Steel Fire Pits

Why choose steel for a fire pit?

Steel is what most garden fire pits and outdoor fireplaces are made from, and for good reason. It heats up fast, throws its warmth out to everyone gathering round the fire, and copes with being heated and cooled hundreds of times. Clay chimineas crack in a frost and concrete or stone bowls are heavy and slow to warm. Cast iron holds heat well but is brittle and can crack if you drop it or pour cold water on it.

Good steel fire pits will flex and expand with the heat instead. A thick fire bowl is durable enough to last for years outdoors, and a thin, light one can be folded flat and carried to the beach. The catch is rust: plain carbon steel rusts when it gets wet, so the type of metal, its finish and how you look after it decide how long it lasts. That's what the rest of this guide is about, so you can pick the right one for your own outdoor living space.

Which steel? Stainless, weathering, carbon or coated

Every fire pit in our range is made of some kind of steel, but they behave very differently once they've spent a winter in a British garden.

Stainless steel

Stainless has chromium added, which forms a thin protective layer on the surface, so it shrugs off rain far better than plain steel. The Solo Stove range, YEFU, Briopaws, Winnerwell and Fircpit all list 304 grade, the common "18/8" stainless used for sinks and cookware. It's the best choice if your fire pit will live outside uncovered or go camping. Expect the top rim to turn golden or blue after the first few fires; that's heat tint and doesn't hurt it.

Corten steel

Corten steel is a weathering steel that rusts on the surface on purpose. The orange-brown patina seals the metal underneath, so it doesn't keep rusting through the way mild steel does, and many people buy it for that rustic look. The KOL K701B01 comes pre-rusted. One warning: in the first few months the patina runs, and rainwater dripping off can leave orange stains on pale paving, so stand it on gravel, a slab you don't mind marking or its own legs.

Carbon or mild steel with a coating

Most budget and mid-price bowls are carbon steel (listed as "alloy steel") with powder coating or heat-resistant black paint. The Blumfeldt Colima, Fire Beauty RO6142, IBGUC SFP5 and Iron Forge Tools ring are all this type. The paint protects them as long as it's intact, but the inside of the bowl burns bare after a few fires and will rust if water sits in it. Cover them, empty the ash and you'll get years out of one. A tin of high-temperature stove paint touches up chips.

What about cast iron?

Cast iron fire pits are heavy and hold heat for longer, but they're brittle. A cold-water shock or a dropped log on a cold bowl can crack them. Steel is lighter, tougher and easier to move, which is why almost everything in our range is steel. For iron and mixed-metal designs, see all our metal fire pits. If you want the look of a solid, heavy bowl, a thick Kadai or fire ring gets you close without the risk of cracking.

Steel fire pits compared

These are the in-stock models in this collection, with sizes in cm and weights from each Amazon listing. A dash means the listing doesn't give that figure.

Look at the weights: the Endless Summer is 74cm across but only 6.7kg, while the 50cm Solo Stove Bonfire is 11.4kg. Light bowls are easy to move but use thinner sheet; heavier ones hold their shape for longer. For more pits around 50cm, see our small fire pits, and for big bowls our 32 inch fire pits.

How thick should the steel be?

Thickness is the figure most listings leave out, and it matters more than the brand. Thin sheet heats up and warps, and once the inside of a painted bowl is bare it can rust through in a few seasons.

• Around 1-1.5mm: light bowls and folding pits. Fine for occasional fires and camping, and easy to lift. The Blumfeldt Colima lists 1.2mm.
• 2-3mm: a solid garden bowl that can stay out all year. BonFeu, one of the big corten names, uses 3mm.
• 3.4mm and up (10 gauge): heavy duty. The Titan fire ring is 10 gauge steel, the sort used for campsite and park fire rings that get lit every night.

Gauge numbers run backwards: the lower the number, the thicker the steel. If a listing only says "heavy duty", look at the weight for its size. A 50cm pit under 6kg is thin sheet; one over 10kg isn't.

Choosing steel fire pits by size and shape

Two to four people: 45-55 cm

Most of the stainless steel fire pits here are around 50cm across, such as the Solo Stove Bonfire, Golabs, Onlyfire FP037, Fircpit and YEFU. That's right for a couple or small family on a patio, and the logs you buy in a bag from the garage will fit. Most fold, split or come with a carry bag, so they double as portable fire pits for camping.

Five to eight people: 65-75 cm

The Blumfeldt Colima, Solo Stove Yukon, KOL bowl, IBGUC SFP5 and Endless Summer take longer logs and spread the warmth wider. The Yukon is 18.3kg, so pick a spot and leave it there.

