Picture this, you’re sat in the garden with some friends and it’s a bit chilly, then a thought hits you. “I should buy something to keep me warm outside”.
The next question after that is, do you want a fire pit or a chiminea?
It can be a tough choice as both are good options but to make a fully informed choice, you need to know what the difference is between a fire pit and a chiminea.
What’s the Difference Between a Fire Pit vs Chiminea?
Both are great for providing a warm area outdoors to gather with your friends and family and are good choices for your outdoor area, but do you know what a fire pit is? How about a chiminea? Some people even use these words interchangeably!
Before we learn the difference, you should know what they ACTUALLY are!
What is a Chiminea?
A chiminea is an outdoor fireplace which is usually made from terracotta but can also be made from clay, cast iron or even steel.
It has a characteristic potbelly shape and chimney, along with a round opening on one side for adding your fuel.
When talking about design, chimineas can vary significantly, you can find chimineas with no exterior decoration, painted decoration or even raised detailing which means you can really shop around to fit your aesthetic.
What is a Fire Pit?
A fire pit is a large open outdoor fireplace used to contain a larger fire and prevent it from spreading. Most fire pits are made from concrete, metal or a mixture of both.
Here at Simply Metal, our fire pits are made out of high-quality steel and produced in the UK.
Fire pits can come in a variety of designs and sizes to suit your needs and features a large open top for enjoying the fire, especially when you have a large group of people gathered.
Fire Pit vs Chiminea
There are many differences between a fire pit vs chiminea such as:
- Smoke
- Ease of Use
- Appearance
- Safety
- Fuel
- Size of Space
Let’s take a closer look at all these differences so you can make an informed decision and buy the best product to suit your needs.
Smoke:
No one likes smoke, it can be irritating for yourself, your guests and your neighbours. What’s worse than getting a big mouthful of smoke whilst you’re trying to have a nice drink.
Chimineas often produce less smoke than fire pits, partially due to their design. The chimney of a chiminea directs the smoke away from you and the bowl of the chiminea stops wind producing smoke.
Neither options will reduce the amount of smoke you create significantly, they are both fires after all! Excess smoke from fire pits is usually due to the firewood being used and excess moisture. Try choosing wood that is adequately dried, avoiding freshly cut wood.
This will avoid you playing musical chairs as the wind direction changes for both chimineas and fire pits.
Ease of Use:
Both fire pits and chimineas are fairly easy to use however chimineas can take a little more work.
When preparing a chiminea for use, it is advisable to add sand or gravel at the bottom before lighting your fire whereas in a fire pit you just add your fuel and go.
Depending on your individual fire pit or chiminea, it could be very heavy. Chimeneas especially are very weighty and therefore should be placed in a permanent location.
Some fire pits, such as our Simply Metal Fire Pit, are portable and freestanding which means they can be moved whenever you want. This is great if you are looking to take a fire pit camping, to other people’s houses, to a beach or just in different spots around the garden.
For these reasons, we believe that a fire pit is easier and more convenient to use especially if you are looking for a low maintenance option.
Appearance:
When discussing fire pits vs chimineas, the one thing you can’t fault either for is their appearance.
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They both are available in many designs and create a great focus point in your garden as well as a communal area.
You will need to consider how many people you are looking to have around your fire pit or chiminea. Chimineas are best for small groups as there is only a small hole to view the fire from and larger groups would benefit more from a fire pit due to the openness of the flame.
Fire pits are also great for intimate gatherings therefore we believe fire pits are the ideal choice for entertaining, you can even cook and grill on a fire pit! Bonus!
Safety:
Where safety is concerned, you want to make sure that you and your guests are as safe as possible.
Obviously, both items have their safety downfalls, they are both fires of course!
When thinking about ash or embers, a chiminea is a safer option due to the bowl. This bowl protects the fire and reduces the amount of ash and embers which can exit the fire.
Due to the heat of the fire, neither will be safe to touch which can cause concern for people with animals or children. This can be a hazard for the chimenea especially as you can only see the lit fire from the front therefore from the back you may not know that it is lit.
Both fire pits and chimineas require responsibility and safety to use without harm and each have individual benefits.
Fuel:
There is no significant difference between the fuel used in a fire pit vs chiminea apart from the size. Due to the size of the opening in a chiminea, you will have to use smaller wood than in a fire pit, but this is not a significant difference.
If you don’t want the hassle of finding the right size wood or cutting it down yourself then we would recommend a fire pit.
Size of Space:
Depending on the size of your outside area, it can affect whether a fire pit or chiminea will be the best fit for you.
A fire pit may swamp a small area whereas a chiminea is smaller and will compliment it nicely. In turn, a chiminea may look too small in a large patio but a larger fire pit can fill the space effectively.
We even have different sizes of fire pits which means no matter your space, you can enjoy a fire pit all year long! From our Simply Metal Square Fire Pit which is perfect for smaller gardens to our Heavy Duty Fire Pit which is ideal for bigger spaces.
This is not to say that you couldn’t have a chiminea in a large area or vice versa, it is totally personal preference!
It is safe to say that no matter which you choose, both fire pits and chimineas make great additions to any outdoor space. Though, we are partial to a fire pit and think that overall, it wins the competition of fire pit vs chiminea!
You can check out our range of fire pits here!