Preview: Solo Stove Bonfire

Attribution: Solo Stove (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/340672218/solo-stove-bonfire-the-worlds-most-unique-fire-pit)

I love my Solo Stove Lite. It’s so simple, yet produces such an efficient flame. There’s also the fact that its fuel is free, which facilitates its low cost of operation. Given its popularity, Solo Stove has released larger versions, including the Titan and Campfire. You can see a comparison of these three stoves, below:

Caption: Size comparison of the Lite, Titan and Campfire stoves.

Attribution: Solo Stove (https://www.solostove.com)

Looks like Solo Stove is at it again, with a new stove that is continuing the trend of even larger fire machines. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Bonfire is almost ready for official release. As of the time of this writing, Solo Stove anticipates it’ll be released by the end of February 2017 at a cost of $289.99. It’s my understanding that a handful of backers have already received their Bonfires and the reviews so far seem to be good.

So What’s Special About the Bonfire?

Solo Stove advertises the Bonfire as “the worlds [sic] most unique fire pit” and I think that description fits nicely. Basically, the Bonfire is just a much larger version of the Lite, Titan and Campfire and works the same way, as “a natural convection inverted downgas gasifier stove.” Officially, the Bonfire is not intended to be used for cooking, although roasting hot dogs and marshmallows are officially approved by Solo Stove.

Attribution: Solo Stove (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/340672218/solo-stove-bonfire-the-worlds-most-unique-fire-pit)

The official specifications state the Bonfire is 14 inches high and 19.5 inches wide, weighs 20 pounds and is made of 304 stainless steel, just like its little brothers. However, unlike the Lite, Titan and Campfire, the Bonfire does not use any nichrome wire. You can see the differences below:

Caption: Top view of the Bonfire. Note the stainless steel bottom, with no nichrome wire.

Attribution: Solo Stove (https://www.solostove.com)

Caption: The top view of the Titan. Note the nichrome wire bottom.

Attribution: Solo Stove (https://www.solostove.com)

Things I’m Curious About

Do I anticipate buying the Bonfire? Not anytime soon, but I want to get one eventually. My wife and I have discussed buying or building a fire pit in our backyard for a while now and I think this is an interesting possibility. It’s one of more expensive portable fire pits available, but I think the price is worth it; you’re definitely getting what you pay for. Given my experiences with my Solo Stove Lite, I anticipate the Bonfire will last forever, with minimum maintenance required.

What will be a major deciding factor as to whether or not I get the Bonfire is how well it can be used for cooking. I really want to be able to grill with the Bonfire, although given its size, it may not be more advantageous than using my outdoor charcoal grill.

My guess is a simple grate that’s elevated high enough over the Bonfire will work, or using a tripod or rotisserie will work as well. But will the Bonfire perform better (from a cooking perspective) than a typical open fire? That remains to be seen, although some of you out there who are more experienced with open fire cooking can give us some insight. I think one of the biggest advantages of the Bonfire will be its efficiency. According to Solo Stove, 20 pounds of wood will turn into only 5 ounces of ash.

What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment.