The 10 Best Electric Charcoal Starters

Charcoal grills are one of the best grills that bring out that tasty and delicious flavor from our meat. However, it’s undeniable that starting it up can be challenging, not to mention a tiring task.

While using liquid fuels and match is commonly used, the scent and chemical flavor from this combination can spoil the taste of our meat. Fortunately, there are available electric charcoal starters on the market that can make this task easier.

These products offer a quick way to ignite our charcoal without the use of gas and other chemicals. It’s all about intense heat.

So, if you plan to buy yourself an electric charcoal starter, check out the list below for the top 10 best electric charcoal lighters you can buy in the market today:

First on our list is the VENYN Hibachi Multipurpose Charcoal Burner. This Charcoal Starter is advertised mainly to be used for hookahs. However, due to its versatility, it’s perfect to use for your barbecue grill and smokers.

VENYN prides itself on its high-quality materials. The body of the burner is porcelain-coated, making it heat and corrosion-resistant. This ensures that the product will last for years, making it worth your purchase.

The product is straightforward to use. You just need to plug it in, turn it on, add your charcoal, and wait for 3-5 minutes for that to burn. A great feature is the heat control you can adjust easily if you need to increase or decrease the heat. There’s also an on/off indicator so that you’re always reminded not to touch the hot burner.

The charcoal-burner also included a removable stainless steel charcoal tray so that you won’t have to worry about bits of hot charcoal falling off the burner. On top of that, there’s a provided top plate that you can place above the burner so you can directly heat water and beverages.

Another noticeable feature is the removable side handle. It helps a lot in lifting the whole charcoal starter so you can pour it on your grill. At the same time, it doubles as tongs if you want to pick the charcoal up one by one.

Just a reminder, remove the handle during the heating process because it gets hot. Only attach it if you’re going to do some lifting. It’s also great to know that the charcoal starter allows you to burn all types of charcoal.

Second on this list is the Char-Broil Electric Charcoal Starter. This is a very straightforward charcoal starter that is perfect for those looking for charcoal starters that are easy to use.

Add the charcoals to your grill, then heat it with this charcoal starter. There’s no on/off button. It will immediately heat up upon plugging, so be sure that it’s placed in the right spot before plugging it in.

A little warning, this charcoal starter can heat up really fast. It generates about 550 watts, so expect that the charcoal will be burned off within minutes. What’s great, though, is that it comes with a heat-resistant handle so that even if you let it stay there to let the charcoal burn off while you prepare, you won’t burn your hand by the time you remove it.

It’s very versatile and can be used on any type of charcoal grills. You do have to note that the cord length is short, so you might need to use an extension cord for this.

You might also notice this metal bracket in between the handle and the heating element. It’s also handy if you choose to put the starter on one side of the grill. It can even serve as a stand while the starter is cooling off. This way, it won’t damage any surfaces.

Next on our list is the HomeRight Electro-Torch Fire Starter, perfectly suited to bring along for camping, backyard grilling, and RVing. It offers fast and quick heating of charcoal so that you can spend more time grilling than waiting for the charcoal to burn off.

This product is one of the most versatile electric charcoal starters. You can use it to fire your fireplace, wood stove, campfire, fire pits, and more as long as there’s an outlet near you. And since the cord length is 6 feet, it’s quite longer than its counterparts.

The charcoal starter offers a chemical-free way to light up your charcoal. It uses 1500 degrees temperature of heat to ignite wood or charcoal—no need for any liquid fluid, leaving no taste of chemicals on your food.

It also features a dual ignition switch that offers flexibility regarding how high you want the heat. The temperatures can be so high that it can start a fire within 2-3 minutes, so be careful.

Here’s a simple instruction on how to use it:

• Push to setting I to ignite the charcoal.
• Wait for a few seconds and once you see visible sparks, turn on the blower to fuel the flames.
• Then, push to setting II to produce more heat and serve as a fan for the flames.

Keep in mind that the switch doesn’t lock in place, so you need to hold it down while lighting your wood or charcoal. What’s good about this, though, is that it automatically shut-offs when it overheats. Therefore, you can say it’s really safe.

It’s a compact and portable fire starter that you can take anywhere with you. But, it’s highly advisable to bring along an extension cord.

Next, we have the electric charcoal starter from Aura Outdoor Products. This is a lightweight and brilliantly designed product that is perfect for beginners to use. It’s light, compact, and very easy to use.

The product features a long and heat-resistant handle to ensure that it’s away from all the heat. It also ensures that it stays cool to touch by the time you’ll remove it from the charcoal. The angled-design protects you from getting accidentally burned if you’re going to reach for the handle.

The length of the heating element is also long, allowing you to reach the bottom of even deep charcoal grills. This way, you can place more charcoal if needed. You need to make sure that the charcoal starter is positioned correctly before plugging it into an outlet.

The mounting bracket on this charcoal starter will help make sure that the product stays in place. It’s made of stainless steel to last longer even if exposed to a lot of heat. It takes about 15 minutes to light the charcoal, which is quite long, so this is a great feature to have.

As you see, it’s so straightforward to use. No switches are needed. Simply plug it in to get started, though you might need to use an extension cord if there’s no outlet near you. After use, pick it up and place it on the cooling stand provided slowly. This way, the heating element won’t come in contact with other surfaces.

