electric starter question

JudyFoodie · January 2008

After the first few uses of my new BGE electric starter, the grey coating on the burner started melting away. Each time I had the starter in for less than the recommended max of 8 minutes. How important is this coating and is it under warranty? Is it still okay to use? I've noticed since that sometimes the burner doesn't get glowing red like it used to and other times it is very red, very inconsistent. Is this thing on the way to being toast?

~Judy

citychicken · January 2008

it doesn't sound good. i have never used an electric starter though. if you find that the thing eventually does die you will find that there are many ways to efficiently ignite your lump. my personal favorite is a chimney starter or a mapp torch. i have also used a weed burner attachment from my propane supply tank; and in a pinch you can twist some paper towels into bow ties and moisten with cooking oil; place on top of the lump and ignite the paper towels. some even use pieces of fire starter.

Fidel · January 2008

When you heat that element so high they tend to degrade. A few years ago I used them (my dealer included one with my first egg), but have since moved to much greener and easier pastures.

I went through 3 or 4 of them, and using them 4-5 times a week they only last a few months. They begin flaking and getting thinner until eventually they will no longer heat and keep tripping the GFCI on the outlet.

mikeb6109 · January 2008

hey judy just dump the electric lighter!! i have one that i never use i find in non convinient having to get the extension cord out then after lighting the egg having to put everything back!! so all i do is use firestarters or been using the fire gel wich works wonderfully!! also with the gell i find i can start the fire pretty much in any way like just the middle , all around, at 3 oclock and 9..... the ways are countless!!
ps did you get you thermapen working properly??
mike

Luvs to shoot clay · January 2008

Hey Judy,
I guess I might be the only one that still likes the electric starter. They just seem cleaner to me than anything beside mapp and I am going to try that when my current electric starter quits.
I was going to say that I have been buying replacements from Wally World, much cheaper and work just as well. If you want it to look like the BGE version, I stick the end between two boards in the deck and bend it to look the same. No problems with that but I agree they don't last as long as I would like. Especially if you forget and leave them on too long but that's another post.

Willy

Unknown · January 2008

i get the $10 jobs from wally world and they are good for a year or so at three or four lights a week. i have not had much personal use for the fire starters or gel or parafin etc. i can always taste traces of the petroleum in the food . but that is just my .02
Bon Apetit'

Buster Dog BBQ · January 2008

Save yourself some time. Get a napkin or paper towel, fold it up lengthwise and tie a knot in it. Pour cooking oil over it but not to the point it is dripping and then light that in the egg. Put lump over it. Works great.

Smokin' Lady · January 2008

Judy, I found the same thing with my BGE starter which I've used many times since early summer, but so far it's working fine - I love it. If it ever does give up the ghost, I think I'll try Buster Dog's paper towel trick. I didn't like the starter cubes much.

MattB · January 2008

I have been using the cheap electric starters for years. I just keep a replacement in the closet for when the starter fails . They usually last a year or two. It's easy and clean to just plug the starter in and come back 5 or 6 minutes later.

Unknown · January 2008

I use an electric fire starter -- and always put the element in at a sharp angle to keep the rising heat as far away from the handle as possible. I put lump over the element, and stack big-uns to keep heat away from the handle.

I also use the OO and paper towel trick... and no longer use starter cubes. No matter what "they" say, my wife and I can ALWAYS taste the petroleum products in the food.

Best Wishes!

~ Broc

tjv · January 2008

Morning, at home depot the mapp torches are with the welding equipment, usually behind the tool section. You want the yellow cannister, MAPP, as it works better upside down than propane. A MAPP cannister last me over a year. The only issue with the torches is if you leave them outside a spider or bug may make a home in the nozzle, so the nozzle clogs and needs to be cleaned. A MAPP torch and cannister is around $40 US. Make sure the torch is self igniting.....Tom

JudyFoodie · January 2008

Thanks Tom I'll try looking again but I swear I couldn't find one in my local home depot. I guess I'll have to make a trek out to the new Loewes that finally made it's debut in Canada recently. By the way I'm surprised to see that you got designated as a Newbie egger. How come others have the platinum egger status but you got Newbie?

tjv · January 2008

Benzomatic torch is the popular brand in the US. Maybe they don't do business in Canada....You might also try plumbing shops, after all it's a plumbers tools for soldering copper fittings...

On the newbie, I don't know.....screwed up placing my first post though, as a response to Broc. So, maybe newbie is right for me....LOL. T

electric starter question

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