Solo Stove Bonfire Review - The Perfect Fire Pit For The Backyard?

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It is a wood-burning, outdoor fire pit that achieves a balance between minimalist design and combustion airflow efficiency. It is the perfect fit for just about anyone.

With durability and effectiveness in mind, this backyard fire pit delivers a more resourceful method of bringing you more heat as opposed to using ordinary firewood by itself.

Check out our review of the Solo Stove Bonfire and why it has garnered rave reviews throughout the consumer world.

Solo Stove Bonfire Review:

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PROS

Setting everything up and packing it away after use can be done in less than a minute
It has a large drum to accommodate the enormous flame coming out of it
Minimal smoke exhaust
It is constructed out of a durable stainless steel material which can last for years

CONS

It is not meant for backpacking or camping trips but is still suitable for use in the backyard
It is not a good fit for cooking just about anything because of the intense heat, but it is still ideal for roasted marshmallows.
It has no handles for easy carrying, but a couple of extra pairs of hands can do the job if you’re planning on moving it around.
The bottom container doesn’t separate from the main unit which makes cleaning more difficult than other models, but scooping out the ash is still an easy task.

Key Features of the Solo Stove Bonfire

Durable 304 Stainless Steel Construction

The Solo Stove Bonfire fire pit is made to last. Its premium grade 304 stainless steel construction can handle more than just the average bumps and scratches.

The durability of this model can even withstand the intense heat coming out of it. Expect the Bonfire to last for years as long as there’s still proper observance of correct cleaning and maintenance practices.

The Perfect Ambiance for Your Backyard

Backyard barbecues or just hanging out with family and friends with the Solo Stove Bonfire creates the right ambiance while you’re chatting it up with the people closest to your heart.

Albeit the intense heat, it brings isn’t suitable for cooking food, you can still roast some marshmallows with it.

Efficient Wood-Burning Prowess

Lighting and burning firewood without proper equipment offers more hassles than convenience. With the Solo Stove Bonfire, it brings optimum wood-burning efficiency for all types of dry hardwoods.

While softwoods can still be used with this unit, hardwoods such as maple, hickory, oak, or birch will last longer.

Nonetheless, all of the wood will burn to ash which promotes cost effectiveness and added reliability.

Quick Heating

Other stoves will let you wait a few minutes before the flames start to pick up. With the Solo Stove Burner, on the other hand, the flames will start to stir up in less than a minute.

Waiting times are shortened just to get the fire started, even if it’s frigid outside.

Users can even add some catalysts, such as a few pieces of straw to make the flame light up faster than the norm.

Less Smoke

Once the Solo Stove Bonfire heats up, it does produce less smoke than other units on the market.

It even produces less smoke than a regular campfire. However, it does take a good 10 to 15 minutes before it reaches this point.

Nonetheless, it’s a practical choice if you want to minimize smoke emissions (so as not to scare the neighbors).

Quick Cooling

A remarkable trait of the Solo Stove Burner is it can rapidly cool. Even if temperatures can get significantly high while it’s burning wood, the stove will cool down in just a matter of minutes.

Once it burns everything inside the drum down to ash and there’s nothing left to heat up, the temperature in the unit levels lower rapidly.

Easy Cleanup

Cleaning up the remains of the wood burnt with the Solo Stove Bonfire is just as easy as lighting it up.

Since the unit cools down reasonably quick, you can remove the ash pan at the bottom of the fire pit to scoop out the ashes from the wood you’ve used to heat up the surroundings.

Once the ashes are out of the way, you can put in a fresh batch of wood to keep the flames going.

What Users are Saying About the Solo Stove Bonfire:

Rave reviews are piling up from users and owners of the Solo Stove Bonfire. At the time of writing, its Amazon product page has garnered 98 customer reviews, and these provided the item with a 4.8-star rating.

It offers just about everything it advertised, which means it does give excellent value for money.

One Bonfire reviewer by the name of Mark Bernardin even exclaims that “this thing rocks!” His experience with this particular stove is nothing short of extraordinary.

Flames will start picking up as soon as you ignite the drum. Once it hits the 10 or 15-minute mark, almost all of the smoke coming out of it disappears.

The reviewer even says that he’s going to get two more to give as gifts just because they’re “just so cool!”

Solo Stove Bonfire vs. Solo Stove Titan:

These two products have the same manufacturer so it’s expected that the two would have common grounds and features.

First of all, both have the same design and material build. They have the same mechanism with wood-burning capability.

The most obvious thing that is different about the Solo Stove Titan is its size. The Solo Stove Titan is about 1 pound, compared to the Bonfire at 20 pounds.

Similar to the Solo Stove Lite, the Titan is meant to be an ultra-portable fire pit for something like backpacking.

How Worthy is the Solo Stove Bonfire Compared to its Price?