Next, we have another charcoal starter that uses high temperatures to ignite a charcoal grill, the Looft Lighter Original Electric Fire Starter. An alternative name for this product is the 60-second charcoal lighter because it only takes a minute to start a fire.

It’s very versatile and can be used for a charcoal grill, pizza oven, fireplace, fire pits, and briquettes. This charcoal starter hits up to 1100 degrees-Fahrenheit of heat to get your charcoal burning. But even with this high heat, it is guaranteed safe as it doesn’t use gas or flame, just superheated air. On top of that, your food is ensured to be free of any chemical taste.

The Looft Lighter uses a fast-cooling, aluminum heat shield that cools down after just a few seconds it was used. But even if this is the case, make sure to set the lighter down in a safe place where the children can’t reach it easily.

Using this fire starter is simple. Once you’re done preparing your fuel, tip the charcoal starter in that direction, and press the button. Make sure to hold that button in place and keep the lighter aimed at the fuel for 15-60 seconds until you see the charcoal burning.

Another excellent feature is the 9.5 feet long cord, plus it comes with an integrated bottle opener.

Next on our list is the Ivation Premium Electric Charcoal Starter. This electric charcoal starter offers an easy and clean start without using chemicals or lighter fluid.

With the heat reaching up to 570 °C, it promises to heat your charcoal within 6 minutes. The heating element is a double-ring design so that it can come in contact with more fuel. The coil is 6.25” wide, which provides more coverage.

One impressive feature is the long and heat-resistant handle that allows you to use it even for deep charcoal grills. The design is then angled to ensure that the handle won’t stay in contact with too much heat.

It then comes with a metal grip to ensure that the product stays in place. This metal grip also serves as a support stand. This way, after using it, you get to ensure that the heating element won’t be in contact on any surfaces. Plus, it even doubles as a bottle opener.

It’s very easy to use. Just place it under your pile of charcoals and plug it in. Wait for a few minutes until you see the charcoal burning. And because the cord is only 3.9 feet long, you might need to use an extension cord if you are too far from the outlet.

Next on our list is the Kamado Joe KJ-ES Electric Starter for Charcoal. This charcoal starter is mainly designed to be used for Kamado Joe grills, but due to its impressive versatility, you can use it on any type of charcoal grill you have.

It functions like many electric charcoal starters. Simply place it under a pile of charcoal, plug it in, and wait until you see the fire starting up.

Generating up to 600 Watts of heat, this product assures you that it will fire up your grill in just 8-10 minutes. The 3-loop design of the heating element provides wider coverage so you can fire up the charcoal faster.

The angled design of the stainless steel element perfectly fits a kamado-style grill. This way, the handle is also not in close contact with the heat. At the same time, the lighter is ensured to

Next on our list is the RAPID-LITE Xtreme Electric Charcoal Starter. This is another one of those very easy-to-use electric charcoal starters, perfect for those who are still starting to use this for their charcoal grill.

The product generates up to 800 Watts of power, which allows you to ignite your charcoal fuel in less than 15 minutes. Its unique loop design and a wingspan of 8 inches offer wider coverage for faster burning. It also makes this starter ideal for larger or wider charcoal grills.

The material used for the heating element is stainless steel, which is impressive in terms of durability. This way, you get to assure that the product stays with you for years, making it worth the money you spent.

The heavy-gauge grounded power cord is long, making it ideal to be used for indoor and outdoor grilling sessions. If you feel like it’s still short, you can grab an extension cord.

Next, we have another electric torch on our list, the MIGI WOLF Electric Charcoal Fire Starter. Like many lighter blowtorches, the product assures faster burning of charcoal by releasing heat of up to 1100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because of the high temperatures it produces, it can ignite a grill within a minute. So, you’re spending less time waiting for the charcoal to burn and get to spend more time grilling.

It comes with a pull-button feature instead of a push-button. So, to use it, aim it on the charcoal and pull the button. You need to hold it in place to continue igniting the fire. And once you’re done, simply release it.

This is really perfect when it comes to ensuring safety because kids won’t be able to grip this lighter easily. On top of that, it also comes with a fast-cooling material for added safety features.

It’s a perfectly designed charcoal starter and will make a perfect gift for grilling enthusiasts. It even features an integrated bottle opener because as we know it, beer and BBQ work well together.

The MIGI WOLF is also very confident in its product’s quality that they’re offering a 2-year warranty and a 100% satisfaction guarantee of up to 90 days.

Last but not least, we have the Skyflame Electric Charcoal Fire Starter. Despite coming from a not known manufacturer, this electric charcoal starter offers great performance as a blow torch.

It releases high degrees of heat that ignites your charcoal within a few minutes. It functions almost the same as most electric torches. It has a pull switch to start the heating element, and just simply release it to stop.

There’s a built-in thermal safety switch that automatically shuts off the lighter when it overheats. This way, you don’t get burned, and no accidents will occur. The heavy aluminum heat shield also offers fast-cooling after every use of this product.

The versatility of Skyflame is also very impressive. It can ignite any type of charcoal fuel and can be used on any type of charcoal grills, too.

It’s also a great benefit that the lighter doesn’t release any kind of strong smell that may affect the food’s taste or the environment.