What's the Best Fire Pit to Buy you ask? Well, you are not alone with this question. We hope this post will provide some further information before you choose to invest.

Everyone loves to have a fire pit in his backyard to enjoy the nights of winter with friends and family. Indeed, it is a moment of pleasure when you gather around a fire pit with your loved ones. People cook food, gossip and have a fun time together. People who don’t have a permanent fire pit at home often think to buy a fire pit. The first question that comes in their mind is, “What’s the best fire pit to buy?” This is a very common question, and everyone wants to know about it. So, we are going to answer this question in detail. We will discuss everything in detail to tell you how the best fire pit looks like.

We will provide you a simple buyer’s guide to answer your question, “What’s the best fire pit to buy?” Although it is hard to pick the best item among thousands, you can easily get the best product after reading the guide. Before going to guide, we would like to discuss some important things about the fire pits that we think you should know. Let’s start the discussion.

Types of Fire Pit Based on Placement

Before answering the question, “What’s the best fire pit to buy?”, we would like you to know about the types of fire pit so that you can decide which one is best for you.

Permanent Fire Pits

Permanent fire pits are made in the backyard using bricks and metals. These fire pits require a permanent space where you can build the fire pit. The place of the fire pit is reserved, and you cannot do anything in that place other than lighting the pit. You cannot move the fire pit inside your home. It remains outside your home in every season and harsh weather conditions. It is true that people use fire pit covers to cover their backyard fire pits, but still, these fire pits need maintenance after some time. Although fire pit covers protect the fire pit, they are not 100% perfect.

Permanent fire pits are excellent if you have enough space at your home. Some people also make underground fire pits in their backyard. If we talk about the cost, then making a permanent fire pit is costly as compared to portable fire pits. These fire pits are very well made and have an appealing design, so they require a lot of money.

Portable Fire Pits

Portable fire pits are very easily available in the market and online stores. You can easily buy them at a very low cost as compared to permanent fire pits. The best thing about these pits is that you can easily move them anywhere. You can move them to the backyard to enjoy the night and then take them back inside your home and store at a safe place. You don’t need to reserve a place for your fire pit.

Portable fire pits allow you to take them anywhere, you can use them during travel and camping as well. They are very lightweight and easy to carry. Since you can easily move these fire pits inside your home in harsh weather; therefore, these can work for years. Although they cannot compete with permanent fire pits, they worth the money. Some fire pits are so small and compact that they are for tabletop use. So, if you don’t have much space and you want to spend a little on fire pits, then a portable fire pit is the best option.

Types of Fire Pits Base on Fuel

We can divide fire pits into three common types based on fuel. The fire pits are,

Wood Burning Fire Pits

Wood burning fire pits are the simplest type of fire pit that only require woods to burn. You can also use woods in your outdoor permanent fire pits or there are portable wood burning fire pits as well. Portable wood burning fire pits are easily available, they are made of metal for durability and long life. These fire pits are excellent for occasional use because you need to put woods to start a fire. If you want to use it daily or a few days a week, then this is not an excellent idea. You will have to buy the woods again and again.

The price tag with these fire pits is usually reasonable, you can easily get a small fire pit for your backyard. The only running cost is for the woods that you will place in the pit. One important thing that you need to see in these fire pits is the air passage. For burning, oxygen is required, so there should be a proper design for ventilation. In most wood burning fire pits, you will notice mesh on the walls. These meshes are to provide air circulation for burning.

Propane Fire Pits

Propane fire pits require gas to start the fire. You need to place a cylinder or disposable propane cans to light the fire. So, you need to spend on the gas. These are usually like stoves and their body is usually made from steel. They are more expensive than wood fire pits because they require a complete system and gas kit. You can also find portable propane fire pits with ease. But again, in these fire pits, you have to purchase the propane cylinders.

