The trick of upcycling old wine corks as grill or fireplace lighters is a recurring, ingenious life hack circulating online. But be careful with the term “used oil”: It works wonderfully and is environmentally friendly \u2013 \u200b\u200bbut only if you use the right kind of oil!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here’s the subtle but extremely important difference and how you can easily make your own firelighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Misconception About “Used Oil”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we talk about used oil in this context, we never mean mineral-based motor or transmission oil from a car! Burning genuine used workshop oil is strictly prohibited, releases highly toxic pollutants, and ruins every barbecue and the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What we mean is old, used cooking oil or vegetable oil (e.g., rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, or olive oil) left over from cooking or frying. Alternatively, an inexpensive, fresh vegetable oil will also do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why does it work so well? Real corks (made from natural cork) are made from the bark of the cork oak tree. They are naturally ingenious, organic fuel storage devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vegetable oil penetrates deep into the pores of the cork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because oil has a high energy content, the soaked cork burns extremely long, calmly, and evenly \u2013 ideal for lighting charcoal or firewood without chemical odors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step-by-step: Make your own eco-friendly firelighters<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The process is incredibly easy and saves you money on expensive chemical firelighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Collect old wine corks. Important: They must be real natural corks. Plastic corks (recognizable by their smooth, often colored surface) must never be burned!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Place the corks in an old screw-top jar (e.g., an empty pickle or jam jar). Pour the (filtered) used cooking oil or fresh vegetable oil over the corks until they are well covered. Since corks float, weigh them down slightly or shake the jar occasionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When needed, remove 1-2 corks with grill tongs and place them under your charcoal (or firewood). Light them with a long match or a long-reach lighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro tip for grilling: Combine these DIY cork firelighters with a chimney starter. Place the lit corks on the grill grate and then place the charcoal-filled chimney starter over them. The chimney effect will get your charcoal glowing in record time, completely smoke-free and without any chemicals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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