Background:

My $30 Walmart fire pit has been around the block. Its moved with me at least three times. It's rusty from being outside for almost a decade. Who knows when I stepped on the cage.

Also, I hate it.

With that in mind, I've had my eyes on a Solo Stove for a year or two. A friend got one and after going over to his house for a bonfire I immediately added it to my Christmas list.

It's one of those items, that I'd never buy for myself, but this year someone did, and I am loving it!

What makes it special?

It claims to be almost smokeless. And I have found that to be true. After you get the fire going there is almost no smoke. We're talking about a ton less smoke than a traditional fire pit.

The trick is to keep the wood below the rim. Otherwise it will create smoke. Don't ask me the science behind this, but below the rim is almost smoke free.

Every fire pit emits heat, that's how fire works. But the Solo Stove burns hotter because of improved airflow. And so there aren't hot spots, like a cheaper fire pit bowl has.

My old fire pit was flimsy. I had a fear that at some point the fire would burn melt the bottom and then I'd set my deck on fire.

Not the ideal way to enjoy a good bonfire.

Solo Stoves are built with Stainless Steel. They aren't cast iron, but they are sturdy and should last many years if its stored away from the elements.

Downsides

Unlike a traditional campfire, Solo Stoves are not ideal for cooking. They have a specific model if you'd like to grill, but aside from a similar design feel it is a different product.

Accessories

They have a wide range of accessories for all sizes of fire pits. Lids, handles, heat-shields, covers, and cooking tools as well. Basically anything you could want to make your fire pit fancy.

I'll be honest the cooking accessories are a bit suspect in terms of usefulness. A riser, which will reduce the heat to a manageable level, as well as a cast-iron cooktop. You would need both in order to cook anything.

These, while are interesting, are probably impractical in most use-cases.

The one that does have me very excited is the Pi Fire Pizza Oven Attachment. Put it on the top of your Bonfire sized fire pit to make wood-fired pizzas!

But don't worry, you can still roast marshmallows without any extra accessories.

I am probably going to get the mesh "shield". At some point because we have small kiddos and I don't want them to get stung with a small ember.

Models

Solo Stove makes several different models and sizes.

• Ranger: smaller, but certainly adequate for a 2-4-person fire (12.5 inch diameter)
• Bonfire: medium sized at 19.5 inches in diameter. Ideal for 4-6 folks
• Yukon: largest size, good for big spaces or very large parties (27 inch diameter)
• Mesa Table Top Firepit: can use wood or pellets, mostly for table-top s'mores.
• Pi Pizza Oven: The only product that can use propane. Honestly if you want a pizza oven, I'd look at the Ooni Pizza Oven.
• Camp Stoves: several different sizes, but made specifically for wood fires while camping
• Grill: Think Solo Stove design, but for communal charcoal cooking. Its much wider, with a grate, and a raised stand.

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