All Fired Up
Nothing says cozy like curling up in front of a crackling fire, but you can’t get comfy until the fire gets going. Sometimes that’s a challenge, especially when you’ve just sent all your old newspapers to be recycled and there’s not a scrap of dry kindling nearby.
For foolproof fire-starting, we’re reaching for the FireLighter from Adirondack Firestone Company. It’s easy to use, you don’t need newspaper or kindling, and it works every time. Brothers Todd and Chad Keehfus teamed up to create the system, which uses an oil-soaked stone to get the flames going.
The FireLighter starter kit includes a ceramic vessel, two bottles of the company’s Candle & Lamp Oil, and a FireStone attached to a steel rod. To get started, soak the FireStone in the oil-filled vessel. Next, roll the FireStone lightly in fireplace ashes, ignite it with a match or lighter, and place the lit stone under the firewood in the fireplace. The FireLighter stone will burn for about 15 to 20 minutes, igniting the rest of the firewood.
Todd and Chad founded Adirondack Firestone Company to celebrate the charm and spirit of New York's mountainous Adirondack region. They’ve also made it a priority to work with U.S. suppliers. The ceramic vessel is handcrafted in the pottery corridor between Columbus, Ohio, and Wheeling, West Virginia, the lamp oil comes from Texas, and the steel rods are made in Greene, NY, using machinery that dates back to the early 20th century. The FireLighter kits are assembled in Syracuse, NY, at a facility that employs and trains people with developmental disabilities. From start to finish, FireLighter is hard to resist.
Chad
Hi Daily Grommet fans. We know how difficult it can be to build that perfect fire in your fireplace so we created the ADK FireLighter to make it as simple and easy as possible. We also know that it can be hard to find the perfect gift for those folks who seem to have everything, so if they have a fireplace, they will love our product. It is completely made right here in the USA so you know it has that heirloom quality that will last a lifetime. If you have any questions, I'm here to help.
BD
10/21/2011 12:30 PMHi, liked this idea but I have a question. You mentioned the firelighter has to be rolled in ashes in order to light it. Can you light it if your fireplace is ashless.......?
Chad – Special Guest
10/21/2011 12:44 PM@BD: The ashes act as the wick to draw the oil out of the Firestone, so some ashes are necessary. It does not take much though, and burning a couple of pieces of newspaper should be enough to cover the stone.
Deb
10/21/2011 12:32 PMCan this be used in a wood stove?
Chad – Special Guest
10/21/2011 12:45 PM@Deb: The Firestone can be used in a Ben Franklin style wood stove, where the doors can be left open. It is not recommended for other types of wood stoves.
Laura
10/21/2011 12:49 PMLooks beautiful & useful, but I don't understand the process. How do you get the oil on to the end of the wand? Jen said that the pot "is really hard to spill" so it sounds like the oil is poured into the pot and the "wick" end soaks in the oil. But if that's the case, once the fire is started, seems like you couldn't put the hot/sooty wand back into a pot because the oil might ignite. So what happens to the wand when you remove it from the fire?
Also, what is the material on the end of the wand that burns? How often does it have to be replaced?
Chad – Special Guest
10/21/2011 1:01 PM@Laura: Thank you for the kind words! The FireLighter consists of a ceramic vessel, which you fill with Candle & Lamp oil, and a wrought iron rod with a FireStone at the end. The FireStone is left to soak in the oil when not in use, so that it is ready to light when you want to start a fire. Once lit, you leave the FireLighter in your fireplace, and return it to the pot only after the fire has completely burnt out and the FireStone is cold. The FireStone is made from porous stone, and will last for decades of regular use.
Mark Zyla
10/21/2011 4:32 PMWill this fire starter work in fireplace inserts?
thx
Chad – Special Guest
10/21/2011 5:08 PM@Mark Zyla: The FireStone can be used in a fireplace insert where the door can remain open. It is intended for open fireplaces, and is not recommended to be enclosed inside wood stoves or fireplace inserts.
Alice Bengel
10/22/2011 9:14 AMWhen you mentioned the pottery corridor between Columbus, Ohio, and Wheeling, Virginia, are you sure you didn't mean West Virginia? Because that's where Wheeling is.
Katherine – Grommet Team
10/22/2011 9:23 AM@Alice Bengel: Thanks for catching that!
Barbara Parker
10/22/2011 12:15 PMWe were a bit sceptical when we proceeded to start a fire using the Adirondack
Firelighter for the first time as we had always relied on kindling and newspaper. To are amazement after rolling the ceramic lighter in the ash bed, ignighting it and placing it under the grate, the logs began to burn. After 24 years we were able to rid our basement of the kindling bin. We highly recommend this product, as it has truly simplified the act of starting a wood fire.
Sharon
10/24/2011 10:43 AMwhat is the oil made of? I am sensitive to various kinds of smells and fumes....
Chad – Special Guest
10/24/2011 11:40 AM@Sharon: The oil is made from highly refined paraffin oil, a form of liquid wax, it is colorless and odorless and would not create a smell of any kind.
Tami
12/27/2011 1:44 PMI was wondering how this would work if you have a wood stove and no access to 'under' the wood because it lays right on the ash.
Thoughts?
Tami
Tori – Grommet Team
12/27/2011 1:59 PM@Tami: Hi Tami, we asked Rob and he replies: "The ADK FireLighter is not recommended for wood stoves as they tend to generate more heat than fireplaces and can damage the FireStone unless it is of the Ben Franklin French Door Style Variety."
Helen
12/27/2011 3:31 PMThis would have been much more effective if you'd have included a brief demo from start to finish on how it works!
Tori – Grommet Team
12/27/2011 3:47 PM@Helen: Thank you for your feedback Helen. The great thing about this is how simple it really is. As Chad and Rob explain in the video, you simply roll the soaked FireStone in the a bit of ashes, ignite it, and then place it below the grate and logs in your fireplace. Once lit, you leave the FireStone in your fireplace, and return it to the pot only after the fire has completely burnt out and the FireStone is cold. I hope that helps paint a better picture for you.
Jacki
1/25/2012 1:38 PMLooks like something I MUST have. We have a fire going most nights and all weekend. How many fires will I get out of 1 bottle of the oil?
Tori – Grommet Team
1/25/2012 1:45 PM@Jacki: The 2 bottles of oil should last for 10 - 15 fires.
Katherine
10/21/2012 1:46 PMThis looks and sounds great! And I love that it is made in the USA and employes people with disablilities.
My question is, does it work for woodburning stoves that don't use a grate?
Chew-Hoong – Grommet Team
10/23/2012 12:35 AM@ Katherine: The ADK FireLighter is not recommended for wood stoves as they tend to generate more heat than fireplaces and can damage the FireStone unless it is of the Ben Franklin French Door Style Variety.
Katherine
10/23/2012 12:39 PM@Chew-Hoong
Thank you for the prompt reply.
Linda
10/22/2012 11:54 AMI would love to get this for my husband. He's the fire starter. My husband is particular about the wood he buys for our fireplace. He cleans the (flue) chimney each year. 2nd year we had started a fire & did'nt know much about fireplaces and a fire started in the ?flue. My question is "does this oil leave a residue in the chimney flue that could ignite a flue fire?"
Lisa
11/10/2012 4:14 PMI see that you shouldn't use this starter with a fireplace insert. Our fireplace has glass doors. Would we need to leave these open while using your device? My husband usually closes the doors to increase the draft. Will the fire start well with the stone if the doors are left open? Many thanks-