Guide to Buying an Outdoor Fireplace
1. The outdoor fireplace can either be movable or permanent. The permanent outdoor fireplace will cost more, so you have to have this in your budget. In my opinion, the best type of permanent outdoor fireplace would be a wood burning fireplace. I just think food that is cooked this way tastes better, whether it be pizza, seafood, red meat or even vegetables. Wood fireplaces seem to give the best flavor to any dish. The disadvantage to a wood fireplace is that you have to continuously replace the wood, which gives an added cost. Another type of permanent outdoor fireplace would be a cast iron chiminea. This type of permanent structure is very sturdy for year round use.
Movable outdoor fireplaces have many options. One is a gas modeled hearth. With these, you don’t have to get wood burning or charcoal. A fire pit is a second option. You would want to choose a fire pit that uses propane.
An additional consideration with the movable fireplace is how heavy it is. If you are going to want to take the outdoor fireplace on camping trips, you’ll want one that is light enough for you to lift on your own and take with you.
2. Decide if you want an outdoor fireplace that also can be used for cooking. Many of the outdoor fireplaces will have this option, or at least there will be some way for you to put in a grilling shelf or something on top of the fireplace to be used for grilling. With the wood burning fireplace, many models available have a rack on the bottom for the burning of the wood, with another rack over top for cooking food. Some firepits and gas modeled hearths come with a rack on top as well.
3. Decide if you would like your outdoor fireplace to complement the decor of your backyard, and add to the artwork or design of the yard. If so, you want to choose one that goes with the theme you already have in place, or one that looks nice standing by itself.
4. Figure out what size outdoor fireplace you want. If you only have a small amount of room, you won’t have the space to have a huge permanent wood burning fireplace. A firepit would be a better option.
Here are three different outdoor fireplace options:
a. Hearthlink International’s Nexo Cape Cod corner model wood burning outdoor fireplace. I like this outdoor fireplace because you can put it in a corner. So, if you have a house that has a corner area, you can put the outdoor fireplace there. Or, you could put the fireplace in the corner of an outdoor deck. The Cape Cod model has a rack for grilling, so can be used for cooking food and for heating the outside. It has a stone design, which will look good in many back yards. You can find this outdoor fireplace on the Outdoor Fireplaces website found in the links. The stone used is actually pumice stone.
You have to put this fireplace together yourself. There isn’t a whole lot to the procedure, however. What’s nice about these fireplaces is that they are durable and last. You will spend about $2000 on this type of fireplace.
b. Granite Fire Pit, found at Target and other similar stores. This fire pit is smaller. I like it because it looks like a table with a fire pit in the middle. You can set drinks and appetizers on the sides of the table, even when the fire is burning. There is a protective layer around the edge of where the fire is in the center.
The Granite Fire Pit is portable. It’s heavier that some fire pits at 50 pounds, but you can move it. It might be a little big to fit in your trunk however. The price of this outdoor fireplace is nice at $150. This is definitely affordable for many.
c. Your least expensive option is going to be some type of firebowl. It won’t be part of a table or built into a table. It won’t be a permanent structure in your backyard. This type of outdoor fireplace is very portable, so you can take it anywhere. The Odesa Fire Bowl is one example, selling at Target for about $70. It has a nice design, with four legs so it stands on its own. It even comes with its own mesh cover. It is smaller at 16 inches tall and 32 inches long, all around. You can purchase a cover for it to protect it from the elements for about $20. The interesting thing about this fireplace is that you burn real wood in it! This is my first choice because of the price and the portability.
