The Best Fire Pit Cooking Grate

"Fire pit grate" covers two different products, and buying the wrong one is the most common mistake people make. A cooking grate sits above the fire so you can grill on it. A fire grate sits under the wood to lift it off the ash so air can get in. If you want to cook, you want the first one.

Measure the pit first

Fit decides everything else. A cooking grate has to span the opening and sit flat, so measure the inside diameter of your pit at the rim, across the widest point. Write it down before you look at a single product. A grate two inches too small will tip when you put weight on one side, and one that is too large will not seat at all.

Most backyard masonry pits land between 27 and 36 inches inside. That is why our cooking grates come in 30 and 36 inch spans rather than one size.

Steel, stainless, or cast iron

Cast iron holds heat and gives a good sear. It is also heavy, and it will rust if you leave it out. Thin stainless will not rust but can warp over a hardwood fire. The two that hold up outdoors year after year are thick powder-coated high-carbon steel and heavy-gauge stainless.

• Walden Fire Pit BBQ Grill Grate — powder-coated high-carbon steel that holds up to 200 lbs. 30 inch at $149.99, 36 inch at $169.99. The one most people should buy.
• Walden Stainless Steel BBQ Grill Grate — heavy-gauge stainless, for anyone who would rather never think about it again. 30 inch at $199.99, 36 inch at $249.99.

Height matters more than material

Heat falls off fast with distance. A grate sitting four inches over the coals will sear; the same grate at twelve inches will roast. If your pit is deep, you need either a taller fire grate underneath to bring the coal bed up, or a cooking grate with legs that drop it down into the opening.

What goes under the wood

Air from below is the difference between a fire that burns clean and one that smoulders. A fire grate lifts the wood off the ash bed so the coals can breathe, which is also what makes a cooking fire easier to control.

• Walden Original Fire Pit Grate with Ember Catcher — catches the small pieces that would otherwise drop through and smother the bed. 24 inch at $189.99, 29.5 inch at $249.99.
• Walden Wagon Wheel Steel Fire Pit Grate — the simplest version of the idea, in 29, 33 and 35 inch, from $129.99.
• Tee Pee Fire Pit Grate — stands the wood on end instead of laying it flat, and fits any pit because it never has to span the opening.

So which is the best fire pit cooking grate

For most people: a 30 or 36 inch powder-coated steel grate sized to the inside of the pit, with a fire grate under the wood. That pairing costs less than one cast-iron grate from a hardware store and it will outlast the pit.

Both sizes of both cooking grates are in stock now. Measure first, then pick the span that covers your opening.

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