Arteflame Classic 40-Inch Low Euro Base Corten Steel Fire Pit

A 40-inch Classic fire pit from Arteflame on a low Euro base, and you choose whether it is purely a fire pit or a fire pit with a removable steel cooktop you can grill and griddle on. The bowl is made of 10-gauge Corten steel, about 3.4 mm thick, with no paint to chip, and it weathers to a warm rust-colored patina. Arteflame builds it in Phoenix, Arizona.

Add the cooktop and it grills steaks and griddles eggs at the same time

The cooktop version adds a ½-inch steel ring around the fire with 1,250+ sq in of flat cooking surface and a center grill grate that passes 1,000°F. Sear over the grate, then slide food out toward the rim, which runs cooler, to finish or keep warm. Because the steel sits between the fire and the food, grease never drips into the flames, so there are no flare-ups on the griddle.

The round cooktop has no front or back, which changes how a cookout feels: eight or more people can stand around it while dinner cooks.

It sits at 22 inches, so it is built for sitting around the fire

On the low Euro base, the rim is about 22 inches off the ground, a relaxed height for chairs pulled up around a wood fire. Grilling from that height works well when you are cooking for people who are seated; if you want to cook standing up, the 40-inch grills on tall bases put the same cooktop at 40 inches.

Best for a backyard where the fire pit and the grill have to be one thing

Choose it if you want a sculptural centerpiece that also replaces a separate grill, and you mostly cook for a group. If you prefer a different base shape, the same bowl and cooktop come on the Classic 40-Inch Low Round Base Fire Pit. If you never plan to cook on it, the Fire Pit Only version saves the cost of the cooktop. We do not carry the cooktop separately, so if cooking is likely, order the cooktop version now.

Before you order: plan the surface, the seasoning and the warm-up

Set it on pavers, concrete or gravel rather than a wood deck, and check local fire rules and clearances. On the cooktop version, season the steel with the included puck before the first cook and give it 30 to 45 minutes to heat through. The cooktop version is heavy, so plan for freight delivery and a couple of people to place it.

Optional Accessories: Arteflame Pizza Oven Kit (fits 40" cooktops)