Chimineas

[northener]

Anyone got one? thinking of getting one with a grill but not sure if it would be a pain to clean out. Way this summers going i'll be lighting in the afternoon for a warm.

[northener]

[Flunky]

I think they are great. I dont go mad when cleaning it. Just sweep it out. We cook on ours. Baked potatoes, fish etc. when we have a BBQ with friends.

They are fantastic in summer as you can sit outside and keep nice and warm. They are better than those hideous gas things, may as well turn up your cetral heating and sit round the door.

[northener]

can you not cook meat on it then Flunky? I love the thought sitting round it with friends and my firebug son.

[betula]

I have thought about getting one to use in the winter on the allotment,they seem very expensive.Maybe I am not looking in the right places. :)

[calendula]

we have one, a big one, black cast iron and it is has been one of the best garden investments ever, especially as it was a present  ;D

I would say bigger the better if you plan on cooking on it - our grid base is 18" which we thought better than 14" - just needs scraping and oiling as a clean up before each use, you can rub some oil on the outside to keep down the odd rusty bits here and there and on a cold but sunny winter's day we use it as a fire, sitting round it drinking mugs of spiced rum hot chocolate - they look great as well

get one  ;D

[Flunky]

can you not cook meat on it then Flunky? I love the thought sitting round it with friends and my firebug son.

Absolutely. We use it more as an oven though. We have cooked meat on skewers, marshmallows etc more snacky things after main meal. The cup of hot chocolate is exactly why they are so good. You can all just gather round and enjoy. I thinks thats why we like it so much. We do spend a lot of time out there in summer. Just means you can enjoy the day for longer.

Betula :- http://www.castironchimineas.co.uk/The%20Range.htm would nt know if in budget but worth a look. I think ours was about £75 a friend got it cheap as he worked in place that sold them so used his staff discount.

[calendula]

ours as a gift cost £150 but considering the BBQ's we've had on it and the fires and the sheer fun and enjoyment of it all it was worth every penny  :)

the cast irons ones are very heavy - you need help putting them together unless you've been eating a lot of spinach  ;D

they take apart easily for BBQ's, you just lift the main chimney off

[KittyKatt]

We used to have an earthernware chiminea. It was beautiful, but unfortunately hubby ignored the instructions about only burning leaves and small twigs on it. The result was an amazing fire display with flames shooting out the top, followed by loud cracking noises and a small explosion. The chiminea was a write off! The cast iron ones may well be more robust. You can get covers to protect them from the winter weather, as they are very heavy. I also think they may need painting from time to time with a suitable heat resistant paint. We have now progressed (?) to a fire basket. This is more successful in satisfying hubby's pyrotechnic tendencies but doesn't have the aesthetic appeal. BTW I always keep a bucket of water to hand, just in case!
KK

[Amazin]

I got a cast iron chiminea from Wilkinsons, reduced from £60 to £15 at the end of the season. When I asked why the big reduction I was told they needed the space for the new autumn and Christmas stock. They're selling the same ones this year, same price so if you wait till the end of season... 

;D

[cambourne7]

i wanted one of the back garden but hubbie is trying to talk me into a smoker which was 35 quid.

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=20001&partNumber=1641839&Trail=searchtext>SMOKER

I am not so sure ? Although having read about the chimineas issue with burning more than trigs and leaves i am leaning more towards a smoker if he lets me have a fire pit  ;D

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=20001&partNumber=3450035&Trail=searchtext>FIREPIT

or

http://www.trueshopping.co.uk/product.php?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=cost-per-click&pid=36794&cid=343&affid=25&utm_campaign=Trueshopping_28_inch_Antique_Bronze_Effect_Fire_Pit_Bowl

[northener]

Kittykat you paint a lovely picture ;D. Home base have some nice clay ones in. After last nights perfomance we're having one, put travel barbie on my workbench not much left of workbench this morning.

[RobinOfTheHood]

We bought a small cast iron one a few years ago, at the same time that my cousin bought a clay one.
Neither are perfect, especially if you do as we did and burn coke in them ( my parents still have a ton or so left over from when they switched to gas central heating).
The clay one smashed in a couple of months, while the cast iron one survived for 3 years before it disintegrated (rusted through - it was like powder in the end) and stained the patio every time it rained. The replacement clay one has so far done 2 years and seems to be holding up, although wood is burned more than coke on it now.

The bigger the better would be my advice, although you can pay well over the odds for them - the profit margins must be massive on them. I would say that you are guaranteed a couple of years from a cast one, and you're in the lap of the gods with a clay one. Clay ones are nicer, though of course that's just my opinion. 

My cousin also bought a gas patio heater, a big (7') one when the first one broke, and although it's not relaxing to look at, it kicks out far more heat than a chiminea, even on a low setting. The wind blew it over and cracked the casting last month, so I've inherited that to fix.....  ;D

[calendula]

my advice would be not to buy too cheap otherwise they won't last by the sounds of it - somethings just aren't working skimping over

[Doris_Pinks]

Got one for Hubby for his Birthday in April, This one, from here in fact!

http://www.castironchimineas.co.uk/The%20vienna%20chiminea.htm

Tis small but all we could afford and he and we all love it! He too has pyromaniacal tendencies, and loves this, we had a gas heater but got rid of , much prefer this.
Didn't go for one with a cooking grill as we already have a barbeque.

Get as big as you can afford, and I went for Cast Iron as I thought it would be more robust!

[silly billy]

I've got a firepit with mosaic tiles round the edge cost £25 reduced from £100 at Tesco's. Makes the best bbq we have ever had.

[froglets]

I have a clay one that is three year old and gets regular useage.  I follow the instructions & also store it in the outdoor loo in the winter & make sure it has had a few days outside to come up to temperature etc each year before I fire it up.  It has a flat top grill & although I've never cooked on it, we brew up regularly with the whistly kettle.    Great investment, & small enough for me to lift around the garden on my own, great to read by of a cool summer evening.