Chimineas
A beautiful feature for any garden, a chiminea, derived from the Spanish word for chimney, is a classic free standing, wood-burning, cast-iron oven with a bulbous body and a vertical smoke vent or chimney, with a traditional heat resistant finish.
These classical and somewhat romantic garden essentials for gardeners and alfresco lovers alike have been enjoyed down the ages, having originated from Mexico over a thousand years ago. They were used by the Mayan Indians, a nomadic tribe living in the Mexican mountains, for their cooking and heating purposes. Back then, they were traditionally made of clay, which the Mayans would create and fire in wood fuelled kilns.
Today, it is the cast-iron and steel chimineas which are the preferred alternatives. Cast iron and steel chimineas are more durable than the clay editions, being frost-resistant too. If you enjoy entertaining in the great out doors, look no further than a classic cast iron chiminea in a heat-resistant verdigris finish. Standing 1.8 meters high, it comes complete with a chrome plated cooking grill ready for those year round barbeques. For a chimineas with a variation from the traditional shape, choose the cast iron chiminea square, an exquisite, classic, wood burning novelty standing 8oomm in height with a width and depth of 550mm, including the chrome plated cooking grill – just waiting to cook up a storm for the perfect Barbie. Here’s the perfect excuse for adventurous cooking whatever the season.
Despite being painted with a heat resistant paint, the generous amount of heat generated does cause the paint to burn off quickly. There is also the issue of rusting, which can be overcome by removing the rust with a wire brush before repainting your chiminea with purpose designed high temperature paint.
Traditionally, a chiminea doubles as a patio heater offering a genuine source of warmth for those chilly summer evenings or outside winter gatherings, as well as a barbecue, thus enabling you to enjoy alfresco dining in the great outdoors all year round, whatever the weather. After the barbie has finished, you can continue to relax in its warmth, a guaranteed genuine source of heat that lasts longer than traditional patio heaters and keeps the chill at bay while the chiminea takes its time to cool down. Besides being a great heater and an efficient oven, it also makes for an intriguing ornamental garden decoration on any patio, a useful patio adornment that would suit a classical, more traditional garden design than the modern, minimalist lines of contemporary patio heaters.
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