10 Tips for Buying Your Outdoor Fireplace

#1 All Chimineas Are Not the Same

Before purchasing a chiminea, there are many factors to consider. Keep in mind that you are buying an Outdoor Fireplace and the safety for your family, your property, and possibly your neighbors will depend on it.

#2 The Size and Style of Your Chiminea Does Matter

When comparing chimineas and other outdoor fireplaces, look closely at the fire area size. A smaller firebox will make wood buying or cutting more complicated. For a small fireplace wood will have to be cut special or ordered from a wood supplier in smaller pieces at a higher price.

#3 Maintenence of Your Chiminea Needs to Be Considered

Chain store and mass marketed Chimineas are made out of copper, sheet steel, or clay, do not provide the safety or longevity of cast iron or cast aluminum. The Blue Rooster Company has owned, burned, and studied about every type of outdoor fireplace and Fire Pit.

#4 Compare the Weight of a Chiminea to Other Manufacturers

To compare chinineas and other outdoor fireplaces be sure to check the weight. Chimenea are manufactured by weight, so you should buy by weight. When comparing chimeneas compare a copper model to a copper model, cast iron to cast iron model, cast aluminum to cast aluminum and so on.

#5 The Benefits of Cast Aluminum Chimineas

Cast aluminum is the best product for the typical outdoor enthusiast. Compared to a cast iron chimenea, a cast aluminum chiminea will not rust, is very low maintenence, can be easily moved during a wind change or patio re-arrangement. A cast aluminum chimenea will not stain your deck or patio. The Blue Rooster Company cast aluminum chimineas are cast from the same molds as our cast iron, so side by side they look and radiate heat identically.

#6 Safety Concerns with Clay Chimineas

There are websites that claim there is increased danger in using a metal chiminea versus a clay chiminea. From our experience you can get burned by a hot clay chiminea just as fast as a hot metal chimineas. If there was an inherant danger to using a metal outdoor fireplace, then all gas grills would be made of clay.

#7 360 Degree Surround View

Surround 360 degree view fireplaces and firepits are not chimineas. Most surround view outdoor fireplaces are built of very light materials that if tipped over will send fire, embers and ash everywhere. For safety reasons traditional chimineas are built with only one opening. Even if a traditional chiminea tips over most of the ash and embers will be contained. Since the majority of weight is in the bottom of a traditional chiminea, it is very hard to tip one over. If you are concerned that the people behind a chimenea will not see the fire, visualize a campfire with a small breeze, no one wants to sit in the smoke anyway.

#8 What to Burn in Your Chiminea

Hard woods are the primary fuel for Chiminea enthusiests. Other sources are manufactured firelogs, propane, natural gas and gel inserts. Pinon Wood, pronounced pin-yon, is commonly recommended by chimnea owners for its pleasant pine aroma. It also helps to repel mosquitoes and other flying insects. In the Southwest, pinon is a common fireplace and stove wood. It keeps an active flame, produces good heat, and burns well with other woods.

#9 Safety First

When using any Chiminea make sure safety is your #1 priority. Have a fire extinguisher, a bucket of water or other water source available. Never leave a fire unattended and know how to use your fire safety equipment.

#10 Enjoy

An outdoor fireplace will enhance your life. At the end of the day a nice toasty fire and a good glass of wine will do wonders for your state of mind. Sharing stories around the fire has brought families and friends together for millenia. A Blue Rooster Chiminea may not replace your TV, but it is a good start.