Light a charcoal grill FASTER than propane? Fire starters vs Grill Torch 🔥🔥🔥
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- Опубликовано: 19 ноя 2022
- A propane grill is fast & convenient, but can we light a charcoal grill fast enough for mid week cooks? To find out I put one of the least expensive (fire starters) against one of the most expensive (GrillBlazer Grill Gun) head to head in a timed race to see how long it takes to get to a stable 400f cooking temp.
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Once again, you make i so easy to understand and give a clear conclusion. Appreciate all you do to educate us.
Cheers and thank you
Surprised to hear that you’re only at 89k subscribers. Your videos are very informative for me as a newbie to grilling and the the Kamado. I have a series 2 big joe.
Thanks
A cheaper alternative to the Grill Gun is a propane weed burner torch purchased at most hardware stores. I bought mine from Harbor Freight for under $40 USD. Cheers! Great test comparison!!
That's what I use. I had the grill gun. I broke after 3 uses. Took it apart before I sent it back to amazon. too many cheap plastic parts inside, bad design.
I completely agree. I was so close to pulling the trigger (pardon the pun) on the grill gun as a treat for myself but after research and reading the reviews its really not the Rolls Royce of lighters and there are much cheaper alternatives that do the same job. In the same breath if anyone deserves a little kickback from suppliers i would say this channel certainly deserves it. I’m interested in the amount of coals to light also. Is it possible to light too much at the start and if not, does the latter starting coals produce “bad smoke”?
This is what I use. A single take of propane has lasted me 2 years and counting
Yep same here. I have a UDS smoker as well and the weed burner reaches down in the smoker really well. I even refill the 1lb tank or have an adapter to hook up to the 40lb tank. It’s essentially free now
I use the weed dragon. Dual purpose and quickly lights my bbq
Great video James, I use 3 fire starters to get mine going a bit quicker but the GrillBlazer grill gun sure speeds things up. thanks for sharing
Again, a very useful video, James. I admit that I don't use my KJ3 Classic very much because it takes so long to "fire it up" using starter cubes. The Grill Torch is definitely going onto my Christmas list! Thanks again for an informative KJ video.
cheers
Really like my JJ George!. Usually throw a starter cube on as well but not always needed.
For sure
Great vid, I converted to a Grill Gun as well, even though I didn't want to deal with a propane tank. Other options didn't work nearly as well. Wasted more money trying other things hah. 🍻
Another great video! I have a much cheaper torch. It probably cost around $30. After about a month the igniter on it broke. But I realized that I could use the fire starter and then use the torch. The fire starter ignites the torch, and then it works perfectly. admittedly, it’s a little janky, but it works great, and it was a great price. I just couldn’t pull the trigger, pun intended, on the gun. Lol but if I got one as a gift, I’m sure it would be one of my top tools.
fire is fire, don't need to spend 2x more if you found one that works
Good comparison. I'd picked up fire starters couple years ago but never got around to use them, this video explains why.
The speed is addictive
Hi James - love the video. I live in a townhouse, and my big priority is minimizing white smoke that ends up in my neighbors yard during startup. I don't care how long the startup takes - but which method has the lowest white smoke?
My kamado joe has just arrived. So excited and driven by your videos and inspiration. Thanks for these great videos and your passion.
Awesome! Thank you! And congrats on your joe
James, love the channel, love the content. I enjoy that you grill all year long in the northern region. I myself am in Minnesota, and grill all year long. I'm wondering if you've ever done a comparison between the Komodo and a regular kettle grill (I'm a Weber man). If not, would you consider doing such a video please. Are there advantages and disadvantages to both, especially in the northern climes? Keep up the great videos, and keep on smokin'.
I did a few years back. Almost time for a refresh version but in the meantime - ruclips.net/video/EB8kzRRVk_s/видео.html
I also gave up my propane grill. Once, in the dead of winter, I tried using my gas grill because it would be quicker (good quality Canadian made Napoleon). With all the heat loss at -20 C it took 3 times longer than on the kamado, and the food was dry. Lesson learned, gas grill gifted to a friend who would appreciate it more than I did.
