potato chips

onesaxplayer

While the rest of the world was playing Where's Waldo with Edward Snowden, I discovered that potato chips are an excellent fire starter.  Cool!

blueinatl

I may regret this, but HOW did you find this out? (and why)

Tjcoley

My son has been trying to get me to light the Egg using potato chips for a long time. Never tried it, but imagine kettle cooked would work best.

Doc_Eggerton

In a pile, individual chips, you didn't take a photo, arrrrrrgh?

Scottborasjr

Now that you say that I remember growing up that there was a gentleman that would go camping with our "boy scout" like organization that would use potato chips and paper towels to start fires.  He wasn't there very often, most of the time it was 4-5 men smoking cigars with a gas can and a pile of charcoal/wood. Ah the good old days.

onesaxplayer

Oddly enough, this was no accident and I kept m eye brows intact.  I buried a handful in the coals like I do my bye starter blocks.  I then lit the edge of one chip and it burned much like a natural starter.  I did this in a couple of places around the egg and it worked very well.  I went from initial lighting to clean burn in about 12 minutes.  I had read about this before and decided to give it a go.  The chips were UTZ brand ruffles, but any fried chip should do as long as there is enough grease.  The grease gives hot burn flammability while the mass of the chip gives a length to the burn so the coals can get fired up.  I imagine you probably would want to use larger pieces and not crumbs.  Corn chips should work too according to other threads.  Could be a new use for stale chips...

onesaxplayer

Forgot to take pics.  Will do on Wednesday.

Egghead_Daron

Cool idea. I'm willing to at least give it a try. Nothing to lose.

nolaegghead

Better for your health if you burn them rather than eat them.

cortguitarman

I like the idea. The problem is that I don't buy chips because I'd eat them all.

dougbacker

cortguitarman said:

I like the idea. The problem is that I don't buy chips because I'd eat them all.

And then you would have nothing to lite ur Egg with

TexanOfTheNorth

nolaegghead said:

Better for your health if you burn them rather than eat them.

I was thinking along these lines myself. Just goes to show how much oil/grease/fat is in those things.

dpittard

Frito's Scoops will burn FOREVER.  Never thought to use chips as a starter, though.