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Natural Gas Fire Pits

Natural gas fire pits are excellent for everyday or frequent use. You can use such fire pits in your backyard. Natural gas is usually available at the house so there is no need to go to buy anything. But you need a proper connection of natural gas in your backyard. You can only use these fire pits where natural gas is available. Although you can move these fire pits, they are not portable like wood-burning and propane fire pits. They are also expensive as compared to wood burning fire pits due to the mechanism of gas.

What’s the Best Fire Pit to Buy? (Features of the Best Fire Pit)

There are many types of fire pits available in the market. Different brands offer different features and styles. Therefore, it is hard for a person to pick the best item where there are many choices. So, we are going to discuss some of the features and everything about the fire pits that you need to look for while buying. This is a small buyer’s guide that will help you get the best item for your use. We are not going to talk about any brand or model of the fire pit. We will tell you the terms and features that you can see while buying. After reading this guide, you will get a complete idea, “What’s the best fire pit to buy?” Whether you are buying online or in-person, this guide will help you.

Type of Fuel

The first thing you need to choose is the type of fuel. We told you that in wood burning fire pits and propane fire pits you will need to purchase fuel stock. While in the case of natural gas fire pits, the gas is mostly available at the home. So, if you want frequent use, then we recommend natural gas fire pits. Otherwise, the wood-burning fire pits are excellent, and they give you a natural feel of burning woods that cannot be compared to any other type of fire pit in the market. You can choose any fuel that is easily available to you, and according to your usage.

Material of the Fire Pit

Fire pits are usually made of metal. The metal is stainless steel in most cases. If it is steel or light steel, then it is not the best pit for you. The outer surface should have a durable paint that can withstand the high temperature of fire pits. In cheap fire pits, the paint is not of that quality, and it peels off after using a few times. The fire pit looks extremely disgusting after peeling off the paint. So, the paint should be of excellent quality. In gas fire pits, you need to know about the gas kits as well. The burners should also be of stainless steel; otherwise, they will not last. It is better to avoid the wooden frame in fire pits because that can be a cause of the fire.

Spark Screen and Accessories

Spark screen is for safety. It takes care of the flying embers and does not allow them to escape from the pit. The spark screen is usually made from metal mesh, and you need to cover the pit with spark screen while using it. It is necessary to use spark screen in case of wood-burning fire pits. Gas fire pits do not need spark screen. You will get a spark screen with most wood burning fire pits.

Some people get confused with spark screen and fire pit covers. Fire pit covers are to cover the fire pit after using the pit while the spark screen is used when you are using the fire pit. There is no mesh in the metallic fire pit covers.

The accessories that you need with a wood-burning fire pit is the poker. A porker is to lift the spark screen and spread the burning wood. While gas fire pits require complete gas accessories including gas regulators, hose, etc.

Ignition System

The ignition system of wood-burning fire pits is easy, you need a match stick to ignite the woods. But gas fire pits have an excellent ignition system. They have an electronic ignition system that can ignite the burner by pushing the button.

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Size and Shape

There are different sizes of fire pit available, but in most cases, you don’t get a clear idea of the size while buying online. Some people even get wrong size fire pits while buying online. So, you should check the dimension of the fire pit before buying it. If you want a fire pit for your small family, then you can easily get a small fire pit. But if you want a very large fire pit, then such fire pits are not easily available. You need to make a permanent huge fire pit at your home.

The shape of the fire pit does not matter, but it provides an appealing look to the fire pit. There are mostly square and circular fire pits.

Portability

Portable fire pits have many benefits, and we have already discussed that. For portability, you need to see the weight. The fire pit should have a handle to move the fire pit easily. Some fire pits also have foldable legs, so you can easily take them anywhere such as camping.

Cooking Grates

Cooking grates allow you to grill food on the fire pit. Not all fire pits have cooking grates, but some fire pits come with food-grade cooking grates. The grate can be of stainless steel or cast iron. Both types of grates have their own properties. Stainless steel grates are corrosion resistant, and they can last for years. These grates are very easy to clean and maintain, but they do not retain much heat as compared to cast-iron grates.