Mine didn’t last long after getting a Kamado either lol
Great tip about dome heat 👍
Thanks 👍
Thanks for this vid! I have sometimes genuinely waited more than an hour for the kamado to heat up one a cold windy day with bad fire starters
try the hair blower if that happens again, you can even direct the air in the bottom vent with the dome closed to speed it up if there is a small fire going
Yes. I use my MAP pro torch and my heat gun. If you're going for inferno, I used to have a 6 inch pipe that I would stick on top to increase air flow.
good idea
I prefer a propane starter and it's what I generally use but you can increase the start time with the cubes quite a bit by putting a bit of lump in a mini chimney over the flame and scattering once the flame is out.
100%
I have a BGE since 2013. I use a "only fire #8537 Charcoal Ash Basket, Stainless Steel Charcoal Holder with Handles" from AMZ (excellent - super heavy duty). I arrange 3 or 4 Rutland fire starters on the grate, light them, and place the basket on top of the lit starters. It gets things going v quickly. The basket is awesome, just shake it out over the trash before using the next time. Cuts way way down on back having to clean out ash etc. I use an Iwatani Chef torch to light the starters, which is plenty for searing when sous viding. I like this method better than blasting the lump with my Benzomatic weed torch or my heat gun, both of which I've done. The double pack of Rutlands on AMZ is $39 for 144 of them. I think they are the best starters. I use Thermoworks products / pends and their dual probe unit -- all excellent.
great info
Glad it was helpful!
I do the oil soaked egg carton or fast food cup tray method with a chimney starter.
It's even cheaper than buying starter cubes and the chimney brings it to a clean burn much faster than lighting it in the basket.
100%
Most economical may be large cotton balls kept in a jar of Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol. Clean burn, and no aftertaste given by some of the chemical cubes. 3 or 4 cotton balls get the charcoal going quickly. I have the Walmart version of the Akorn Grill, and for the charcoal basket I sue a metal colander from the dollar store :) Hard to justify some of your accessories that cost more than the price of my "Expert Kamado Grill" I do have a propane torch, but the cotton balls work fine for me. - Love your channel!!
I am all down with economical options hence the hairdryer but this plan works great too
Until this summer I did the fire starters. I now use the grill gun. That said, the trick I did for the starters that was different here is leave the dome open for about 5-10 min when the starter first lights and carefully place charcoal on and around it without cutting off oxygen. That helped me cut down the time on getting more charcoal lit. While the dome wasnt heat soaking, I felt it caught up faster later bc the charcoal was lit when I did shut it. I'd say itd take me about 25 minutes, maybe a little more or a little less.
That said, the grill gun is faster and more fun. But I'd use the starter in a pinch no problem.
I agree, when using the starters you have to help them out a bit. Plus, you can use more than one!
@@codyc.964 yep, I typically use two. Good call!
Good point. You can for sure make it faster with extra starters
I just use fire starters and in the time it takes to come up to temp I do all of the food prep I was going to have to do anyway.
100%
🙌Great video. I always wanted to know if it was worthwhile to spend. Still need to think about it. While I only use my smoker for ribs and pulled pork and use a charcoal chimney I have been debating to move towards something like a kamato grill. Cost is an issue. Like the channel. Keep up good work 👍
Thanks
As someone else mentioned the harbor freight weed burner.. but also if you look in the welding supply at harbor freight they have the torch gun which you can use the 1lb. Propane bottles.. I also fitted an extension hose to keep the canister upright and away from th gun to prevent liquid flowing into the head and it keeps it out of my way when starting coals around 20 bucks plus tax gets you out th door
Good tip
You don't even have to get that specific. Any Lowe's or Home Despot will have BernzOmatic propane heads and canisters, too. I've been using those for years, along with the cheap parafin Weber starter cubes.
How about a quick pro/con for the standard GrillGun vs. the smaller sous vide version. I bought the big one because I have a Big Joe and felt that the extra length was a good idea, but it's a big of a PITA to find a place to put it because of the long neck.
the sous vide gun is what i took camping for this very reason... good idea, might try adding that into the video list
its more fuel efficient, easier to store, better for searing a steak or finishing a dessert etc
Very interesting. I've often thought that stacking charcoal in a pyramid is the least efficient way to light charcoal. Instead, place the charcoal in an inverted cone shape with the tip down and light the charcoal tip with a long flamed starter.
