La Hacienda Companero Clay Chimenea, Small - Burnt Orange

So far, am really pleased with this, although I've not yet lit it, so am hoping I will still be as pleased afterwards. I did a bit of research into clay chimineas before ordering, because quite a few reviewers were upset because they followed instructions for curing but the chimney still cracked. But then other people say they've used them for years without problems. I think part of the problem is that the instructions are a bit optimistic about the process. The YouTube video I saw said to to light the first fire just using a few balls of newspaper and a few sticks of kindling, and to let this die down and it to cool down fully before lighting another fire, which should also be very small. I think it said to light at least 2 smaller fires before adding a log to the 3rd one, anyway, it was slower than the process described in the instructions, which says to add a log to the first fire and to burn it slowly. It's maybe also different understandings of what burning slowly means and how well it works might also depend on what type of log you use. I don't think you're ever meant to burn more than 2 logs at once - the fires should never be allowed to get too big or hot, for example, so that flames enter the chimney. One online seller of clay chimineas said that if the chimney starts to turn brown from the outside, then the fire is too hot, and that this invalidates the guarantee for cracks. In some of the pictures I saw from buyers where the chimney had cracked, it definitely looked brown on the outside, so I think it also might be an issue of fire size or heat after curing. Also, it must not get wet, and if it does, it must be fully dried out before using. There's also the sand: it says to use "normal" building sand, but different types of building uses different types of sand. I take it they mean Bricklayer's sand, which has medium-size particles, whereas sharp sand has larger particles, then there's jointing sand, which is really fine, according to one website, but sites don't all use the same terms for the different types of building sand, some speak of "soft" sand, so that's a bit confusing. Again, it would've been better to be more specific, if it matters which type is used. This comes already cured, but it says it will need repeating "throughout the season" - again, a bit vague.. The curing does nothing to prevent cracking, though, that's just to protect the outside from weathering. Apparently, it's normal for them to discolour with use, anyway, even if cured, as some buyers of the blue ones remarked, who were disappointed. I liked the blue ones, but you can paint them, anyway, so thought I'd go for this one, as smaller. I wanted a small one, for my small garden, and this is just the right size. It's 78 cm high, including stand and lid, and the stand is 25 cm high. The stand has a diameter of 34 cm, the chiminea of 36 cm and the inside space of about 30 cm. It needs 2 m of clearance all around and above and I was interested to read that it can be used with charcoal for grilling. I liked the fact that the chimney comes off to use this one as a grill. Many of the metal ones have a grill rack, but you have to insert and remove it through the opening, and that looks difficult. However, while I like this feature, it's also a disadvantage, because while it sits very stable on the stand, and there is a lip for the grill rack to sit in, there's nothing to hold the chimney in place on the lower part, and it could easily get knocked off and doesn't feel very stable. It would've been better if the lip also came up around the edge of the top part. You're not supposed to move this much, once it's been sited, apparently, it weakens them. It's quite heavy, I can't lift it whole, but here, the two parts are also an advantage, as I can lift each part on its own. It comes with a metal rack for the fire and the grill rack, and a funny little tool which I can't quite determine the purpose of. I've not even put mine outside yet, as it's been raining a lot and I'm waiting for the cover to arrive before putting it outside. They also need protecting from frost. They sell padded covers, but the instructions recommend taking it indoors if it's below 0. Once the cover arrives, I will try out a few very small fires initially, and try to update this review afterwards.. until then, can't really recommend it.

Cheap but not fit for purpose as it’s cracked already after a few uses. Follow d all instructions on how to first uses but the durability is terrible. Would not recommend. Terrible performance from this product.

Arrived in great packing.A nice looking chimenea that you can cook on if you use charcoal briquettes.Carefully read and follow the instruction regarding curing the chimenea so that it does not crack and buy a cover.There is a lovely draw from the flue.

I was nervous having purchased this item because it took weeks to arrive and because it was taking longer than expected to arrive, I only then checked the reviews, which for the most part were awful with stories of cracks and poor functionality. However, ours eventually arrived (I bought it as a gift for my husband), there was a tiny hairline crack at the opening which I thought would probably expand on lighting, it didn't. My husband followed the directions for lighting small fires initially and we have it a number of weeks, it's been lit regularly and even cooked on and so far, so good. My husband loves it, we have had a good experience so far. I also purchased a cover for it so it will be interesting to see how it does when it emerges from the garage for use again next summer.

We've used this about ten times now and love it. Great heat from a small chimenea although I didn't realise it was small till I saw my father in law's enormous cast iron one. It suits our purposes - dry evenings lazing by the fire with a glass of wine. Not too keen on the greenish colour but the colour has muted now it's been used a bit which looks much better. We seasoned it according to the instructions and have had no cracks - we use it with sand in the bottom and the grate and burn small pieces with occasional bigger bits, about the size of short lengths of 3" x 2" - it burns bright and hot and has flames licking out of the top and it's just not built for piling on huge logs. A great starter chimenea that does its job for a good price and will see lots of use over the summer if we have dry weather.

It was bought as a gift in October but stayed unused until recently. It cracked after the first small fire, and by the 4th a piece fell out. It fell apart completely the next time. Awful product, looking at other reviews this happens a lot - avoid.

It's a nice design, good value for the amount of firepit you get for your money however it can't handle too much heat, mine cracked after loading it with too many logs. Scared to use it again now as it isn't safe if it splits again

Bought as a replacement for my ‘old’ one which lasted 3 years. Time will tell how long this one survives, but hopefully the sealant I now use will extend its life. Just perfect for a small bbq when you don’t want to fire up the big gas bbq. Strongly recommend that you use heat mats to prevent food and fat falling through the grating and add pumice stone to the sand for lining the base.

Das Wichtigste vorweg:Der Kamin ist toll, es ist sehr gemütlich jetzt etwas länger draussen zu sitzen und sich ein bisschen wärmen zu lassen.Als Grill ist er weniger geeignet (dafür ist er ja auch eigentlich nicht in erster Linie da), aber das spielt keine Rolle.Man sollte ihn vorsichtig "einbrennen", d.h. die ersten Male nicht zu heiß und nicht zu lange benutzen, so dass der Ton völlig austrocknet. Dann gibt es keine Probleme mit Rissen.Alles in allem eine sehr schönes und dekoratives Teil und es macht irre Spaß das Holz im Kamin knistern zu hören.

Reçu plus d'un mois après avoir passé commande, alors qu'Amazon en avait en stock.Reçu avec cette fissure de 8 centimètres (voir photo) qui traverse la cheminée. Je ne sais pas si celà est un défaut de fabrication ou quelque chose d'habituel. Il n'y a aucune messagerie rapide sur Amazon pour contacter directement le vendeur (Amazon), et je ne reçois pas de réponses aux 4 mails que je leur ai envoyé plus tôt pour savoir où en était la commande, donc je doute qu'on me réponde pour cette fissure..Pour résumé : produit qui a l'air d'être bas de gamme (ok avec le prix), avec de possibles défauts (pas ok), et service client pourrave

E' arrivata con la parte inferiore completamente distrutta.Avviato il reso, attendo sostituzione

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Reçu complètement cassé dans le carton, c’est une mauvaise qualité, je ne recommande pas du tout