Top Hat Fire Pit

Safety

While owning a fire pit is all about fun, it is also essential to make sure safety is a priority:

• Supervise children at all times when the fire is lit as the steel will get very hot.
• Set your fire pit on stone, brick, gravel or on a slab on decking (it will develop rust as it ages which can mark stone surfaces). If putting your fire pit on grass, be aware it may get scorched underneath.
• Ensure a spark will not reach anything flammable.
• Keep a supply of water to hand in case you need to damp down the fire.
• Always use protective gloves when handling things such as BBQ racks.
• Ensure your fire pit is out (or put the lid on) before leaving it unattended.

Using your fire pit

• Only use well-seasoned dry wood to reduce smoke. You can also use charcoal (but not house coal).
• Make a fire with plenty of logs and burn for at least ½ hour before you want to use it (the first ½ hour of burning produces the most smoke).
• Ideally leave an hour before cooking to allow embers to form. You can separate the bigger logs to one side so that you can keep your fire ticking over while you cook over the embers.
• If you’re in a hurry to cook, add charcoal to the fire once it’s going and move the bigger logs to one side.
• Our BBQ Swing Arm and Tripod Racks are not designed to be left over intense flames for long periods. Place these over the embers once you’re ready to cook.
• Our cooking accessories are treated with oil to protect them before use. To remove this, heat the product over the fire before the first use and wash well. After every use, rub over a little cooking oil after washing and drying. If any rust develops, clean off with a wire brush, dry well and rub over with oil.
• After cooking remove the rack, load more logs and enjoy the warmth of the fire.

Looking after your fire pit

Your new fire pit is designed to be low maintenance and can be kept outdoors all year round but a few simple things will help extend its life:

• Your fire pit will develop an even rusty patina. This will not affect its use or longevity but if you like, you can clean it up with a wire brush and then rub over oil such as WD40.
• A lid will protect the bowl and keeps the base of ash and burnt wood dry for use next time. It also works as a snuffer to safely extinguish the fire and a table top when not in use.
• If you don’t have a lid, clean out your fire pit after use and make sure the raised disc in the bottom of the bowl is clear of ash etc to stop rainwater collecting.
• Our Indian fire bowls are made from thinner steel. You can look after them in the same way as the fire pits we make, but as the steel is less thick they will not last as long.