After Reading This, You Will No Longer Use Lighter Fluid or Instant Start Charcoal Again

Lighter fluid and instant start charcoal have been widely used in barbecuing for a very long time.  I know when I first started grilling it’s what I used and I thought nothing of it.  As I spent more time on the grill and learned more about the art of barbequing I discovered there was a much better solution to getting the fire started and for many reasons.  This better way was through the use of a really awesome tool called a charcoal starter, or some call it a chimney starter.  Whatever you refer to it as, it’s a necessity in my grilling tools.  There are health, cost, and time benefits of replacing lighter fluid or instant start charcoal with a charcoal starter and I’m going to list them for you here:

 

Cost benefits:

• Buying a charcoal starter is a onetime purchase as opposed to lighter fluid which is a consumable. You can pick up a charcoal starter anywhere between $8.99 - $14.99 at your local hardware or big box stores
• Instant start charcoal averages $1.93 per pound vs lump charcoal at $.69 per pound. That’s 275% more in charcoal cost!

Health benefits:

• The chemicals being burned of charcoal treated with lighter fluid cooks into your food and adds a bad taste.
• Lighter fluid is a regulated product because of its potential to cause photochemical smog.
• When using a charcoal starter you can purchase lump charcoal which is chemical free charcoal. Its simple carbonized wood(wood that has been burned in the absence of oxygen)
• Borax, sawdust, sodium nitrate, and other additives like paraffin or petroleum can be found in match light charcoals.

 Time benefits:

• Using a charcoal start will eliminate the time you spend building a charcoal pyramid. I admit I miss building the pyramid but simply pouring the charcoal into the charcoal started saves time
• The charcoal starter rushed air through its cylinder igniting your charcoals much quicker. You will be grilling in 10-15 minutes.

 We have enough chemicals in our lives as it is, so here is one that can easily be eliminated.  In the process you can save your health, time and money.

Happy and Healthy Grilling!
Tom Sedita Jr
President of Primal Grilling, Inc