If you love to spend time outdoors in the summer but find the evenings a little chilly, a toasty chiminea could be the answer to your problems.
Chimineas have been used for centuries and first appeared in 16th-century Mexico where they were used for cooking and to provide warmth. The traditional rounded design was created to keep rain off the fire and just a few logs or sticks were all that was needed to provide an efficient heat source.
Cast iron or steel chimineas will produce more heat than traditional clay or stone chimineas. They’re a perfect solution for those chillier evenings and you can choose from a wide range of traditional clay chimineas to more modern steel designs.
Whether you want to provide heat, toast marshmallows or cook pizza, keep reading to discover our pick of the best outdoor chimineas for your space.
Our TOP Chiminea Picks
The Best Chimineas to Buy in 2023
Here’s our round-up of the hottest wood-burning chimineas for your garden:
- Rekka Garden Chiminea
- Log Barn Chiminea
- LIVIVO Chiminea
- La Hacienda Teplo BBQ Terracotta Chiminea
- Gardebruk Cast Iron Chiminea
- VonHaus Chiminea
- Relaxdays Terrace Oven
- TANGZON Outdoor Pizza Oven/Chiminea
Rekka Garden Chiminea
Key Features:
- Height: 134cm
- Weight: 10.3kg
- Material: Alloy steel
- Great quality
- One-sided opening
If you’re searching for a modern-looking, large chiminea, the Rekka Garden chiminea is a great buy. At 134cm, it’s a tall chiminea that’ll look impressive on your patio area.
This attractive, contemporary chiminea ticks all the boxes when it comes to design and quality. A tough, powder-coated finish ensures that the steel won’t rust and the lighter weight means it’s easy to relocate to different areas of your garden or patio as desired (just don’t move it when lit!).
The Rekka chiminea also includes a handy log store at the base and a fire poker to keep those flames going strong.
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Powder coated finish
- Integral log storage
Cons
- Minimal self-assembly required
Log Barn Chiminea
Key Features:
- Height: 118cm
- Weight: 6.1kg
- Material: Alloy steel
- Excellent value for money
- Large opening for plenty of wood
- One-sided opening allowing for greater heat output
This attractive chiminea is constructed from alloy steel. It weighs just 6.1kg so is easy to move around and store over the colder months. Although self-assembly is required it’s easy to do so.
An unusual cutout logo design in the flue pipe means you can view more of the flames and a large opening provides space for plenty of logs for optimal heat output. All in all, this patio chiminea is a sturdy, great-looking and excellent value addition to your garden.
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Integral log store
- Powder coated finish
- Very lightweight
- Attractive open chimney detail
Cons
- Self-assembly required (minimal)
LIVIVO Camino Chiminea Patio Heater & Log Store
Key Features:
- Height: 110cm
- Weight: 5.7kg
- Material: Alloy steel
- 360° flame viewing due to open design
- Mesh windows to prevent embers from escaping
This super lightweight Camino chiminea features an open design, allowing the flames to be viewed from all angles. A mesh window around the burning area stops sparks and embers from escaping making this one of the safest chimineas on our list. Please note that all chimineas get extremely hot when in use so although we’ve rated this chiminea as safer than most of the other models, care must be taken when the chiminea is lit.
The LIVIVO Camino patio heater also includes a log store at the base, a really useful feature that many chimineas don’t include.
If you love to road trip, this patio heater is an excellent option. As it’s so light, it can easily be packed and used at festivals or camping trips.
Pros
- Good value for money
- Very lightweight
- All round flame viewing
- Mesh to keep embers in
- Integral log store
Cons
- Lower heat output than single-sided chimineas
- Self-assembly required (minimal)
La Hacienda Teplo BBQ Clay/Terracotta Chiminea
Key Features:
- Height: 76cm
- Weight: 16.2kg
- Material: Clay
- Cooking grill
- Removable top
- Traditional looks
- One-sided opening with the lid on
This traditional-style clay chiminea with a modern twist is a beautiful and functional addition to any garden. Constructed from clay, this chiminea won’t pump out as much heat as metal versions, but it’ll still warm your cockles on those colder evenings.
