We Tested the East Oak Fire Pit, and Its Unique Shape Really Radiates Heat
Updated: Apr. 26, 2024
The East Oak fire pit is a smokeless option that's made with top-notch materials. Here’s how it stacks up against competing fire pits.
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At Family Handyman, we take fire pits seriously—especially smokeless fire pits. We love enjoying a drink or good book around the warmth of a fire just as much as the next person, so we’re constantly looking to optimize our fireside experience with the latest pits and the most-needed fire pit accessories.
Recently, we stumbled upon the East Oak fire pit, and we were immediately intrigued. This fire pit boasts a smokeless design, stainless steel body and removable ash pan—all features we love from our rigorous fire pit testing.
When shopping for a new fire pit, it can be difficult to know which brand to go with—Breeo or Solo Stove? Blue Sky? East Oak? Or another leading brand? But don’t sweat it (at least not until you’re stoking the fire), we happily test all the fire pit products we can get our hands on so you can have real-life, in-depth reviews before you buy. Here’s the 4-1-1 on the East Oak fire pit.
What is the East Oak fire pit?
The East Oak fire pit is a smokeless, stainless steel fire pit with a unique trapezoid shape. In other words, it’s not quite round, and it’s not quite square either. The fire pit has a removable ash pan at the bottom and a double-bottom inlet leverage that boosts air intake to create a larger flame and more warmth.
What’s so special about the shape of the East Oak fire pit? It’s designed to radiate warmth to a larger surrounding area. Other leading smokeless fire pit brands traditionally funnel smoke and heat upward, resulting in less warmth when you’re by the fire.
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
East Oak Fire Pit
The stainless steel, smokeless East Oak fire pit has a unique shape to provide plenty of heat for backyard fires.
East Oak Fire Pit Features
The East Oak fire pit is made of 304 stainless steel, which is the standard stainless steel used for corrosion resistance, durability, strength and easy maintenance. It’s also the same grade stainless steel you’ll find in similar fire pits from leading competitors.
This fire pit comes with a removable ash pan and long fire poker that hooks to the top of the ash pan for easy removal and cleaning. I love that a poker is included, because it makes handling the fire and cleanup much easier. With most other fire pits, you have to purchase all tools separately.
The East Oak comes in three sizes and two colors: pitch charcoal and chisel steel (black and silver, respectively). The smallest size is 17 inches in diameter, and it’s the most compact and portable option. It’s ideal for camping, tailgating and taking the fire to friends’ patios. The medium size comes in at 21 inches and is also portable. It’s designed for a group of up to eight people to gather around comfortably. The largest size measures 29 inches in diameter and is just what you need for large gatherings in the backyard. While it’s portable, it may be a little bit cumbersome to load in and out of a vehicle.
I tested the medium (21-inch) fire pit, and I plan to keep it in one place on the back patio and probably won’t move it very often. I can easily see it accommodating a group of six to eight people.
How We Tested It
At this point, I’ve tested so many different fire pits and fire pit accessories that I consider myself very well versed in the campfire game. I tested the East Oak fire pit just as I have other fire pit products I’ve reviewed for Family Handyman—in my own backyard, with my own two hands.
As with most smokeless fire pits on the market, there was no assembly required for the East Oak fire pit. All I had to do was remove it from the box, place the ashtray at the bottom and insert the lip that helps funnel smoke and fumes upward at the top of the fire pit. After moving the fire pit out to my back patio, I loaded it with firewood. I didn’t use pellets because they would have slipped through the holes in the top of the ashtray. Once the firewood was loaded into the fire pit, the fire was very easy to start with a little bit of fire starter and a lighter. In fact, it seemed like the flames took faster than they have with other fire pits—or maybe I’ve just become good at starting fires.
