt

I will echo what @BigWader indicated.  I had inconsistent results with those cubes.  

Now, a weeknight cook goes like this: 

1 - Enter garage
2 - Light Egg
3 - Go back in 
4 - Change clothes
5 - Go back to check EGG
6 - Adjust

At point 5 it is usually at or nearing grilling temp.