Looking to add interest to a corner of your garden? Well, we have just the thing for you – a chimenea. Made from clay, cast iron or contemporary steel and sometimes even with a grill for cooking, they are a simple and cosy way to improve the usability of any outdoor space and are a guaranteed way to entertain your guests.
Whether you are looking to create a magical atmosphere, heat up the patio or explore innovative ways of cooking, you are in luck. This article will guide you through the best chimeneas for sale in the UK, on Amazon, Argos and others, with options from the most reputable brands, such as La Hacienda and Charles Bentley. We are sure that you will find something to fit your needs perfectly and add an extra spark of personality to your garden.
Quick List - Top Chimeneas
Parks and Recreation
Handmade Modern Chimenea to Last 25 Years Without Maintenance
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A chimenea /chiminea (from the Spanish word for chimney) is a free-standing fireplace which originated in South America. Traditionally it has a pear-shaped body with a long neck and is made out of clay. The modern versions, however, are also made out of cast iron and steel.
Some people choose to use them exclusively for decorative purposes, but most can function very effectively as outdoor heaters. Many chimenea come with additional accessories to help you grill or roast food on the open fire.
Chimeneas are the perfect way to add interest to your evenings outside during any time of the year and are pretty easy to use. They radiate a substantial amount of heat and are guaranteed to become an eye-catching feature in your garden, making them a worthwhile investment.
Clay chimeneas are the most traditional and have a distinctively rustic feel. They are beautiful and will add a distinctive aura of charm to your garden or patio. Plus, they usually do not require any assembly and arrive ready to use in one piece. Because these ovens do not get as dangerously hot as the metal versions, it means that they are somewhat safer to use around children and pets.
On the downside, they can easily crack if knocked over and are the hardest to look after because they must be protected from harsh weather conditions such as rain and snow. They should be covered up using a special covering when not in use and cannot be used when damp.
Cast iron chimeneas are a fantastic investment if you want to be able to heat up a large outdoor area and they can last for decades. These stoves get extremely hot all over - the more fuel you put inside a metal chimenea, the hotter it will get and the more strongly it will radiate heat. These ovens are ideal if you would like to use them for cooking and grilling.
They can be prone to rust, however, so make sure to cover yours from the rain, plus every few months give it a good scrub with steel wool and use a special sealant to treat the surface. Although these chimeneas are very sturdy, they are also challenging to move around due to their incredible weight. On the upside, there is less risk of them being knocked over or damaged.
Light in weight and easy on your wallet, stainless steel chimeneas are a perfect choice if you live in a rented house, move around often and do not wish to spend a fortune, but still wish to impress your guests. They generally weigh half as much as cast iron. However, they do not hold heat as well, meaning that you need to be constantly adding fuel to keep up the heat.
Steel chimeneas do not rust like cast iron ones, and unlike clay products, they do not crack, making them overall pretty low maintenance. These are a great short term solution, but they are unlikely to last for decades compared to their tough iron counterparts.
When choosing a chimenea, also consider how big you would like it to be. While you will want to consider the chimeneas impact on your workable outdoor space, remember that its size will also determine how big the pieces of wood will need to be in order to fuel it.
If the chimenea has a small body under 100cm in height, it's possible that you will need to pre-cut standard pieces of wood into smaller pieces to facilitate the burning or buy specialised fuel for it. A smaller chimenea is likely to warm the space of around 1 metre in diameter around itself – perfect for a small patio.
If cooking and entertaining are your main focus, you may want to consider purchasing a bigger model since it will make grilling and roasting a lot easier. Bigger chimeneas produce plenty of glorious heat that radiates out around 2 metres in diameter, to keep anyone nearby warm and to cook your food to perfection.
If you have the outdoor space, why not take at look at our suggestions for garden furniture, gazebos and solar lights - to really make the very best of your garden!
Cast iron and stainless steel chimeneas can be fuelled with wood, charcoal or coal, as the metal construction can cope with extreme temperatures. On the other hand clay chimeneas are not able to withstand very high temperatures, so clay models can only be used with wood and not with coal or any other fuel. If a clay chimenea gets too hot, it can lead to dangerous shattering and cracks.
However, many metal chimeneas come with manufacturer suggestions that only mention wood, so do check the small print closely (or our handy comparison table) before you commit to buying a chimenea, if you are wanting to burn charcoal or coal too.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Parks and Recreation Corten Steel Tinderbox Chiminea | ![]() | Handmade Modern Chimenea to Last 25 Years Without Maintenance | |
2 | Charles Bentley Large Terracotta Clay Chiminea | ![]() | Rustic Clay Chimenea With Practical Rain Lid | |
3 | Blumfeldt Westeros Garden Oven | ![]() | Wood-Burning Outdoor Stove With a Scandinavian Design | |
4 | La Hacienda Medium Steel Chimenea in Bronze | ![]() | Budget Steel Chimenea for Patio Heating | |
5 | Castmaster Stoves Pasadena Chiminea Belly Heater | ![]() | 6ft Cast Iron Chimenea Ideal for Large Patios and Gardens | |
6 | La Hacienda Cuba Cast iron & steel Chiminea | ![]() | Study and Reliable Chimenea Which is Fully Enclosed | |
7 | La Hacienda Extra Large Colorado Chiminea | ![]() | Large Striking Chimenea Wood Burner From a Trusted Brand | |
8 | La Hacienda Teplo Clay Terracotta Chimenea | ![]() | A BBQ Chimenea-Grill Ideal for Cooking for Two | |
9 | LIVIVO Camino Chiminea | ![]() | 360-Degree Fire Pit With Safety Screen | |
10 | La Hacienda Steel Squat Black Chimenea | ![]() | A Lightweight and Compact Option for Smaller Patios and Gardens |
Designed by a small UK manufacturer, this compact and contemporary chimenea is the definition of style. The corten steel not only looks striking but it is designed to develop a further protective rust layer over time, so it can withstand any weather conditions for an incredible 25 years, without needing to be covered!