This way > 1 charcoal lights simultaneously with the flame kicking out heet radially and vertically to speed ignition to all charcoal.
The grill gun has the superior advantage because it lights many pieces of charcoal at the same..
I see you have a smaller version in the background, how do you find that? Can’t get the long version in the U.K.
I’ve started my Akorn kamado with a heat gun and blow torch for years. It’s always ready to cook on in 15 minutes.
A 3rd option; use newspaper & chimney. I want a grill gun, can afford one, but can't cost justify one. My chimney with a little newspaper & my leaf blower work great & quick. Or at times lite the chimney and then get everything else ready and by the time I'm ready the fire is. My normal time is about 10-15 minutes between lighting and the they are ready. Then about 10 minutes to heat the Kamoto Jr. I also use a coal basket in the Joe.
yes its about the same speed.. i only avoid it due to climate where half the year the ceramics are near or below freezing and i don't want to dump coals burning at 1100f into ice cold ceramics
How long does the propane tank on the grill gun last? You said you hold the flame when lighting the coals for 1 full minute?
I love my SuVGun to start all kinds of fires in grills, smokes and camp fires. I started out with my plumbers torch and it works just find. It takes a little longer than a Grill gun but you get a lot of holes in your clothing because of the sparks. With the SuVGun, I stand far enough back that I am not getting sparks landing on my shirt. I high recommend the Grill Gun or SuVGun to start fires and to crust meats and deserts.
Good points. The torch is too powerful for some things
Luv my G😁rill Blazer Grill gun. Fire lit in 30 - 45 seconds and Kamado is hot and ready to go in 30 minutes.
100%
I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned this but another thing some people may have is a leaf blower.
I've used a petrol blower in the past and the intensity it creates is incredible.
100%
nice explanation, i use a propane torch my self gives the same result
100%, fire is fire
If I could only buy one should it be the grill gun or su-v grill gun only really using it to start my kj
I just watched your video comparing the Grill Gun to the other methods of starting charcoal. I believe that I may invest in one. I just have a question about the size. They are both the same price and I have a KJ Classic III. Do I need the larger Grill Gun or would I be good with the smaller one? Thx.
The smaller one is better for cooking, searing and camping etc. it’s also more fuel efficient. The big one gives more distance for sparks and is better for fire pits etc
We love our SU-V gun - no doubt that you can be ready to cook in under 20 minutes - love it - I also use it to kill weeds in our driveway/ win-win.
100%
One thing to keep in mind is the grill size. You're using the xl's. My old large size joe gets up to 400 in 20-25 minutes using 2 starting squares.
Yes mentioned that. The classic or jr are much quicker
I leave the lid up when I'm going to grill after lighting the fire. I find it heats up faster. I don't care about the heat of the dome. I also use a weed torch (much much cheaper) and also the handheld one ChudsBBQ uses.
yes any forced air will do the same if you don't want to steal your wife's hair blower lol
Fire starters like tumbleweeds say to use 2 pieces when you want to grill at say 400 degrees versus starting a 250 degree cook using only one one starter. It comes up to temp much faster although not as fast as a grill gun.
I just use a chimney or a map gas torch.
Good point
Can you add a chimney starter as an alternative to compare against? That’s what I’ve used lately with a single fire starter and the fire gets going quickly.
I love a chimney starter for a hibachi grill at the park or for a weber kettle where I can start it up on the grill grate. On the kamado with a non-removable lid, I have to start it somewhere else, and it's awkward to dump into the grill. I switched to a grill fan blowing cold air in the bottom vent, it basically turns the grill into a chimney started with less mess or flying embers, and it also starts heating the ceramic right away.
