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Published: 2022-08-10 06:30:51 Updated: 2022-08-10 06:30:51

Posted August 10, 2022 6:30 a.m. EDT

The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.

If you’re planning some camping or beach trips to end your summer or start your fall, there’s an accessory you’ll want to make sure you pack: this BioLite FirePit+ that doubles as a portable bonfire and grill.

The BioLite FirePit+ burns standard wood or charcoal, depending on whether you’re wanting to use it for a wood fire or as a charcoal grill. With a built-in fan, the pit injects oxygen into the fire to burn off smoke before it can escape, which means you don’t have to worry about smoke in your face while trying to roast your marshmallows.

The pit has a mesh body so you can see the fire even if you have a pan on top and are using it as a grill. You can control the size of the flames by turning the built-in fan on low, medium, high or max via the unit itself or by downloading the brand’s free Bluetooth app.

Of course, you do not have to take the fire pit to go. You can just use it in your backyard when you’re wanting grilled food, but it is easily portable, measuring just 27 inches wide and weighing less than 20 pounds.

You can buy just the fire pit and grill on Amazon for $275.11, or head to BioLite’s website and grab a whole kit that also includes a pre-seasoned cast-iron griddle, lid and toolkit. The kit is priced at $440.82 right now.

I was able to test the BioLite fire pit and grill and was surprised at how great of a fire it produced, despite its small size. I used it in my backyard, so I can’t attest to its portability when traveling, but it only took a few minutes to put together and getting the fire lit was as easy as could be.

You’ll need to cut your wood into 16-inch pieces or smaller to make sure it fits. But after putting the wood in with a bit of newspaper to get things going, the fire lit with no problem and was easy to keep going. I found that if the fire seemed to be struggling a bit, turning the fan up helped right away, creating a larger fire until I turned the fan back down. I also had no problems with smoke blowing in my face.

I controlled the fan via the pit itself and the app just to test out the responsiveness of both and found them to be the same. The app downloaded instantly and connected to the unit with no issues and was incredibly responsive. It turned the fan up or down with no delay.

Although the pit is quite small, the fire lasted for more than an hour before I added more wood. It’s probably not a good idea to move the BioLite around when there is an active fire, but the handles don’t get hot. So if you’re taking it camping and need to move quickly for some reason, you don’t have to wait until the fire is out and the fire pit gets completely cool to do that.

The morning after the bonfire, I made another fire with charcoal and used the griddle pan to cook breakfast. I first made pancakes, whipping up the batter and then simply dropping it onto the pan just as I would if I was making them on the stove.

I kept the fan on low while cooking, then turned it off to let the fire die down once my breakfast was complete. The pancakes (and also hash brown patties I cooked afterward) had a wonderful wood-fired taste that I think would also be great for pizza!

While you could likely use wood as well, the charcoal likely works a bit better for cooking purposes; cooking over wood might not heat your food as evenly. The weather may also play a role when it comes to cooking times and even the amount of smoke it generates. It was already over 90 degrees with 84% humidity when I made breakfast at 9 a.m., so I wouldn’t be surprised if everything is a bit different when I try again in the fall — which I will definitely be doing!

As you can see, there was some smoke when I first put the pancakes on the griddle, but it quickly dissipated. Once the cooking was complete, there were no other issues with smoke.

While there aren’t many products that provide the versatility of BioLite fire pit, you can definitely find outdoor fire pits, like Solo Stove. Solo Stove’s fire pits can be taken on the go for camping or a trip to the beach, and can also be used at home.

Solo Stove fire pits come in a variety of sizes and, like Biolite, are smokeless. You can also buy accessories to turn the fire pit into a grill, like this Solo Stove Bonfire Grill Top or this Solo Stove Ranger Griddle. On Amazon, Solo Stoves cost $219.99 and up.

Another option is this Yaheetech Multifunctional Fire Pit Table, which can also be filled with ice and used as a cooler or can easily transform into a grill with the addition of a cooking grate. This product is currently available for $79.99 off a regular price of  $139.99.

The pit has nearly 7,000 reviews and a total rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. More than 70% of customers give the pit a full 5-star rating, saying it is easy to assemble and perfect for using either as a pit for bonfires or as a grill.

Will you be purchasing a fire pit and grill to enjoy the rest of summer and the coming cooler fall months?

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