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Cooking Over a Firepit (Propane or Natural Gas)
We all know that cooking on your wood-burning fire pit is a lovely way to make delicious food and get a bit more use out of it. But for those of us with a gas fire pit, we can’t help but ask - can I cook on a gas fire pit?
Let’s dive straight in and find out…
What type of gas is my fire pit?
First, let’s get to grips with the different types of gas fire pits that are currently on offer.
There are two primary types of gas fire pits:
Propane – also known as liquid propane is basically petroleum gas stored at high pressure (which is what makes it a liquid).
Natural gas – this is the gas you get from the mains supply. If you have a gas supply running to your house, then you will almost certainly be using it for your heating and your gas hobs.
Each type has its own pros and cons, which we have explored in a lot more detail.
Can I cook with Propane
The simple answer is you can indeed cook with your propane gas fire pit.
In fact, if you have a gas BBQ, it will most likely run on liquid propane.
Propane burns cleanly and hot, which is great for cooking, and it burns cleanly, meaning it won’t leave your food with any toxins or bad taste.
Can I cook with Natural Gas?
Similarly, a natural gas fire pit can absolutely be used for cooking. After all, it’s the same fuel that’s used for your gas hob in your kitchen.
Again, natural gas burns nicely and hot, which is ideal for food.
How to cook over a gas fire pit?
In order to cook on your gas fire pit, you’ll need to buy a few additional bits of equipment or accessories. Which accessories you need depends on what and how you want to cook.
There are four primary ways of cooking on your fire pit. Let’s dig into them.
Grill – This is your classic BBQ-style grill that sits over the fire. Fire pit grills are readily available, and there is every chance that your fire pit brand has its own bespoke grill. If not, you ideally want something freestanding that you can control the height of.
Rotisserie – rotisserie cooking is one of our most favourite ways to cook outdoors and on our fire pits. Slow-cooked and rotated, it’s a fantastic way to add a depth of flavour to your food.
Stick – This is your classic western movie-style cooking: a bit of food at the end of a stick, hovering above the fire. It will also no doubt make you think of toasting marshmallows. Yum!
Pot cooking – pot cooking over a fire pit is exactly as it sounds: heating a pot with the fire pit. This is ideal if you want to make a stew or a soup outside, or even push the boat out and make a nice curry.
Things to avoid when cooking on a gas fire pit
An important thing to bear in mind is that not all gas fire pits are designed for cooking.
Many gas fire pits come with additional features or designs, such as lava rocks, faux wood, safety shields, etc. All of these will make cooking on your gas fire pit more difficult.
The key to cooking on your fire pit is getting the food close enough to the heat source. For some fire pits, this just isn’t possible (though if all you want to do is toast a marshmallow or two, then you shouldn’t have a problem!).
On top of that, if there is one thing that you want to avoid at all costs, it is getting any sort of food, liquid, or any sort of residue on your gas fire pit’s valves. This isn’t necessarily easy if you are cooking directly over the fire.
Why do you want to avoid this? There are a couple of reasons:
- Your valves may get clogged, which will reduce the heat from your fire and decrease its efficiency. For natural gas and propane, there is also the worry that the fuel is not burned efficiently, which in turn produces carbon monoxide, which can be very dangerous when it builds up in enclosed spaces of any sort.
- Hard to clean off – food and residue hitting the fire source will be very hard to clean off as it will be scorched onto the metal.
Final Thoughts
As we said above, fire is fire at the end of the day, and using the flame from your gas fire pit is fine for cooking.
Depending on your fire pit's design, cooking might be easier or harder. If you have a simple open fire, however, you shouldn’t have any problems and will be able to find plenty of accessories to help you turn your gas fire pit into a versatile outdoor kitchen.
Of course, if you’re looking for that authentic BBQ flavouring that comes from the smoke of burning a good hardwood, then a gas fire pit won’t give you that, sadly, but you can’t always have everything!
FAQs
Can I cook directly over lava rocks or fire glass?
No, and it's worth being clear why. Lava rocks and fire glass are not treated for food use, so nothing you plan to eat should be sitting directly above them or coming into contact with them.
The bigger problem is dripping fat. Lava rock is porous, so fat soaks straight in, then smokes heavily on every burn after that. It cannot be cleaned out, which means the rocks are ruined and need replacing. Anything that runs past the media reaches the burner itself, where baked-on residue clogs the ports and leaves you with an uneven flame or a burner that fails altogether.
If your fire pit uses media and you want to cook on it, use a self-contained grill that holds its own fat rather than a bare grate sitting over the fire. Nothing should be dripping down into the fire pit at all.
Will cooking on my gas fire pit damage it or affect the warranty?
It can do both, so it pays to check first.
Many gas fire pits are sold and certified as heating appliances rather than cooking appliances, and using one to cook can fall outside the terms of the warranty.
Physically, the risk is spilt fat and food residue reaching the burner and control valves, where it bakes on and restricts the gas flow.
Stainless steel and powder-coated finishes can also discolour where dripping fat scorches onto them. Check your manual or ask the manufacturer directly, and if cooking is your main aim, a purpose-built grill accessory made for your model is the safer route.
What happens if food or fat spills into my gas fire pit?
Ideally, you shouldn't need to. A gas fire pit that has been cooked on properly comes out of it clean, because nothing has been allowed to drip into it in the first place. Use a self-contained grill or a tray that catches its own fat, keep pots and pans steady so nothing boils over, and don't cook anything fatty on a bare grate over the fire.
If something does spill, deal with it before you use the fire pit again rather than leaving it to bake on.
Let everything cool completely, then lift out the grill or cooking accessory and wash it separately. Wipe the surrounding surfaces with warm soapy water and a soft cloth, avoiding anything abrasive on painted or powder-coated finishes. Check the burner ports for splashes or debris and clear them gently with a soft brush, never a wire one, which can widen or damage the ports. If the flame is uneven, yellow or lazy the next time you light it, that points to a partial blockage and needs clearing before you use the fire pit again.