@@evanjeffrey9677 not sure if I’m doing it wrong or not, but I just set it at the bottom of the big Joe and start the whole thing inside the grill with it open until it gets the first layer going. Then I pour it all in and then close the grill to heat the ceramics. Has been much faster than fire starters only for me. My only request question after is if I should load fresh charcoal on top of the very hot coals after I dump them in or if I should put the hot coals on top of fresh charcoal instead.
@@trentparks7047 Ah, that explains the different experience. I have a classic not the big joe and the chimney won't really fit inside comfortably. If you have a fan that can blow in the bottom vent, I would still try that with or without the chimney, it definitely speed things up.
@@evanjeffrey9677 I melted the handle of my Joe jr by trying it the same way on my first cook. Lessons learned!
yes its about the same speed.. i only avoid it due to climate where half the year the ceramics are near or below freezing and i don't want to dump coals burning at 1100f into ice cold ceramics
Appreciate all the info. I was looking for one of your latest videos. To ask you a question. If you had to choose between the Kamado Joe big Joe and your offset smoker which one would you choose. Thanks in advance
oh gosh... the offset hands down is making the best backyard BBQ ribs, pork, brisket etc. BUT it comes with being tied to it all day adding wood (which i enjoy the experience) but at this stage in life i can't commit the entire day to just cooking with a young family (kids) so the convenience of the KJ to make something pretty good and be able to be gone all day is pretty handy.
if you want the best possible backyard result get an offset, if you want good bbq that your friends and family or anyone outside of knowing what authentic texas bbq tastes like while being able to be free for the day get the kj
@@SmokingDadBBQ Thanks James, I have the GEN two on order from Mike. I also own the weber summit so that will allow me to do a lot of the things that Kamado Joe does. And I own the green egg and the mini Max lol. I know it’s a problem. As long as my wife doesn’t sell all of it when I die for what I told her I paid for it will be good. Lol.God Bless
@@kenmills7075 I like mine so much I am considering upgrading to the Gen 2 when it comes out
Question James. I bought a propane torch at the beginning of summer and it's great, but should I use it on a Kamado in the dead of winter? The gentler heat build up form a fire starter wouldn't shock the ceramic like the instant start of a torch, or this isn't an issue.
I do. I just get the coals going and let it warm up gradually. Never had an issue. That is still more gentle than dumping an entire chimney of coals in cold ceramic
@@SmokingDadBBQ a chimney full would definitely be a shock to the ceramic.
That's good, I hate winter and the less mucking about outside the better.
Everytime I see you with the grill blazer gun you look like a young boy in the toyshop 😃Men stay boys with toys😜
Haha it is fun
Does the Grill Gun still have the safety valve issue you didn't like 2years ago?
Have you tried using double heat plates? I just purchased a classic one and don't have the SloRoller, Is it worth me getting one?
its really close between them - ruclips.net/video/0yXnjW9kEfY/видео.html
If you do, this is how i set up in my older series 1 - ruclips.net/video/xO8AjvUZvCc/видео.html
I start my kamado grill by using chimney starter with 1 starter cube on the bottom inside the fire basket, thus allow the grill to warm up also. Depending on what I am cooking, I can take it off after a couple of mins for smoker set up. If I want to grill then wait for the chimney starter to get all the charcoal lit and dump into the firebox.
100% works
I use the Kamado Joe electric starter in my Big Joe 2. So far it works great and I get to temp in around 15 minutes. What are you thoughts on the electric starter?
they work, some charcoal doesn't work as well with the Looft lighter like JD as KJ as they are large pieces and more dense and the hot air had a hard time getting them started, but once they were going it was fine
Another factor is the grill prep time for cleaning out old charcoal and putting in new, probably another five minutes at least plus it's a somewhat messy job which is not required on propane, we still use the propane for quick stuff like brats or chicken thighs, still love my classic 2 and Joe Jr!
I often clean them out the day after so they are ready to go
@@SmokingDadBBQ I usually get lazy and wait until I cook again then go " oh crap, I have to clean this thing out first" 😁
I find a firestarter in a chimney yields about the exact amount of time I need to get the food prepped. I thought going from a pellet grill to a charcoal setup would be a lot more time consuming etc but it's not any longer by the time everything's factored in. The gun setup is cool though.
yes its about the same speed.. i only avoid it due to climate where half the year the ceramics are near or below freezing and i don't want to dump coals burning at 1100f into ice cold ceramics
@@SmokingDadBBQ Totally get that!
