RICHMOND, Va. -- Introduced this summer, CharConesprestacked charcoal briquettes that light easily without lighter fluidare now available in select FasMart convenience stores in the Richmond, Va., area.
CharCones come in a 3-lb., single-use package that is placed right on the grill and lit. There are no bags or need to stack charcoal. Its conical design creates a chimney effect that speeds up the burning process so no lighter fluid is needed. There is none in the product and none to add.
The product's prepackaged design, with [image-nocss] a built-in handle, in intended for taking on the road for camping, tailgating and other outdoor cookout venues.
CharCones was developed by Michael W. Stephens, a Richmond inventor, entrepreneur and businessman. An enthusiastic outdoor griller and a diehard charcoal devotee, Stephens became disenchanted with the charcoal products available. Traditional charcoal was slow to light and messy to handle, while ready-to-light products made his burgers taste like lighter fluid. After considerable research and testing, a lot of trial and error, Stephens developed a single-use, prepackaged container of charcoal that uses paper and wood chips for natural lighting and is shaped into a cone to create a chimney effect for fast, efficient burning. This concept eliminated the need for lighter fluid or other accelerants.
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