The 3 Best Fire Pits of 2025, Tested & Reviewed

One of my first reviews for Serious Eats was for the Solo Stove Bonfire. Before that, building a fire scared me, but I dug down deep, put on a brave face, and built a fire worthy of the Beacons of Gondor (fellow LOTR nerds will get it). Many years and many fires later, I can get one going faster than you can say “burn, baby, burn.”

So, I recently jumped at the chance to test a full lineup of fire pits. There are two popular styles: barrel-shaped, smokeless fire pits like the Solo Stove, and more traditional, shallow, bowl-shaped ones. I tested both, turning my backyard into a (contained) inferno to find the best pits for relaxing with friends or cooking up hot dogs.

The Winners, at a Glance

Smokeless fire pits burn clean and hot for a long time, and the Solo Stove is one of the best. It’s incredibly easy to set up and ignites quickly. If you’re nervous about starting a fire like I once was, this fire pit will give you the confidence to do it again and again. Paired with the grill hub, it’s easy to cook on, too. The hefty cast iron grill grate got wicked hot and produced deep char marks on hot dogs and short ribs.

Setting up the Breeo was as simple as slotting in the grill grate. Building a fire was also easy and fast: Just add some fire starter and logs, and light it up. The grill grate can be lowered or raised to fine-tune the temperature, which is ideal for foods that need to be quickly seared, like Korean-style galbi ribs.

If a ring of rocks is insufficient for your campfire setup, consider this portable fire pit from Breeo. It has a carrying bag, a built-in handle, and is relatively lightweight at 31 pounds. Plus, it has extendable legs that keep it elevated from the ground, so you can set it up wherever. The compact size concentrated the heat, cooking foods fast and resulting in a deep sear.

The Tests

• Setup Test: I timed how long it took to assemble each fire pit. I noted if the process was easy or exacting. 
• Fire Lighting Test: I built a fire in each fire pit, timing how long it took to catch and burn steadily.
• Hot Dog Test: After getting the fire built and letting it burn into a bed of hot embers, I cooked a couple of hot dogs over each fire pit. I noted how long it took and if the hot dogs got a good sear.
• Meal Test (Winners Only): I used my favorite fire pits to cook a simple meal of galbi ribs, charred bok choy, and grilled pineapple. 
• Cleaning and Storage Tests: After letting the fire pits cool, I swept out the ash and moved them into my garage, evaluating how easy it was to do both.

What We Learned

The Best Fire Pits Were Easy to Set Up

A fire pit isn’t a gas grill, so it should be easy to put together. But the traditional, bowl-shaped fire pits had me close to tearing my hair out as I chased down hardware and searched for a screwdriver. It took me upward of an hour to assemble the Pit Boss—there was an annoying support ring that had to be put together in just the right order, or else it wouldn’t attach to the legs. 

On the other hand, smokeless fire pits, like the Breeo ones and the Solo Stove Bonfire, were blissfully easy to set up: I could more or less unbox them and light a fire. It took a few minutes to slot in the grill grate on the Breeo models, but I didn’t need screws or a screwdriver to do it. These fire pits let me spend less time assembling and more time enjoying the warmth of the fire. 

Stainless Steel, Smokeless Fire Pits Were Easy to Light and Use

Easy lighting was another win for smokeless fire pits. Both the Breeo pits and Solo Stove took around eight minutes to get a consistent fire going. Shallow, traditional fire pits were more finicky. And if it’s breezy, forget it. The wind picked up when I tried to start a fire in the Bali fire pit, and the wood would not ignite. This is likely due to the shallow, open bowl construction—while you want airflow to get a fire going, it’s tough to get the spark to catch when the baby flame keeps getting extinguished by a gust of wind. The smokeless fire pits were totally different: They were barrel-shaped, insulated, and had vents at the bottom, allowing air to convect up through the walls to fuel the fire while still protecting the budding flame. 

How Do Smokeless Fire Pits Work?

