Fire pits are – forgive us – the hottest item for your garden this summer. These are the best
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There’s no escaping how summery it’s been feeling lately – hot weather, sunshine and balmy evenings mean more time outdoors, which means outdoor fire pits are growing in popularity. They are ideal for gathering outdoors with family and friends and enjoying the warm glow of a roaring fire.
A backyard fire pit is the ideal way to bring the cozy glamor of camping into your backyard without having to leave the comforts of home.
There are a number of different styles and shapes to suit budgets and sizes of gardens and outdoor spaces – we look at a few options here.
What should you look out for in a fireplace?
There are models of fire pits made of stainless steel, clay or cast iron that are fired with either charcoal or wood. Wood offers that beautiful smoky “campfire” smell and emits a warm, beautiful light. However, in our experience, charcoal is easier to light (one organic firelighter and you’re good to go).
It’s worth considering size as a determining factor and where available we’ve included dimensions below. How many people do you want to heat with your fire pit – and how big is the space you want to set it up?
If there are just the two of you a smaller option may suffice, but if you have a larger outdoor space or are hosting a larger gathering you may want to spend a little more and invest in a larger feature.
The material also plays a crucial role in determining the quality of the fire pit. There are a few budget options on this list that use conventional steel coated in a fire and weather resistant black paint. This is fine for occasional use, but you’ll find that it doesn’t weather as well over time.
We recommend spending a little more for a cast iron fire pit, which will naturally rust and change over time as it sets in – adding to the attractiveness of the piece and limiting the amount of maintenance required.
Buy an extra cooking grate and you can roast marshmallows or cook your meat on it.
Read more about garden furniture:
BioLite Smokeless Fire Pit+
If you thought fire was such a primordial element that it couldn’t have any technological advantage, you’re wrong.
This ‘smart’ – and smoke-free – fire pit lets you control the height of your flames via a Bluetooth app. It still burns wood, it’s just that air jets are deployed to fan your flames with oxygen should you choose to boost things up.
Great for camping or a beach house, you’ll be very impressed with the efficient, smokeless flames and instant heat. Worth the price.
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Reclaimed Iron Kadai with Grill
Nkuku prides themselves on reclaiming natural materials and this stunning fire pit is a great example of how they turn something worn into something beautiful.
‘Kadai’ fire bowls are traditionally used in India as cooking bowls, which is why this beautiful cast iron fire pit can also be used – perfect for BBQs.
Our only problem is that it comes without a cover. So you’ll need to keep it indoors or in a garden shed when it rains if you want to avoid the bowl/ash overflowing.
Terra Brazier
An affordable attractive option, we thought the Terra Fire Bowl represented excellent value for money.
It’s finished in black fire retardant paint – and while it’s compact and small, we thought it would make a great addition to a small balcony, porch or patio. Maybe not as durable as some on this list, but a very good budget option.
Dimensions: 47 cm wide and 21 cm high.
Large fire pit made of Corten steel
This option allows you to really make a feature of your fire pit and is the largest we’ve looked at on this list at 120cm diameter.
The Corten steel provides a self-protecting layer that requires very little maintenance – this is a durable and attractive fire bowl that can also be used as a water feature – leaving standing water inside will not damage the steel.
The bowl itself is welded to a sturdy base and feels sturdy and structurally well-built.
Morsø Ignis fireplace & grate
This stylish fire pit comes from the Danish brand Morsø Ignis, which has been making cast iron goods since 1853 and has perfected the art of working with the sturdy material.
Of course, this fire pit with grate is made entirely of cast iron, portable and beautiful.
With a deep bowl and tall sides, your fire is well protected from the elements. A good ventilation system also helps keep your fire burning.
As you’d expect, the cast iron helps generate and radiate ambient heat. The grate is also great (pardon me) for cooking.
Plain Jane 90 fire pit with three swing arms
An expensive option and perhaps out of the budget of most, we were really impressed with this fire pit for its ingenious swing arms that can be used for cooking.
The design is definitely geared towards catering for the chefs among us, allowing for a generous cooking area that folds away when not in use, allowing the fire pit to be used as a more conventional appliance for the rest of the evening.
Reclaimed Fire Pit
Another attractive option that is well recycled from old oil drums.
While these options are among the most expensive on this list, they would work well as a standout centerpiece or feature, and we think they could double as an excellent grill too if you wanted to. Three sizes are available – from 600 x 600 x 640 to 1200 x 1200 x 720 (dimensions in mm).
HOOLE CAST IRON FIRE PIT BOWL WITH LEGS
A popular fire pit that’s in the mid-range in terms of budget and size.
Available in three sizes (55cm, 75cm and 100cm) we liked how sturdy it felt and the fact that they pre-drilled an air hole to allow good ventilation of your fire.
The qualities of cast iron also age well over time – so you can leave it in your garden and the surface will rust to a beautiful finish without affecting the use of the pit.
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