Kingsford Match Light

[soFlaNative]

Anybody use this stuff recently?
Neighbors boyfriend gave me a bag as payback for getting him out of a jam New Year's Eve when the regulator on his gas grill failed. Australian ship's cook unfamiliar with charcoal cooking, strange enough.

I've never used the product, being familiar with stories of the taste of lighter fluid imparted to the food being cooked. I'm not about to experiment with the 4 lbs. of New York strip with a side of bone-in chicken thigh Mrs. Wife brought home today.

Is it as foul as the tales would have me believe or has it been reformulated since the dark ages when it was introduced? Maybe I'll leave it on a park bench for some desperate soul with nothing better to use.

Neighbor b/f also left a 3 lb. Kingsford BBQ Bag... tear a tag and light the bag kind of deal. Seems safe enough.

Time to go... small flat screen and Bud Select on ice in the carport.

 

[zzzippper]

I quit using any treated charcoal or wood. Just plain charcoal and hard wood charcoal lit with a chimney.

 

[Onomea]

I used it years ago. Later switched to using a chimney starter with regular charcoal and not the "match light" stuff. But, frankly, I don't remember it being so bad. I think just be sure the coals are good and gray before you put your meat on. I would think at that point whatever the starter fluid stuff is has been largely burnt off..

 

[DeathGrip]

I use it all of the time.

Just like using lighter fluid you have to make sure to burn it off.

The advantages are you don't have to keep adding fluid until it starts up. It also don't flair up when it's first lit and every piece pretty much burns evenly.

It's really handy on a humid day especially when it's windy.So Fla. approved.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Useless for anything but hotdogs in a pinch. Get a big charcoal chimney and save your newspaper. No lighter fluid taste ever.

 

[brucev]

Re: OP. Throw it away. If you try to use it to grill anything, it will only cause trouble. First off... it'll light up and start burning when you throw a match on it. Then, about 20 minutes or so later, it'll have a little dusting of grey ash characteristic of charcoal that is ready for use. If you sniff it to see if it has any lighter fluid odor, be careful and first trim the hair out of your nose. Otherwise, it may flare up!

The minute you put some meat on the grill, that charcoal will start working on it and sure enough, with a little bit of time and proper turning, the meat will get all nice ... done! If you lower the lid on the grill, everything on it will get all smoked up from the dripping hitting on the red hot briquets.

You don't want to take a chance with that Matchlight stuff! It can easily get out of hand! Next thing you know, you won't be grilling a nice steak or whatever. You'll get some pork chops or chicken or some ribs, etc. It'll never end! Best thing to do is don't let it get started! That Matchlight stuff is just something dreamed up by some low life that hasn't got any better sense than to think that people are so ignorant that they think charcoal has to be lit w/ newspaper in a little chimney contraption... or whatever. Your mama didn't raise such a foolish child! You throw that stuff in the trash can. When you want to do some real grilling, you just get you some plain charcoal... and some newspaper... a a little chimney contraption. It God had meant for anyone to light charcoal w/ that lighter fluid stuff, we'd have never ever got propane! JMHO! Sincerely. brucev.

 

[erics]

Many years back I had what was essentially a small round electric element with a wooden handle. Piled regular charcoal on top, plugged it in and waited for ignition. Recall that it worked well. Now Kingsford replaced with Weber.

 

[Big Stick]

While I'm kind of a BBQ snob, and only use briquettes unless in a pinch(hardwood lump is the shizznit), it will get you by. Invest in a metal bbq charcoal chimney, and skip the $18/gallon lighter fluid(its the **** they can't make gas out of)...unless you like the taste of hydrocarbon bottoms on your meat....

 

[O2Guy]

Give the MatchLight away and get a chimney and don't look back.

 

[vigil617]

I use it all the time. Like, two or three times a week, weather permitting. It's easy, fast, and burns great. Just stack it into sort of a pyramid shape, light it (I always light the bottom, but the flame spreads quickly so probably doesn't matter), and in about 20 minutes, the briquettes are ashed over and there's a great orange glow 'mongst the briquettes there at the center of the inferno. Spread the coals, throw on a few well-soaked wood chips of your preference, install the grill and lay out the meat, and voila. Dinner is served not long thereafter.

I have a Weber -- the one that's about the size of a small propane tank -- and the MatchLight does a boss job in this well-designed charcoal stove. Two thumbs up.

 

[LostintheOzone]

I smoke a lot of salmon and use the regular Kingsford Charcoal and alder. Don't experiment with anything unless it's burger, hot dogs or chicken you're cooking. Some people can taste the charcoal and even tell you if it's mesquite charcoal or not. A friend of mine is a chef and he can tell.

There is a new product called Cowboy charcoal and it's garbage. Don't waste your time with it.

 

[soFlaNative]

Thanks for the replies. Definitely gonna pass on the Matchlight, opened the 3 lb. BBQ bag also and it reeked of lighter fluid so both will go.
Only time I use my chimney is for lump charcoal (porous) or if I need to add briquettes for extended cook time. Don't like how the coals on the bottom are half gone by the time the coals on the top are ashed over.
I usually layer 2-3 deep over 1/2 the grill, use a liberal amount of fluid and light immediately before the fluid has a chance to soak in. I'll even leave a bit of ash on the bottom to catch any excess. Never had even a hint of fluid taste.

 

[NCTexan]

It's good for getting firewood started if your fireplace does not have a gas starter... Put a few brickettes with some kindling and shazam.

Wouldn't put it under anything that I'm going to put in my mouth. Been there... done that.

 

[DeadAye]

Thanks for the replies. Definitely gonna pass on the Matchlight, opened the 3 lb. BBQ bag also and it reeked of lighter fluid so both will go.
Only time I use my chimney is for lump charcoal (porous) or if I need to add briquettes for extended cook time. Don't like how the coals on the bottom are half gone by the time the coals on the top are ashed over.
I usually layer 2-3 deep over 1/2 the grill, use a liberal amount of fluid and light immediately before the fluid has a chance to soak in. I'll even leave a bit of ash on the bottom to catch any excess. Never had even a hint of fluid taste.

I wonder if you're not kidding yourself
Or the amounts are so small that you can't taste it - I can.

I suffer from severe multiple chemical sensitivity and when any amount of (no matter how small) charcoal lighter is used I can taste it in the meat. My BIL & wife can't but I sure can. You might just as well marinate the meat in hydrocarbons. It is definitely there.

We've done taste tests and I win every time or maybe that's

You may not be able to discern such a small amount of chemicals in your food, but it is there and you're eating it and it can't be good for you....

You don't even want to know about fabric softener and dryer sheets!

 

[Hack]

...Neighbors boyfriend gave me a bag as payback....

I'm still processing this.....

 

[soFlaNative]

That's OK. This IS still south Florida...

 

[Ματθιας]

Lump charcoal or nothing at all.