Chiminea Clay Outdoor Fireplace Reviews and Guide

Sitting outside in the quiet night, listening to a crackling fire and feeling the soft amber glow from your chiminea spreading warmth and delight around your patio is a wonderful experience. There are many different outdoor fire place types available in today’s market, from fire pits, to ethanol fireplaces, to chimineas, and beyond. Each of these styles has advantages and disadvantages, and there are wide variations of materials, design, and capacity within each. This article focuses on the chiminea clay outdoor fireplace. We look at five top chimena models, all available on Amazon, and compare them. We also provide a buyer’s guide to clay chimineas in order to help give context.

All About Outdoor Fireplaces

There is an incredible variety of outdoor fireplace designs available on the market today, each with their own attributes, materials choices, use cases, etc. From metal fire pits to modern steel chimineas, from tabletop ethanol fireplaces to pizza oven chimeneas, designers are going wild with new ideas every year.

We have created an overarching guide to outdoor fireplaces, to help you understand all of the nuances of all of the different kinds of fireplaces available. If you aren’t sure whether you want a clay chiminea, we encourage you to take a look at the guide and see what other options are available to you, as there may be some new designs of which you may be unaware.

Clay Chimineas

Clay is the original material used for chimineas, and these units stand out in many ways from the more modern metal chimineas that frequently are seen on patios around the world.

All of the metal units tend to have similar aspects, even if the designs range from modern to Mediterranean to Southwest. Painted metal looks like painted metal, and that’s the bottom line. Clay chimineas are fundamentally different, and are works of art!

Here are a few of the advantages of clay over other materials.

Unique Designs

Chimineas made of clay are each unique, and the vast majority are hand made. Unlike steel, cast iron, cast aluminum, etc., clay stands alone as a hand made material, with ancient roots and simple, beautiful shapes.

Once the clay is shaped and painted, the units go into the kiln, and the magic happens. You never know exactly what your finished product will be until it comes out of the oven.

All of the units on this list are hand made, and are completely unique. While cast iron and steel chimineas often strike the modern poses that make them fit in contemporary decor, clay can be modern in a very different way, with its classical, simple construction and a pure essence.

Blends with Garden Objects

The soft natural finish of chiminea fire pit clay will blend naturally with potted plants and other ceramic materials commonly found in patios and garden spaces. Large metal units tend to stick out against natural elements, while the soft lines of ceramic tend to merge with the surrounding nature, and results in visual harmony.

Repairable

The high heat a chiminea is constantly exposed to can damage any outdoor fireplace, be it cast iron, clay, steel, etc. Most metal units will need to be repainted regularly to ensure that the finish is stable, but no paint can handle over 600′ of heat, and sometimes large fires can cross that threshold.

A chiminea clay outdoor fireplace can be repaired, should the finish get cracked due to high heat, or should the unit fall over. You’ll need some refractory cement and some willingness to do a little bit of work (not much more than painting, really), but your clay chiminea can be repaired!

Apply the refractory cement to the cracked areas with a trowel or painter’s palette. Smooth it all out as best you can, and be sure you’ve got a good bond. Wait a while for the cement to dry, and smooth it with a wire brush or with medium grit sand paper so that it blends nicely with the surrounding areas. When everything is smooth, you can paint the damaged area to blend, and you should be good for more fires!

A ceramic chiminea outdoor fireplace can occasionally crack with no warning — this can happen even with a fire going inside! These cracks rarely occur, but we want you to be aware of the possibility. The good news is that the cracks can often be prevented by starting out making smaller fires, and gradually working up to larger fires (“curing” the clay chiminea). Start with just burning kindling for a little while, then move onto a small fire, and eventually onto a full sized fire. This will help protect your chiminea.

No Assembly Required

A chiminea clay outdoor fireplace requires no assembly in order to get it going. These units are completely self contained, and all you need to do is unpack the box, put the chiminea on its stand (if there is a stand), and start lighting your fire. Start small and build up!

What To Burn in a Clay Chiminea

You can generally burn any sort of wood in a chiminea, though charcoal is not recommended in most clay chimineas. For the best wood, we suggest picking up some Pinon wood. It’s often cut smaller than regular firewood, so it more easily fits in a chiminea, and its insect repellent and scent attributes are outstanding!

The Downsides of Clay Chimineas

Fragility

Clay chimineas are easy to break. They are made of clay, and if knocked over, can shatter, just like plates and bowls. If your family likes to rough-house, you probably want to choose a different chiminea.

Weight

Clay Chimineas weigh a lot. Relative to other types of chiminea, clay tends to be heavier and more fragile. This means shipping costs are higher, too.

Cost

Clay chimineas often cost more money than other types of chimineas, given a comparable size and quality. This is largely due to their hand made nature.

Easily Damaged by Weather

You should be sure your clay chiminea is properly protected from winter weather. Ideally, it should be taken inside during the winter, but if that is impossible, it should be covered with a good quality chiminea cover.

Chiminea Clay Outdoor Fireplace Reviews

Here we look at five different clay chimineas, and examine the pros and cons of each.

#1. Gardeco AFC-C51.00 X-Large Natural Clay Chiminea

The Gardeco AFC Xtra Large Natural Clay Chiminea is a beautiful chiminea with a natural finish and a large capcaity, making it great for large patios!

This unit is made with Chimlain AFC, or Advanced Fire Clay, and is designed to be capable of handling especially hot conditions. It includes a stainless steel stand, and a matching clay cap.

Gardeco covers this unit with a 5 year guarantee (note: not against breakage from misuse), which is a great plus.