Large gatherings: 80cm and over

The Anna Bishop Kadai, Titan ring, Fire Beauty and Iron Forge Tools ring are 80-91cm. These are for a dedicated outdoor fire spot on gravel or a slab, with a log store nearby. Browse more round fire pits and 40 inch fire pits for the biggest bowls.

Bowl, ring or double wall?

An open fire bowl gives the most flame and is easiest to cook over. A fire ring sits on the ground or gravel and is built for a permanent outdoor spot, and most take a grate so they double as a BBQ. A double-wall steel burner, like the Solo Stove or Onlyfire, pulls hot air up the sides and burns off much of the smoke.

Cooking and BBQ on steel fire pits

A steel fire bowl makes a decent BBQ once the logs have burned down to embers. The Anna Bishop Kadai, Titan ring, Fire Beauty RO6142 and Blumfeldt Crown all come with a grill, and the Winnerwell has a removable grill attachment. Grills, pokers, covers and spark screens are the accessories most worth having; on cheaper bowls they're often in the box, while Solo Stove sells them separately. Use hardwood or charcoal rather than softwood, which spits and leaves a sooty taste, and keep food off the grate until the flames have died down. If you mostly want a BBQ with a fire at the end of the evening, see our fire pit BBQs.

Stopping rust on steel fire pits

A steel fire pit doesn't need much looking after, but these few habits add years to it:

• Empty the ash. Wet ash turns into a corrosive paste that eats into the bottom of the bowl.
• Cover it once it's cold. A fitted cover or lid keeps rain out. The Blumfeldt Colima and Crown include one.
• Drain it. Bowls with a drainage hole, like the Kadai and KOL, won't fill up in a downpour.
• Lift it off the ground. Legs or a stand let air under and stop a rust ring forming on the patio.
• Touch up paint. On coated fire bowls, rub back chips and use heat-resistant stove paint.
• Don't throw water on it. Cold water on a hot fire bowl can warp it. Let the fire burn out.
• Store small pits in the shed. Folding stainless pits go back in their bag over winter.

Corten steel is the exception: leave it out in the rain so the patina can form. Just keep it away from pale stone until the run-off stops.

Safety and where to put it

The metal gets very hot, and the outside of an open bowl can burn skin long after the flames are gone. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service advises keeping outdoor fire pits at least three feet (about 90cm) from anything that can burn, using a stable, non-combustible surface and never leaving the fire unattended.

• Gravel, paving or bare soil is best. On a lawn, use a stand or the grass under it will die.
• On decking, use legs or a stand plus a heat-proof mat or slabs. The Briopaws comes with a stand for this.
• Keep children and pets back from the rim and have a bucket of water or sand close by.
• Never light one under a gazebo, parasol or low tree branches.

Smoke, neighbours and what to burn

Garden fires are legal, but smoke that becomes a nuisance isn't, as gov.uk's garden bonfire rules explain. If you live in a smoke control area, check what your council allows before lighting wood in an open bowl. Burn dry logs with the Ready to Burn mark (20% moisture or less) rather than wet wood, treated timber or garden waste. Dry wood also burns hotter, which keeps the bowl drier and slows rust. If smoke is a worry, a double-wall smokeless fire pit or a gas fire pit is the easier option.

Steel fire pit FAQs

Will a steel fire pit rust?

Carbon steel will, especially on the inside where the paint burns off. Stainless steel resists rust well, and weathering steel rusts only on the surface to form a protective layer. Covering it and emptying the ash slows rust on any of them.

Is stainless steel or corten better?

Stainless is better if you want it to stay clean and silver, or to carry it about. Corten is better if you like the rusty look and want a heavy bowl to leave outside all year.

How long does a steel fire pit last?

It depends on thickness and care. A thin painted bowl left full of wet ash may rust through in two or three seasons. A thick fire ring or stainless pit that's kept covered can last ten years or more.

Can I put a steel fire pit on grass or decking?

Yes, but raise it. Use legs or a stand on grass, and a stand plus a heat-proof mat on decking. Never set an open bowl straight onto timber.

Why has my stainless pit changed colour?

That's heat tint. The rim turns gold, blue or brown after a few fires. It's normal and doesn't affect how it burns or how long it lasts.

Can I burn charcoal in a steel bowl?

In most open bowls, yes. The Kadai, Golabs, Fire Beauty and Takibi list charcoal. Some double-wall pits list wood only, so check the listing.

Do I need a spark screen?

It's worth having near fences, hedges or decking. The IBGUC SFP5 and Endless Summer come with a mesh guard.