Best Patio Heaters 2021
A selection of the best types of heaters to warm your patio all year round
One that catches many people’s eye is the Chiminea.
But what is a chiminea, and what can you use it for?
What is a chiminea?
A Chiminea is a clay or cast iron, closed fire pit traditionally used for heating and cooking, originating in Mexico. It has a bulbous bottom with a hole in the side to place your firewood in—a chimney forms at the top of the base, allowing the heat and smoke to escape.
What can you use a chiminea for?
The use of a chiminea hasn’t changed much over the years. You can still load it full of firewood and use it to heat your garden or attach a grill to the chimney or inside it to do some traditional style cooking over the open flame.
Using a Chiminea is a safer option than fire pits as the flames are contained within with the smoke and flames directed up through the flue.
Here are a few uses for a Chiminea:
- Outdoor Heating
- Cooking / Grilling
Heating with your Chiminea
Chimineas are well suited to heating garden areas. They are quick to heat up, and due to the material they are created from, typically clay or cast iron, can retain heat for a long time.
This makes them ideal for heating small gardens and areas within 2 meters, the distance that you can feel the heat from the Chiminea itself.
Cooking with your Chiminea
Cooking on a chiminea can be done in multiple ways. You can attach a grill to the inside over the open flames or a grill to the top of the chimney.
Which you choose is up to you. However, placing a grill inside the Chiminea offers you a greater surface area for cooking.
Is it ideal for large parties? Probably not, as the size of the grill is limited to the size of your Chiminea, and you’re better off cooking on a fire pit or your bbq.
However, for small gatherings, roasting marshmallows or sweetcorn it can be a great alternative to firing up the bbq.
What do you burn in a Chiminea?
When it comes to what to burn in a Chiminea, this is pretty much the same as what you’d burn in a typical fire pit.
It’s best to use kiln-dried firewood as it has a low moisture content. However, wood that’s been seasoned properly can also be a good alternative as they give burns well, produce lots of heat, burn for a long time and produce less smoke than other types of wood.
When it comes to cooking, you can also use bbq charcoal as an alternative. Just be sure to prepare your Chiminea properly, keep it cleaned and keep it well maintained using a sealant to protect it from the weather to ensure you have the best results.
Summing Up
Chimineas are not only a great way to heat up your garden space but can also be used as a bbq grill with a few extra accessories.
They look good, too, adding an extra feature that doesn’t look out of place in any modern or traditional style gardens.
