Weber Lighter Cubes price hike on Amazon.com

[Huskee]

Assuming that you're using a chimney, why do you use them instead of newspaper or a simple propane torch?

I used to use both, I liked to use Kingsford bags, ripping the layers apart worked like a charm and was a great way to get rid of them. My location for my smoker is right beside a section of pine woods, with the brown pine needle forest floor. One summer we had a really hot & dry spell, and when it got really windy one hot day the ash was flying out from under the chimney and it was making me very nervous. I decided for those instances the cubes would be much safer. When I realized they were $3 something a box I fell in love with their convenience. The last couple years I've used only cubes. Now I take a handful of the cubes camping. They are a HUGE help in lighting the bonfire at fish camp!

The torch method I don't find very practical for a chimney. I find having to stand there with the torch to cost me time. Plus I'm burning through propane, so am I saving anything all said & done?

[ribeyeguy]

Good point regarding the torch, it's a bit of hassle to light the coals that way. Regarding the cost savings I don't know if one is more economical compared to the other.

[Munch]

Isn't it amazing that one tiny errant spark can burn acres of trees...but a guy with some logs in a fire pit needs a half a box of Ohio Bluetips.

[Craigar]

I spend less than a minute using my torch. Just long enough to get some smoke rolling and then head inside to finish prepping.

[Huskee]

I like to use a little 'stand' for my cubes to get them 2" or so closer to the coals in the chimney. I fashion it with a few layers of foil folded and formed in a squared C-shape. This isn't the best picture but it gives you an idea. Anyway I find raising them up like this works better and even allows you to use 1/2 a cube to light a full chimney.

[Munch]

You could use an empty tuna can flipped over. It would last forever. I set my chimney on an overturned Costco peanut can. The small Weber chimney fits perfectly inside the can's rim.

[Huskee]

Great idea Munch

[fuzzydaddy]

Huskee great idea, but what I notice in your picture is that grate needs to be cleaned! Lol.

[Huskee]

Yeah, that's my little Joe. I've cleaned it since, but it serves mainly as my chimney holder.

[MObbqJLH]

My mother in law gave me a box of fire starter logs. They are way to big but i use a putty knife to cut off a small chunk and they seem to work great. Prob 10 logs or so in the box for $10. Each log can probably start 8-10 chimneys. I was worried about the chemical used to saturate the starter logs but i have noticed any carryover in the flavor or smell.

[jholmgren]

Just looked at the cubes at my local Lowes over the weekend.
Are they just wax or are there other chemicals involved (I assume there's no petroleum stuff in them)?

[MBMorgan]

Just looked at the cubes at my local Lowes over the weekend.
Are they just wax or are there other chemicals involved (I assume there's no petroleum stuff in them)?

They are described as being made from paraffin wax ... smokeless and odorless. I use 'em all the time and am quite happy with how cleanly they burn.

[Yno]

Paraffin wax is a white or colorless soft solid derivable from petroleum, coal or oil shale, that consists of a mixture of hydrocarbon molecules containing between twenty and forty carbon atoms.

Sorry, this is a petroleum product.

[(mr.brisket)]

You can always use dryer lint in a toilet paper tube, when you see how quick that stuff goes up you will know why it is recommended to clean your dyer vents often.

[Huskee]

Sorry, this is a petroleum product.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

Yep. I think the question was geared more toward additives, such as lighter fluid laced into the wax though. Of which I don't think there is. Here's the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) on them.

[JimmieOhio]

Vaseline is petroleum jelly, which is obviously a petroleum product. Yet, we smear it on the very chapped lips that we eat BBQ with. It is all about the odor and effects that some products, like lighten fluid may have on the food, not strictly a demonization of petroleum.

[jrcuneo]

Amazon's price went back down to $3something for these. I had only priced them there, and yesterday they were over $11/box. Glad I waited got 3 boxes for the price I would have paid for one yesterday.

[Huskee]

Thanks for spotting that!

[fuzzydaddy]

Attention Huskee, I just got this on Amazon: Weber 7417 FireStarters Lighter Cubes, 24 Count has decreased from $11.41 to $3.98.

[Huskee]

Thanks!

[ribeyeguy]

Kind of strange how the price increases almost 200% just when the weather is giving off hints of Spring and people start thinking about being outdoors again. If anyone can remember this a year from now we should check and see if history repeats itself.

[Huskee]

Good idea

[Huskee]

Just went to add a box of these to an order and they're back up to $10-something/box. [angry face]

[Jon Solberg]

Check this out at HD:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lighter-C...7417/202843410

And Walmart:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Weber-Lighter-Cubes/21943440

3.29!


I had this happen with those big brushes I got. Bought them for 2 bucks at Amazon. Went back for more and they were 9!

[Breadhead]

Bezo has to raise money to go to Mars.😆

[Huskee]

They've consistently been that price in-store. Just seems to be on Amazon they're subjected to the seemingly random 200% hikes.

[fuzzydaddy]

I'm guessing that someone has entered the wrong variable in a field that's used to calculate price changes for the cubes. I can't imagine that such a huge hike is intentional. But maybe it is.

[Huskee]

Back to $3.99 on Amazon. ....for now!...