I would love to find a way to convert you to the dark side and get you loving a temp controller. You can have your grill going and ready to cook at about any temp you want using any inexpensive firestarter you want in 20 to 30 minutes with two minutes or less of hands on time
I need to try something other than the ikammand
@@SmokingDadBBQ absolutely. I am a fan of the fireboard but there are a lot of options
Do you find that using the grill blazer full blast makes a lot of sparks? I’m on a wooden deck!
I wonder what would happen if you used a chimney starter- would more airflow speed things up or does it not matter so much because the ceramic needs to heat up?
They can be bad for the ceramic. You’re putting already very hot charcoal in cold ceramic and result in cracking.
Chimney starters aren't bad for the ceramics. Of course you can use one to speed up the process. Get some butcher paper, spread a little food-grade cooking oil on it, wad it under the chimney, and you are off to the races.
which one is best to go with the Su-V or the grill gun? I will be using it mainly for lighting charcoal but will also be using it to sear fairly frequently
The damper on the sv is better for searing. The long handle is better for fire pits, offsets etc
I think I'm part piromaniac, I like the starter cubes myself, When I'm grilling I'm never in a rush. I never understand the race. Another channel showed demo with electric elimate igniter, a local retailer has them for 12.85, drawback you need an extention cord to use. Another curiosity I have after watching this video, do you think the weber summit charcoal has same radiant heat in lid towards food that the kamato joe has. I like all the products but I'm sold on small square fire starters.
I am trying to find one for some head to head in spring
I use a chimney starter, always up and running in around 20 minutes!
love a chimney, i just avoid them in winter as i dont want to pour 1100f coals into sub 0 ceramics
I think a portable mini (hand-held) fan probably works better than a hair dryer and easier to clean/dispose of when you get soot all over it.
Haha yes the spouse might not appreciate that
Don’t forget to include the price of propane in the cost comparison. I still love my Grill Gun and no longer use starter cubes. I did spend $25 on a converter to refill the 1lb bottles from a 20lb tank. The 1lb bottles are just more convenient than the hose attachment for the Grill Gun
oh smart, i should look into that
How long will a propane tank last? As in, how many starts at 1 min is the average? I wouldn't want to be refilling the tank after 5 starts for ex. :) Thank you in advance.
I get a few weeks out of one so it’s more than 5 but less than 20
Recently, I started having a lot of trouble getting my Jr heated up...the charcoal doesn't seem to be lighting well, even when I hit it with a torch like this. I usually keep it in the bag outside under the porch, I'm thinking maybe moisture has gotten to it? Any other ideas?
it sounds like it got wet
Doesn't that blazer gun spikes affect your grill gasket? I myself prefer a "calm method" because of this. BTW, really enjoying your videos and learned A LOT from you, can't thank you enough. But I am on the team green so far )
Nothing wrong with team green. Cheers
I use a looflighter. It does the trick for me
Right on
Off topic question. BBQ stores in both Toronto and Ottawa offering exceptional deals on Kamado Joes in their Black Friday sales - so much so that I am wondering if they are clearing stock for new models in the Spring. Any rumours about something like this?
i haven't heard, but black friday sales have been happening the past couple years so i think thats normal... and the supply was really bad during covid so maybe some stores got caught up with more inventory than they want to hold over winter and are freeing up the cash they used to buy them?
My grillgun stopped igniting. Not sure if I can replace the white igniter or if I need to do other maintenance.
email them to see whats involved, they do have a repair kit but not sure what issues that addresses
Thanks for the video. Been wanting to get a grill gun, but the price point especially with dollar conversion makes me hesitant.
There are much cheaper alternatives on Amazon, that is what I did.
Alternative and cheaper - ebay weed gun with regulator £20 then the price of a gas bottle £17…
@@chrisb8595 ok 👍. You mind sending me the link of the one tou bought?
