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.
Want a GrillBlazer GrillGun? I have a save 10% link to make it a little more affordable ....
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🥩ChefsTemps meat probes - https://jo.my/chefstemp (~40% less than my Thermapen)
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#SMOKINGDADBBQ #Kamadojoe
@revel8r4132 years agoSurprised to hear that youre only at 89k subscribers. Your videos are very informative for me as a newbie to grilling and the kamado. I have a series 2 big joe. 14
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@tombauer73302 years agoAgain, 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. ...Expand4
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@Isovapor2 years agoA 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! 37
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@paulthomas37822 years agoGreat 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. 1
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@jeannienutter30152 years agoOnce again, you make i so easy to understand and give a clear conclusion. Appreciate all you do to educate us. 2
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@trentparks70472 years agoCan you add a chimney starter as an alternative to compare against? Thats what ive used lately with a single fire starter and the fire gets going quickly. 8
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@oteppp498610 months agoHi 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 . ...Expand
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@JBishop252 years agoI 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? 4
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@robservice24332 years agoReally like my jj george! Usually throw a starter cube on as well but not always needed. 1
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@j7772 years agoYes. 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.
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@codyc.9642 years agoI 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). ...Expand1
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@medic7578last yearIf i could only buy one should it be the grill gun or su-v grill gun only really using it to start my kj.
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@emmgeevideo2 years agoHow 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. ...Expand1
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@muddyfunker30142 years agoI' 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.
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@CoolJay772 years agoGood comparison. I' d picked up fire starters couple years ago but never got around to use them, this video explains why.
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@peterodriguez23642 years agoAs 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. ...Expand1
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@purleybaker2 years agoI 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. 1
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@stuward92262 years agoMy kamado joe has just arrived. So excited and driven by your videos and inspiration. Thanks for these great videos and your passion.
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@coachcp2 years agoUntil 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 that said, the grill gun is faster and more fun. But i' d use the starter in a pinch no problem. ...Expand4
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@RosePigCookinglast yearHow long does the propane tank on the grill gun last? You said you hold the flame when lighting the coals for 1 full minute?
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@CrashperM2 years agoThanks 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.
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@mattcook12572 years agoJames, 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.. ...Expand
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@RumandCook2 years agoGreat 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.
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@joshualarue33352 years agoOne 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. 1
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@metoo3918last yearDoes the grill gun still have the safety valve issue you didn' t like 2years ago?
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@briandaffern51082 years agoQuestion 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. ...Expand1
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@matthewrs72 years agoI 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. ...Expand
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@loseerich4932 years agoI 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. ...Expand1
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@herb78772 years agoA 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 &. ...Expand2
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@derekhuber12552 years agoI 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. ...Expand
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@bp.83342 years agoFire 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 starter. i just use a chimney or a map gas torch. ...Expand
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@TheGreatSantini5002 years agoI have a BGE since 2013. I use a "only fire 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 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. .....Expand
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@johnknapp63282 years agoI 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 . ...Expand
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@mrhappy991110 months agoWhich 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.
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@btube20222 years agoI see you have a smaller version in the background, how do you find that? Cant get the long version in the u. K.
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@ManCaveMeals2 years agoI 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. ...Expand1
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@davidblackstock94892 years agoHave you tried using double heat plates? I just purchased a classic one and don' t have the sloroller, is it worth me getting one?
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@nickholtzclaw12 years agoI 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?
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@brickhithouse12 years agoAnother 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. ...Expand1
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@danielurwand47382 years agoI use a chimney starter, always up and running in around 20 minutes! 1
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@TylerNally2 years agoVery interesting. I' ve often thought that stacking charcoal in a pyramid is the least efficient way to light charcoal. Instead, place the charcoal 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. ...Expand
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@jamesbell57932 years agoI 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 cheaper) and also the handheld one chudsbbq uses. ...Expand
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@dustincartee9474last yearIs this safe for ceramic grills like kamadoes? Just always heard to not use any type of chemical.
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@AdarBlu2 years agoI 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. 3
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@jonathanrath2 years agoMost 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.. ...Expand
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@Keith800272 years agoI 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. ...Expand
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@gbouley12 years agoGreat 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 an. ...Expand
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@jeffrey88592 years agoWhy 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. 2
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@kenmills70752 years agoAppreciate 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.
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@krayzenvy2 years agoHow 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.
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@GoldenJoe2 years agoRecently, 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. ...Expand
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@AnchorRoom12 years agoWe 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.
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@fretless052 years agoI' 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. ...Expand1
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@derekhowes94782 years agoOff 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. ...Expand
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@kevinrutledge96022 years agoMy grillgun stopped igniting. Not sure if i can replace the white igniter or if i need to do other maintenance.
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@dres-bbq35692 years agoNice explanation, i use a propane torch my self gives the same result.
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@terrencereiber302 years agoLuv my grill blazer grill gun. Fire lit in 30 - 45 seconds and kamado is hot and ready to go in 30 minutes.
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@mleukus2 years agoI use the harbor freight propane torch - was like $25 and does the same thing.
