Large Corten steel fire pits to gather a crowd around

Four of our models reach or exceed 1000 mm. Hélios is a round, wood-burning fire table in 3 mm Corten steel, 280 mm (11 in) high. Vesta is a wide, low fire bowl for wood. Héphaïstos is a square wood-burning fire table, in the same 3 mm steel and at the same 280 mm (11 in) height as Hélios; it is also made as a 1500 × 800 mm (59 × 31 in) rectangle, 70 kg (154 lb), at $4,360, for a longer, narrower layout. Nyx is a square basin that sits nearly at ground level, with a bioethanol flame running through it.

Compare widths before prices: at the same diameter, a fire table carries a broad steel top around its hearth and weighs several times what a Vesta bowl does, and it is priced accordingly. Nyx is in a class of its own, a heavy, architectural piece built around a flame that needs no logs.

Plan the whole footprint, not just the fire. Around it you need a clear path to the seats, then the depth of the seats themselves, often 70 to 90 cm (28 to 35 in) for an outdoor lounge chair. With 1 m (about 3 ft) of clearance, a 1400 mm (55 in) Héphaïstos surrounded by lounge chairs fills a square about 5 m (16 ft) on each side. In a backyard with room to spare that is easy to find; on a smaller patio, lay it out with chairs or a tape measure before you choose.

A bigger fire does not keep a small group warmer: the flame stays in the center, and the seats farthest out get less heat. For four to six people, an 800 mm (31 in) Vesta is plenty. The large formats earn their place once the circle grows, for a family that gathers outside most evenings or for friends spread across a couple of sofas.

• 1000 to 1250 mm (39 to 49 in): a seating area for six to eight, around Hélios, a Vesta or a 1000 mm Héphaïstos.
• 1400 to 1500 mm (55 to 59 in), in Vesta, Héphaïstos or Nyx: two sofas facing each other or a large sectional; make sure the warmth carries to the seats farthest from the fire.

Hélios and Héphaïstos set their hearth in the center of a wider top, so the hearth is smaller than the table itself: ask us for the hearth dimension of the format you have in mind before you buy firewood, and choose short, well-seasoned logs. Vesta is simpler. Its bowl is wide and shallow, 143 to 205 mm (6 to 8 in) deep in the large sizes, and logs cut to 33 or 50 cm (13 or 20 in) lie flat inside the rim; in the 1000 and 1200 mm sizes, a log 1 m (about 3 ft) long would hang over the edge and burn outside the fire.

Nyx burns no wood at all: its slot holds a bioethanol flame, with no embers and no ash. Bioethanol is poured only when the fire is out and the piece is cold, never into a hearth that is still warm. Neither bioethanol nor firewood comes with our fire pieces.

A large fire pit needs a stable, level, non-combustible base: compacted gravel, pavers, a concrete pad or natural stone. Keep it off wood decks, composite decking included, and off the lawn, which the heat from a fire a meter wide will eventually scorch. Give it a non-combustible area that runs well past the fire on every side, well away from the house, from trees and from anything overhead that could catch, such as a covered porch, a pergola roof or a shade sail. On a rooftop or an elevated deck, have the structure's load checked before choosing a heavy model such as Nyx.

Weight decides where the fire goes. Hélios, at 44 to 59 kg (97 to 130 lb), and Héphaïstos, at 60 to 96 kg (132 to 212 lb), take two or three people to move and a spot chosen ahead of time. A 1500 mm Vesta weighs 29.9 kg (66 lb), light enough for two people to move once it is cold and empty. Nyx, at about 95 to 140 kg (209 to 309 lb) depending on the size, is set down once, level, on a base built to carry it.

Use it as you would any open fire: an adult present while it burns, water or an extinguisher close at hand, no lighting in strong wind, and respect for any local burn restrictions during dry periods. On the fire tables, the rim of the hearth gets hot: keep children back until everything has fully cooled.

A bigger fire leaves more ash. Clear it out once the fire is out and cold, before rain turns it into a paste that holds moisture against the steel. After a storm, tip out any water that has collected in the bowl or the hearth and let the steel dry.

Our fire pieces arrive in the Cortenys signature patina, applied in our workshop, and stay in that bare patina, the only finish suited to the heat of a fire. For the first few months, rain washes a little oxide off the steel: on light-colored concrete or pale stone, set the fire on a gravel area or on pavers you are comfortable seeing take on a rust tone. Our guide to Corten steel care, cleaning and rust stains explains how to look after the steel and which products to avoid.

For a small group on an average patio, Vesta in 600 or 800 mm (24 or 31 in) is enough: you will find those sizes, with the rest of the collection, on our Corten steel fire pits page. If you mostly want a surface for drinks and plates around the flame, or a longer fire in front of a sofa, compare our Corten steel fire tables. Our guide, Corten steel fire pit or fire table, weighs one against the other.