In all my fire pit testing, I have not come across another fire pit that resembles the East Oak fire pit in terms of shape. The trapezoid shape is truly unique, and I quite like it. While standing next to it, I did notice that it produced more warmth than cylindrical fire pits I’ve tried. However, as someone who grew up around large bonfires on the farm, I’m never truly overwhelmed or underwhelmed by the amount of heat small backyard fire pits produce. To me, most of them do what they need to do: provide ambiance, light and a bit of warmth on a chilly night. And while I did notice that the East Oak fire pit seemed to have a larger heating radius than other competing fire pits, I also think it may have directed a little bit more smoke outward, too. Still, I would definitely call the East Oak fire pit smokeless due to its design and the fact that the majority of smoke and fumes travel upward instead of outward.
I was especially impressed by the sleek look and easy-to-clean design of this fire pit. It’s one of the better-looking fire pits I’ve reviewed, and the ashtray design is genius. You don’t have to dump or displace the fire pit to empty the ashtray. Simply stick the long fire poker down into the pit and hook the top of the ashtray to lift it out of the fire pit. Then you can walk the lightweight ashtray wherever you need to dump and clean it. You don’t even have to worry about getting your hands dirty! Additionally, the fire pit stand is built into the East Oak fire pit, so there’s no slipping or sliding off the base while using, transporting and cleaning the pit.
Pros
- Unique, visually interesting design
- Decent heat output
- Ashtray is easy to remove and clean
- Built-in stand
- Smokeless and portable
- 100% 304 stainless steel
- Comes with long fire poker
- Multiple color and size options
Cons
- Pricey
- East Oak doesn’t make as many fire pit accessories as other leading fire pit brands
FAQ
Can you cook with the East Oak fire pit?
Yes. You can cook with the East Oak fire pit just as you would over any other fire pit or bonfire. However, East Oak doesn’t produce the range of cooking accessories that you’ll find with other leading brands, like Solo Stove.
What kind of fuel do you use in the East Oak fire pit?
You’ll want to use firewood logs or chunks, as wood pellets will slip through the top of the ashtray to the base of the fire pit. I used a combination of firewood and sticks from my backyard and had great success.
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
With an average of 4.7 out of five stars on Amazon, reviewers of the East Oak fire pit are loving it as much as we are. Here’s what they have to say:
“I’m not one to review every Amazon purchase, but I’m so happy with this one that I had to leave a five-star [review],” says verified purchaser, Nick D. “I’ve been looking for a compact fire pit for some time. I’ve used some of the other brands, but [I] was never impressed with how boring looking they were. Enter East Oak—they have actually taken the time to make a lot of the details a priority. I really like the shape of this fire pit. It’s different and it looks great with my patio furniture.”
Joni G., a five-star reviewer, writes, “We haul this in our travel trailer. It is lightweight and easy to store. Works perfectly at campsites, especially when fire rings are in bad shape. Definitely significantly reduces to eliminates the smoke. Easy to clean out. Holding up well. Great stove.”
“THIS may be one of the greatest pieces of camping gear I have ever bought!” boasts Dino Zee, another five-star reviewer. “It works great and produces very little smoke! Waking up and NOT having all your clothes smell like campfire smoke is priceless in my book! The fire pit just seems to burn very efficiently which is also a nice bonus…. we seemed to use less wood but have a much better fire! Can’t wait to use again!”
Final Verdict
If you’re looking for a sleek, smokeless fire pit that produces a fair amount of heat, is easy to use and is easy to clean, then look no further than the East Oak fire pit. While East Oak may not produce as many cooking or fire pit accessories as other brands, the East Oak fire pit itself is my fire pit preference when it comes to a quick and easy backyard fire.
Where to Buy the East Oak Fire Pit
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
East Oak Fire Pit
The stainless steel, smokeless East Oak fire pit has a unique shape to provide plenty of heat for backyard fires.
You can shop the East Oak fire pit in all sizes and colors on Amazon. The smallest size retails for $200 while the largest sells for $500. If you’re a Prime member, say hello to one-day shipping, meaning you can throw your backyard bonfire party ASAP. Let us paint a picture: fire pit, outdoor projector, movie snacks and autumn foliage. Are you picking up what we’re laying down?
Originally Published: October 10, 2023
