Few things get me jazzed up like bonfire season. Chilly fall nights hold powerful nostalgia: football games, holidays, hunting, good food, and warm clothes. Growing up in Wisconsin meant that friends and family often gathered around a crackling fire on the weekend to roast s’mores and doughboys (the superior treat, trust me). A lot has changed since then, but as far as fire pit technology goes, that’s not a bad thing at all.
What Is a Smokeless Fire Pit
One of the drawbacks of back-in-the-day bonfire nights was the smoky smell on all your clothes the next day. Or constantly shifting your seat around the fire to avoid the swirling smoke. Smokeless fire pits (mostly) solve these problems.
If you’re burning wood, there will always be some smoke due to the evaporation of components like water and hydrocarbons within the wood. But smokeless pits aim to eliminate as much smoke as possible by reburning that initial output. There are different ways to achieve this reduced-smoke effect, but most common smokeless fire pits utilize a double-walled design with carefully located air holes. The holes create a hot upward flow of oxygen that burns the particulates that typically form smoke.
Why Go Smokeless
At first I was a smokeless skeptic. Though the idea sounded cool, the steeper cost and the fact that I had no real problem with a normal fire pit made me feel as if they weren’t worth it. But I’m big enough to admit I was wrong: Now I love these smokeless fire pits and will shout from the rooftops to skip any cheaper traditional patio option.
Smokeless fire pits burn clean, hot, and fast. And what little smoke is produced usually moves straight upward due to the reburn design. Some folks complain that the double wall generates less radiant heat than traditional fires. I’ve found that to be a non-issue because I can sit much closer to a smokeless fire pit (and therefore get more heat) without getting smoke in my face.
The only real drawback I have experienced is that I go through firewood more quickly with smokeless fire pits. But it’s totally worth it: Instead of a log smoking and smoldering in the corner, each log is burned down into hot, even coals, which are great for cooking.
Want to make the switch? Check out these 10 smokeless fire pits that suit a variety of budgets and needs.
The Best Smokeless Fire Pits of 2022
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