Thanks
There are some weed torches at hw stores too for less money
Is this safe for ceramic grills like kamadoes? Just always heard to not use any type of chemical
The firestarter is all natural made by KJ for the KJ so its fine, its lighter fluid you don't want to use. the grill gun burns clean and is safe to sear a steak with so no issue either
@@SmokingDadBBQ thank you for your response! Ordered one today!
What about the age old chimney carcoal starting method? Or does this not work with a Joe cooker?
Chimney would work too. I have a big Joe and the basket is huge. A chimney wouldn’t put a dent in it
I'd be curious to see the difference between the GrillGun and the hair dryer method. In both cases, you're moving a lot of air and heat through the charcoal bed, so I'd guess that be a lot closer. It seems the small starter really had to go a long time to catch the charcoal and get the fire to spread a bit through the bed.
I think they would be near identical
I wouldn't prefer to use a hair dryer blowing in the top like that just because I would be worried about melting the plastic body. But what I have done that works incredibly quickly is to use a fan to blow cold air in the bottom vent. This works great because you are also establishing the same convection you want when operating, and you can leave the dome closed to heat the ceramic as you go to start heating the ceramic. I have a fireboard grill controller that I never use for temperature regulation any more but clips into the bottom vent so I can just hook it up and walk away for 5-10 minutes. The whole temperature control kit is even more expensive than the grill gun, but for starting just a fan will work as well and probably a hair dryer blowing hot air in the bottom would work even faster. The nice thing about hot air is you don't go through propane cylinders. I had a cheap high BTU torch for lighting, and it worked fine but used a crazy amount of propane so I was always running out. I still use a standard propane torch to start the fire, but just enough to light one or two chunks and the cylinders last a long time.
Hook up to the exhaust of a shop vac. Gets things very hot very fast.
the electric starters work well . it takes me about 30-45 min to get the coals ready with one, i would never use a starter cube type thing on a kamado grill
i use the harbor freight propane torch - was like $25 and does the same thing....
I’m getting my own hair dryer!😊
Hahah yep
Interesting test. I generally have 350 within 15 minutes msybe 20 minutes using starters. I generally use 2 starters though.
two starters will definitely make it faster
Why not use 2 or 3 firestarters espescially when you're in a hurry. This would make the comparison to the (high btu) grillgun more fair.
you absolutely can, or use forced air for the same effect
You could use two or three fire starters spread out and put some charcoal on top of them.
For sure but that starts to get pricey but yes for speed it helps
Buy a cheap pain stripper ;). Its a good budget option but not half as cool and fun as that 100x overkill torch that we all really NEED!! 😅😂
A hot air gun, e.g. LooftLighter or MonoLighter, would be a environmentally friendlier option. They are also cheaper to buy and don't need refilling.
i have owned several Looft lighters but at how often i use them burn them out in about a year recognizing i use mine a lot
Good test but figured the gun would beat the clock. Note I will use 2 or more fire starters to speed up the process.
For sure that helps
Not sure if this question has been asked but I bought the gun and shipped it to Belgium (Europe). It cost me 50 EUR shipping costs and 62 EUR tax fees. Bad start. Then I found out that all gas bottles in Europe have a different fitting. I can find the Coleman propane bottle but it costs 22,90 EUR per bottle!! That’s crazy. I wonder if there are other Europeans who bought this toy and how they deal with this challenge. I just don’t see myself spending a fortune on gas bottles and I’m not a fan of adapters in combination with gas 😬
Oh bummer
The sparking that the torches give is a no go for me. Anymore, for quick weeknight cooks I just use my Weber kettle.
there are a lot of sparks with forced air or torches that you don't get with a cube
BBQ is supposed to take time, if I am in a hurry I will just use the fry pan and a stove, but when you are retired you tend to have more time on hand
100%, and as you can tell we got rid of the propane as it just wasn't needed any more once you start adjusting your schedule to reality
At $10 a box for the fire starters, the propane torches pay for themselves eventually. I use one I picked up at a hardware store for $40.
Good point
I like my Wagner heat gun. Cheap and effective.
fire is fire, all works
I use my paint stripper to stoke the coal. It's cheap because it's already in my tool kit.
