Pure-wax starters can melt through the grill grate, leaving a bit of residue and making them less effective. To reduce the residue, Laing recommends setting a couple of briquettes on the grill’s charcoal grate, balancing a starter cube on top, and then lighting the cube before setting a chimney full of charcoal over it. These are nontoxic fire starters, and we couldn’t detect any odor as they burned, making them suitable for starting charcoal fires for grilling food. It took two Rutland squares to get the charcoal in our grill started—the first one burned out before the charcoal caught, so we slipped a second one under the charcoal basket and lit it. The briquettes caught fire within a few minutes after that. Arguably the most intuitive fire starter of the bunch, this flint-based firestarter makes intense sparks with minimal effort. Unlike many of the other fire starters we tested, you only need one hand to use the UST BlastMatch. In fact, the UST BlastMatch is so easy to use that even a kindergartener can make sparks with it. I also brought this fire starter to a group campout and my friend bought it within 5 minutes of trying it out because he loved it so much. It took about 4 seconds for the pod to catch fire when we lit it with a single match. It started burning slowly, but within 5 minutes, the flames were about 8 inches tall, and the pod continued burning for about 15 minutes, which was plenty of time to ignite the logs.

In all fairness, I found it a bit of a struggle to light a PURE wood fire with the Looft Lighter X. I managed it, but it took some time. As an estimate, using standard-sized kiln dried kindling, it took two goes of the 2-minute ‘burn mode’ to get a decent ember and then a few minutes of ‘air mode’ to get a fire going.This new model works exactly like the original with a few improvements. The Looftlighter 2 features the same automated ignition program found in the Looftlighter X. This means you no longer have to hold the button down for it to work. Incidentally, you can also buy another battery from Looft. If you expect to spend long periods of time far away from electricity frequently, you might appreciate heading out with two charged batteries. And I definitely recommend buying the carrying case to protect your investment between uses. Summary of Pros and Cons

Compared to our runner-up the Gerber Bear Grylls, which requires you to learn how to create sparks with a traditional strike, the UST BlastMatch uses an entirely different method. To use the UST BlastMatch, simply put the tip of the fire starter against the ground on top of your tinder, use your thumb to press the striker against the flint rod, and use pressure against the ground and your fire starter to push down. The result: A mass of sparks that will light your tinder in an average of four strikes or less. An alternative to the tipi is the log cabin fire lay. Much like Lincoln Logs, this fire lay is built up with perpendicular logs creating a box and it can be used for cooking as it burns very steady and doesn’t flare up. Platform and Brace The Looft Lighter X comes with a 2-year warranty against defects. That’s a little disappointing, considering the Looft Lighter I comes with 3 years. It’s like an open admission that the X is more complex and hence more likely to have trouble. I wouldn’t call that a deal-breaker, but it’s something to note. The good news is, it’s a replacement warranty. There are just three buttons on the Looft Lighter X — On/Off, Burn, and Air — so I don’t think it’ll take long to figure out the operation.

Oklahoma Joe’s Propane Charcoal Starter technically is not an electric fire starter, but we wanted to include it here for its stellar price point, awesome portability, and versatility in its applications.

It must be appreciated that extremely high temperatures, quite possibly in the region of 1500°C can be achieved in the immediate vicinity of the nozzle when the fuel has ignited, and to ensure a reasonable nozzle life it is important that the nozzle be withdrawn from the fuel as soon as possible. The average home barbecue, smoker, or campfire enthusiast is probably better off spending less money on the Looft Lighter I. It’s a fantastic bit of gear and I highly recommend it, especially for charcoal users. Look for smaller pieces of charcoal near the center of your pile and touch the tip of the Looft Lighter X to them. If you’re lighting wood, touch the Looft Lighter X to any smaller pieces or kindling.Using the right fire starter can make the process of getting coals ready for the grill simple and convenient. Using the right product can ensure that your grilling and smoking experiments remain fun and productive. With the fire starter solutions discussed above, it is difficult to go wrong. In this mode, the Looft Lighter simply blows unheated air at high speed from its end to oxygenate the fire and fan it. Optional Extra– Only required if the opening to the fuel bed (grate) is more than 31cm (12″) above the hearth. If you love your traditional chimney charcoal starter but sometimes struggle to get it thoroughly ripping prior to starting your barbeque, the Barbienado Electric Charcoal Chimney Starter might be just the unit for you!