The Weber Chimney Starter is a straightforward bit of kit designed to take the faff and uncertainty out of lighting a charcoal barbecue. Fill it with briquettes, light your firelighters underneath and let the chimney effect do the hard work until the coals are glowing and ready to cook.
Weber has a strong reputation for solid, long‑lasting barbecue gear, and this starter sits firmly in that mould. It is sized specifically to give you the right amount of briquettes for a standard 57 cm charcoal kettle, which covers many classic family BBQs on the market.
User feedback is very positive, with a high average rating from owners, and the price puts it in the sensible mid‑range for a branded chimney starter. It is not flashy, but it promises consistency and ease for anyone who cooks regularly over charcoal, whether at home or on the campsite.
The Weber Chimney Starter is ideal for anyone who loves charcoal flavour but hates the unpredictable start‑up. If you have ever hovered over a barbecue poking half‑lit coals, this will feel like a big upgrade.
It particularly suits owners of 57 cm charcoal barbecues, as the capacity is matched to that size. You simply fill the cylinder and you will have roughly the right amount of fuel for a standard cook without much guesswork. That makes it appealing for families and keen weekend grillers who want a reliable, repeatable setup.
For campers and caravanners who take a charcoal BBQ away with them, the chimney starter is a nice halfway house between convenience and proper charcoal cooking. It is not the tiniest accessory to pack, but the trade‑off is much easier lighting in breezy campsite conditions.
If you only barbecue once or twice a summer and are on a very tight budget, you might see this as a luxury. But for anyone who lights charcoal more regularly, from confident beginners through to barbecue enthusiasts, it feels like a sensible, time‑saving investment.
The biggest strength of the Weber Chimney Starter is how reliably it gets your briquettes glowing. The conical bottom grate and generous side vents maximise airflow, creating a strong chimney effect that lights charcoal evenly from bottom to top. This means far fewer cold spots and a more predictable cooking temperature.
The capacity is carefully sized for a 57 cm charcoal barbecue, which takes the doubt out of how much fuel to use. Fill it, light it and within about 20–30 minutes you should have a full load of ready‑to‑cook coals, weather and charcoal quality depending.
Weber’s build quality is another plus. Although the exact materials are not spelled out in the spec, their chimney starters are known for feeling sturdy enough to cope with repeated high‑heat cycles, which is important for something that will sit directly over burning firelighters and hot coals.
Finally, the process is clean and efficient. By concentrating the coals in a tall column, you use fewer firelighters and spend less time bending over the barbecue trying to coax things into life. It is a simple way to upgrade almost any charcoal cooking session.
The main drawback of the Weber Chimney Starter is that it is a fairly bulky, single‑purpose item. At around 1.5 kg and with a rigid metal cylinder roughly 12 x 7.5 inches in size, it takes up noticeable space in a shed, garage or car boot, especially if you are also packing a full camping setup.
Because the capacity is matched to a 57 cm barbecue, it can feel slightly over‑ or under‑sized for significantly smaller or larger grills. You can of course adjust how much charcoal you put in, but you lose some of the set‑and‑forget simplicity that makes it appealing in the first place.
Price‑wise, you are paying a modest premium over the most basic, no‑name chimney starters. For occasional users, a cheaper alternative might be tempting. The Weber does not add lots of extra bells and whistles either, so if you want integrated heat shields or clever folding mechanisms, you will not find them here.
Lastly, like all chimney starters, it runs very hot in use. You will need good heat‑resistant gloves and a safe, heat‑proof surface to stand it on, which are not supplied, so first‑time users need to factor that into their setup.
In day‑to‑day use, the Weber Chimney Starter is about as simple as barbecue lighting gets. You fill the main cylinder with briquettes, place a couple of lit firelighters or scrunched, oiled paper underneath on your barbecue grate, then sit the chimney directly over the flame. The conical grate at the base supports the coals securely while letting the flames and air rush up through the stack.
Once lit, there is little to do for the next 20–30 minutes. Air flows through the side vents and up the chimney, so the coals light progressively and reach a consistent glow with minimal intervention. You can judge readiness visually; when the top layer of briquettes is covered in grey ash, they are good to go.
Handling is straightforward but requires respect. The metal body gets extremely hot, so you need proper gloves when you pick it up, and it is best to stand it on a heat‑proof surface, such as the BBQ grate itself or a paving slab. Tipping the coals out into the barbecue feels controlled thanks to the cylindrical design, but you still need to be careful about sparks and stray embers.
Cleaning is easy. There are no moving parts and no complex nooks; once the starter has fully cooled, a quick shake or tap dislodges ash and small charcoal fragments. Over time the metal will discolour from heat, but that does not affect performance and is to be expected with any chimney starter.
Performance is where the Weber Chimney Starter earns its keep. The conical bottom grate optimises the chimney effect, drawing air up through the fuel load and ensuring briquettes at the top catch as reliably as those at the bottom. This makes it much easier to achieve an even bed of coals for both direct and indirect cooking.
The manufacturer quotes a 20–30 minute heat‑up time for perfectly glowing coals. In mild, dry weather with decent quality briquettes, that is realistic. In colder or breezier conditions it may be closer to the upper end of that range, but still far more predictable than trying to light an open pile of charcoal directly in the barbecue.
The capacity is tuned to a 57 cm charcoal barbecue, which is a sweet spot for many family kettles. That sizing means you have enough heat for burgers, sausages, chicken pieces and veg for a typical group, without wasting fuel. If you prefer longer cooks, you can combine a full chimney of lit briquettes with unlit ones in the barbecue for a controlled, slower burn.
There are no flashy extra features, but what you do get is a simple, robust design with well‑placed vents and a solid grate that holds its shape. Compared to many budget options in a crowded category, the Weber’s design focuses on airflow and durability rather than gimmicks, which is ultimately what matters when you are dealing with repeated high‑heat use.
Overall, the feature set is deliberately minimal yet effective. It is not trying to be multi‑purpose; it is a dedicated tool for getting charcoal to cooking temperature quickly, and it does that consistently well.
At around £25, the Weber Chimney Starter sits in the mid‑range for this type of accessory. You can certainly find cheaper generic chimney starters, but they often compromise on build quality, grate design or airflow, which can mean slower lighting or shorter lifespan.
Given Weber’s reputation and the strong user rating, the asking price feels fair. If you barbecue regularly through the year or rely on charcoal on camping trips, the time saved and the reduction in wasted fuel will quickly justify the initial outlay. Lighting becomes more reliable, and you are less likely to resort to entire boxes of firelighters or overusing lighter fluid.
For very occasional users who light a barbecue once or twice each summer, the value proposition is less compelling; a basic starter or patient traditional method may suffice. But for anyone who sees charcoal cooking as a regular part of their weekends and holidays, this is a sensible, long‑lasting investment rather than an indulgence.
The Weber Chimney Starter is a simple but highly effective tool that tackles one of the most frustrating parts of charcoal barbecuing: getting the coals properly lit. With its conical grate, well‑placed vents and 57 cm‑friendly capacity, it delivers evenly glowing briquettes with very little effort.
It is not the cheapest option on the market and it does take up a bit of storage space, but the solid construction and consistently positive user feedback suggest it will outlast many budget rivals. If you regularly grill at home or on camping trips and want to make your charcoal lighting as quick and reliable as possible, this is an easy recommendation.
If you are a very infrequent barbecuer or tight on storage space, you may think twice. For everyone else who values hassle‑free charcoal cooking, the Weber Chimney Starter is a highly dependable bit of kit that quickly becomes part of the routine.
