Why a Round Fire Pit Grate Isn’t Enough for Serious Grilling

Introduction

Grilling with a round fire pit grate might look traditional, but it comes with real cooking limitations. Simple wire grates are not designed to handle foods that need more surface area or consistent heat. Try cooking bacon, hash browns, scrambled eggs, or loose items like rice or chopped vegetables — and you’ll quickly see the mess and inefficiency. These ingredients fall through the gaps, cook unevenly, or worse, create dangerous flare-ups.

This is where an Arteflame insert changes everything. Unlike standard grates, the Arteflame insert combines a traditional grill grate with a solid griddle surface, transforming your basic fire pit or grill into a high-performance outdoor kitchen. Suddenly, you’re not just limited to burgers and hot dogs—your grill can now handle breakfast spreads, stir-fries, and so much more. Your existing setup gets a serious upgrade without replacing your grill.

Benefits of Griddle + Grate

Combining a grill grate with a griddle creates a multipurpose cooking system that maximizes what your grill can do. The Arteflame insert is designed to let you cook virtually anything, from delicate items to full meals, all with outdoor grill flavor. Here's why it’s a game changer:

1. Versatility in Cooking

• Griddle Surface: Perfect for foods that are impossible or tough to grill on an open grate—bacon, eggs, pancakes, hash browns, rice, stir-fried vegetables, fajitas, and even seafood like scallops or flaky fish.
• Grate Sections: Still great for classic open flame cooking—steaks, burgers, and sausages get those beautiful grill marks everyone loves.

With both options, you’re not choosing between breakfast or barbecue. You can cook them side by side.

2. Superior Heat Management

The solid steel griddle absorbs heat evenly and retains it far better than cast iron or a standard pit grate. This means fewer flare-ups and a more balanced cook temperature across the surface, letting you prepare everything without constantly moving food around.

3. Food Safety and Cleanliness

When you're working with raw meats and vegetables in tight quarters, contamination is always a risk. The flat griddle makes it easier to manage juices and avoid cross contamination. Plus, the solid surface allows you to use metal utensils, easily scrape away debris, and keep your surface clean with simple seasonings like oil—not complex chemical cleaners.

4. One Insert, Countless Meals

From morning brunches to dinner feasts, the Arteflame lets you prepare full meals in one go. Picture this:

• Sizzling bacon and eggs on the griddle with a toasted English muffin on the side
• Grilled pineapple rings and cinnamon apples for a warm dessert
• Marinated shrimp and stir-fry rice served directly off the griddle
• Cheeseburgers with caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms — all made using different spots on the insert

5. No More Food Lost to the Fire

Think about how many times you’ve lost food through traditional grates — asparagus, mushrooms, and shrimp slipping into the coals. The solid griddle surface eliminates that frustration. Now, any food small enough to fall through can still be grilled or seared with precision.

6. Propane-Free Cooking with Wood or Charcoal

Because the Arteflame uses direct wood or charcoal heat, your food gets infused with real smoky flavor—something propane setups just can’t match. The steel insert holds and radiates this natural heat evenly, ensuring restaurant-quality results without the need for gas.

7. Aesthetic Appeal and Social Experience

The circular shape of the Arteflame design transforms your grill into a communal, fire-table style experience. Guests gather around as food cooks right in front of them—a visual and aromatic delight you don’t get with covered grills. It’s not just cooking; it’s entertaining.

8. Durability and Custom Fit

Each Arteflame insert is made of thick, solid U.S. steel—engineered to last a lifetime. They're precision-cut to fit a wide range of existing grills and fire pits, breathing new life into equipment you may have thought outgrown or worn out. With proper seasoning, the surface only gets better with age, like a well-used cast iron pan—but even stronger.

Conclusion

Upgrading your grill with an Arteflame insert isn't just a smart move—it's a transformation. No more watching bacon slip into the flames or skipping breakfast because your round fire pit grate can’t handle eggs or pancakes. With the combination of a flat griddle and open grill, the Arteflame unlocks full culinary freedom outdoors.

Thoughtfully engineered and 100% made in the USA from domestic steel, these inserts meet rigorous food safety standards and outlast any cast iron alternative. Unlike brittle cast iron, which is prone to chipping or cracking, Arteflame’s high-quality U.S. steel stays tough, season after season—truly built for a lifetime of grilling adventures.

Give your round fire pit new purpose. Add flavor, versatility, and durability to every outdoor meal with an Arteflame insert.