While traditional fire pits are shallow metal tubs, smokeless fire pits are more complex. They’re double-walled with vents at the bottom and top that direct airflow and help build heat. Solo Stove explains that the primary burn is when the logs catch fire, and a secondary burn occurs within the double walls when the smoke particulates burn off. Per the Solo Stove website: “As your flames increase in temperature, so do your fire pit’s walls. In turn, the temperature of the air pulled from the lower vent holes also increases, and as we know, hot air rises. As soon as the air is superheated, it moves to the top and quickly shoots out of the fire pit’s upper vent holes. This is where the secondary burn occurs: the ultra-hot air hits the flame’s smoke, and uses it as fuel, burning it up and contributing to the heat of your flame.” This construction meant that the fires got and stayed hot, unlike the wider fire pits, which struggled to build a roaring fire.

Gear You Need to Use a Fire Pit

First, you’ll want a safe spot to light it up. Ideally, a stone patio or a few blocks of concrete. Sure, you can just place a pit on the grass, but both Breeo and Solo Stove warn that it will likely damage your lawn. Decks are risky (fire and wood mix a bit too well), so I’d avoid them. 

To get the fire going, grab a few pieces of fire starter, kiln-dried firewood, and an igniter—this is a great excuse to break out your kitchen torch! You could get the fire going with a lighter, but torches are faster and more effective. I like to build a small pyramid with three pieces of starter, then layer the firewood like a hashtag or pile it in a pyramid. Then, light it up. 

It’s a good idea to have a poker or some fire tongs to move things around and break up embers, too. I’d also keep a stack of firewood nearby in case you need to bolster the heat, as well as a pair of heatproof grill gloves to keep your hands cool when adding a log. Finally, an ash scoop (or a shovel) is handy for cleaning up the fire pit once it’s completely cooled. 

If You Want to Cook on a Fire Pit, Get a Smokeless One

When it came to getting a hot bed of embers for cooking, the smokeless fire pits won out. I tested the Solo Stove and the Barebones Cowboy fire pit side by side, and the Solo Stove blew the Barebones away in terms of speed, heat, and efficiency. It took about an hour to get the Solo Stove to ignite, form a hot bed of coals, and cook some hot dogs. The Barebones, meanwhile, took nearly an hour and a half just to burn down to a hot bed of coals. Then, I had to wait for the grill grate to warm up before I could sear the hot dogs, which cooked very slowly because the coals weren’t that hot. I would’ve been hungry and slightly annoyed if this had been my dinner plan. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Fire Pit

The best fire pits were easy to assemble. I didn’t want to spend my time tightening screws—I wanted to get a fire going. They should also be well ventilated and able to get a steady fire burning quickly. In my tests, smokeless fire pits performed the best. They’re easy to set up, ignite rapidly, and build a steady, intense heat. While they aren’t completely smokeless—there will be a few wisps here and there—you will spend less time inhaling smoke than you would with a basin-shaped fire pit.

Our Favorite Fire Pits

What we liked: The Solo Stove is incredibly easy to set up and use. It took me less than two minutes to assemble it, if you can call placing an ash pan and base plate inside of it “assembly.” Building a fire was painless, and it took three minutes to catch and start burning. 

The key to the Solo Stove’s success lies in its double walls and ventilation, which create a hot burn with minimal smoke. The fire will last hours, and it’s super easy to tend: Just move some logs around, add a few when the flames get low, and your fire will last the night. It’s also durable: I’ve had a Solo Stove Bonfire for a few years, and it’s still in great shape, even after rain exposure. 

If you’re into live-fire cooking, the grill hub makes it easy: Just set it on top of the stove, let it preheat for 10 to 15 minutes, and it’s ready to go. Hot dogs cooked up plump and taut with deep char marks. The galbi short ribs cooked on the Solo Stove were also by far the best I made, thanks to the cast iron grill grate, which seared char marks on the meat. 

What we didn’t like: Although I think the price of the fire pit is reasonable, if you want to cook on it, the grill hub is expensive.

