The chiminea got its start in Spain around 400 years ago. Back then, clay chimineas were used indoors to both cook food and warm up houses. Nowadays, chimineas are still popular although metal chimineas have become a lot more common than clay chimineas. It's still possible to find a traditional clay chiminea although chimineas with a modern design are more prevalent.
So whether you're looking for a clay chiminea or a steel chiminea, there's something for you. Check out our roundup below for the best chiminea on the market today.
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Why You Can Trust Us
Spending the night sitting around a fire with a few friends has been one of my favorite pastimes for as long as I can remember. The fire can be as simple as an open fire in a hole in the ground, or it can be as elaborate as a large focal fireplace inside someone’s home.
I prefer it if the fire can perform more than one function. Warmth and entertainment are obviously important, but being able to cook over the fire adds that extra layer of function that I love. For this reason, I naturally became aware of chimineas from a young age, even though we didn’t call it by its original name.
Chimineas allow you to get the most out of your fires, emitting plenty of warmth, allowing a wide viewing angle of the flames, and the more traditional varieties allow you to cook over them too.
I’ve combined my lifetime of experience with fires of all shapes and sizes, done some deep research on what’s available on the market today, and compiled the list below to give you the best chiminea on the market today.
Best Heavy Duty
This chiminea is built to last, and it comes with a lifetime warranty to prove it. Since it's made from aluminium, it's lighter than other chimineas too.
- Lifetime warranty
- Lighter than most chimineas
- Wood poker included
- Wood must be cut small
- Screen door may appear flimsy
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Why We Like It: This chiminea is seriously heavy duty. This quality comes at a price, but the lifetime warranty means this will be the last chiminea you buy.
If you’re prepared to invest in a chiminea that will last you a lifetime, you’ve found it. The aluminum construction also makes it easy to move around so you can enjoy this chiminea wherever you like.
Who Should Buy It: Anyone looking for a lifetime investment and a lot of nights around the fire.
Best For Modern Homes
For a modern take on a traditional classic, this chiminea will fit right into any modern outdoor space.
- Modern aesthetic
- Safe for smaller outdoor spaces
- Wood grate included
- Appears to rust quickly
- No spark screen included
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Why We Like It: Although chimineas have a long history, this doesn’t mean you have to have an ancient relic warming up your outdoor space. This modern take on the traditional chiminea will tick all the boxes if you’re looking for something to fit into your modern aesthetic. The black finish gives it a sleek feel you'll love.
The wide opening has plenty of space for fuel and makes the fire easy to manage while reflecting a lot of heat out to those sitting nearby.
Who Should Buy It: If you have a modern style and you want a chiminea that will fit seamlessly into your outdoor space, this is the product for you.
Best Faux Antique
This antique style chiminea is a reminder of the long history of the chiminea. This is a fantastic addition to any backyard or patio.
- Sliding door for easy access
- Log grate and fire tool included
- Embossed cast iron construction
- Fire grid is flimsy
- Lack of draw in chimney
- Susceptible to peeling paint
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Why We Like It: The antique embossed cast iron finish on this chiminea brings an old-world charm with it wherever it goes. The sliding door makes it easy to manage the fire while an ash catcher makes cleaning up easy.
The wire mesh spark screen gives you a full view of the fire no matter where you’re sitting.
Who Should Buy It: If you like antiques, you’ll love this chiminea. The embossed details and brushed gold finish remind me of years past. Form doesn’t hinder function, however, so this chiminea will keep all your friends and family warm and entertained.
Best Bronze Chiminea
This large, cast iron chiminea has a bronze finish for a charming aesthetic. The 360-degree view means everyone can enjoy the flames.
- Durable cast iron construction
- Easy to assemble
- Chiminea cover included
- Quality control problems
- Difficult to clean
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Why We Like It: This cast iron chiminea has a lovely bronze finish to it that gives it a definite antique feel to the product.
The fine mesh screen maximizes the viewing area and the included poker will make managing the fire a breeze. This is the affordable option for those wanting a chiminea but not looking to break the bank.
Who Should Buy It: This is a good choice for an all-around chiminea that will fit into most decor themes. The bronze finish does give it a bit of an antique feel, but it’s still broad enough to be a stylish addition to any outdoor space. This would fit well on a wooden deck.
Best For Bohemian Style
This Bali style chiminea will bring some bohemian style to your outdoor space. Gather your friends around to watch the fire burn and dream of the tropics.
