Chimney starter, no contest.

Chimney starter.

It’s cheap, fast, and doesn’t make your burgers taste like a gas station parking lot. You crumple up newspaper in the bottom, fill the top with charcoal, light the paper, and in about 15 minutes you have ashy coals ready to go. No lighter fluid, no fancy gadget, no learning curve.

The only trick is using dry newspaper and making sure the chimney sits on something non-flammable. If you’re doing this on a grill grate, fine. On a wood deck? Put a drip tray under it. One gust of wind and you’re having a very different kind of cookout.

Electric starters work, but you need an outlet. Propane torches also work, but then you’re carrying around a torch and a tank. Chimney is the best all-around solution.

This is the $15 purchase that changes how you grill.