For some folks, outdoor dining is about soaking up that fresh air and making the most out of the warmer days and cosy evenings outside. For others, it’s also about the whole experience of cooking over an open flame. The sound of the fire crackling away, those smoky aromas and the glowing embers create flavours and meals that simply cannot be created indoors.
However, to get the real, authentic experience going, it takes a bit more than just lighting the fire pit. Sure, a simple fire pit with a grill is a great place to start, but if you add some purpose-built accessories, it can really take things up a notch.
Here are some of the outdoor fire cooking equipment that can help turn that fire pit into a pretty versatile outdoor kitchen.
Half Moon BBQ Plate & Bar
The Half Moon BQQ Plate & Bar is one of those nifty racks that lets you cook up a range of different foods over your fire pit. Its clever design crams two cooking surfaces in one – a solid steel plate on one side and an open grill bar on the other, giving you more options while cooking outdoors.
The flat plate is just perfect for food like veg, seafood, burgers or even the old breakfast faves like eggs and bacon. The grill bit is just the ticket for steaks, sausages and anything that does well with a bit of those classic smoky grill marks on the side.
Another thing that makes this outdoor fire cooking equipment so practical is its half-moon shape. Because half the pit stays uncovered, you can still throw some logs on the fire, adjust the blaze or fiddle with the embers while cooking. That way you don’t lose the heat or have to start again from scratch, which makes the whole experience more relaxed and enjoyable.
Tripod Cooking Rack
A Tripod cooking rack brings the real magic of campfire cooking to your fire pit. Racks with long legs provide rock-solid stability and heaps of height over the flames, which is perfect for cooking up a bigger meal or just making the heat a little easier to handle. With a hanging system, you can lift and lower that grill to suit the fire. This gives you a lot more control when you’re grilling, simmering or slow cooking over an open flame.
One of the really cool things about this fire cooking gear is the extra flexibility it brings to your fire pit setup. You can chuck steaks and sausages straight over the heat, cook veggies slowly over the glowing embers, and even hang pots and pans to whip up a more rustic fire-cooked feast. Plus, the fact that the rack swings clear of the flames when you need it makes checking on your food and adjusting the fire a whole lot easier while you’re cooking.
Beyond just being super practical, a tripod cooking rack adds a load of atmosphere to your outdoor dining area. The hanging grill above the fire just becomes the centrepiece, and it creates that warm, social feeling that makes open-fire cooking so much fun.
Roasting Oven/ Smoker Box / Pizza Oven
If you love trying out different outdoor cooking styles, one of the best accessories to add to your fire pit has to be a Roasting Oven, Smoker Box and Pizza Oven. Instead of being stuck with just simple grilling, this thing opens up a whole world of roasting, smoking and wood-fired pizza cooking – all over the same flames.
What makes it so appealing is that it’s one accessory that can easily adapt depending on what you want to cook. You can use it as a roasting oven for a big joint of meat or some roasted veggies or potatoes, all slowly cooked over hot coals. Or add some smoking pellets or powder, and it becomes a smoker box perfect for getting that rich flavour in fish, cheese or meat. And if you want to go do a wood-fired pizza, it’s even simple enough to add a pizza stone and get that crispy finish outdoors.
Hanging Cooking Pot
A hanging cooking pot is one of those classic campfire cooking tools that instantly makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to a way of cooking that’s all about taking it easy. It’s perfect for slow cooking, where you can just chuck a stew or a hearty soup on the go and let it simmer away over the embers, bringing everyone around the fire. Whether it’s a big warm bowl of chilli on a cold evening, or a comforting cup of mulled wine, cooking in a hanging pot is like having an instant outdoor dining setup that feels properly rustic and cosy.
Just suspended above the flames, the pot lets your meals slowly build up all these rich flavours without needing you to stand over them all the time. Plus, the hanging design makes it easy to dial in the perfect cooking heat just by moving the pot up or down. This gives you control, still looks the part and is all part of that authentic fire cooking charm. Long evenings outdoors, where the cooking is part of the whole experience, rather than just a rushed meal.
Rotisserie
There’s something pretty special about being able to just watch your food slow-roast over an open fire, and a rotisserie gets that classic outdoor cooking vibe straight to the heart of your fire pit. Whether it’s a whole chicken, some nice juicy lamb shanks, or even just some veg, cooking on a spit creates these amazing smoky flavours and leaves the food nice and tender. And the best bit is that a rotisserie encourages you to cook more slowly and be more social. Instead of rushing to get food on the table, the food just gets gently cooked over the fire while you all sit back, enjoy the warmth and the smells, and just soak up the atmosphere that comes with cooking on an open flame.
A good rotisserie will sit nicely and securely above your fire pit and give you some height adjustment so you can dial in how close the food is to the heat. Usually, they just have a simple old-fashioned turning handle so you can cook food evenly without all the hassle of motors and batteries. This makes the whole experience feel pretty hands-on and proper old-fashioned.
