This video is a comparison of a standard Weber Chimney vs an Oklahoma Joe Chimney. The product states: It is ready in half the time... Well we are going to find out!
Just got this chimney on Sunday. Charcoals got hot in about 12 minutes. And I put a cast iron grate on top to sear steaks. With my laser temp gun, the grates were over 900 degrees before putting the steaks on. I love the larger diameter, so i can do 2 large steaks at one time.
I have a feeling the fire surface area of newspaper exceeds that of the cubes and therefore the Joe chimney will fear better if you followed the instructions on both... the wider radius of the Joe should in theory expose more coals to direct heat from the get go. I would like to see this test again with newspaper to fill the space under both chimneys adequately. Or at least use more cubes under the Joe since it’s designed to take more.
Tip I thought everyone already knew: Take a step drill and enlarge the holes in the Weber. Then take a large drill bit and drill more holes up the side of the chimney. Everyone I know that uses the Weber has done that.
Matt Young Thank you very much! I started this with the goal to learn. I never knew there was SO much involved in shooting video! My videos are getting better as I learn as I go. The weather here is getting warmer so I will start shooting more charcoal videos... back to my roots.
Why dont they make a wide & tall over sized chimney - that once the coals are lit - you only need to place a grate on top and start cooking on it? After a hurricane and I lost the power - i exactly did that. I placed a Weber bottom grate on top of my Weber starter - and I cooked a few quick things. Perfect for one.
@@garick The company that sells grills, is putting a warning label on their starter not to use it to cook food on? I think it cuts into their profit. Secondly, what SPECIFIALLY is dangerous about it? I think there is more danger when you pick up a lit starter and dump out the burning coals....then simply placing a kebob on top.
Instead of cinder blocks use a textured small patio stone. Make sure if you can that it is re-bar or pour your own with re-bar. i use my charcoal bullet smoker in the patio which is paved so I uses a patio stone or it will turn the pavement into lava I also have been using a pure silicone glove for the last 25 years. Same glove. Use it to pick up lit briquettes or stick in the stick burner.
Thank’s for the Oklahoma joe chimney test. I have the Weber rapidfire chimney,Today I got the Oklahoma joe chimney trough Amazon for 20 bucks,tax included, with Amazon prime ..it was free dilivery. I need two chimney’s anyways. It is huge, thank you. I wouldn’t have gotten it without seeing your review on it.
D E I am blessed with a wife who supports me, and people who I have helped! Thanks for the awesome comments. Make sure you share with friends. I want to help as many people as I can.
FLYING SMOKE You are welcomed. I told my cousin about the products you have been showing.Im in the process of ordering the dragon also. No more connecting fans and putting extensions that are dangerous and that I can trip over. We have to take advantage of the technology that is being offered to us today. I’m old school, like I’ve mentioned before, I have been bbqing for 33 years. All this new technology is making my BBQ experience much easier, especially now that I’m getting older.
I get better results using loosely balled up newspaper as a starter rather than the starting cubes. The newspaper gets flame all across the bottom of the charcoal verses a concentrated flame with the starter cubes.
I'm not going to toss out my Weber chimney just yet for what seems like a minimal difference to me and as you said Not half the time. Check out the Char-Broil Half-time which looks to be very similar to OK Joe's. Thanks for the comparison video.
TBP 615 I will look for it! I have another Chimney that I need to video. It is foldable one. It looks promising and it could be great for competing as it saves space when I load my truck.
I never thought the Weber chimney had enough holes for air flow. I was thinking about either grinding a couple of slits on the upper middle part of the chimney or drill some more holes in the same area to increase air flow.
This video makes me wonder if I’m dropping my coal too soon. How much do you think the time before dropping coals affects the cook. Does your flame generally go right out after the drop?
Depends on what you're doing...for basic high-heat grilling, no harm in letting them sit in the chimney til they ash over. For cooks where you want a more moderate heat and you want the coals to last a bit longer, it makes sense to dump the coals once the corners get lit.
If you want to speed up your burn time - just add a little air flow any kind of forced air will make it burn quicker and hotter. If you ever watch a blacksmith he uses a bellows or something to give air-flow to super-heat his coals.
If you added one or two more cubes to the OKJ to make up for the cold coals not being touched by flame? My thought being the Webber's diameter is smaller so flames from two cubes will make it contact with more coals. Just my thoughts. Thanks for the video. I am curious about long term use too. Before I bought my Webber I had a cheap chimney, it lasted one year. The Webber is going on six with constant outside no shelter use. Still looks new.
Thanks for comments. I will see as I go forward which one fares better. Insider tip: I bought a foldable chimney that I’ve yet to review. Make sure you check that out when I post a video on it.
