Chimineas

Home and Garden World — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:20:38 +0000

This is the time of the year when we start looking forward to the long summer months and spending more time in the garden in the sunshine, well, we can all live in hope! Patio heaters are becoming a popular choice to help keep the chill at bay in the summer evenings. One effective outdoor heating device is the chiminea.

The chiminea (also spelt chimnea or chimenea) is a wood or charcoal burning stove for outdoor use and is a modern version of a traditional Mexican outdoor fireplace. They can be made out of clay, cast iron or aluminium and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

The modern chiminea combines a source of heat for chilly evenings with a highly decorative item for your garden and as the smoke from the fire will leaves the chiminea via the high chimney it will be less annoying to those enjoying the experience. The advantage of a chiminea over a fire pit is that the fire is much more contained and will retain heat for longer.

Aluminium or cast iron chimineas are a good investment as with proper care they will outlast the clay types by many years. The cast iron ones do need regular painting to prevent rust and can be extremely heavy so you may want to prepare a permanent spot for it rather than trying to move it around. Clay chimineas tend to be less expensive but are not as robust or long lasting at metal ones and are usually not suited to large hot fires for long periods of time.

A Modern Cast Iron Chiminea

When choosing a chiminea you will need to be aware of the size of the fire bowl to ensure that it is large enough for the size of wood you will be burning. Another good idea is to invest in spark arresters if yours does not come with them, one fits over the chimney and the other over the opening to the fire bowl and prevents hot sparks from escaping.

Using a chiminea safely is really a matter of common sense.

Your chiminea is not meant to be used indoors.
Make sure that you read the assembly instructions carefully.
A sturdy, level brick or concrete area is ideal for siting your chiminea.
Make sure that it is not placed too close to the house and that there are no overhanging bushes or trees.
Watch out for pets and children, chimineas become very hot all over and will retain heat long after the fire has died down.
Never used a petrol based accelerant to start your chiminea fire.

Santiago Medium Clay Chimenea
£39.98

Aragua Medium Clay Chimenea
£49.98

Tolima Large Clay Chimenea
£79.98

Saltillo Small Clay Chimenea
£29.98

Small Chimenea Cover
£7.98

Colorado Steel Chimenea
£99.98

Medium Chimenea Cover
£8.98

Large Chimenea Cover
£9.98

Squat Cast Iron Chimenea
£44.98