A Guide to Choosing The Right Chiminea Fire Pit
A chiminea fire pit is a free-standing, portable chimney that provides heat for backyards, patios, and other outdoor settings. The centuries-old chimney, first used during the 1600s in Mexico, today enjoys worldwide popularity throughout homes in North America and Europe
Chimineas were first used as outdoor ovens to cook food. Today, they’re used as backyard fireplaces. A chiminea is equipped with a front opening for your wood or charcoal, depending on the occasion.
If you’re thinking about adding a chiminea fire pit to your backyard environment, there are a few essential things to consider.
Best Chimineas
1. Deckmate Sonora Outdoor Chimenea Fireplace Model
If you’re looking for a Chiminea that offers full 360° visibility, then this model is what you should opt for. As a portable fireplace, it can be placed on a table or in the center of your environment while surrounded by people. Assembly is easy due to its steel composition which adds to its modern and attractive design.
Features:
The Bali Outdoors chiminea features a round wire mesh screen design. The wire mesh allows for full-flame visibility from every angle. It can uses both artificial logs and firewood. Its fire pit is made of heavy-duty cast iron, making it an exceptionally durable chiminea. More so, this model comes with an ashtray and a sliding panel that makes it easier to add fuel compared to other models. Its four, sturdy cast iron legs offers firm stability as it elevates the fireplace which increases its heating range.
Pros:
- Keeps smoke away from your guests
- Durable
- All-round fire visibility
- Easy to couple
- It is attractive and decorative
Cons:
- It doesn’t come with a PVC rain cover
2. BALI OUTDOORS Outdoor Fireplace Wooden Fire Pit
The Deckmate Sonora Outdoor Chiminea also provides full 360° fire visibility. Full visibility is made possible due to its fine-wire mesh spark screen. The wire mesh screen prefvents sparks from escaping the chiminea. This model can also burn artificial logs and wood.
Features:
This model has a fine wire mesh spark screen providing users with a 360-degree view of the fire. It comes with a log grate and fire tool. Cleaning the Deckmate Sonora Outdoor Chimenea is stress-free due to its built-in slide-door feature. The door allows users to add fuel easily. It is slightly bigger than the Bali Outdoor; so a better option when heating bigger spaces. The size also means extra space for wood, and therefore longer burning and heating periods.
Pros:
- 360-degree view of the fire.
- Its sizeable sliding door makes cleaning easier
- It burns woods and artificial logs
- Can heat larger spaces
- It has a cap on top that keep out rain
Cons:
- Designed for outdoor use only
3. Sunnydaze Sante Fe Steel Chiminea with Rustic Finish
Sunnydaze Steel Outdoor Chiminea is an outdoor wood-burning fireplace with 19.75” diameter x 50” H; 32.6 lbs. It is easy to assemble and transport. This model also comes with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty. If you’re looking for a lightweight chiminea that’s easy to move than heavier models, this would be your best choice.
Features:
This model has a log grate and one outdoor chiminea. Weighing in at 30 pounds, this model is easy to move. Its large fire chamber allows different wood sizes; thus burning for extended periods. It also comes with a fire grate, which stores your wood from the base. It produces flames of different colors, thus, enhancing attractiveness. The chiminea’s authentic rust patina enables it to create a variety of colorful flames.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Easy to assemble
- Comes with one year manufacturer’s warranty
- It is lightweight and easy to move around
Cons:
- It makes sparks
- Doesn’t have 360-degree fire views
- It has no door
4. Sunnydaze Rustic Chiminea
If you need a Chiminea that can provide a combination of instant cultural charm and warmth, you should choose Sunnydaze Rustic Chiminea. It is a beautiful Chiminea designed with a more traditional look. Its small size makes it a perfect option for smaller outdoor spaces. However, since its design is more conventional, it is recommended that necessary safety precautions should be taken just like that of a fire pit.
Features:
This Chiminea is made from heavy-duty 0.75mm thick steel; hence, it is more durable than most other Chiminea types. Its legs are made of 2.8mm thick steel. It is specifically made for those who require high heat on their patio and yard. Sunnydaze Rustic Chiminea has an authentic rust patina that makes the product look more traditional. Its color may continue to change due to the reaction between water, oxygen, and metal. However, you can limit the color change by limiting the reaction. You can limit the reaction by covering the Chiminea when not in use.
Pros:
- It comes with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
- Durable
- Easy to assemble
Cons:
- Has no 360-degree fire views.
5. The Blue Rooster CAST Aluminum Grape Style Wood Burning Chiminea in Charcoal
If you have been looking for a chiminea for your patio or deck, this could be your best option. The Blue Rooster Cast Aluminum Grape Style Wood Burning Chiminea is easy to light, can be easily cleaned without stress, and produces little to no smoke while burning. It comes with a wide chamber allowing for added wood-burning capacity, thus, longer extended burning periods. The model comes with a fire grate and baking insert.