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@jgeorge5820last yearI 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. ...Expand
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@TheRssr19792 years agoThanks for the video. Been wanting to get a grill gun, but the price point especially with dollar conversion makes me hesitant.
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@leeleew75242 years agoAnother 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. ...Expand
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@torienelson3022last yearI use a looflighter. It does the trick for me.
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@adamsonmj2 years agoDont 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 c id="hidden41"onverter to refill the 1lb bottles from a 20lb tank. The 1lb bottles are just more convenient than the hose attachment for the grill gun. ...Expand
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@toxo4ka2 years agoDoesn' t that blazer gun spikes affect your grill gasket? I myself prefer a " calm method" because of this. Btw, really enjoying your videos. ...Expand
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@MKS86192 years agoI 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.
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@mikesmith-wk7vy4 months agoThe 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.
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@stevenscarborough62212 years agoYou could use two or three fire starters spread out and put some charcoal on top of them.
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@BrianMiller19732 years agoThe sparking that the torches give is a no go for me. Anymore, for quick weeknight cooks i just use my weber kettle.
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@bmckenzie692 years agoInteresting test. I generally have 350 within 15 minutes msybe 20 minutes using starters. I generally use 2 starters though.
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@krijo210last yearA hot air gun, e. G. Looftlighter or monolighter, would be afriendlier option. They are also cheaper to buy and don' t need refilling.
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@Raymond-sj7cn2 years agoEverytime i see you with the grill blazer gun you look like a young boy in the toyshop men stay boys with toys.
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@SmokeyMesa2 years agoI admit my loof lighter is pretty slow, but the shower of sparks when you used that grill blazer looked a little scarey.
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@backyardbbqusa2 years agoGood test but figured the gun would beat the clock. Note i will use 2 or more fire starters to speed up the process.
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@user-yr2mx9mn1j11 months agoBuy 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!
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@anthonyburas58182 years agoAt $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. 1
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@kenmitchell37842 years agoBbq 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. 1
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@Vusace77710 months agoI thought low and slow was 225f? Can anyone help? I been coking meat at 225 for low and slow?
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@marineassassin921311 months agoThe 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. ...Expand
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@billfreeman6852 years agoUsing the torch you are igniting a larger surface area ( compared to the " one starter) that in itself is not a fair assessment. i personally but there are time. The i wish i had a torch. Lol i really injoy your channel. Keep up the great work. ...Expand
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@romeomontague23096 months agoLooflighter works for me i got it for $60.
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@katzsteel2 years agoWhy not a weber chimney starter and cubes? Takes about 10 minutes to pour for lump. I would think most people do it this way.
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@lazydog2742 years agoCost 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 id="hidden47" 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. ...Expand
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@jasoneyles76132 years agoI wish we could buy grill guns in australia, i would use my kamado so much more if i could light it quickly:
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@jrcjr652 years agoI use the electric starter. Works well.
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@DiceRunner200320012 years agoI like my wagner heat gun. Cheap and effective.
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@absoz2 years agoAnother great educational vid - i see young al who recently visited you also loves his little friend too i couldnt justify the price here in a did have a kettle and wsm for a while, so am aware of how sometimes theres a bit of a wait - but pain from old sporting injuries ruled out continued use of those which fortunately the wsf doesnt inflict (no leaning over adjusting vents etc) but still get a decent smoke flavouring from good to get a glimpse of other family members. ...Expand
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@KylaraKuhn2 years ago2 woodcurl firestarters and i have that dome scorching hot in 15 minutes. The only thing you didn' t do it place that firestarter at an effective place.. ...Expand
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@GopherM2 years agoI use an electric heat gun i bought from harbor freight for about $20.
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@Pieeeeeee2 years agoThat' s a pretty unfair comparison. The way you lit the fire starter is the worst way to do. You don' t put it on top of the charcoal, you need to . ...Expand
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@user-yr2mx9mn1j11 months ago250 in the netherlands. Pf ff way to expensive.
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@GamerNxUSN2 years agoOklahoma joe makes a decent torch, the starter sucks though.
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@Jeffdoeswhat2 years agoIn that time frame could already have some food ready.
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@ericisaac18982 years agoI use a heat gun. It takes 3 minutes to get going.
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@AbrahamCollins17862 years agoI light my kamado with a charcoal chimney and grocery store circular ads. 0.
Related videos for Light a charcoal grill FASTER than propane Fire starters vs Grill Torch :
i' ve used a petrol blower in the past and the intensity it creates is incredible.
it' s even cheaper than buying starter cubes and the chimney . ...Expand
the grill gun has the superior advantage because it lights many pieces of charcoal at the same. ...Expand
i personally but there are time. The i wish i had a torch. Lol i really injoy your channel. Keep up the great work. ...Expand
grill blazer gives 10 starts ( joe cubes 8 start ( i would use 3 pieces for fast id="hidden47" 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. ...Expand
i couldnt justify the price here in a did have a kettle and wsm for a while, so am aware of how sometimes theres a bit of a wait - but pain from old sporting injuries ruled out continued use of those which fortunately the wsf doesnt inflict (no leaning over adjusting vents etc) but still get a decent smoke flavouring from
good to get a glimpse of other family members. ...Expand
way to expensive.