Dimensions:

• Length: 20.3″
• Width: 20.3″
• Height: 54″
• Weight: 110lbs

Notable Features:

• Extra-Large size, great for sizable patios
• Large fire box for easy refueling
• Includes metal stand and matching AFC clay lid for protection from rain
• Tall shape channels smoke up and away from bystanders
• Made of CHIMALIN AFC, advance fire clay for exceptional crack resistance
• Guaranteed 5 years against cracking due to thermal shock
• Burns any fuel: wood, charcoal or coal
• No assembly require
• Natural, pale clay finish on this chimenea, with no painting or glazing. Beautiful!

These units are very heavy, but they do ship free from Amazon.

Last update on 2024-11-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

#2. Redi-Flame Woodshed Renewables Chiminea Kit

The Redi-Flame Woodshed Renewables Chiminea Kit is quite cool, and while this unit is small compared to the other chimineas on this list, it is a great little package!

This kit includes a small handmade clay chiminea, two “Skeeter Log” insect repellent logs, and a pack of Rediflame Starter. The Skeeter Logs are designed to keep insects away, and are made from recycled wood with several essential oils added. Among these oils are: lemongrass, geranium, cinnamon, citronella, citrus, thyme, peppermint, and rosemary.

Each log burns for approximately 8-12 hours.

This chiminea doesn’t include a stand, and given that it gets hot and is small, a stand would be a big help! We recommend some sort of metal plant stand, something like one of these plant stands. You could also use a metal trivet turned upside down, or similar.

Chiminea Dimensions

• Length: 8″
• Width: 6″
• Height: 15″
• Weight: 9lbs

Notable Features

• Traditional small handmade clay chiminea with small mouth
• Ideal for tabletops (need fireproof bufffer if wood), small patios, and the like
• Includes two “Skeeter Logs” 100% natural insect repellent firewood
• Includes one fire starter kit to make initial ignition easy.
• No assembly required
• Finished with a matte glaze in red

Last update on 2024-11-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

#3. Gardeco AFC-C21.75 Black Chiminea

The Gardeco AFC Black Chiminea has a wonderful polished black finish, and a medium sized structure, making it great for most smaller or medium sized patios or gardens.

This unit is a good bit smaller than the Xtra Large, and is almost half the weight of the Xtra Large units, though it is hard to tell from the pictures. Pay attention to the dimensions written here for comparison.

Made with CHIMALIN AFC Advanced Fire Clay, this unit is especially resistant to heat and cracking.

Like all of Gardeco’s units, this chiminea is covered under a 5 year warranty, which is a great extra feature (note: warranty does not cover cracks due to human mishaps)

Dimensions:

• Length: 17″
• Width: 17″
• Height: 43″
• Weight: 56lbs

Notable Features:

• Traditional shape, ideal for small or medium sized areas
• Includes metal stand and matching clay lid for added protection
• Made of CHIMALIN AFC, advance fire clay with exceptional fire resistance
• Guaranteed 5 years against cracking due to thermal shock
• Burns any fuel: wood, charcoal or coal
• No assembly required
• Finished with a high gloss glaze in black

Last update on 2024-11-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

#4. Gardeco AFC-C21.73 Light Brown Chiminea

The Gardeco AFC Light Brown Chiminea features a lovely mottled brown finish with a gentle glaze.

The Light Brown chiminea is a Large size. It is similar in scale to the black chiminea on this list, and approximately half the weight of the Gardeco’s Xtra large chimineas. These units are great for small to medium sized patios.

This chimenea is made with CHIMALIN AFC advanced fire clay, which offers unparalleled resistance to cracks and damage due to high heat. Gardeco covers this unit with a 5 year warranty, which is a great feature!

Dimensions:

• Length: 17″
• Width: 17″
• Height: 43″
• Weight: 60lbs

Notable Features:

• Classic shape and lines, and a size great for small to medium sized patios
• Includes metal stand and matching clay cap for weather protection.
• Made of CHIMALIN AFC, advanced fire clay, for outstanding heat resistance
• Warrantied for 5 years against cracking due to thermal shock
• Burns any fuel: wood, charcoal or coal
• No assembly or curing required
• The finish on this chiminea is a mottled light brown with a mild glaze

Last update on 2024-11-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

#5. Gardeco AFC-C51.72 X-Large Dark Sand Chiminea

The Gardeco Xtra Large Dark Sand Chiminea is stunning in its shading, with beautiful variations in a dark, sandy palette. This unit is an Xtra Large, and is ideal for larger patios or garden areas.

The mouth of the chiminea has a hand-made feel, but is large enough to accept fairly large wood logs without the need for extra chopping.

The Gardeco breakthrough with fireproof clay products came in 2015 after 8 years of development. For 2016, we are launching CHIMALIN AFC, a unique range of clay fire products that carries a 5-year guarantee, only available from Gardeco. So yes, for the first time ever, you can fire a clay chimenea in the same way as you would a cast iron one, and build a large fire with peace of mind.

Dimensions:

• Length: 20.3″
• Width: 20.3″
• Height: 54″
• Weight: 110lbs

Notable Features:

• Extra-Large chimenea for large patios
• Large firebox accomodates most firewood
• Includes steel stand and matching clay lid
• Wide funnel positionned on top of belly
• Made of CHIMALIN AFC, advance fire clay for excellent crack resistance
• 5 year warranty against cracking (due to thermal shock)
• Burns any fuel: wood, coal, or charcoal
• No assembly or curing required
• Beautiful glazed dark sand brown finish

Last update on 2024-11-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

 

 

 

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