Is the Solo Stove Bonfire expensive? Yes. Is it worth every penny you shell out just to acquire it? Yes.

Albeit the Bonfire by Solo Stove is a more expensive model as compared to other similar products on the market, it’s worth every cent.

Its durability is top-notch, its heating performance is right on the money, and even cleaning and maintenance for the unit can be achieved using simple methods.

So is it the perfect stove for the backyard? It might not be the perfect unit, but it’s pretty close to it.

It takes advantage of a unique airflow system that provides an efficient way of bringing heat and comfortable flames to your backyard.

The Bonfire offers a bunch of other benefits such as quick cooling, highly robust construction, and efficient wood-burning prowess.

With these characteristics combined into one ideal package, you won’t regret spending the extra dollars to get this quality product.

(FAQ) About Solo Stove Bonfire:

Main issues to focus in Solo Stove Bonfire FAQ

Fire burning Quality
Fire materials
Placement facilities and warnings
Cooking facilities and limitation
Fire extinguish process and warnings
Cleaning process
Carrying facilities and suggestion
Smokeless fire pit
How hot is the exterior
Quick cooling
Safety in rain or cold
Durability

Frequently Asked Questions:

How Fast Does the Stove Burn Wood in Comparison with A Traditional Fire Pit?

A. Due to having the actual structure of the double-wall chamber, the Solo Stove Bonfire gets a hotter fire than others but the wood doesn’t seem to burn that much quicker.

How quick the flame will start?

A. With the Solo Stove Burner, the flames will start to stir up in less than a minute while other stoves will let you wait a few minutes before the flames start to pick up even if it’s frigid outside. By adding extra catalysts, such as a few pieces of straw, you can make the flame light up faster than the norm.

Is it possible to warm myself with all of my friends of an outdoor party sitting around the stove having smallish diameter in cold?

A. Of course, you can. You can enjoy the warmth of an efficient fire pit with your folks more than 8 people with an outdoor temperature at below 45 degree even.

The stove does an excellent job of emitting heat and the upright design keeps the smoke upward much better than the more traditional ones.

Can I roast a chicken on a self-supporting rotating spit over the Solo Bonfire?

A. Yes, You can. But mind the fact about messing up the nice stainless steel of the body of the stove with the cooking grease and oils.

How can I manage to cook with the stove?

so that I can cook on it?

A: No, there is no attachment to cook.

Actually the stove is not made for cooking. But some of the clients have incredibly used the stove for cooking while camping. It worked amazingly well and heated a heavy cast iron pan in about 45 seconds.

A round grill grate might work for you with the caution that you only sit whatever cooking vessel you decide to use.

The Stove with intense heat is ideal for smores, hot dogs and brats. You can still roast some marshmallows with it. You are advised to clean it after a few uses, most importantly. Hope this help much.

How can I clean it instantly?

A. No. The container doesn’t come apart aside from removing that top ring.
There is a ring around the top that lifts off and you can just dump the ashes out. And when cooled down, wipe down the exterior.

You can use your vacuum cleaner that sucks the ash out nicely. Then wipe down with dry cloth.
Don’t go for the suggestion of buying the bonfire cleaning tool unnecessarily.

Can I use it as an insert for my stone fire pit?

A. Yes. But be careful about the ring around the bottom of the stove can fully be used as an AIR INTAKE.

The real feature of the Solo is that it uses the bottoms air flow holes to feed the fire. So, being completely blocked from air flow or really getting constrained, you will not get the effective results.

Upstanding of the manufacture of the stove having flat bottom with the holes being able to draw air to burn the wood completely will certainly give you the scope of sitting fairly close to the pit to enjoy the heat, if it’s cold out.

Can I set the stove directly on a wooden deck?

A. Yes, you can. But it would be a safe idea of using something like a layer of 2 inch thick concrete paving stone or ceramic tiles left over from a bathroom project between the stove and deck. See our post on deck fire pits.

Is it risky to place the stove on sand?

A. If the sand is firm and compact, you have no risk. Just take care so that the hole should not get covered.

Is it possible to use the stove to burn yard waste like my brick lined fire pit that I use to burn some garden clippings and leaves?

A. The Bonfire will burn anything flammable that will fit inside. I would suggest you to check the Manufacturer’s website as I don’t think you are supposed to use any accelerant to start the fire.

If you burn kindling, leaves or wet wood it’s going to smoke. It’s too small for that and not designed for that purpose either.

It holds an average size logs, so technically you could burn garden clippings. You can spend a long day of burning yard waste. The Bonfire is great for what it was made for- a Nice backyard fire pit.

I live in the forest. Is there something special about it that it doesn’t give off spark?

A. As a contained fire unit, the stove is incredible. You can use clean burning densities hardwood logs in it. No smoke, high heat, low/no ember sparks…awesome.

