New way to light a fire with Kick Ash Basket

JohnB

I've been using a kick ash basket for about a year. Love it. I've also been starting my fires by using one of those chimney starters and dumping the lit coal on top of unlit coals in the basket. One day as I lifted the basket out so I could shake the ash off the old lump it occurred to me that I could just wad up some newspaper, put it in the fire box, light it and put the basket full of lump back in place. Of course you need to open everything up, but this works like a charm and is the easiest way I've found to light it up.

blasting

Have  you tried skipping pulling things out, and just drop an oiled paper towel in the lump?  I do this half the time and torch the other half.

JohnB

I've got to lift the basket out anyway to shake the ash off.

Photo Egg

Fire starter cube underneath works well and no messy ashes from the newspaper.

Botch

I sometimes use a paper towel spritzed with peanut oil, and as you mention I have the KAB out anyway.  Seems to light a lot faster than my old method (cubes on the top).  When I use up the remaining cubes I'll probably stick to the paper towels.  

Jellyworm

I use paper towels we have used to drain the grease off of bacon.  Learned that trick here- works like a charm.  I also love my KAB!

Gym

Anyone found that the firestarters are made with scented wax? Last 2-3 packages I bought were and it seemed to take forever for the smell to go away before I could begin to cook