Fire Pit With Cooktop: How They Work and What to Look For

A fire pit with a cooktop is a wood-burning fire pit you can cook a whole meal on. Instead of roasting marshmallows on sticks, you cook steaks, vegetables, eggs and seafood on a steel surface heated by the fire, and when dinner is done you sit around the same fire. This guide explains the main designs, what to check before you buy, and what they cost.

How a fire pit cooktop works

A fire burns in a steel bowl. A flat steel cooking surface sits above or around the fire and heats from it. Because the heat comes from one fire, the surface is not the same temperature everywhere: it is hottest closest to the flames and cooler farther away. That is a feature, not a flaw. It gives you several heat zones at once, the same idea as a Spanish plancha.

The three main designs

A ring gives you the most cooking area and the widest range of temperatures, and it leaves the fire visible in the middle. A plate over the fire is usually cheaper and can be taken off, but it covers the fire and holds less food.

What to check before you buy

1. Cooking area. A cooktop for a family needs a few hundred square inches; for a party you want 700 or more. For reference, Arteflame's 40″ cooktop has more than 1,250 square inches.
2. Steel thickness. Thicker steel holds heat evenly and does not warp. Thin plates cool down when you add food.
3. Included or add-on. Some fire pits include the cooktop; others sell it separately. Compare the price of the full cooking setup, not just the fire pit.
4. A grate over the fire. A cooktop alone is a griddle. A grate in the center lets you sear directly over the flames.
5. Bowl material. Corten weathers to a protective patina; stainless steel stays bright and handles coastal air better. See Corten vs stainless steel.
6. Height. A low fire pit is comfortable from a chair. A tall base puts the cooktop at counter height for standing cooks.
7. Weight and portability. Heavy steel stays put and lasts; light fire pits are easier to move or take camping.
8. Fuel. Most burn wood or charcoal. A few can be converted to gas.

What they cost

Prices vary widely with size, materials and whether the cooktop is included. As of September 2026:

• Fire pits with add-on cooking tops, such as Breeo and Solo Stove, start at a few hundred dollars for the fire pit. Breeo's X Series starts at $399, and its Flat Top plate starts at $169 extra.
• Fire pits with an included griddle top, such as the Pitts & Spitts Corten fire pit, start around $550.
• Cooking-ring fire pits cost more because of the heavy steel. OFYR's 100 cm Corten model lists at €1,995 in Europe. The Arteflame 40″ Fire Pit with Cooktop starts at $1,995 in Corten and $2,495 with a stainless bowl.

See detailed comparisons with OFYR, Breeo and Solo Stove, or all our comparisons.

How to cook on a fire pit cooktop

1. Build the fire early. Light hardwood or lump charcoal 30–45 minutes before cooking so the steel heats through.
2. Oil the cooktop. Wipe on a thin layer of high-smoke-point oil once it is hot.
3. Use the zones. Sear near the fire, cook through in the middle of the ring, and keep food warm at the edge. On an Arteflame we measure about 450–550°F toward the inner edge, 250–350°F toward the outer edge, and over 1,000°F on the center grate.
4. Feed the fire. Add a log or a handful of charcoal as it burns down.
5. Clean while warm. Scrape the steel and wipe on a light coat of oil to protect it.
6. Then enjoy the fire. Add a few logs and it is a fire pit for the rest of the evening.

Arteflame fire pits with a cooktop

Arteflame makes the 40″ Fire Pit with Cooktop in Corten, with no base for built-in installations or on a low Euro or round base, about 12″ high, like a fire pit you pull chairs around. The cooktop is the same hot-rolled carbon steel ring as on our 40″ grills, with more than 1,250 square inches of cooking surface and a grill grate over the fire. The same fire pit comes with a stainless steel bowl in the Platinum Series, and the Corten model can be converted to gas. If you prefer to cook standing up, the Classic 40″ grills put the same cooktop on a tall base. All are made in Phoenix, Arizona. See all Arteflame fire pits.

Frequently asked questions

Can you cook on any fire pit?

You can roast food over most fire pits, but cooking a meal needs a stable grate or steel surface at the right height. Many fire pits sell cooking accessories; a fire pit with a cooktop has one built for it.

What is the best fuel for cooking on a fire pit?

Dry, seasoned hardwood such as oak, hickory or maple, or lump charcoal. Avoid treated or painted lumber, which is not safe for cooking.

How hot does a fire pit cooktop get?

It depends on the fire and the design. On an Arteflame, the cooktop runs about 450–550°F toward the inner edge and 250–350°F toward the outer edge, and the center grate passes 1,000°F.

Is a fire pit with a cooktop the same as a fire pit grill?

Mostly. Both cook over a wood fire in a fire pit. "Fire pit grill" often means a taller unit built mainly for cooking, while "fire pit with cooktop" usually sits low, like a fire pit.

How do you care for a steel cooktop?

Scrape it while it is warm and wipe on a light coat of oil after each use, like a cast-iron pan. Over time the oil builds a low-stick seasoning.