Metal Chiminea Outdoor Fireplace
If you are looking for a small heater for your patio area, this Metal Chiminea outdoor Fireplace may be what you are looking for. I just hang around mine with some friends and our favorite adult beverage and enjoy the heat and the glow of the fire. With the open cage around the entire fire pit, you can view the fire from any angle.
The advantage of a Chiminea over a traditional fire pit is that is will take up less floor space and most have a great 360-degree view of the fire. A door will help keep the embers under control and give access to adding or turning your firewood.
Cooking marshmallows is not a good idea with this type of fire pit for outdoor spaces, this type is mostly used for the heat and the look of the fire. Now follow along with me to find out more details of this product.
Product: Better Homes and Gardens Cast Iron Chiminea, Antique Bronze
Price when the article was written: $97
Where to purchase: Walmart.com
What comes in the box
What comes in the box
When you purchase this Metal Chiminea Outdoor Fireplace, you will get a Chiminea cage, door, bottom ring, Chimney flue, Chimney top, four legs, Fire bowl, Chimney cover, drip pan, nylon cover, assembly hardware, instructions, and poker.
No grate is included in this fire pit, you can still cook hot dogs and marshmallows with a stick with the door open.
The finished antique bronze Chiminea will be about 23 inches across and about 46 inches high. You will be able to view and feel the fire from any angle. 16-inch firewood will work best in this fire pit, longer wood will not work very well.
It is not recommended to use the manufactured burn sticks for any Chiminea, as the additional heat will distort the outer metal skin. Only burn real wood for making a fire.
Assembly of your Chiminea
Tools that will be required and not provided are a Phillips Screwdriver and two 6 MM wrenches.
The loop handle for the cap is secured with a nut.
The rest of the assembly is from the bottom to the top. The four legs for the base are attached with screws and nuts to the fire bowl. The ashtray is then attached to the legs with screws and nuts. Stand the pit on its legs and insert the fire screen and attach it. The chimney top and flue are next to be attached.
Once all of these simple steps are completed you are ready to use your Chiminea.
What if I want to use on a Wood or Composite Deck
The bottom of this Metal Chiminea Outdoor Fireplace will reach about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit when you have a fire going. The melt temperature for a composite deck is around 175 degrees. Wood decks at this temperature will likely burn or combust.
To protect your investment, follow this link to look at the review of the DeckProtect system that I have done. With the proper size pad, you can enjoy your Chiminea on this type of surface. Make sure that you follow the advice from the manufacturer, and do not place too close to siding or railing.
If you really want to put a fire pit on a wooden or composite deck with this kind of protection, please use a gas fire pit. I have many examples of gas fire pits that look good in articles here for any outdoor space.
Pros
Pros
- Takes up little floor space
- Provides 360-degree heat and viewing
- Comes with a weather cover for storage
Cons
- Must burn wood shorter than a regular fireplace
- The manufacturer does not recommend using manufactured logs
- Some had problems with parts breaking when being assembled
- Cannot use on Wood or Composite Decking without the added cost of protection
For current pricing or more information on this Chiminea use this link
Conclusion
Better Homes and Gardens Cast Iron Chiminea Outdoor Fireplace does a fine job of heating an outdoor area on a cool night. It is very portable if you have several areas that you want to heat at different times. The only complaint from the owners of this Chiminea was that is was made of some lightweight materials and during assembly, the legs were broken. This could be operator error as only a couple of people complained of this.
Thanks for reading my post, if you have any questions or comments please use the form below.
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Wow, that is perfect for me. I have a nice concrete pad in my back yard. It is away from the house and I had been thinking about having a fire pit built but now I am going to check out this chiminea instead! I think it is the perfect (and a much cheaper) solution!
Sue,
This is a great Fire Pit if you are not close to anything that can catch fire or melt. My friend Alan melted the siding on his house with a fire pit.
John
My wife and I have been looking to purchase an outdoor fireplace for quite some time and this just might be the ticket. We love the way it looks and based on your review, it looks like it will fit the bill for us. It looks beautiful and will serve as a great addition to our backyard patio. Thanks for the great suggestions. We love reading your site as always. Keep up the great writing!!!
This is a good cheap Chiminea. Just watch the assembly and it will last a long time. I personally would use it on my back paver patio.
John
Wow I was just thinking about buying one of these for a patio I;m going to be building soon thanks John.
Tyer,
These are great for heating a small patio. Just watch the surface material, it must be stone or concrete. If you have some other material think about some protection for the surface, as the heat will be too hot.
John
Enjoyed the article, John. What are your views on chimineas vs conventional fire pits?
Rob,
Both types of fire pits have their own features. The Chinineas being narrow with a stack will provide plenty of heat, will have a small cooking area if any and will take smaller wood pieces. The conventional Fire Pits will have a large cooking area, will not hold heat as well and can take larger parts of wood. I would make a list of what you would use the Fire pit for mostly and buy what would work best for you. I tend to like the Conventional Fire Pits better, more portable, you can cook a meal on them, easier to clean out when finished.
John
Put mine together and the leg broke and left a hole in the pan. Also the door didn’t work. It is cute.
Karen,
Did you contact the customer service for your Chiminea. These things are made of pot metal and are not very durable when you are putting them together, once in a location they are fine.
John