A tale of two fire pits
I love everything about camping, but my favoritesy part is wrapping up the night around a roaring campfire. This summer I tested out two different fire pits, the Solo Stove and BioLite, to find the best option for smoke-free campfire nights and cooking.
Solo Stove Bonfire and Cast Iron Griddle:
This portable smoke-free fire pit uses a Signature 360° Airflow system to heat the air and burn off smoke before it reaches you.
This means no more smoky hair, no more yelling “Fluffy Bunnies, and never changing seats to make fire smoke flee. The Bonfire size pit is large enough for a crowd but possible to carry in an included bag for travel to campsites. While you previously had to turn the fire pit over to remove ash, the new 2.0 version includes removable ash pan for dumping leftovers fast.
While roasting s’mores over the Bonfire is a blast, you can amp up your evening by adding the Cast-Iron Griddle. This flat top cast iron pan sits on top of the metal hub and cooks everything from flapjacks to frankfurters.
This griddle worked well for cooking both during our campout, but we did make one huge error during cooking. We didn’t realize this griddle was not pre-seasoned with oil and we had to borrow oil from neighboring campers to cook without burning. Pre-season the griddle before camping or bring along a bottle of flaxseed oil to season before cooking. Simply let your flame burn down to embers and toss on the griddle to slow cook your favorite foods with ease.
Pit Commander Talons:
While this accessory is not made for the Solo Stove specifically, it is designed to work with any smokeless fire pit to move logs, poke embers, and maintain an even burn. Also great for grabbing hot dogs off the griddle! So wonderful to use with campfires that we don’t know how we ever fire pitted without it.
Biolite FirePit:
We love this portable wood and charcoal fire pit for everything from beach grilling to camping to backyard cooking.
This fire pit also claims to be smoke free and eliminates smoke with patented airflow technology and a powerful fan that controls and fans the flames. Upgraded with an X-Ray mesh body so you can see the flames. We enjoyed the ability to quick start a fire with some kindling and the fan as opposed to the longer process of getting a regular fire started.
When it’s time to cook, raise the fuel rack and toss in charcoal to turn this fire pit into a hibachi-style grill, with an included grill grate. When compared to the Solo Stove Griddle, we loved how lightweight and portable the Biolite is and that the grill requires no seasoning or prep. We simply threw on kabobs and grilled away!
The BioLite cooked kabobs quickly and evenly, but we learned our lesson to use larger pieces of meat and veggies next time to prevent them from falling off skewers and into the pit. Whether you’re cooking or chilling, control the size of your flames manually or with the free Bluetooth app.
If portability is important to you, you’ll want to purchase the Carry bag, which makes travel to beaches and campsites. We also love the foldable legs that storing the fire pit a snap when not in use.
While we leave our Solo Stove on our patio all the time, it’s important to stash the Biolite FirePit away when not in use due to
The electronics in the fan. Bonus: the battery can also be used to charge tour smartphone in a pinch.
While we love both the Solo Stove and BioLite fire pits, we prefer the Solo Stove as our backyard buddy for cooking and relaxing. The BioLite is much easier to tote anywhere, making it ideal when you want a fire, a grill, and a cellphone charger in one.
