Smokeless Fire Pits: Fact or Fiction?

There's nothing better than a beautiful summer evening when your friends and family come over for a drink and sit by a fire pit and talk late into the night. Again, sitting in that wrong spot can be annoying.



There are many fire pit options on the market that claim to be smoke-free, so you can avoid anyone sitting in that awkward seat. But are smokeless fire pits possible, or just a convenient marketing fiction?



Let's explore...

Different sources of fuel for fire pits

The main thing to note when looking for a smokeless fire pit is the fuel source. Some naturally occurring smokes are less than others, but are any of them actually smoke-free? The most common fuels used in fire pits are wood, charcoal, natural gas, and bioethanol. Let's take a look at each of them:


Wood - Wood is what we have in mind for your traditional fire pit (or campfire). Yes, smoke seems to follow you wherever you go.


Smoke is usually caused by moisture causing incomplete wood combustion. So properly seasoned wood does reduce the amount of smoke produced, but ultimately, burning wood produces smoke.


Some wood-burning pits claim to be smoke-free, but the truth is, they are not. Burning wood produces smoke and there is nothing you can do about it.



Charcoal - Charcoal is another popular fuel for fire pits and is definitely a step in your search for a smokeless fire pit. Charcoal is actually wood preburned in an oxygen-free environment and comes in two main forms, pressed charcoal and lumpy charcoal.

We all know that charcoal is particularly good for grilling and certainly produces much less smoke than wood. However, it is not smoke-free, as it is still made of wood.



Gas/Propane - Gas or propane is a very popular choice for fire pits and is certainly a step up from charcoal in finding no pyrotechnics. Propane is a byproduct of petroleum refining and is burned without producing any toxic chemicals.



Sadly, however, it is not smoke-free, although the smoke it produces is certainly less invasive than wood or charcoal.



Bioethanol - Bioethanol is the most environmentally friendly option and the closest to smoke-free. Bioethanol is a clean-burning fuel that does not produce any odor or produce any air pollutants or toxic fumes.


Bioethanol is actually a by-product that is released by fermentation when commodities such as rice, corn and sugar cane are harvested. This makes it not only clean, but also an incredibly renewable source of energy.

So, smokeless fire pit, fact or fiction?

The reality is that no fire pit is completely smoke-free. Burning the essence of something produces some smoke. However, when looking for a smokeless fire pit, the bioethanol fire pit is your first choice, and honestly, it will emit so little smoke that you almost certainly won't notice it.


The fact that they are also environmentally optimal is a wonderful benefit. AHL Bioethanol Fire Pit Series is the perfect complement to your outdoor space and is beautifully designed.