The BonFeu BonTino is a tall wood-burning garden fireplace, 1.64m to the top of the stove pipe, with a detachable spark screen across the front to keep logs in and sparks down. A cut-out of the BonFeu logo runs through the front and lights up once the fire is going. It's made to cook on as well as to sit around: the top takes four different cooking surfaces, three of them supplied with the fireplace. Available in Corten steel or black.
About the BonTino
The BonTino measures 35cm across and 1.64m to the top of the stove pipe, with a tall body carried on three short legs. The legs put the fire up at a good height for people sitting around it, and the taller body gives you bigger fire, so there's more heat coming off it. It's a size that wants a bit of space around it on a patio or a lawn. At 15.3kg one person can move it, though it's worth deciding where it's going before you put it together.
The BonGiano SP is a similar design but smaller, 30cm across and 1.42m tall, with a shorter body on longer legs. It takes the same cooking accessories, so the choice between them comes down to size and proportion rather than what you can cook.
Cooking on the BonTino
The stove pipe rises from the back of the fireplace rather than the top, which leaves the whole top clear to cook on.
Lift the lid off and a BBQ grill or a wok ring goes on in its place, both supplied with the fireplace. Turn the lid upside down and it works as a hot plate, which is enough for a kettle or a pan. Whichever is on, the fire carries on underneath.
The fourth surface is the BonPlancha Ø40, which is bought separately. It's a solid 3mm steel plate rather than a grate, so nothing falls through and the heat reaches the food across the whole surface rather than through bars: prawns, scallops, sliced peppers and onions, mushrooms, eggs, all the things a grill loses. It fits the BonTino, the BonGiano and the BonCarré.
Corten steel or black
Both are the same fireplace in the same 1.2 to 2mm steel. What differs is what the surface does over time.
Corten rusts on purpose, and the rust is what protects it. Nothing to paint, nothing to treat, and it can stay outside all year. The colour deepens over the first months into a warm orange-brown and then settles there. While that's happening it sheds rust-coloured run-off that can permanently stain timber or mark porous stone, so think about what it's standing on in the first year. A cover keeps leaves and dirt out, but it isn't protecting the steel.
Black is ordinary steel with a heat-resistant coating, and it will rust over time. That can start quickly, because heat cycling can open fine cracks in the coating and the rust begins there. It's part of how the fireplace is meant to age and it's where the rugged look comes from. A cover, or storing it in a dry spot between uses, slows it down, and if you'd rather keep the black, small rust spots clean up and can be touched in with a can of BBQ paint.
Either finish: clear the ash out after use, and let the fire burn down rather than putting it out with water, which warps the steel and lifts the coating.
Where to put it
Outdoors only, on a level, non-combustible surface with nothing overhanging it, and with adequate clearance from buildings, walls and garden furniture. Dry leaves, dry grass and pine needles catch easily from a stray spark, so clear the ground around it first.
Concrete paving, brick paving and gravel are all fine as they are. On timber or composite decking, porous stone such as sandstone or limestone, porcelain paving or thin pavers, stand it on a concrete paving slab. The slab has the mass to take the heat, and if anything does crack it's a slab you can replace rather than your patio. A slab also takes the rust run-off from a Corten finish instead of your paving. A lawn is fine too, though the heat will scorch the grass directly underneath.
Don't use it when the wind is strong or gusting, which pushes smoke and sparks sideways. If it's standing under a roof that opens, open it so the smoke can get away.
Don't move it once the fire is lit. And it can stay hot and keep smouldering for up to 24 hours after the last flames have gone, so treat it as live until the following day.
What to burn
Dry wood or charcoal, and nothing else. No accelerants, no lighter fluid, and no painted or treated timber.
BonFeu recommend kiln-dried seasoned wood with a moisture content of 20% or less. In the UK, look for wood carrying the Ready to Burn mark. Of the hardwoods, beech is the number one choice as it burns down to the best bed of coals under the grill. Ash or oak are also good options. Avoid softwood, which spits and crackles from the resin in it. Pressed briquettes are fine.
What's in the box, and putting it together
The BonTino arrives in several pieces but goes together in just a few steps. The legs bolt on, the chimney connector fixes to the back of the fireplace and the stove pipe fits onto that, the spark screen door hangs on the front and the centre plate drops into the firebox. Both spanners are supplied, and it's worth working on something soft like an old rug so the finish doesn't get scuffed.
Included: the fireplace body, stove pipe, chimney connector, three legs, spark screen door, centre plate, lid, wok ring, BBQ grill and poker, plus the fixings and tools.
If you want the smoke carried higher, or taken off at an angle, BonFeu make extra stove pipe sections in 44 and 66cm along with 45° and 90° connectors. They're made for a 100mm pipe, which is what the BonTino has, so they fit straight on.
Key specifications
- Dimensions: L 35 × W 35 × H 164cm
- Weight: 15.3kg
- Material: steel, 1.2–2mm
- Finishes: Corten steel or black
- Stove pipe diameter: 100mm
- Fuel: wood or charcoal
- Includes: stove pipe, chimney connector, three legs, spark screen door, centre plate, lid, wok ring, BBQ grill, poker, fixings and tools
Manual
BonTino Outdoor Fireplace Manual
Delivery Information
We offer Free Delivery to the United Kingdom Mainland on all orders over £500.
We currently deliver to all locations within the United Kingdom (UK). However, if you are outside of mainland UK (including the Scottish Highlands, Scottish Islands, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Scilly Isles, and Northern Ireland), please contact us at info@alfrescochic.co.uk or on 0333 050 9974 to discuss your delivery options and to obtain a quote, prior to placing your order.
Please ensure you read our full Delivery Policy here.
Current Delivery Times
Timescales are approximate only; We aim to deliver your BonFeu Outdoor Fireplace within 2 -3 days of purchase. If you have an urgent requirement, please contact us.
Need further help?
If you have any questions regarding delivery times, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@alfrescochic.co.uk. Alternatively you can give us a call on 0333 050 9974 and a member of the team will be happy to help!
Refunds and Returns
What is the returns policy?
You have 14 days after the day you (or someone you nominate) receive the goods, to change your mind and return the goods to us. Where the goods are split into several deliveries over different days, you have 14 days after receipt of the last delivery to change your mind.
Are there any exclusions?
You do not have a right to change your mind in respect of any goods that:
• you have damaged; or
• are no longer in their original condition (including where you have cut tags off or where you have removed any internal packaging).
How can I request a refund?
You can begin the return process by contacting us via email at returns@alfrescochic.co.uk.
Where should I send my return?
If your return request meets the requirements in this Returns Policy, we will issue you with a return authorisation and further information on where to send your goods. We must receive the goods within 14 days of your telling us you wish to return your goods.
Please do not send any returned goods to the address at the end of this page. Any goods sent to this address will be returned to you, at your cost.
Who covers the cost of returning the goods?
We will pay the costs of the return if the goods are faulty or misdescribed. In all other circumstances (including where you are exercising your right to change your mind), you must pay the costs of return. This includes where we have agreed to collect the goods from you.
Will there be any deductions from my refund?
We may reduce your refund of the price (excluding delivery costs) to reflect any reduction in the value of the goods, if this has been caused by your mishandling. If we give you a refund before we are able to inspect the goods and later discover that you have handled them in an unacceptable way, you must pay us an appropriate amount.
When will I receive my refund?
We will make any refunds due to you as soon as possible, and within 14 days of receiving your returned goods.
For any questions or feedback, please contact us at info@alfrescochic.co.uk or on 0333 050 9974.
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