Chiminea Wiki

Welcome to the chiminea wiki! Here is a collection of all terms chiminea and their meaning in a short, easy-to-understand format. Let me know if there’s anything I missed!

Clay Chimineas

Chiminea made of clay and usually the traditional shape with a bulbous fire bowl connected to a chimney stack. Clay chimineas bring rustic charm to any garden but they do require a bit of care to make sure not to crack them.

Steel Chimineas

Steel chimineas are made primarily out of steel. They have become extremely popular in recent years as they offer online retailers a lighter option that is easier to store and ship. They usually come in a few parts that need a bit of assembly but can be hardwearing and long lasting.

Often steel chimineas will have cast iron legs to give them some weight to prevent toppling.

Cast Iron Chimineas

Chimineas are made of cast iron. These are the largest and hottest types of chiminea. They can cope with burning hotter fuel than wood so can accommodate coal or charcoal and are an excellent choice for cooking.

Chiminea Lid

Most chimineas come with a lid that sits on top of the chimney and prevents everything from water to debris from entering the chimney stack when the chiminea is not in use.

For more info on chiminea lids check out this article.

Chiminea Stand

Metal chimineas come with legs but clay chimineas usually need a stand that holds the chiminea in position. Stands are usually made of metal and usually come as part of your chiminea purchase as they are vital to it standing upright.

For more information on chiminea stands check out this article.

Chiminea Wood

Essentially any wood that is properly seasoned or kiln-dried and is not too big to put in the fire bowl of your chiminea. Try this article for more info on chiminea wood.

Fire Bowl

A fire bowl is the part of the chiminea that houses the fire. In the traditional chiminea shape, the chiminea is widest at this point.

Chimney Stack

The chimney part of your chiminea. as the fire burns in the fire bowl, the smoke is pulled up through the chimney and out the top.

Seasoning

Seasoning (also referred to as curing) is a process to prepare your chiminea by lighting small fires and letting them burn out before lighting a proper fire for the first time in your new chiminea. This curing process helps your clay chiminea deal with higher temperatures and results in fewer cracks and breakages as a result of heat shock. Check out this article that describes the process of how to cure a clay chiminea in detail.

Curing

See ‘seasoning’.

Chimenea

A chiminea. Chimenea (with an ‘e’) is the literal translation of ‘chimney’ in Spanish. Chimenea spelling tends to be used more in the US.

Chimnea

A chiminea.

Check back to the home page for the latest articles.

Chumnea

Yep, I’ve seen this spelling used too! Still a chiminea.

Kindling

Small bits of softwood that will catch light easily to help start your fire. They work best when stacking in a teepee or pyramid shape which allows air to flow all around.

Spark arrestor

The spark arrestor (pictured right) is a device placed inside the top of the chimney stack and will catch any rising embers to make sure they are not expelled from the chimney.

Spark Screen

Similar to any spark screen for a fire, you use this to cover the mouth of your chiminea to prevent sparks or hot embers from jumping out of your chiminea fire.

Metal chimineas often come with a mesh door which also helps act as a spark screen.

Stack

Stack is a term used for the chimney part of a chiminea.

Mouth

The chiminea mouth is the opening at the front.

You might also like my FAQ article on chimineas.

For information on all the best places in the UK you can buy chimineas, check out my chiminea directory.