Key Specs

• Weight: 23.3 pounds
• Sizes: 15 (Ranger), 19.5 (Bonfire), 27 (Yukon), and 30 inches (Canyon)
• Inner opening diameter: 17.5 inches
• Outer diameter: 19.5 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Warranty: Lifetime

What we liked: Like the Solo Stove, the Breeo is easy to set up and has dual walls that create a lot of heat sans a lot of smoke. It took less than 10 minutes to build a crackling fire that lasted hours with feeding. The legs on the bottom made it feel safe to set up on grass, though I’d still recommend placing it on some bricks or other heatproof material. The wide opening made it easy to add logs, too. 

The Breeo was also great for cooking. The grill grate can be moved up and down, and its diamond pattern is wide enough to let heat through but narrow enough to prevent food from falling into the flames. 

What we didn’t like: It’s expensive and a good 24 pounds heavier than the Solo Stove Bonfire. Grab a pair of grill gloves when adjusting the grate—the metal handle gets hot. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 47 pounds (19-inch fire pit)
• Sizes: 19, 24, and 30 inches
• Inner opening diameter: 17 inches
• Outer diameter: 22 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Warranty: 5 years

What we liked: Sold as a portable fire pit, this 31-pound, compact offering was easy to pack up and move, thanks to a handle on the side. It has legs that slide out, so you can set it up anywhere, and the bundle includes a carrying case. Like its bigger sibling, the Breeo Y-Series ignited quickly and burned hot—two requirements of a good fire pit. Though petite, it still threw off enough heat to keep me warm on a cool spring evening. 

And, like the other smokeless fire pits, it was great for cooking. A thick spread of embers glowed after about 50 minutes, which was pretty fast. Hot dogs and galbi ribs got glistening, dark brown grill marks, and bok choy was nicely charred. The grill grate is large enough to grill enough food for two to three people. 

What we didn’t like: This smaller fire pit bundle is more expensive than the standard Breeo bundle, which is puzzling. One of the legs on my model arrived dented, and I had to hit it with a hammer to get it to extend. While it’s portable, it’s heavier than the Solo Stove.

Key Specs

• Weight: 31 pounds
• Sizes: 21 inches 
• Inner opening diameter: 15 inches
• Outer diameter: 21 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Warranty: 5 years

The Competition

• Pit Boss Cowboy Fire Pit: This fire pit took over an hour—and a bajillion screws—to assemble. The bowl-style pit wasn’t as quick to light or heat up as the smokeless options and burned slowly, releasing a constant trickle of smoke. It’s also silly big. 
• Barebones Cowboy Fire Pit 23-Inch: This fire pit was easy to assemble, so it had that going for it. Like the other bowl-shaped fire pits, it took a long time to get a fire going, and it burned slowly. It was difficult to adjust the grill grate mid-cook; the handle had to be unscrewed to slide the grill grate down, which led to a few hot dogs making a break for the flames. It also took about an hour and a half to finally burn into a handful of hot embers for cooking—far too long.  
• BALI OUTDOORS Fire Pit: Like the other bowl-style fire pits, this was one slow to ignite and burn. It took 45 minutes to assemble, only to give middling results. 

FAQs

What can you cook on a fire pit?

You can cook loads of food on a fire pit if you have the right tools, including a grill grate and some durable cast iron or carbon steel pans. I’d recommend starting with something simple, like hot dogs, to get a feel for the process. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, explore cooking kebabs, galbi ribs, and even nachos or brownies. 

How do you clean a fire pit?

Once the ashes are completely cool, use an ash shovel to scoop them out into a bucket. That’s it! 

What is the best way to store a fire pit?

While you can leave a fire pit outside, uncovered and exposed to the elements, it could rust, so putting a cover or tarp on it when it’s not in use is a good idea. Not only will it prevent rust, but it’ll also keep debris from collecting inside. Just make sure it’s completely cooled before you cover it. 

Why We’re the Experts 

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats, where she’s been reviewing kitchen gear for three years. 
• One of her first reviews for the site was of the Solo Stove Bonfire. 
• For this review, Grace tested six fire pits by assembling, lighting a fire, and cooking on them.