I love having friends over, but for safety I’ve been limiting my get-togethers to the backyard. When the weather started getting colder, I looked into outdoor supplemental heating sources and decided to get a fire pit. It was my best purchase of 2020, and I am obsessed. The warmth, the crackling flames, the communal spirit of being outside with awesome people is hard to beat.
In-ground fire pits are great, but it wasn’t an option for me since I wanted one on my deck. While researching options, I found two things really make the most difference-size and material.
A larger pit allows for a larger fire, and room for more people around it. A friend suggested I get a 40” pit, and I was reluctant since I don’t have a large deck. It turned out to be perfect, so tip #1 is that size matters.
Tip #2 is go with copper. It’s more expensive, but the bowl will last just about forever and it looks great. Steel pits and rusts out in a few years, so in the long run copper is a better value. I ended up with a Titan 40” round copper fire pit, and I’m in love. Here’s a link if you’re interested, and I should note that I don’t have any commercial connection with anything I recommend on IORVA. So if you love it, thank me, if you hate it, blame them.
Another suggestion to pass along, if you’d like to spend more time outside this year, look into getting a good wool blanket. They are warm (even when damp), resist drafts, and since they are a natural fiber they are not a fire hazard.
I splurged on some Biddy Murphy Irish wool throws, partially because they are wonderful blankets, and partially because I love saying Biddy Murphy. Rolls off the tongue, and you can really annoy people if you keep saying it with a bad Irish accent. Biddy Murphy, Biddy Murphy, Biddy Murphy, Biddy Murphy. See? It’s the simple pleasures in life.