Chimney starter

History

A 1910 British design for a cylindrical metal portable stove is described as "also applicable for use as a Fire Lighter" and describes the use of paper kindling below a conical grate, with wood or coal above it.

A 1917 design closely resembles a modern chimney starter: a metal cylinder with a raised grate and air holes below the grate. However, it is not described as a fire starter, but as a "camp stove".

Home-made versions in the 1950s, called kindle cans, were often made from metal coffee, fruit juice, or motor oil cans with ventilation holes punched with a can opener or tin snip. Some designs had a grate. They often did not have handles, and needed to be handled with tongs.

Various kinds of chimney starter have been patented over the years.

Design considerations

Chimney starters essentially work by increasing the draft, supplying more oxygen to the coals. Taller starters are more effective than shorter ones. In empirical studies of lighting cones for Haitian charcoal stoves (which are placed over a grate rather than having an integrated grate), the ignition time and charcoal consumption were halved compared to lighting on a shallow bed grate, and carbon monoxide production was reduced by 40%. The cone also protected the charcoal from the wind, and helped direct the smoke away from users.

Using a chimney starter

The chimney starter is used by placing kindling—typically paper—under the grate and charcoal over it. When the kindling is lit, it ignites the charcoal and creates a draft. Since the coals are held together, radiation heats adjacent coals, and convection heats coals higher in the stack. Once all the charcoal is burning (glowing red on the bottom and ashed over on the top), the chimney is lifted by its handle and the burning charcoal dumped into the grill.

If some burning charcoal remains in the chimney, adding new charcoal will quickly ignite it.

Cooking

One can also cook directly over the chimney starter with an additional top grate. This provides high-intensity heat for fast searing.

References

References

1. [https://www.outsetinc.com/products/collapsible-camping-grill-and-chimney-starter "Outset Collapsible Camping Grill and Chimney Starter"]
2. U.S. Design Patent [https://patents.google.com/patent/USD471762S1/en 471762S1], 2002
3. "Fire kindler", U.S. Patent [https://patents.google.com/patent/US1959473A/en 1959473A], filed 1933
4. U.S. Patent No. [https://patents.google.com/patent/US5197455A/en 5,197,455A], "Charcoal starter", filed 1992
5. "A New or Improved Portable Stove also applicable for use as a Fire Lighter", [https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/032638346/publication/GB191017067A?q=num%20%3D%20%22191017067%22 U.K. Patent 191017067A], 1910
6. "Camp-stove", U.S. Patent [https://patents.google.com/patent/US1298762A/en 1298762A], filed 1917
7. "The kindle can", ''Sunset'', '''116''' (1956), p. 90
8. "Tin-Can Combustion Chamber Ignites Charcoal Quickly", ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'' '''113''':6:185 (June 1960)
9. Larsen, Tom. (May 1960). "Shur-Glo Charcoal Starter". [[Boys' Life]].
10. U.S. Patent No. [https://patents.google.com/patent/US2920614A US2920614A], ''Portable combined grill and charcoal starter'', filed 1957
11. U.S. Patent No. [https://patents.google.com/patent/US3167040A/en?oq=US3167040 3,167,040], ''Automatic Dump Type Charcoal Lighter'', filed 1962
12. Kathleen Lask, Ashok Gadgil, "Performance and emissions characteristics of a lighting cone for charcoal stoves", ''Energy for Sustainable Development'', '''36''':64–67 (February 2017), {{doi. 10.1016/j.esd.2016.03.001
13. [http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season6/Tuna/TunaTranscript.htm Transcript] of ''[[Good Eats]]'' episode