Fatwood sticks are the best fire starters for cooking in a fire pit.

Yes, they are. If you want to start a fire in a pit for cooking, reach for natural fatwood sticks. They’re split from pine stumps, soaked in resin, and they light with just one match. No lighter fluid, no paraffin wax, no chemical smell that could get into your food.

Fatwood burns hot and steady, even in damp weather. It doesn’t flare up and die down fast—it gives you a consistent flame to get your logs or charcoal going. And because it’s just wood and sap, there’s no weird taste to worry about. You can snap a few sticks into a teepee, light the base, and be cooking within 10 minutes.

If you’re using charcoal specifically, a chimney starter with crumpled newspaper is also great. But for a general fire pit where you want a flexible cooking fire, fatwood wins. Keep a bag near your pit and skip the gimmicky starters.

Your food will thank you.