Reddit reviews Chimney Barbecue Grill Starter with Gas burner assist for faster starts

Congratulations, you are now an Egghead. Be prepared to make the best grilled and BBQ'd meat you have ever had.

Preface- The Egg is a very versatile piece of equipment. You can sear steaks at 800 degrees, cook pizza and bread like a brick oven or smoke meats at 250 degrees for 18 hours. While the /r/biggreenegg community is not very active, there are several sites out there where eggheads congregate.

First- Learn how to light a fire and keep the temp controlled. There are many options here.
-Oiled napkin is messy and I don't like it.
-Using a propane torch is dangerous and I don't like it
-Using a propane weed burner is a little better
-Charcoal starters are ok and seem to work for some.
-Electric starters like the BGE one or the Looftlighter are good
-I use a chimney starter and the propane side burner of my grill.
I may buy one of these soon

-Temp control is all about the upper a lower vent positions. Change them slowly and you will get good enough to move the temp a few degrees at a time.
-You will do 95% of your cooking with the top down. Learn to burp the egg or you will lose some forearm hair.



Second- Find a place to get good quality hardwood charcoal, don't use briquettes and NEVER use lighter fluid. Check out the NakedWhiz Lump database for more info. I like the Wicked Good Weekend Warrior Blend.

Your first cook- Start off with something easy like steak or burgers. When you are ready to do some smoking, make sure you have the platesetter and start with a pork shoulder.
-Get your pork shoulder, rub it with yellow mustard, then a rub with brown sugar and spices (there are many recipes around). Put it on the egg at 250 degrees and let it go for 1.5-2 hours per pound until the meat is 195 degrees internal temp. take it off, let it cool and shred for sandwiches.

Some good links-
Big Green Egg corporate Look at the getting started area, recipes and the forums

Greeneggers.com Forum Great place for finding information and recipes.

Smoking Meat Forums

AmazingRibs.com This is a GREAT site for information on smoking all types of meat.

Ceramic Grill Store lots of good accessories

I had the same problem THIS TYPE OF CHEAP GRILL. I fell for charcoal when my folks got A WEBER PERFORMER PLATINUM, which I was able to operate with ease.
I decided to get one for myself, so naturally I picked up the cheapest thing at Walmart. My problem all came down to airflow. The cheapo Walmart grill didn't even come with a bottom wire rack, so the coals sat right on the bottom of the pan, and there were some weenie vents in the front of the grill. I had a chimney to get the coals going, but once I dumped them, they were in the process of going out.
I bought a bottom rack, and it got passable. Once I looked at the Weber design and understood how the air works, it made it clear why I was having issues, and why everyone loves Weber.
What I've found is that with charcoal, air = heat.

Get a good chimney, as this will help you get the coals started fast. I am drooling over THIS PROPANE STARTER CHIMNEY, as it means you don't have to use lighter fluid (purists say it affects taste) or paper (ashes get EVERYWHERE), and make sure your fire has enough air.