I noticed that you have those chimneys inside the grill and it blocks some of the airflow so I’m sure Oklahoma Joe would have been even faster if it had no air flow blockage but also the Weber would have got a little more airflow so maybe without you putting the chimney inside the pit and just letting all the air it could get could be why they’re calling it 15 minutes
Will thank you for your comments. I am not sure how I could get more air to the Chimney. The bottom to the grill is open, and they are sitting on the charcoal grate, so they are getting more air than if I sat them on concrete. Plus, they both share the additional benefits of shared radiant heat as they both climb to temperature. Do you have another way of getting more air into them? I have seen one Chimney by BBQ Dragon that allows someone to attach the bbq Dragon fan and that will act like a fire bellows. But, that’s a different Chimney.
FLYING SMOKE I have an old rusty cooking grate for my Weber, and I set my chimney on it in the grill and put a small fan facing down into the bowl. It’s like a poor mans dragon.
REDBE4RD the orange one? Goto amazon and type: ORANGE DIGITAL TIMER... big lcd. It has mixed reviews but I like it. Mostly I buy in bulk as they melt or go bad in competition. Bed Bath and Bring your check book has an Oxo one that is very nice
ZiggZagg11 well... it might. But Kingsford just smokes more. I get that on any chimney... it’s just the charcoal. That’s neither good nor bad, it just is.
Kroger has them. I use Frontier or Royal Oak! I've used Diamond's Strike-A-Fire in the past and got a bad box. I emailed them about it and they did send me a $10 coupon.
@@FLYINGSMOKE thanks for the reply but yeah man i used the weber for 4 years after i bought the joe it saved a lil time off of what im using it for man deff keep up the work man much thanks to you for buying a new chim
cloxx1 haven’t yet, I tried B and B starters for the first time this weekend , worked out ok . I have two other types of starters that were sent to me to try . Where do you get your tumbleweed starters ??
How does it do with only one lighter cube? Seems like the wider diameter benefits from 2 cubes. I only use 1 in the Weber chimney because, why waste the second? It lights every time with one. Thanks.
i am going to use B&B brickets in the okiahoma joe"s chimney today.I will give you a review as soon as i am finished.I have never used a chimney before .should i fill it to the top.
@@FLYINGSMOKE I like that you get the fire started very quick.it got screaming hot very fast.I did nor like all the poping and crackling from the fire .i told you that i used brickets .wrong i used lump charcoal.. i still want to use brickets.thanks for all the video"s.I have learned a lot from you.thank you very much.god bles you and your family.
Thanks for the useful comparison. When you said you did a lot of the dual chimneys, did you mean you often use two full chimneys for the same cook? I own a Weber Kettle and I’ve wondered if using two at once would ever be a good idea. If so, what does using that much charcoal do for you?
Erin and Steve Odom thanks for watching! I use it in Steak Cookoff comps. I get higher heat for sear Marks. You need to use grill grates though. I have friends that use Weber kettles and get great results to
FLYING SMOKE Thanks again! I’ll look in to those grill grates. They seem like a great way to get the charcoal flavor and a great sear, yet minimize flare-ups. And using dual chimneys for ultra heat sounds bad ass for steaks.
R AYALA the chimney? The Oklahoma Joe is looking great. The Weber’s are always great. I will say, if I could fit two Oklahoma Joes in the PK... I’d use them over the Webers
Love mine & use it constantly. The rivets are an issue & the horizontal charcoal screen is somewhat light gage. Mine is indispensable to me now so the rivets that hold the handle have been replaced and I have a nice stainless grate ready for my 2nd stage upgrade. I sear constantly on top of this so the extra diameter is important.
@@markconner5569 have you replaced the charcoal screen? How would you do that? I’ve had the Oklahoma joes for a few years and want to know for the future.
@@HaotheEnd I have replaced the Charcoal Grate w a solid stainless 9”option made for the Green Egg that is sold on Amazon. Very Beefy and should last a decade.
Why do you set your chimneys inside the grill? Chimney's work better when place on a concrete block or something outside the grill. And why were you amazed? There is much more oxygen availability in the Oklahoma Joe with the number of holes.
Two reasons. 1. I have a bad back and I prefer not to bend down if I don’t have to. 2. I have seen concrete crack if it is old... like my driveway. And I’ll add, I don’t use cinder blocks because I don’t use them in contests. I try to practice like it’s a contest every time I light the coals. Thanks for watching.
