The Best Fire Pits for Outdoor Entertaining This Summer
For family s’mores roasts or fancier occasions, there’s a fire pit for all circumstances.
The Paloform Bento.
Photographer: Jeff McNeill“Everybody wants a fire pit now,” says California-based landscape architect Patricia Benner, who says that 80% project briefs this year have included one, up from 50% or so before the pandemic. Interest in outdoor living had been surging for some time, she adds, but the past year turbocharged the shift. “People want to meet friends and family more safely, or work in outdoor spaces at home.”
Three key questions to consider when planning a fire pit are fuel, location, and style. Wood-burning pits burn hotter and are more evocative, Benner continues, but gas is cleaner; note that some places, such as Los Angeles, expressly require fire pits to be gas-fueled. If you opt for wood, pick it thoughtfully, adds Leroy Hite of Norcross, Ga.-based Cutting Edge Firewood. Oak is a staple, but consider cherry for its subtle, sweet aroma—or hickory, which is longer and burns hotter, with a pungent, nostalgic smell.