Its practical design, which includes a removable compartment, eliminates the issues normally associated with cleaning out chimeneas. It also arrives in one piece and requires no assembly. This log burner is pricey, however, it is handmade and likely to quickly gain a special place in your heart.
If you are shopping for a chimenea to give you that classic, traditional feel, then this product from Charley Bentley is an excellent option. With its distinctive antique-look finish and lizard carvings reminiscent of Aztec art, this piece will give your patio loads of character.
In addition, it is relatively light, does not require any assembly and also comes with a practical chimney rain lid making it ideal to use in British weather. Overall, this is an attractive and reasonably priced option from a reliable brand.
Modern and minimalist, this steel outdoor oven looks both contemporary and elegant. If you are after a modern-looking wood-burning stove, then this is a fantastic option from Blumfeldt.
It produces a substantial amount of heat and also has a handy built-in bottom wood shelf to keep the fuel always within easy reach. It does require a small amount of assembly on your part, but the instructions are straightforward and the chimenea itself is fairly light and easy to handle.
For those of you who are just starting out on your chimenea journey, this is a pretty good option. Despite its smaller size, it offers a good dissipation of heat for those sitting around it and weighs only a fraction of what a clay or a cast iron chimenea would weigh, making it easy to manoeuvre.
It looks great too – as well as its traditional brushed bronze finish, the mesh allows you to have a 360-degree view of the fire. Your purchase includes a protective rain cover, a log grate and a metal safety tool - this is a good quality chimenea at a very reasonable price.
This chimenea stands at 6ft tall and is ideal for larger spaces. It will keep you and your guests warm and cosy as well as doubling as a grill in case you get peckish. It's made out of alloy steel, so it can handle coal, charcoal or wood - heating up rapidly and radiating the heat well.
The only slight downside of this product is that the assembly is not the most straightforward, due in part to the weight of the product. Nevertheless, with good maintenance and protection from the weather, this quality chimenea is going to last you for years.
An excellent option for those who want a sturdy and reliable chimenea, with added safety from sparks as it is is fully enclosed by a cast iron shell with a hinged protective mesh door. Its design has a definite a steam-punk twist.
It is a heavy piece and not easy to move around by yourself, but this means it is less likely to be knocked over by storms, pets and children! The handy fuel tool that comes with it, will help you to distribute the wood evenly throughout the belly of the beast.
Create a relaxing evening ambience in your garden with this luxurious outdoor log burner from much-trusted brand La Hacienda. Its distinctive shape and unique design are guaranteed to add some chic Scandi charm to your patio.
Another plus is that, since it's made of alloy steel, if you look after this - admittedly pricey - investment piece, with a cover in wet weather and a rub-down and re-spray each year, then it will last and last, whilst still looking its best.
This unique piece is unlike any other chimenea. Built specifically for the purposes of cooking and grilling, this is a highly functional item. Crafted from high-grade clay, this sturdy oven requires little assembly. It does not have a tall chimney, but the entire top half is removable and is fitted with a detachable grill.
Keep in mind that, since this is made out of clay, it does require a fair bit of careful handling and maintenance in order to avoid cracking. Do also be aware of the dimensions of this petite product - its grill really would only serve a couple of people.
This medium-sized log fire is excellent if you all want a front row seat. It has a fine mesh protective screen that goes 3/4 of the way around the perimeter of the fire chamber, meaning that everyone gets a good view of the warming flames, which can be fed with wood, coal or charcoal.
This is one of the lightest options too, so it will be easy to transport around the garden if needed and is also easy to assemble. It radiates heat really well and requires little maintenance, but do keep it protected from the weather if you want the protective mesh to last.
A good-value chimenea from a trusted brand, this product combines the best of both worlds: the sturdiness of cast iron (the legs) and the lightness of steel (the body). With its compact design and short chimney, it's ideal as your first chimenea, if you only have a small patio or garden.
The main drawback of this model is that, due to its miniature size, it's not a show-stopper and may look 'lost' in a larger garden. Nevertheless, it still produces a good amount of heat to keep you and your toes toasty. Pro-tip: use smaller chunks of wood to fuel this chimenea and allow plenty of space inside for the air to circulate.
No. 1: Parks and Recreation|Corten Steel Tinderbox Chiminea
No. 2: Charles Bentley|Large Terracotta Clay Chiminea
No. 3: Blumfeldt|Westeros Garden Oven
No. 4: La Hacienda |Medium Steel Chimenea in Bronze
No. 5: Castmaster Stoves|Pasadena Chiminea Belly Heater
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