@@FLYINGSMOKE just watched your ROYAL OAK VS B&B LUMP video, you knew lump burns faster. lol thanks for not being a jerk about it. I've been using Royal Oak for years, I'm gonna try the B&B from Ace.
Just got this chimney on Sunday. Charcoals got hot in about 12 minutes. And I put a cast iron grate on top to sear steaks. With my laser temp gun, the grates were over 900 degrees before putting the steaks on. I love the larger diameter, so i can do 2 large steaks at one time.
So you effectively used the OJ Halftime as a grill? That's pretty cool!
I have a feeling the fire surface area of newspaper exceeds that of the cubes and therefore the Joe chimney will fear better if you followed the instructions on both... the wider radius of the Joe should in theory expose more coals to direct heat from the get go. I would like to see this test again with newspaper to fill the space under both chimneys adequately. Or at least use more cubes under the Joe since it’s designed to take more.
Thank you for watching and giving me feedback. I love to get great ideas for new videos
Why not put them on the ground and keep them apart.. they were so close together it compromises results
But in the grill your not getting full air flow next time do your test on the table or ground w no restrictions, just an opinion 👍 great video
I don’t have a fire proof table? Loan me yours and I’ll shoot the video brother
There is no air restriction , it’s just fine!
Tip I thought everyone already knew: Take a step drill and enlarge the holes in the Weber. Then take a large drill bit and drill more holes up the side of the chimney. Everyone I know that uses the Weber has done that.
Tvideo good idea.
How large do you make the holes, and how far up do you add more holes?
@@Mr5picker The extra holes are 3/8 and only a couple of extras needed. The lower holes I enlarged to 3/4 inch
I think the half the time refers to those cheap off brand chimneys and not the Weber rapid fire. Fantastic vid!!
Matt Young Thank you very much! I started this with the goal to learn. I never knew there was SO much involved in shooting video! My videos are getting better as I learn as I go.
The weather here is getting warmer so I will start shooting more charcoal videos... back to my roots.
Why dont they make a wide & tall over sized chimney - that once the coals are lit - you only need to place a grate on top and start cooking on it? After a hurricane and I lost the power - i exactly did that. I placed a Weber bottom grate on top of my Weber starter - and I cooked a few quick things. Perfect for one.
Isn't there a warning picture on the label that shows not to grill a kebab over the starter?
@@garick The company that sells grills, is putting a warning label on their starter not to use it to cook food on? I think it cuts into their profit.
Secondly, what SPECIFIALLY is dangerous about it? I think there is more danger when you pick up a lit starter and dump out the burning coals....then simply placing a kebob on top.
But you wouldn't buy their grill then lol
Instead of cinder blocks use a textured small patio stone. Make sure if you can that it is re-bar or pour your own with re-bar. i use my charcoal bullet smoker in the patio which is paved so I uses a patio stone or it will turn the pavement into lava
I also have been using a pure silicone glove for the last 25 years. Same glove. Use it to pick up lit briquettes or stick in the stick burner.
Awesome, great idea
Thank’s for the Oklahoma joe chimney test. I have the Weber rapidfire chimney,Today I got the Oklahoma joe chimney trough Amazon for 20 bucks,tax included, with Amazon prime ..it was free dilivery. I need two chimney’s anyways. It is huge, thank you. I wouldn’t have gotten it without seeing your review on it.
D E I am blessed with a wife who supports me, and people who I have helped! Thanks for the awesome comments. Make sure you share with friends. I want to help as many people as I can.
FLYING SMOKE You are welcomed. I told my cousin about the products you have been showing.Im in the process of ordering the dragon also. No more connecting fans and putting extensions that are dangerous and that I can trip over. We have to take advantage of the technology that is being offered to us today. I’m old school, like I’ve mentioned before, I have been bbqing for 33 years. All this new technology is making my BBQ experience much easier, especially now that I’m getting older.
Definitely buying the Oklahoma joe , great comparison thank you
Thank you sir
I get better results using loosely balled up newspaper as a starter rather than the starting cubes. The newspaper gets flame all across the bottom of the charcoal verses a concentrated flame with the starter cubes.
Greenid Guy I use that method too at home.
I can shoot a video of that. Great idea
Its good to see a oklahoma product kick some butt!!!!!!!
Doom Slayer it did really well!
I'm not going to toss out my Weber chimney just yet for what seems like a minimal difference to me and as you said Not half the time. Check out the Char-Broil Half-time which looks to be very similar to OK Joe's. Thanks for the comparison video.
TBP 615 I will look for it! I have another Chimney that I need to video. It is foldable one. It looks promising and it could be great for competing as it saves space when I load my truck.
TBP 615 thanks for watching TPB 615... I still use my Weber’s and every once in a while the joe...