The cast iron grate should be porcelain-coated to grill your food perfectly. Porcelain-coated cooking grates avoid sticking of the food on grates, and they are safe to use. If the cast-iron grates are not porcelain-coated, then they will rust quickly. So, it is better to take coated or enameled grates. They can also retain heat to grill your food with perfection. But they are hard to clean.

Cost

The cost matters. If you try to make a permanent fire pit at your backyard with bricks, then it will cost you around a few hundred to a thousand dollars. Wood burning fire pits are not very expensive, you can easily get such pits with accessories like spark screen and poker in the range $50-$150. While gas fire pits start from $100, and they can be up to $300. Gas fire pits are expensive due to their features and gas mechanism.

Can You Grill Food on Fire Pits?

Yes, you can grill the food on the fire pit if there is a cooking grate with it. The grate should be of food-grade quality to grill the food. We have already discussed different types of grates and their features. But not all fire pits have cooking grates. The grilling area depends on the size of the fire pit and grates. Usually, the grates’ size is suitable to cook food for a few people. Although you can grill food on a fire pit, it cannot take the place of a grill because it has a small area.

So, you can use fire pits for cooking a small amount of food. Moreover, you will usually find grates with wood burning fire pits. Gas fire pits typically do not have grates to grill the food, they are just to light the fire.

Are Fire Pits Dangerous?

Fire pits can be dangerous if you don’t take safety seriously. While using the fire pits, you need to be careful. If you are careful, then the risk of accidents is very low. You can use fire pits safely without any problem, but you need to be vigilant. Fire pits are excellent for spending leisure time in the cold weather. So, to enjoy the moments, we need to take some safety precautions. Let’s see some safety tips for fire pits.

Safety Tips

• Always cover the wood-burning fire pits with spark screen. It will not allow embers to get out of the pit. Flying embers are very dangerous, and they can be a cause of fire if they fall on any combustible material.
• Keep combustible material away from the fire pit because they can be a fuel in case of any fire.
• Keep a fire extinguisher and first aid kit to deal with any emergency. It is necessary to keep a fire extinguisher in your reach while using the fire pit.
• Gas fire pits should be checked for any leakage of gas before you use them. Leakage of gas is very dangerous, and it can lead to a fire.
• Do not leave the fire pit unattended. After using it, let everything cool down and then cover it with the fire pit cover.
• Using fire pits inside the house is dangerous. Do not use outdoor fire pits in your home. They emit carbon monoxide which can cause fatality. In worst cases, they can also cause an uncontrollable fire within a minute.
• The surface of fire pits are hot, use temper to move the fire screen. Keep children and yourself away from the pit.
• Never use the fire pit on any other fuel rather than the recommended one.

How to Protect the Best Fire Pit?

We have discussed the question, “What’s the best fire pit to buy?” Now, after buying the best fire pit, you need to protect it.

To protect the fire pit, you need to take care of it if you want to use it for years. The best possible thing that you can do is using the fire pit covers. There are many types of metallic and fabric type fire pit covers available that can help you to protect the pit. You should cover the fire pit and store it in a safe place. Moreover, cleaning of the fire pit is also necessary. Clean the fire pit when it is cooled down after the use. Before storing it, clean the fire pit and if there are grates, then clean the grates as well. Your fire pit will work for years if you use it correctly.

Closing Thoughts

We all want to have a fire pit in our backyard to enjoy a pleasurable time with our loved ones. It is hard to tell you the name of a brand or type of fire pit as the answer to this question, “What’s the best fire pit to buy?” Therefore, we have told you the features of the best fire pit so you can distinguish between the best one and the other. You can easily choose the best product for you if you follow the buyer’s guide. We have tried to explain everything in detail, and we hope you get the best fire pit.

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