This is the smallest chiminea on our best buy list but it’s also one of the heaviest so once positioned, you won’t be able to move it around easily. If you’re on the hunt for a chiminea with grill, the Teplo chiminea features a convenient cooking area so you can fire it up and get the chiminea barbecue going. The top is removable too, giving you the option of an open stove or grill, or a covered heater.
Pros
- Traditional material
- No self-assembly required
- Extremely sturdy
- Perfect for cooking
- Removable lid/chimney
Cons
- More expensive than other models
- Lower heat output than metal chimineas
- Heavier than steel chimineas
Gardebruk Cast Iron Chiminea
Key Features:
- Height: 112cm
- Weight: 28kg
- Material: Cast iron
- One-sided opening allowing for greater heat output
- Attractive antique finish
- Air supply control
- Mesh door
This eye-catching cast iron chiminea is sure to make a statement in your garden. Forged entirely from cast iron, it’s tough, durable and pretty much indestructible. The Gardebruk chiminea is large and pumps out a lot of heat, it’s also great value for money for a cast iron model.
This chiminea features a mesh door to catch any rogue sparks and a handy air flap at the base, enabling you to get the fire going fast.
One of the main disadvantages of cast iron is that it will rust when exposed to the elements, we recommend buying a rain cover to protect the chiminea in wet weather and when not in use.
Pros
- Made from durable cast iron
- Extremely sturdy
- Great value for money
- Mesh door to prevent escaping sparks and embers
Cons
- Much heavier than steel chimineas
- Some self-assembly is required which, according to the user reviews, can be tricky
- Need to purchase a separate cover to protect the chiminea from rust
VonHaus Chiminea
Key Features:
- Height: 125cm
- Weight: 8.8kg
- Material: Alloy steel
- One-sided opening for greater heat output
- Modern design
With its minimalist design, this sleek and stylish chiminea is ideal for contemporary gardens. The streamlined shape means it’s well-suited to smaller spaces and it’s extremely easy to move around should you need to relocate it.
This chiminea features a useful integral log store and also comes with a handy fire poker. This is the cheapest chiminea on our list and we think it represents excellent value for money.
Pros
- Powder coated finish
- Integral log storage
- Inexpensive
- Contemporary style
Cons
- Minimal self-assembly required
Relaxdays Terrace Oven Chiminea
Key Features:
- Height: 86cm
- Weight: 12.7kg
- Material: 60% cast iron 40% steel
- One-sided opening for greater heat output
- Traditional design
- Mesh door
- Air valve
If you’re after an authentic-looking, gourd-shaped chiminea, you’ll love the Relaxdays terrace oven. Finished in a black-silver paint effect, this stove will add a timeless charm to your garden.
This chiminea includes a poker which is useful for opening and closing the stove door after adding wood. This is one of the best small chimineas on our list so a good choice if space is an issue in your garden.
Pros
- Powder coated finish
- Integral log storage
- Traditional Mexican-inspired style
- Mesh door prevents embers from escaping
Cons
- Some users report that the cast iron is quite thin
- Will rust if not protected from rain
TANGZON Outdoor Pizza Oven Chiminea
Key Features:
- Height: 162cm
- Material: Iron
- Manual air outlet
- Integrated thermometers
- Wheels and insulated handle for easy and safe manoeuvring
- Waterproof cover included
- Pizza stone for cooking
- Shelf for log storage
If you fancy yourself as a bit of a pizza chef, look no further than this fantastic chiminea pizza oven. Made from steel, this pizza chiminea features separate areas for storing logs, wood burning, ash collection and, most importantly, pizza cooking. You can also cook other food like meat, fish and vegetables on the wire grill underneath the pizza stone.