Char-Broil
Oklahoma Joe's Half-Time Charcoal Starter, XL
Same Charcoal Chimney some just do not show that Char-broil is the Manufacturer.
Thanks for watching!
i love my weber chimneys. oak joe looks kind big around. wont fit in my box lol in the 70s we had to use coffee cans as a starter chimney lol
Same idea, you were ahead of the curve
Making chimney starters out of #10 cans was in the old Scout Handbook (and how we got grills going back in the day).
That’s true
I never thought the Weber chimney had enough holes for air flow. I was thinking about either grinding a couple of slits on the upper middle part of the chimney or drill some more holes in the same area to increase air flow.
Juan T that might work. Not sure why they don’t. Be careful though and thanks for your insight
This video makes me wonder if I’m dropping my coal too soon. How much do you think the time before dropping coals affects the cook. Does your flame generally go right out after the drop?
Depends on what you're doing...for basic high-heat grilling, no harm in letting them sit in the chimney til they ash over. For cooks where you want a more moderate heat and you want the coals to last a bit longer, it makes sense to dump the coals once the corners get lit.
If you want to speed up your burn time - just add a little air flow any kind of forced air will make it burn quicker and hotter. If you ever watch a blacksmith he uses a bellows or something to give air-flow to super-heat his coals.
I did a review of the BBQ Dragon.
I use a USB Fan for this. Works Great!
If you added one or two more cubes to the OKJ to make up for the cold coals not being touched by flame? My thought being the Webber's diameter is smaller so flames from two cubes will make it contact with more coals.
Just my thoughts. Thanks for the video. I am curious about long term use too. Before I bought my Webber I had a cheap chimney, it lasted one year. The Webber is going on six with constant outside no shelter use. Still looks new.
Thanks for comments. I will see as I go forward which one fares better.
Insider tip: I bought a foldable chimney that I’ve yet to review. Make sure you check that out when I post a video on it.
If you really want to speed it up give the BBQ Dragon a go with the fan but it’s pricey but 5-8 minutes is fast
I have a review on that too!
That seems like alot of fuel for just a couple of steaks. Great videos keep up the good work.
Actually I have changed the way I cook in comps... but as all my videos show two chimneys I wanted to keep things the same.
You can reuse what you don't burn.
I noticed that you have those chimneys inside the grill and it blocks some of the airflow so I’m sure Oklahoma Joe would have been even faster if it had no air flow blockage but also the Weber would have got a little more airflow so maybe without you putting the chimney inside the pit and just letting all the air it could get could be why they’re calling it 15 minutes
Will thank you for your comments. I am not sure how I could get more air to the Chimney. The bottom to the grill is open, and they are sitting on the charcoal grate, so they are getting more air than if I sat them on concrete. Plus, they both share the additional benefits of shared radiant heat as they both climb to temperature. Do you have another way of getting more air into them?
I have seen one Chimney by BBQ Dragon that allows someone to attach the bbq Dragon fan and that will act like a fire bellows. But, that’s a different Chimney.
FLYING SMOKE I have an old rusty cooking grate for my Weber, and I set my chimney on it in the grill and put a small fan facing down into the bowl. It’s like a poor mans dragon.
If your using a Pit Barrel Smoker, you need a shorter chimney.
Where can I get a digital timer like that...it’s nice? I like the size, color 👍
REDBE4RD the orange one? Goto amazon and type: ORANGE DIGITAL TIMER... big lcd. It has mixed reviews but I like it.
Mostly I buy in bulk as they melt or go bad in competition. Bed Bath and Bring your check book has an Oxo one that is very nice
Sold me! Can you do a video using big lump pieces
Which please?
@@FLYINGSMOKE any one just would love to see how it fits
Love the screen name by the way. All I see is a reply. It’s hard to tell which video it was. It’s a great problem to have!
Thanks again for watching!
@@trippingonfaith7094 I’ve really gotten used to the Oklahoma Joe. I’m sure it will fit in your grill or indulge your favorite charcoal too
I wonder if using the bottom of the bag (more dust) in the Weber chimney starter had an effect on the smoke or the quickness of the startup...?
ZiggZagg11 well... it might. But Kingsford just smokes more. I get that on any chimney... it’s just the charcoal. That’s neither good nor bad, it just is.
Good vid man!
harrison abbott thank you Harrison
Kroger has them. I use Frontier or Royal Oak! I've used Diamond's Strike-A-Fire in the past and got a bad box. I emailed them about it and they did send me a $10 coupon.
Legit deff bought the ok joe after this
Ray Chavez glad I could help!
