For anyone who’s looking at buying (or who has just purchased) a Solo Stove, there are a few key questions about how it works and what you should watch out for when operating it.
We’re focussing here specifically on the temperature ranges you can expect your solo stove to hit, depending on the fuel and model.
And some of the safety precautions you should take when using your solo stove.
So let’s get into this…
Are Solo Stoves Hot?
This question might seem simple, given that Solo Stoves use fire, but it’s definitely a reasonable question. After all, an open fire and a contained fire can be very different things.
The short answer is yes, Solo Stoves are hot. Metal is a good conductor of heat, so even if you have one of the double-walled Solo Stove products, you can rest assured that plenty of that heat will be coming through to you.
Solo Stoves are also highly efficient, burning wood entirely to ash, which means they can produce a lot more heat than you would expect, even with a relatively small blaze. You don’t need a massive fire to get a really good amount of heat production.
The idea behind the double-wall which many Solo Stove products have is that the air is already warm before it is sucked into the fire. This helps to keep the fire’s temperatures high, ensuring that they burn efficiently and keep smoke levels to a minimum – and produce a lot of heat!
Do Solo Stoves Keep You Warm?
If you’re purchasing a fire to make those long evenings outdoors a cozier experience, this is probably going to be your first question;
How warm will a Solo Stove keep you?
How close do you have to sit to the fire?
How many people can you comfortably fit around it?
You don’t want guests shivering in the dark!
The answer will unfortunately vary depending on which of their products you buy; Solo Stove offers a range of grills, camping stoves, and fire pits, and the heat output will vary according to size and design.
Most of Solo Stove’s grills and camping stoves won’t really output much heat into the surrounding area; they are designed for cooking with, and so need to trap the majority of their heat inside, keeping pans and grills hot. The Solo Stove camping stoves are also built for maximum portability, so they aren’t really big enough to warm you.
However, Solo Stove has three different options when it comes to fire pits, and all of these will bring you warmth as well as ambience. They are bigger and less portable than the grills and stoves, but perfect for setting up by a holiday cabin or in your backyard.
Solo Stove Ranger
The smallest of the Solo Stove fire pits, the Ranger is designed to be the most portable of the set. It measures 15 inches across and 12.5 inches high and can be fuelled with logs up to 12 inches long, meaning it’s ideal for traveling with – but what about its heat production?
Being the smallest option, the Ranger isn’t going to be able to output as much heat as its bigger siblings, but it still does a good job. If you get a good blaze going, you can comfortably seat a few people around it and have everyone warm.
This means you can enjoy the amazing atmosphere of outdoor fires for longer periods of time, even when the weather is starting to turn cool. The Ranger might struggle to keep you warm when the air gets icy, though, and if you want to seat more people, you will definitely need to choose a larger fire pit; the Ranger is too small to keep everyone toasty.
Solo Stove Bonfire
The next size up, the Bonfire will keep a larger party warm. It measures 19.5 inches across and 14 inches high, and you can fuel it with logs up to 16 inches long. That makes a surprising amount of difference to its capacity to get a really strong flame going.
Reviews suggest you can seat five or so around the Bonfire and have everyone warm – you could probably stretch that to seven or eight if the weather is reasonably mild. However, if you’re having a big gathering, the Bonfire will probably struggle to ensure everyone is comfortable.
Because the Solo Stove fire pits are designed to produce a second burn, reducing their fuel completely to ash, you will find that fuel lasts longer, and this will help to keep the fire hot throughout the burning period. Enjoy!
Solo Stove Yukon
The Yukon is the ultimate backyard fire pit for if you want a large number of guests to be able to stay warm and enjoy the beauty of the flames. It’s the biggest option, and measures a full 27 inches across, 14 inches high. You can put logs up to 22 inches long in it.
Obviously, that’s going to give you a wonderfully big blaze that all your guests can enjoy. The Yukon is designed for party nights and making the fire the absolute best feature in your backyard or by your cabin. Bring warmth and beauty to outdoor nights.
Apparently, the heat radius for this is up to eight feet, which should be plenty for your guests to enjoy. Of course, it will vary somewhat depending on how much wood you use, what kind, and how big you let the fire get – but the Yukon has the potential to keep a whole party snug throughout the evening, and look spectacular at the same time.
If you’re doing outdoor gatherings for lots of people, the Yukon is definitely the fire pit of choice to go for to keep you and your guests warm.
Can You Touch The Side Of A Solo Stove?
No, not while it’s burning or has recently been lit. Remember that metal conducts heat very well; you could burn yourself badly by trying to touch the side of a burning Solo Stove product.
Make sure that the fire has been extinguished and the Solo Stove has been given plenty of time to cool down before you touch it. Metal loses its heat quickly (as well as gaining it quickly), so you shouldn’t have to wait too long, but never try to touch a hot Solo Stove, even with gloves on.
If it’s cold out, your Solo Stove will cool faster, but you should wait at least half an hour after the fire has burnt out before you start trying to handle the Solo Stove. Solo Stove recommends waiting until the metal is completely cool before you try and empty the stove out.
How Hot Do Solo Stoves Get?
This really depends on how hot your fire gets, but because metal is a very efficient conductor of heat, the answer is that your Solo Stove can get very hot.
Solo Stove don’t offer estimates, probably because it’s very dependent on the weather, your fire, and a number of other factors. It also depends on which bit of the Solo Stove you touch; the bottom by the flames will be hotter than the side.
| Soft light weight woods | up to 800f |
| Hard denser woods | 1800f |
Solo Stove products have a double wall, which does provide some insulation and prevents the outer wall from getting very hot. However, remember that Solo Stove’s products sell on being smokeless, and the hotter the fire is, the less smoke it will produce; that’s a good indicator your Solo Stove is going to be very hot.
Remember to keep children and animals away from the Solo Stove when it’s lit, and never leave a child near the fire unsupervised.
If your child is the sort to reach out and touch in spite of warnings, build a guard around the fire so they can’t grab it. Even if you find the outer wall of Solo Stoves doesn’t get too hot, it’s better not to risk burns.
Solo Stove recommends that you never handle their products until they’re totally cool, and while that might be to ensure they’re covered in terms of their safety instructions, it’s best to listen and follow these, rather than risk injuring yourself.
Conclusion
Solo Stove products offer a good amount of heat to those huddled around them. They bring a fantastic ambience to any backyard party, but they also offer you coziness for those long autumn evenings.
The Solo Stove firepits aren’t great to cook on (you want a stove or grill for cooking), but they will keep the bite of cold air at bay and provide you and your guests with a beautiful display of hot flickering flames, and a second burn that is mesmirizing to watch.
Alright, that’s it for this article guys, if you found it useful then a share on social media or your website would be cool!
All the best
Steve
ps here’s a few articles related to this one you might find interesting:
How do Solo Stoves Work? (Explained For Beginners)
7 Smokeless Fire Pit Fuels That Actually WORK!
Heating a Garage with a Wood Stove/Burner-(A Beginners Guide)
All photos used with the permission of solo stove ltd.