Looflighter works for me I got it for $60..
In that time frame could already have some food ready.
i am ok with 15min, 40 is getting long for sure
I admit my loof lighter is pretty slow, but the shower of sparks when you used that grill blazer looked a little scarey.
different charcoal reacts differently. KJ and JD dont spark as much, family doesn't like the taste as much but they aren't the ones lighting the grill lol ....
when not doing a timed race i hit the coals and let off once they start to spark and repeat in bursts and this doesn't happen vs. continuing to blast them
Using the Torch you are igniting a larger surface area ( compared to the "one starter) that in itself is not a fair assessment.
I personally use paper towels soaked in vegetable oil. I'll put them in the ash pan. If I want more heat faster, I'll put soaked paper towels in the charcoal and the ash pan.
But there are time. the I wish I had a torch. Lol I really injoy your channel. Keep up the great work.
thanks bill
how long that propane can last?
You can hook up to a larger tank. Maybe 10-15 lights for the small one
Another great educational vid - I see young Al who recently visited you also loves his little friend too
I couldn’t justify the price here in Australia - my 6yr old Weber q3200 gasser is up over 400F easily in under 10 - though if doing a proper cook will use my SmokeFire instead so no starter needed. It’s pretty quick too. Of course that doesn’t need help as it has a good blower to get the pellets burning hot pretty quickly
Did have a kettle and WSM for a while, so am aware of how sometimes there’s a bit of a wait - but pain from old sporting injuries ruled out continued use of those 😢 which fortunately the WSF doesn’t inflict (no leaning over adjusting vents etc) but still get a decent smoke flavouring from
Good to get a glimpse of other family members 😂😂
haha cheers
Cost I see is grill blazer $170. And joe starter cubes $13
Grill blazer gives 10 starts ( ? ). Joe cubes 8 start ( I would use 3 pieces for fast n hot ). (24/3=8 starts)
Or 1 full round. $170 / 10 = 17 dollars. But with just propane purchased future is cost saving of 10 / $13 = $1.30
While fire starters would stay a constant $13/8= $1.62 per start with 3 pieces used
Thanks for crunching the numbers
@@SmokingDadBBQ have no clue how many times the propane does a charcoal light up. Picked 10
Those are pretty expensive cubes (0.54/cube?). I have a box of 1344 cubes for 20 euro. that's €0.014/cube. I only use 1 fire starter to lit the kamado, so that's €0.014 vs $1.3 (considering euro and dollar is the same).
chimney starter vs grill gun
I just don’t like the chimney in winter for dropping 1100f coals into cold ceramics
I wish we could buy grill guns in Australia, I would use my Kamado so much more if I could light it quickly :(
local hw stores might have some less expensive torch options
The gas has gotten too expensive, unfortunately. For starting an Amaze-N-Smoker pellet cold smoker 3 row tray, I just use the el cheapo plumbers propane torch - plus a 3/8" wide strip of the lighter board material by the light hole. Must let it burn for 10 min as the instructions say, for a good light. Just uses your normal wood pellets. 3 hours per row, fill all 3 rows, about 10 hours total cold smoke with the corners and all. When lighting put in a place or Brinkman smoker with the lid off so it doesn't blow out if windy.
What about a charcoal chimney?
works great, just dont use it in winter when ceramics are sub freezing and you want to dump coals burning at 1100f into it
I use an electric heat gun I bought from Harbor Freight for about $20.
yes forced air helps a ton
I thought low and slow was 225F? Can anyone help? I been coooking meat at 225 for low and slow?
I use the electric starter. Works well.
100%
There has got to be a more affordable version of the grill blazer. $175 is a ripoff
Why not a Weber chimney starter and cubes? Takes about 10 minutes to pour for lump. I would think most people do it this way.
Only for winter I don’t like dropping hot coals in cold ceramic
@@SmokingDadBBQ Gotcha! I don’t own a Komodo but good to know that would be a problem in the winter. Don’t plan on buying one ever, but ya never know.
James, if you take the plastic handle off of the chimney, you can light it inside of your kamado.