@@FLYINGSMOKE thanks for the reply but yeah man i used the weber for 4 years after i bought the joe it saved a lil time off of what im using it for man deff keep up the work man much thanks to you for buying a new chim
Just ordered a Oklahoma Joes today. Where are they manufactured?
Lmgtfy
@ FlyingSmoke have you ever used tumble weed for starting your fire?
cloxx1 haven’t yet, I tried B and B starters for the first time this weekend , worked out ok . I have two other types of starters that were sent to me to try . Where do you get your tumbleweed starters ??
FLYING SMOKE I get mine at WalMart.
How does it do with only one lighter cube? Seems like the wider diameter benefits from 2 cubes. I only use 1 in the Weber chimney because, why waste the second? It lights every time with one. Thanks.
tgarry100 Well I’m going for $1000 check two lighter cubes just don’t matter I’m not sure
I might start using only one
SonicBoomC98 ya gotta do what works for you. Thank y’all for way
great video, thank you.
i am going to use B&B brickets in the okiahoma joe"s chimney today.I will give you a review as soon as i am finished.I have never used a chimney before .should i fill it to the top.
Please do!
@@FLYINGSMOKE I like that you get the fire started very quick.it got screaming hot very fast.I did nor like all the poping and crackling from the fire .i told you that i used brickets .wrong i used lump charcoal.. i still want to use brickets.thanks for all the video"s.I have learned a lot from you.thank you very much.god bles you and your family.
Thanks for the useful comparison. When you said you did a lot of the dual chimneys, did you mean you often use two full chimneys for the same cook? I own a Weber Kettle and I’ve wondered if using two at once would ever be a good idea. If so, what does using that much charcoal do for you?
Erin and Steve Odom thanks for watching! I use it in Steak Cookoff comps. I get higher heat for sear Marks. You need to use grill grates though.
I have friends that use Weber kettles and get great results to
FLYING SMOKE Thanks again! I’ll look in to those grill grates. They seem like a great way to get the charcoal flavor and a great sear, yet minimize flare-ups. And using dual chimneys for ultra heat sounds bad ass for steaks.
Joe's starter is great! The others I've had rusted out in no time.
The stainless steel of Joe's puts it ahead of the rest. Money well spent.
I like my Oklahoma joe chimney
Mike hall thanks for watching
What do u think of the dragon chimney?
eddy viera have not tried it yet.
Oklahoma joe is stainless and the weber is cheaper material?
I am not sure. But th Oklahoma joe is holding up better
How's the charcoal starter holding up as far as construction? I saw some quality issues on Amazon reviews. Thanks
R AYALA the chimney? The Oklahoma Joe is looking great. The Weber’s are always great. I will say, if I could fit two Oklahoma Joes in the PK... I’d use them over the Webers
Love mine & use it constantly. The rivets are an issue & the horizontal charcoal screen is somewhat light gage. Mine is indispensable to me now so the rivets that hold the handle have been replaced and I have a nice stainless grate ready for my 2nd stage upgrade. I sear constantly on top of this so the extra diameter is important.
Replaced rivets w larger stainless bolts, btw.
@@markconner5569 have you replaced the charcoal screen? How would you do that? I’ve had the Oklahoma joes for a few years and want to know for the future.
@@HaotheEnd I have replaced the Charcoal Grate w a solid stainless 9”option made for the Green Egg that is sold on Amazon. Very Beefy and should last a decade.
Why do you set your chimneys inside the grill? Chimney's work better when place on a concrete block or something outside the grill. And why were you amazed? There is much more oxygen availability in the Oklahoma Joe with the number of holes.
Two reasons. 1. I have a bad back and I prefer not to bend down if I don’t have to. 2. I have seen concrete crack if it is old... like my driveway.
And I’ll add, I don’t use cinder blocks because I don’t use them in contests. I try to practice like it’s a contest every time I light the coals.
Thanks for watching.
Good ole weber made in America
Robert Fandel yes sir. Thank you so much for watching!
It’s a joe thing you wouldn’t understand 😂😂😭
Have you ever tried using only one starter cube instead of two? I find it does the same job in the same amount of time.
chunk charcoal burns faster and hotter.
Gladiator1972 ja! Thank you for you comments! And thanks again for watching
@@FLYINGSMOKE just watched your ROYAL OAK VS B&B LUMP video, you knew lump burns faster. lol thanks for not being a jerk about it. I've been using Royal Oak for years, I'm gonna try the B&B from Ace.
Gladiator1972 Im jist so jazzed people watch! Normally it’s just me talking to myself. Now it’s “normal “ ;-)
The Stainless should last for ever.