Features:
The Blue Rooster is made of cast aluminum, which has an anti-rust property. Hence, this Chiminea will serve you for an extended period. It comes with a rain lid, which keeps water away from getting into the Chiminea. You also don’t have to worry about sparks because this design has a meshed door that prevents sparks from getting out. More so, the Blue Rooster has built-in carry handles that make deck arrangement easy.
Pros:
- Lifetime warranty
- Made of Solid Cast Aluminum hence, you don’t have to worry about rust
- Easy to light
- Easy to clean
- Wide chamber
- Rain lid included
Cons:
- Does not have 360-degree fire views
Is A Chiminea Fire Pit Safer Than A Traditional Pit?
When determining if a fire pit is safer than a chiminea, almost immediately, and at first sight, it’s obvious how the latter is safer than the former. Traditional fire pits are not covered, so their open flames can burn anything within their range. A chiminea, based on its shape and protective design, offers greater protection and fire control.
With a chiminea, you can relax and have fun in your backyard without fear of losing control of your fire. A chiminea was originally built as an oven, so the design allows you to enjoy the heat emanating from it as the fire remains out of view.
Because of its extended top vent, when a fire burns inside a chiminea, the smoke is kept away from those sitting around it. Traditional fire pits can easily fill a room with smoke as the wind can blow it in any direction, affecting those who sit close to them.
A chiminea is protected from outside forces, like wind, while it traps oxygen inside of it, which helps burn wood then and pushes the smoke out.
Is a Chiminea Better Than A Fire Pit?
Chiminea is better than a fire pit, and there are a couple of reasons you should choose it over a traditional fire pit.
Chiminea Requires Less Tending
A chiminea doesn’t require much tending like a fire pit. You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the heat without regular checking. It lasts longer such that just two small logs in the fire bowl can serve you for a reasonable period. Chiminea has a long-burning design; thus, it is a better option if you need heat throughout the night without spending too much time on tending.
Fire Pit Can Only Be Placed In Few Places
If you don’t want to cause chaos in your home, you must be careful about where you keep your fire pit. Their naked flames can cause damages, and their sparks can also fly around freely. Thus, there are fewer options of where your fire pit can be kept. Chiminea, on the other hand, can be kept in a large variety of places, including indoors. All you need is to place it on a fire and heat-safe base.
Related: Our Best 10 Fire Pit Rings That Won’t Burn A Hole Into Your Budget
Chiminea Have More Designs and Materials
Depending on your preference, there are many options to choose from. A chiminea is versatile, unlike fire pits with limited materials and designs. Some of the materials you can select when you opt for a fire pit include copper, stainless steel, cast iron and aluminum, painted clay, and so on. Each of these materials has a wide variety of design options. Hence, besides serving as a heat source for your home, Chiminea is also a better option than a fire pit because it can serve as an art piece to beautify your home.
Chiminea Uses Other Fuel Types
Unlike a fire pit that only burns wood, a chiminea can use fuel, including gas and charcoal. Thus, you can install a gas-burning chiminea in your home like a furnace. A gas-burning chiminea supplies your home with heat and without any smoke. Charcoal is a good fuel option, especially for those new to chiminea usage. Charcoal is easy to light. However, not all chimineas are designed to work with charcoal, but there are several designs that use it as fuel.
Related: 10 Must Have Fire Pit Accessories for Your Next Backyard Burn
Do Chimineas Put Off Heat?
Chimineas do put off heat provided fuel has been exhausted. Therefore, if you want your chiminea to stop working after a specified period without being interrupted, you would need to regulate your fuel. When it runs out of fuel, the fire will stop burning. After the fire stops burning, the heat will automatically turn off.
If you want your chiminea to remain active for longer than an hour, you should only use the appropriate amount of fuel for that period. For whatever reason you didn’t regulate the fuel, then you’d have to manually adjust your chiminea before it started heating.
What Is Best To Burn In Chiminea
Wood is the best thing to burn in a chiminea. Although there are other things you can burn, including charcoal, wood is the best option. Wood produces a fewer sparks that could burn things around, including those sitting nearby. Wood is, therefore, a safe option.
It also burns longer, primarily if you use hardwoods. There are also several aromatic woods from which you can choose as well. For instance, if you want more than heat from your Chiminea, aromatic woods like Pinon will give off a lovely pine scent.
The scent also keeps mosquitoes away. Besides the pine woods, there are several other aromatic woods you can use to get heat and beautiful scents. Red Cedar and apple woods are good options too.
Chiminea Fire Pit: Conclusion
Staying warm is essential during winter, and one of the easiest and cheapest ways to achieve that is by using chiminea. With an outdoor fireplace, you wouldn’t have to pay for gas to stay warm. It also reduces your monthly electricity bill.
Hopefully, the information provided will help you choose a chiminea that’s right for you and your backyard.