Pick the Right Fire Pit for You!
Fire pits are great for back yard barbeques! They are also great for quiet reflection after a long hectic day, or a focal point for entertaining family and friends.
Fire pits come in a variety of styles – fire pits, bowls, rings, and tubs are just a few. 
Fire tubs are designed with straight, deeper sides and a flat base. These taller, straight sides enable you to use more wood to build larger, but still controlled fires.
Fire bowls are designed with shallower sides. Using less wood than tubs, bowls offer the choice of building a smaller, cozier fire and feature sleeker styling and the availabiliy of more decorative frames and finishes.
The fireplace offers cozy, traditional styling in an outdoor setting.
The campfire ring is a great item to take with you when you go camping. Several decorative ring patterns are available and all enable you to safely contain your campfire.
Barbeques provide one of the most fun and creative means of entertaining. Backyard barbeques in particular will create an instant ambiance whether the occasion is planned or spontaneous.
Situate comfortable seating around your fire pit and serve cocktails, make s’mores, or roast foods on long forks for a casual dinner.
The best place for barbeques is in the open where there are no hazardous obstacles interfering. Barbeques also work well on patios. Choose a fire pit style that matches your outdoor area or plan your backyard style around the look of your fire pit.
The beauty of portable fire pits, bowls, rings and tubs, is that these can be moved depending on the time of year and weather.
Safety Tips
Fire pits offer a fun way to enjoy leisure time and entertaining, but always remember to exercise caution and practice safety.
Here are a few important tips to keep in mind...
- Place the fire pit in an open area on a solid surface, but never on a wooden deck, grass, or any other flammable surface.
- Never place a fire pit in an enclosed area or indoors.
- Know your city or county’s regulations regarding the use of a fire pit.
- Always keep a fire extinguisher, a garden hose or large bucket of sand nearby to smother the fire if necessary. Your fire extinguisher should be handy, in good working condition, and not close to its expiration date.
- Use common sense and exercise courtesy as well as caution. Don't build a fire on a windy day. You don’t want smoke blowing into neighbor’s homes and backyards.
- Start your fire small. Use recommended fire starters. Never use an accelerant or gasoline to start a fire. Suggested burning materials include wood, fire logs, and charcoal.
- Do not allow children or someone with little experience to light the fire.
- Never leave the fire unattended. Fire pits are HOT when in use and should be adult-supervised at all times. Extreme caution should be exercised when children are nearby.
- As a precaution, the fire should be no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high. Don’t pile wood too high.
- Use the wire mesh cover when the fire is lit to control flying sparks.
- The screen handle is HOT when in use.
- Use a heat proof barbeque mitt or poker tool to grasp the handle.
- It is best to extinguish the fire completely once you have finished using it. Use a fire extinguisher, or enough water to douse the fire.
Expert Tips on How to Make S’mores
The original recipe on how to make s’mores appeared in the American Girl Scout Handbook in 1927. This recipe utilized Graham crackers – first invented by Sylvester Graham way back in 1829, before anyone knew how to make s’mores – plus chocolate and marshmallows.
If you ask anyone today how to make s’mores you might get the original recipe that tells you how to make s’mores, or you might be told how to make s’mores a completely different way.
Here are some tips on how to make s’mores the traditional way:
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Use Graham crackers which are more like cookies than crackers.
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Get the crackers and chocolate ready before you toast the marshmallows. You can ‘roast’ them over a stove burner or use long metal forks for roasting over an outdoor fire pit or grill.
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Marshmallows are ready when slightly brown outside and runny inside.
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Sandwich chocolate with a toasted marshmallow between a halved cracker and squeeze together gently.
If you want to know how to make s’mores the Mexican way, use flour tortillas with crunchy peanut butter, chocolate chips and marshmallow. If you want to know how to make s’mores that are cold, spread peanut butter and instant chocolate pudding on Graham crackers and add whipped topping instead of marshmallows.
Grilling Out FAQs
Q: What is the simplest grilling out recipe?
A: Probably hot dogs, but chicken and steak are also popular and most often require little time and effort.
Q: How long should I marinade meat before grilling out?
A: It depends on the meat and the marinade, but generally, the longer the better, and preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
Q: I’d like to try grilling out but don’t have a barbeque?
A: Fire pits or rings are a perfect alternative and make grilling out very convenient.
Q: What is a good dessert for grilling out?
A: S’mores of course! Get the recipe here.
Q: What tools are recommended when grilling out?
A: Long metal forks with an easy-to-grip handle.
More Grilling Out FAQs»
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