Anyone got a chimnea?

[lifeson]

After spending most of the weekend cleaning the garden and cleaning our decking Mrs L wants a Chimnea
Has anyone got one and are they any good? was hoping we could use it as a patio heater/bbq
Do they radiate a lot of heat? can you put them on decking (on their metal stand) and can the back of them be close to a fence?
How are they for use as a BBQ?

 

[TheDoctor]

I've got a cast iron one and it's not bad. Radiated a lot of heat (so perhaps best not too near a wooden fence) and makes a reasonable barbie.
The terracotta one we had before didn't put out anywhere near as much heat, and wouldn't have worked as a barbie.

 

[Mark_Robson]

I've got a cast iron one and it's not bad. Radiated a lot of heat (so perhaps best not too near a wooden fence) and makes a reasonable barbie.

+1

 

[Noodley]

What are they supposed to do? Never heard of them until I saw one a few weeks and thought 'what's that for?'...looked neither one thing (heater) nor the other (bbq)

 

[Mark_Robson]

They are basically a wood or charcoal burning pot bellied stove that has a small grate inside so that you can BBQ a few sausages etc. They are nice to sit around on a warm summers evening with a book and a drink.

 

[Norm]

I think that the cast iron ones are better than the terracotta ones, as they take little to no maintenance, you can fire them up without worrying about ambient temperatures etc.

I've found them pretty crap for a BBQ (small entrance, not that easy to move the food around without dropping it or burning yourself) but they are good for baked potatoes, and they make great heaters.

I would not put one anywhere near decking, though.

IMO.

 

[Slowgrind]

Do they get very smokey?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

+1 on the cast iron front

 

[amnesia]

We've got a terracotta one... it's only smoky if you put the wrong fuel in it...

Smokeless charcoal works well. Remember not to touch the lid !!!

And it's chiminea, not chimnea

 

[Debian]

I've often thought of getting one. The thought of sitting around a fire on a nice evening is a pleasant one.

 

[Noodley]

We've got a terracotta one... it's only smoky if you put the wrong fuel in it...

Smokeless charcoal works well. Remember not to touch the lid !!!

And it's chiminea, not chimnea

As that as in dick van dyke cim chim -i - neeeeeea or chimineee-ah?

Seem a bit pointless if you ask me...don't keep you too warm and don't cook too well. I'll stick with a jumper and a BBQ

 

[upsidedown]

We,ve got a smallish terracota one. Only used it once, it got up to temparature then took on the properties of a blast furnace, melting the aluminium shed it was next to. If you get it right you get a cone of white heat coming out of the top, pretty impressive but very dodgy in an enclosed garden.

 

[rich p]

We have a clay one - quite big. It's rubbish if it's heat you're after unless you happen to be the one sitting next to it.

 

[Campfire]

What about a fire pit (bowl or whatever you call them) Low and wide, they look as though they'd be good.

 

[speccy1]

I`ve got one (cast iron, the terracotta one I had before it fell to bits when it was lit). I love it, there`s nothing nicer than a fire when you`re sat down on a summer evening with a beer, not a vast amount of heat given out just nice to watch, it`s also a good way to get rid of all your unwanted paperwork too, rather than shredding it all.

Just have to be careful how much I put in it, as it`s quite close to the house!!