Outdoor bioethanol fireplaces in Corten steel

Not all of our fire pieces burn bioethanol: the fuel is stated on every product page, and these four models are the only ones in the collection designed for it, each built around a narrow line of fire set in the middle of a top or a basin, or a flame sheltered behind transparent panels.

The fire line is built into each piece. We do not sell a loose bioethanol insert or burner to fit into a surround of your own, so for a flame set into a wall, the nearest piece in our range is Ignis: a slim trough that fixes straight to a wall and lights it from the bottom up.

Pyrros is a bioethanol fire table: the line of fire runs down the middle of a thick top, and on either side the top stays clear for glasses and plates. It is the model for an outdoor lounge where everyone sits round the fire, and its three lengths, from 1500 to 2200 mm, follow the size of the seating. It is our only bioethanol fire table, and you will find it alongside our wood-burning models among our Corten steel fire tables.

Ignis fixes to the wall and takes no floor space at all: the flame lights the wall from the bottom up, so a stone wall or a boundary wall becomes its backdrop. It suits narrow terraces, courtyards and small town gardens where every square metre of paving counts.

Pharos is an upright frame 1200 to 1800 mm tall, its flame housed in the lower third behind transparent panels. It catches the eye from a distance, at the entrance to a terrace or beside a pool or pond, and of the four it is the one closest to a freestanding outdoor fireplace. Nyx, lastly, is a wide square basin 250 to 350 mm high whose line of fire runs close to the ground, continuing the line of the paving: a fire to watch while seated, stretched out on a lounger or from inside the house.

Nyx is square, not round. We do not make a round bioethanol fire pit: our round fire pieces, such as the Hélios fire table and the Vesta fire bowl, burn wood. Vesta sits with the rest of the collection on our Corten steel fire pits page.

For a large outdoor bioethanol fireplace, look at the biggest format of each model: the 2200 × 900 mm Pyrros, a table long enough to sit in front of two sofas; the 1500 mm Ignis, a generous line of fire on a long wall; the 1800 mm Pharos, which stands about head height; and the 1500 × 1500 mm Nyx, a square of flame and steel that anchors a whole seating area.

Our page on large Corten steel fire pits compares the wood-burning and bioethanol formats of a metre and over if you are planning for a bigger circle of guests.

With bioethanol there are no logs to season and store and no wood ash to clear out. In exchange, the liquid fuel is bought and stored separately, and every refill follows a set routine. If you enjoy building a fire, cooking over embers or sitting late around tall flames, our wood-burning models remain the better choice.

The two fuels are not interchangeable: a bioethanol fireplace never takes wood, and bioethanol is never poured into a wood-burning fire pit. Our guide, Corten steel fire pit or fire table, helps you decide between the two kinds of fire.

Bioethanol is not supplied with our pieces. Use the fuel specified for your model and follow its filling, lighting and extinguishing instructions: ask us for them before the first evening if you do not have them to hand. A few rules apply to every bioethanol fireplace:

• Never refill a fireplace that is lit or still warm: wait until the burner is off and completely cold.
• A bioethanol flame can be hard to see in daylight, so a fire that looks out may still be burning.
• Keep the fuel container well away from the fireplace and any flame, and never leave the fire unattended.
• Keep the fireplace clear of plants, parasols, curtains and cushions, and away from walkways where a child could knock into it.

Pyrros, Pharos and Nyx weigh 50 to 160 kg depending on the size: decide on their spot before delivery, on level, stable, non-combustible ground such as paving, stone or a concrete base. Ignis, at 24 to 45 kg, is fixed to a wall whose make-up and strength need checking first: send us a photo of the wall if you are unsure and we will tell you what to plan for.

All four pieces arrive in the Cortenys signature patina, applied in our workshop, which keeps evolving with rain and sun. Rain running off Corten steel can leave rust marks on pale paving: allow for a gravel strip, dark stone or a protective base beneath the piece. Each piece is made to order: allow 2 to 5 weeks from order confirmation to delivery, which is free.

For an upright wood fire, see Atlas and Prométhée among our Corten outdoor fireplaces. For a wood-burning fire table, Hélios, Héphaïstos, Etna and Taranis sit alongside Pyrros in our fire table range. And if the flame should sit low in the middle of the seating, our fire pits cover both wood and, with Nyx, bioethanol.