Unlike most of the other chimineas on this list, this one comes with a protective waterproof cover – extremely handy for the unpredictable British summertime. Built-in wheels and a heat-proof handle mean that it can easily be moved around and the chimney is removable, making storage even easier.
Pros
- Excellent for cooking
- Integral log storage
- Easy to move around if needed
- Handy built-in thermometers
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Expensive
How to Buy the Best Chiminea
Choosing a chiminea shouldn’t be a tricky task but you’ll need to consider where it will go before you make a purchase. Most chimineas aren’t suitable for use on wooden decks due to the fire risk from escaping embers and sparks. A mesh grill will minimise the risk, but we’d always advise placing a stove well away from any flammable materials and locating it on a patio or concrete slab.
Size and weight
Think about whether or not you’ll need to move your chiminea regularly, if you will, we’d recommend getting a lighter-weight steel model. Consider the height of the chiminea too, chimineas with tall chimneys are better for drawing the smoke away from you.
The First Burn
When you light your chiminea for the very first time, it will ‘cure’ the exterior paint, in much the same way as a log-burning stove does. It’ll produce smoke and be pretty smelly so it’s probably best to wait until after the first burn before sitting around it.
Chiminea safety
All wood-burning chimineas must be placed on the patio or a concrete slab on the grass. Garden chimney burners with naked flames aren’t suitable for use on or near decked areas due to the fire risk they pose. Chimineas can become exceptionally hot so children and pets must be kept away from them when lit and until completely cooled.
FAQs
What is the best smokeless fuel for chimineas?
All the chimineas on our list are wood-burning. You can reduce the smoke produced by using quality, dry, seasoned hardwood like birch,
What is the best wood for chimineas?
Kiln-dried, seasoned hardwood is the best wood for chimineas. Hardwood will burn for longer than softwood due to its density and it’ll also produce fewer sparks. Seasoned woods like birch, oak, ash and walnut are good options. You can also choose seasoned aromatic woods like cedar and cherry.
Never burn wood that has been previously treated as it could produce harmful chemicals.
Should I choose a steel or terracotta chiminea?
The material that you choose for your chiminea is entirely up to you! Bear in mind that clay will retain more heat than metal so won’t be as efficient at radiating heat.
There are pros and cons to both materials: steel can rust and terracotta can break, clay is more traditional-looking and steel is better at conducting heat. You can only burn wood in a clay chiminea too because coal will get much hotter and can cause the clay to crack.
Which is the best paint for cast iron chimineas?
Cast iron will rust if it isn’t protected so we recommend a suitable paint like Rust-Oleum Stove and BBQ paint, it’s heat resistant up to 650°C and provides that all-important rust protection.
Which is better, a chiminea or fire pit?
So you’ve decided to enhance your outdoor space with a patio heater, but do you go for a chiminea or a fire pit? Much of the decision will come down to how much space you have. Chimineas are tall and slim and rarely have a footprint of more than 50cm so are a perfect choice if you don’t want it to dominate your outdoor space. Firepits, on the other hand, range hugely in size from compact to vast!
A firepit can potentially hold much more wood than a chiminea, and because it’s completely open, it will radiate more heat. A firepit is basically a big open fire so smoke can be an issue and it’s really not suitable if you have children or pets around.
Chimineas offer a much more contained fire and are easy to use, if you choose a model with a mesh door, it’s also safer than a fire pit.
Both fire pits and chimineas can be rustic or modern looking and there’s a huge choice to suit all styles and budgets.
You might like: 11 Outdoor Heating Ideas to tay Toasty Outside
Conclusion
A chiminea will be an attractive and practical addition to your garden and provide the perfect focal point when sitting and relaxing with friends on chilly evenings.
Whether you opt for a sleek steel or traditional terracotta chiminea, it will provide welcome heat, a place to toast marshmallows and make an attractive feature even when unlit.
We hope our list of the best garden chimineas will help you choose the best chiminea for your needs. We’d love to know what you think if you decide to purchase one from the list. Let us know in the comments below.
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