If you love entertaining outdoors, you don’t have to stop when the weather turns cooler and the nights start drawing in.  An outdoor fire pit means that you can have a cosy fire, when and where you want it.  Fire pits are affordable and decorative – so now you can entertain all the year round!

What is a fire pit?

Although it sounds like a crudely dug hole in your garden, a fire pit is a freestanding, decorative basket or bowl on legs, in which you burn an open fire.

The least expensive version is called a kettle.  These are basins, bowls or baskets on legs that are used for burning wood or charcoal.  They are available in many finishes such as iron, terracotta, stainless steel and copper.  Many models also include a screen lid to control sparks and a grill that simply sits on top of the fire so that you can cook on them as well.

The great thing about these is that they are fairly lightweight and portable so you could put one in the car and take it to the beach or use it when you’re camping.

You can enhance your open fire experience by burning different woods.  Red Cedar and Pinion Pine both smell lovely and are great for keeping mosquitoes away.  Apple wood also smells beautiful and burgers grilled over a hickory fire are unbelievable!

The downside of these off-ground fire pits is that there is no form of chimney and so they can smoke rather a lot.

Is there anything I shouldn’t burn?

Wood which has been pressure treated can give off toxic gases while it’s burning.  If it has a greenish tinge to it, it may have been pressure treated.  If in doubt – don’t use it!
Wood which is green or damp can give off a lot of smoke which could be annoying for your neighbours.

Hassle-free fires

If you are prepared to spend more, you could indulge yourself with a gas fired model.  Simply flick the switch and enjoy real flames without the hassle – or smoke!  These can be run on propane tanks or natural gas hooked up to your household supply.

It doesn’t matter whether you love hi-tech stainless steel, granite or antiqued metal – there will be a fire pit to suit your tastes.

Many of the gas powered models are quite heavy as they are made from glass fiber reinforced concrete and although that sounds rough – they don’t look like concrete at all.  You can choose from Grecian Urns, Pottery vases, granite tables with inset fire pits – the list goes on!  Some of the more modern designs even include coloured glass in place of logs.

Fire pits vary tremendously in size and design so shop around until you find the right one to suit your available space and your budget.

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