- Easy to assemble and clean
- Large
- Smoke goes up the chimney
- Paint flakes off
- Flimsy construction
- Quality control
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Why We Like It: Half the fun of a fireplace is sitting around and watching the flames do their thing. This chiminea maximizes the viewing area by having mesh surrounding the firebox for 360° coverage.
It’s made out of heavy-duty cast iron and it’s perfect for burning logs and other combustible fuel sources. The Bali-style chiminea would go with a boho house. The spark screen makes it suitable to be placed on a wooden deck.
Who Should Buy It: This is the chiminea for you if you like the bohemian style. It would go well in a circular fire pit because no matter where you’re sitting, everyone in the circle will be able to see the flames.
How To Choose A Chiminea
My first bit of advice for anyone choosing a product is to consider how this product is going to fit into your lifestyle and what you hope to get out of it. The same is true when it comes to choosing a chiminea.
If you want a fire in your backyard purely for aesthetic value, then a chiminea is a great choice. The chiminea itself looks cool and there are plenty of different styles and designs to choose from.
For those who love to watch the flames, choose a chiminea that has a mesh spark screen surrounding the chiminea so that you can see the flames from every angle.
If you want to be able to cook on the chiminea as well, then look for one that has a removable flue with a grid attachment for cooking. It’s a good idea to get one that’s designed for this specific reason so that you don’t burn yourself or damage the chiminea when trying to cook with it.
Image credits: birotography via Creative Commons
When To Choose A Chiminea
Now, a chiminea isn’t the best choice for all situations. If you’re looking for a fire that warms up a group of people sitting outside, a chiminea might not be the best choice. Fire warms people through radiant heat, so having the fire closed in is going to block a lot of that radiant heat from reaching those sitting around it. This is one of the main things to consider when deciding between a chimenea vs fire pit.
On the contrary, if you decide to place the chiminea indoors, it will stabilize the indoor temperature for much longer than a normal fireplace would.
This is because most indoor chimineas are made out of clay. Clay is a material that has a high thermal mass. What that means is that clay will absorb a large amount of heat from the fire burning inside and it will store that heat. Once the fire goes out, or the clay reaches a certain temperature, that warmth is released into the room.
This means that the chiminea will be slowly releasing that heat into the room for hours on end, keeping the internal temperature of the room stable. Whereas a regular fireplace stops producing much heat once the fire goes out. An outdoor chiminea, even if it’s made out of clay, will be releasing that stored heat into the night sky where it will be lost.
Image credits: stevepaustin via Creative Commons
Where To Put Your Chiminea
Based on the information in the section above, where you place your chiminea will have a large effect on its efficacy. Most chimineas nowadays are designed to be placed outside. They’re made out of durable materials, like cast iron, and will be able to withstand the elements.
Because the fire is enclosed you can place your chiminea in smaller spaces than you would be able to have, say, a firepit. That being said, always make sure there are no flammable items anywhere near your chiminea.
An existing firepit is a perfect place to put your chiminea. If you go this route, make sure you get a chiminea with a 360° mesh spark screen so that everyone has a view of the flames.
Now for indoor chimineas. An indoor chiminea is like a fireplace, it just looks different and functions slightly differently. So you can put a chiminea anywhere you would put a fireplace. They are a great option if your house doesn’t have a fireplace and you’re planning to install one.
They are completely freestanding so extensive masonry work isn’t required. You’ll probably have to build a fireproof base for your chiminea to stand on which will be the extent of the masonry work required. A long flue pipe can be poked through a hole in your roof and you now have a fireplace (obviously the installation is a job for the professionals to avoid house fires or a leaky roof).
You should place the chiminea in the room in the house where you spend the most time in winter. The living room is always the obvious option, but kitchens and bedrooms may also be the perfect place for your chiminea. If you’re looking for some real luxury, consider placing on in the bathroom next to the bathtub.
Image credits: Michael Harris / Backyard Boss
How We Picked
With so many different products on the market nowadays, it’s important to have a set of criteria to rate these products against to ensure you’re getting the best quality. Here are the criteria we used:
Material: The type of material used for a product like this has to be able to withstand some extreme conditions. We only included chimineas made from durable materials.
Design: With everyone wanting something different out of their chiminea, we included a range of different designs to fit different needs.
Wrap Up
With all said and done, the best chiminea to buy in 2022 has to be the Blue Rooster. The high-quality construction is backed by the manufacturer's lifetime warranty. When a manufacturer stands by their product like this you know it's going to be good, and worth the price.
The flue can also be removed to reveal a cooking grid just above the flames. So it looks good, is built to last, and can feed your friends and family. A worthy investment for your backyard.