Just for safety, though probably not needed, you may take the suggestion of placing a fireproof mat under it that you can get from Amazon.

How can I manage to carry the stove outside as it has no handle?

A. You can use a couple of extra pairs of hands that do the job if you’re planning on moving it around.

The stove comes with a very durable Bag that has carrying handles too. Just wait for few minutes to cool down the stove to put it in the bag to carry the stove safely.
The stove is light enough to be easily transported.

How quickly the stove cools down?

A. The Solo Stove Burner is highly recommended for the quality that it can rapidly cool down. Even if temperatures can get significantly high while it’s burning wood, the stove will cool down in just a few minutes, within 30 -40 minutes depending on the ambient temperature at best.

What is the best and safest way to extinguish the fire in case of emergency?

A. In an emergency situation, you can turn the hose on it.

Using water would be the quickest way to extinguish the fire but be prepared for premature rusting of the inside by doing so. Better off letting it burn out naturally.

You could try a fire blanket. They cost about $10.

Does the exterior get hotter than regular fire pit?

A. No, it stays considerably cooler, because it is drawing cold air from bottom, though it’s still hot at it’s the opening.

The side is a bit warm to feel but it’s not searing hot due to the fact that the fire pit seems to have two walls with some insulation between the walls while you are never supposed to a put your hand anywhere of the side of any regular fire pit like weber fire pit since it’s pretty hot.

What better fire materials should I use for efficient burning?

A. You can burn any type of biomass such as twigs, small and large branches, pine straw, pine cones, garden waste, clumps of dried grass, wood pellets, etc.

You can use small amount of charcoal to start then add the firewood if the wood is a little wet.
While softwoods can still be used with this unit, hardwoods such as maple, hickory, oak, or birch will last longer.

Nonetheless, all of the wood will burn to ash which promotes cost effectiveness and added reliability.

Can I use it for burning confidential documents?

A. Yes, you can bearing in mind the fact that papers will burn, but you will build up a lot of ash.

Does it come with a spark arrester screen?

A. No, it is all open at the top.

Is it possible to use the stove inside a gazebo?

A. Yes, you can. But make sure that you have good ventilation due to the Carbon monoxide emitted by it like any other stoves.

Can I place the stove under a covered patio with good ventilation?

A. Yes, you can. But, being a device of burning fuel, it is better not to place this in a covered area frequently.

Is there a cover for it to protect from rain or dust?

A. No. It comes with a bag that you can use to cover it up.
You can store yours in the bag it came with on your covered back patio.

How “smoke free” is this?

A. Once you get the fire burning, the stove is 100% smoke free.

There will be little smoke at the initial starting of the fire. Once it gets going and you get some hot coals, the circles at the bottom and airflow really do make this virtually smoke free.

As long as you are burning firewood and not garbage or wet wood, it has minimal smoke.

How long can I use the Stove?

A. The Bonfire will last for years as long as there’s still proper observance of correct cleaning and maintenance practices.

Overall Verdict!

Many stoves are circulating the market that can provide you with an adequate source of heating for your backyard or even for camping trips.

However, many models are not on par with the number of benefits the Solo Stove Bonfire can bring into your life.

Yes, the Bonfire by Solo Stove is an expensive model, and it can put a hole in your spending allowance if you’re on a tight budget.

Still, if you think about all the right things you’re going to get when you own it, you won’t regret shelling out the extra cash just to acquire this magnificent stove.

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1 thought on “Solo Stove Bonfire Review – The Perfect Fire Pit For The Backyard?”

astro43 December 14, 2019 at 6:28 am
I bought the ultimate bundle with the tongs, poker, waterproof cover and screen for the top.
It set up quickly and fire started easy. My firewood is not great. Some pine and probably elm, bought from the backyard of some random person in town.
When I got the bigger 3-4” logs in the flames, the fire grew quickly, burned well, and I could see the “gasifier” effect; flames appear to shoot from the round holes near the top of the unit.
I ended up with a lot of black smoke. It’s probable my wood was a bit damp.
My biggest disappointment? Heat does not effectively radiate from the stainless steel walls. I placed my hand an inch or so from the side, where it felt cool, and was fooled into thinking it wasn’t hot. When I touched the side it would definitely have left a nasty burn had I not been quick.
Heat radiates well above the top of the unit, while there’s a hot fire. Sitting around the bonfire, my legs were not kept warm.
This is a very efficient way to burn wood, and directing nearly all that heat straight up like a focused mag-light. Some is radiated outward, but most is directed in a beam towards the sky.
A nice conversation piece, fun to play with fire in this unit, but not really a great source of heat to sit aroun.md on a cold evening.

Solo Stove Bonfire Review – The Perfect Fire Pit For The Backyard?