Best Fire Pit Grills for Cooking Over an Open Flame

Introduction

Cooking outside over a fire pit can be a lot of fun, but doing it well depends on having the right equipment. The old campfire-plus-tripod approach with a swinging pot is neither safe nor easy to cook on. Fire pits built for cooking are far more stable and far easier to work with, and they double as the social focal point of an outdoor gathering.

We looked at a lineup of eight cooking fire pits with a price range spanning roughly $170 to $720, running a series of cooking tests on each. Two models stood out: a premium smokeless option and a lighter, more affordable pick. Here is what the testing revealed and which one fits your setup.

What Makes a Good Fire Pit Grill

Size and capacity of the pit itself turned out to be one of the most important design factors. The smallest pit in the test measured 16.5 inches wide, and building a fire in it was difficult: the logs sat almost vertically and the cooking temperature was very hard to control. One test recipe required a dual zone fire with different temperatures, which was barely possible in that small pit.

At the other extreme, a 27 inch pit needed a large amount of wood just to reach a sufficient cooking temperature. Something in the middle, around 23 inches, split the difference: logs fit with a slight diagonal arrangement, temperature was easy to maintain, and a dual zone setup was achievable when needed. Good food could eventually be cooked on any size, but adequate space simply made everything easier.

Grate Size and Design

Cooking space on the grate matters just as much as the size of the pit. The tested range ran from 201 to 572 square inches, and testers looked for at least 225 square inches.

Grate bar design was another key detail. Straight bars with generous spacing between them act as a drop zone: asparagus, strips of bell pepper, and similar foods slip right through. A crosshatch design keeps all the food in place instead.

Build Quality and Stability

Sturdiness showed up clearly in one test: cooking chili in a heavy cast iron dutch oven that weighs over 13 pounds empty. That load exposed which grates felt solid and which felt flimsy enough to make testers worry the pot could slide into the fire.

Adjustability is the final must-have. Some grates simply lie flat on top of the pit with no adjustment at all, so when the fire dies down you cannot move the food closer to the heat. On those models you have to lift off the whole grate or keep stoking the fire. The better designs let you change the grate height with a turn of a knob and swing it side to side laterally, which makes fire access easier and temperature control much simpler. A grill glove is strongly recommended, because these parts get seriously hot.

A Note on Smokeless Claims

Several models advertise themselves as smokeless. In testing, that did not hold up. Some were genuinely smoke-reducing, enough that testers felt their typically higher price tags were worthwhile if low smoke matters to you. Just think of them as smoke-reducing rather than smokeless.

Brio X19 Smokeless Fire Pit Grilling Bundle

The overall recommendation. At $720 it is expensive, but it got the size right, offers the easily adjustable grate, and did a wonderful job in the cooking tests. If low smoke output is a priority and the budget allows, this is the one to get.

Bare Bones Cowboy Fire Pit Grill

If you want to spend less and get something lighter and easier to move around, the Bare Bones Cowboy fire pit grill is the pick at $390. It is not smokeless, but it delivers a stable, adjustable cooking platform for open-fire cooking at a friendlier price.

Buying Advice

Match the pit to your priorities. If you value reduced smoke and best-in-class adjustability, the Brio X19 justifies its premium price. If portability and value matter more, the Bare Bones Cowboy is the smarter spend. Either way, prioritize a mid-sized pit around 23 inches, at least 225 square inches of grate space, a crosshatch grate design, and height and lateral grate adjustability.

Conclusion

Fire pit grills have come a long way from the tripod-and-swinging-pot era. The Brio X19 smokeless fire pit grilling bundle at $720 is the top all-around choice, while the Bare Bones Cowboy fire pit grill at $390 is the value pick. Both make open-fire cooking safer, more stable, and genuinely enjoyable.