A chimney starter or charcoal chimney is a device for igniting charcoal lumps or briquettes. It consists of a metal tube with a grate to hold charcoal. A lighting cone is a similar, conical, device placed over an existing grate. The tube is typically cylindrical, but may also have other cross-sections. The tube may also be made of combustible material designed to resist burning long enough for the coals to ignite.

Modern commercial models are usually sheet steel cylinders about 6–8″ (15–20 cm) in diameter and 8–12″ (20–30 cm) tall. A grate or mesh to hold charcoal is placed horizontally inside the cylinder about 3″ (8 cm) from the bottom; this is sometimes conical. Large holes around the bottom let air in. Modern commercial chimneys generally have insulated handles.

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, and did not have a grate. They often did not have handles, and needed to be handled with tongs.

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