Good luck finding a charcoal starter that works as good as the ones from 15 years ago

I swear the old Weber charcoal starters with the metal handle lasted forever. Mine finally gave out after 14 years. I bought three different new ones this year and they all failed within 6 weeks. The welds broke, the handles melted, one just fell apart when I set it down. I think companies are using thinner steel now to save a couple bucks per unit. Has anyone found a brand that actually holds up for more than a season?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadebailey3d ago

You remember those old metal ones with the wooden handles? My buddy Pete had one that lasted through three moves and a decade of weekend grilling, then his brother borrowed it and left it out in the rain for a whole winter. Rusted solid, but the guy at the metal shop said he'd never seen steel that thick in a starter, just shook his head.

dylanh973d ago

Ngl that's on Pete's brother for leaving it out but also kinda wild how nobody talks about the humidity factor. Like a wet chimney can mess up even the best grill starter if you don't let it dry out enough between uses, that moisture just sits in there and eats away at everything.