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Back to Starter Squares

Jersey Doug
Jersey Doug Posts: 460
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
After a couple of months of starting the Eggs with paper towels and oil I ordered some more of the wax starter squares and used one to start the Small for dinner tonight. They are just so darn easy and reliable. I did continue one trick I picked up using the paper towels. I close the dome (with the DFMT top off) after I light the starters and it seems to come up to cooking temperature noticeable faster.

Comments

  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Whatever floats your boat. As many ways to light an egg as there are eggers out there.

    If it works for you, then stick with it. I've switched lighting methods myself several times over the years. My current favorite is the MAPP torch.
  • Jersey Doug:

    Is that a cup of coffee I see? Are you a coffee guy?

    Judy
    San Diego
    Judy in San Diego
  • Hi Judy, Yes, that's a cup of coffee. And if it wasn't for coffee and beer my intake of liquids wouldn't amount to a lot. But I wouldn't describe myself as a coffee guy. I buy plain old supermarket coffee, make a big pot in a drip coffee maker in the morning and nuke it during the day. My friend who IS a coffee guy says it tastes pretty nasty.
  • MAPP torch is the way to go
  • Rolling Egg
    Rolling Egg Posts: 1,995
    Doug,
    I will tell you that if you've not tried the mapp torch, you need to. I noticed that you said with closing the lid you get to cooking temp faster. This makes me think that getting to temp faster is somewhat what your shooting for. I had a problem with how long the egg took to get to temp with the starter cubes. If you follow all the rules or suggestions to lighting your egg, you will not be cooking on it at 350, with all the dark smoke gone in 15 minutes. I will tell you that I was looking to get to temp fast on nights when I have to be at work at 7 ( get up at 4 leave at 6). Or when I got off at 7 at night. I just wanted temp and I wanted it fast (like a gasser). Since I got a mapp torch I have been overly pleased with my egg and cooking on work nights. Just two days ago I went outside with the mapp and lit the egg in 3 places, came back in and patted out 4 hamburger patties,and seasoned them. All of this lasting about 10 minutes. When I returned to the egg it was at 550 and climbing. Just something for you to think about. I would have to say my mapp is one of the best accesories I bought.
  • MnMikey
    MnMikey Posts: 28
    What is the approx.cost for a Mapp Torch set up? Does a propane do the same thing?
  • bryansj
    bryansj Posts: 79
    MFC wrote:
    What is the approx.cost for a Mapp Torch set up?

    You can get started for about $30 to $40 and then you would just need new tanks from then on.

    I had a Lowes coupon show up in the mail for like $5 off $40 purchase and bought a weed burner and MAPP tank.

    Here's what I bought:
    http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-19425-JT850-Self-Igniting-Outdoor/dp/B00008ZA0F/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1255524346&sr=1-2-fkmr0

    MFC wrote:
    Does a propane do the same thing?
    MAPP burns hotter than propane. Propane would still work.

    For me using my torch cuts out about 25 mintues compared to cubes.
  • I'm retired from the 9 to 5. Most of the time I'm at home or at the firehouse half a block down the street. So the time to get the Egg up to temp is not usually an issue. But there are those occasional times when we get back late from a drive, or there is a break in the weather, or for some other reason I'd like to get the Egg going faster. The MAPP sounds interesting. It's a standard Bernz-O-Matic torch that most people are using, right?
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    A lot of times the small handheld propane tanks will not work when inverted. If you don't have an igniter with the hose then you can run into problems using propane bottles.

    MAPP burns upside down with no problems.
  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
    The hand held propane burner is all that I use and they work just fine. You need to hold them at a side angle and they work fine. They cost about $30 at HD initially and then the replacement blue cylinders are about $6. I use mine 4-6 times a week and they last 4-6 months. Very economical and easy...
  • Look what I just found in the basement. The last time I used it was about 30 years ago when I almost burned down the house stripping paint from the front porch floor.

    zufj90.jpg

    It fired up just fine with the 30 year old bottle of propane. The instructions have long since disappeared. Any thoughts on whether it would be OK with MAPP?
  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
    MAPP burns a bit hotter than Propane. The cost of a MAPP head and and tank in a kit is less than $40.00 at Lowe's.
  • That answers my question. There is a different head for MAPP. I'll play with this one and propane first. If I like it, I'll think about getting a MAPP setup.
  • bryansj
    bryansj Posts: 79
    You can use propane with a MAPP head, but you shouldn't use MAPP with a propane head.