Currently sat in the garden burning bits of waste wood and drinking shiraz – amazing how much heat they kick out.

Just bought one today. We were going to get a fire basket but thought a chimenea would be less smoky for us and the neighbours.

Bought ours yesterday, for the same reason. Keeps the fire and the ash/sparks where they should be not all over the gardens!
This drinking in the dark could become a habit 🙂

They are fab!!! It’s great to have a bit of heat once the BBQ has gone out

What kind have you got? We’re after getting one but I was at a party the other night and they had one that seemed to hardly put out any heat. It did have coal in it though.

Its a big cast metal pot bellied type with a grill door, really kicking out heat burning scrap wood. Got it from B&M bargains for £69.99, about 5’6″ tall.

Go for the cast iron ones everytime. Currently got a sheet steel one which burns like a jet engine but doesn’t radiate heat as well as a cast one. Avoid the terracotta ones, they fracture in the winter.

But, yes chimineas do indeed rock!

Ta

Avoid the terracotta ones, they fracture in the winter.

Not just in the winter. Mine has a couple of cracks after only being used 4 times since I bought it last month and I followed the instructions exactly re ‘curing’ and putting sand in the bottom. Might try for a replacement/refund.

But yes, they are ace as long as it’s not windy!

I agree our gas bottle version has been well used this past weekend, cost zero apart from a little time.

I’m on second clay one. They crack immediately despite following instructions, but they stay in one piece.

Love them, always go for one with a grille 🙂

oh since no-one else is going to
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fHppd_KtP4[/video]

Yes, they are. This is our cast iron one in full blast furnace mode. It’s a great bit of is.

[/url] Chimnea going big style. Can’t get within four feet. Loving the warm weather. by BigG1968, on Flickr[/img]

Strange our clay ones been used regularly for a three or four years now, & lives outside though gets a plastic jacket to keep the worst of the winter frosts off.

What size are you guys using?

Seems to be everything from 85cm to more than 6ft!

I had a chimnea that cracked so was thinking of getting a fire-pit type thing for the whole ‘ campfire ‘ mood. Are they really rubbish ie. Smokey, ash blowing everywhere etc?

Our terracotta one fell apart last night just after reloading with wood 😯 it was over 10 years old and has been moved round the garden and patio regularly. Thinking of a fire pit to replace it though.

Damn you all…

cast iron you say, anyone know a good place to get one? I’d prefer not to spend too much but you’ve talked me into it…

Im a fire starter, twisted fire starter

How much do you want to spend?

Ours was £69.99 but its cast iron and best part of 6ft tall, weighs a fair bit too! Really does throw plenty of heat out when warmed up plus came with a proper cooking grill and handles.

ads-b appears to have inadvertently posted a picture of a jet engine by mistake… 😯

I agree our gas bottle version…

Missing the point slightly? unless you mean converted gas bottle not gas powered?

Muddydwarf

where d’ya get it.* I’d rather not quite that tall, looking at a 70 pound one by Oxford BBQ at the moment.

Anyone got one with the BBQ grill? something you use or pointless distraction? Its removeable which appeals.

*read more of the thread, 1st time round got distracted by pictures…

I like the look of this one – dunno if it’s any good.

http://www.garden-mall.co.uk/shop/products/garden-furniture/charcoal-barbecues/gardeco-toledo-cast-iron-chimenea-bronze/p40092.html

Oooooh, that looks a little better and sturdier than the ones on amazon. Ohhh choices choices…

Grum that is the one I’ve got. Very sturdy and pumps put a lot of heat. Wood doesn’t burn as quickly as the bigger ones, yet the heat it produces is more than enough.

Got ours from the local B&M bargains place, not quite 6ft, more like 5ft 6″ i would say. Means of course that the fire place bit and the belly of the stove are at just the right height when you are sat in a garden chair 🙂

I think we have a winner!

Cheers Muddy, looks like they’ve all gone, and a bit too tall for our yards I think.

I didn’t think that a chimnea thread would be quite so elitist.. 😆 so seeing as nobody is answering questions bout Fire-pits I’ll start a different thread…so there!

Here.

I’ve got the same one as ads-b and yes, it is like a jet engine! Goes through wood at a frightening rate though.

Regarding the smoking, store the wood under cover for 12 months to let it dry and no smoke.

@grum, cast iron one here too…think we just got it at B&Q. Nothing special. Fantastic at chucking out heat with a group of people sat outside on a coolish evening. I, erm, do have a ready supply of fuel though. Off cuts of parquet throw out great heat. (If you’re getting it done, make sure your guy puts the off cuts in a fresh bag for you.)

Stato, yes mines a converted gas bottle, my son and i built it over a couple of evenings.

Heard a crash in the garden 1/2 hour ago and found my (less than a month old) chimnea like this. Surprisingly small amount of pieces for something that was 4ft high! Moral of the story is never leave a parasol up, even in a light breeze 😥

Shopping trip for a cast iron one tomorrow

😆

Condolences. Can I have your grill tray? 😉

First frost would have got it anyway. 😐

Probably right!

Sorry bearnecessities, grill trays (my cooker died last week too, just to add to my woes) have been kept for bbq which I’m building as soon as I get a couple of dry days and I’m not at work. May be a long way off………………………

Has anyone tried one of the metal ones that are open all the way around?

Look great if they work well, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t. A compromise too far for the air flow, perhaps.

Got ours from E.bay several years ago and is still going strong- can even still get spares. It has a grill too which is really good as it cooks food all round. Sort of Aztec style and was 100 quid or so.

Advice please re replacement.

Narrowed it down to two Cast Iron and Steel and iron.

Not much in it size or price wise and I quite like the idea of the steel ones chimney being removable to give extra bbq space but it would appear that it is very prone to rust due to advice to take it indoors.

Anyone tried either of these?

They’ve got cheaper ones in Wilkinsons

http://www.wilko.com/chimeneas+firepits/la-hacienda-murcia-chimenea-large/invt/0316351