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How to use a chimney starter

Updated: 22 October 2026

The first light goes wrong when you pour too early, stand the chimney on concrete, or reach for petrol. This page walks fuel, where to stand the tube, the ash cue, the pour, and cool-down. It does not rank listings. That stays on the [chimney starter comparison](/hub/grill-accessories/chimney-starter). Tube size is on the [buying guide](/hub/grill-accessories/chimney-starter/sub/chimney-starter-buying-guide). Peter F. checked the notes on 19 October 2026. This is not a lab burn. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The first light goes wrong when you pour too early, stand the chimney on concrete, or reach for petrol. This page walks fuel, where to stand the tube, the ash cue, the pour, and cool-down. It does not rank listings.

Our top picks

Weber Weber Rapidfire compact 7447

Best overall

Weber Weber Rapidfire compact 7447
6.7/10about £19.99
View offer
GFTIME GFTIME Rapidfire-style

Rank 2

GFTIME GFTIME Rapidfire-style
7.6/10about £15.99
View offer
SA Products SA Products SA1294

Best value

SA Products SA Products SA1294
6.3/10about £12.65
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you need before you light
  2. 2.Where to stand the chimney
  3. 3.Light and wait for ash
  4. 4.Pour, cook, and cool the empty tube

What you need before you light

Use plain briquettes or lumpwood, not self-lighting bags. Weber’s chimney article excludes self-lighting charcoal: additives change smoke and can flare in a tall stack. Light with firelighter cubes or newspaper under the grate. Cubes are more reliable in a breeze. Newspaper fails often enough that GFTIME reviews include paper that did not catch. GOV.UK fire safety outdoors says never use petrol or paraffin on a barbecue. Wear a mitt for the pour even if the listing names a heat shield. UK reviews still report grips too hot to hold. Long sleeves and closed shoes beat flip-flops. Later, ash goes in a metal bucket or onto bare soil, not into a plastic bin while embers are live.

Where to stand the chimney

Stand the chimney on the kettle’s charcoal grate, or on fireproof bricks, not on concrete, decking, or lawn. Weber’s help page says a glowing chimney can mark concrete and scorch timber. On a patio slab, lift the tube onto the grate or a brick pad. Leave space above the tube, clear of branches, fences, and gazebos. Keep children and pets out of the pour line. GOV.UK outdoor fire guidance also keeps barbecues away from a tent or an awning.
Weber Weber Rapidfire compact 7447

Testsieger

Weber Weber Rapidfire compact 7447
6.7/10about £19.99
View offer

Light and wait for ash

Fill for the cook: full for high heat on a large kettle, half or a third for lower heat in Weber’s language. How that maps onto 47 cm and 57 cm bowls is on the kettle page. Put one or two cubes on the lower grate, or newspaper with a cube on top, set the chimney over them, and light. Heavy smoke, then flames at the top, is normal. Pouring at the first orange is the mistake. Wait for a grey ash coat on most briquettes and an even glow. Weber’s lighting pages treat flames at the top as the cue to watch, then coals ready to spread. Other guides often quote roughly 20 to 40 minutes, depending on wind, fuel, and fill. A marketplace “ready in 10 minutes” is a best case. Lumpwood lights faster in irregular pieces. Briquettes pack tight and can take longer to ash evenly. If the bottom stalls, rotate the tube or use a cube instead of paper alone.

Pour, cook, and cool the empty tube

When the coals are ash-grey, put the mitt on. Use the main handle and the second grip if the model has one. Tilt into the fire bowl or a two-zone layout. Do not splash unlit pieces if the bottom lagged. Set the empty chimney on brick or metal, not on decking or dry grass. It stays hot. Do not hose it. Let it air-cool, then knock ash onto bare soil. Do not tip live embers into a bin. If the handle felt soft or smelled of hot plastic, stop using that grip bare-handed. Melted thermoplastic is a repeated theme on mid-price galvanised listings.

Common questions

Newspaper or firelighter cubes?
Cubes are more reliable in UK weather. Newspaper works on many chimneys and fails often enough that a box of cubes in the shed is cheap insurance. Some listings, including GFTIME, have reviews where paper alone did not catch.
Where do I stand the chimney while it lights?
On the barbecue’s charcoal grate, or on fireproof bricks. Not on concrete, decking, or lawn. A glowing tube can mark concrete and scorch timber.
When are the coals ready to pour?
When most pieces are grey with ash and the stack glows evenly, not at the first orange flame at the top. Wind and fill level move the time. A 10-minute listing line is a best case.
Do I need gloves if the handle has a shield?
Yes, for the pour. A shield reduces heat. It does not remove it. Reviews in this set still report burns and melted plastic on shielded and cool-touch grips.
Can I use instant-light charcoal in the tube?
No. Weber excludes self-lighting charcoal from the chimney. Use plain briquettes or lumpwood. Additives change the smoke and can flare in a tall stack.
What do I do with the hot empty chimney?
Stand it on brick or metal, away from anything that can burn, until it is cool. Empty the ash onto bare soil. Do not put it in a bin while it is still hot, and do not hose a glowing tube.
Is lighter fluid ever acceptable?
Not if you are using a chimney for its purpose. GOV.UK outdoor fire safety says no petrol. Fluid also taints food when it is misapplied. If fluid is the plan, you do not need a chimney, and you accept flavour and flare risk.

Related pages

Barbecue gloves comparison

Chimney starter

Best chimney starter UK: the top pick and best value

Charcoal chimney starter buying guide for UK kettles

Chimney starter for a 47 cm or 57 cm kettle in the UK

Stainless or galvanised chimney starter: which metal

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs. Retrieved 19 October 2026.

  1. Weber UK: lighting your barbecue (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Weber UK: briquettes (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Weber UK: Rapidfire chimney starter 7416 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Weber UK: how to control charcoal barbecue temperature (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Weber: how to use a chimney starter (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK: fire safety outdoors (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK: smoke control area rules (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Weber kettle manual 69101 (retrieved 19 October 2026)