One of the best ways to cook food is over a camp fire, but in residential areas this can be difficult. While you could dig an area for a fire that is away from your grass, it is likely that an unforeseen fire could be created through an errant spark. In order to prevent this I have an at home fire pit that is both inexpensive and safe.
Materials for this project
*Brick or limestone
*Metal grate
*Brick mortar or sand
*Steel water container
*Steel container
*Gravel
Setting up the fire pit
In deciding how large of a fire pit you want you need to decide how big of a cooking surface you need. While it is not required that the fire be the same size as your cooking surface, it should be close enough to allow even cooking. Measure out the length and width of each grate you want to use and remove all grass from the area. Once the area is cleared, cover the area with gravel to ensure a fireproof base. This will not only prevent flare outs from fire underneath, but it will also help to keep the fire burning. You can also use normal dirt, but it makes it much more difficult to start a fire, because more smoke then is necessary is created which could also alarm your fellow residents.
Constructing the fire pit
In constructing a fire pit it is a matter of personal preference whether you want to use brick or limestone to act as your walls. I like limestone because it helps to keep in the heat of the fire, but the downside of course to this is that limestone is more likely to have burn marks from the fire. You can construct the walls as high as you want for your fire pit, but it is best to construct them at least two feet high for good protection and better even cooking. Place sand around the area just outside the fire pit and lay your first set of limestone or brick, being sure to only leave a small amount of space between the sand and brick. For each additional layer, alternate and overlap the bricks to ensure a tight fit and good wall structure. You can also add water to the sand for easier spreading, but this is not necessary as it is present to help prevent errant embers from the fire. If you wish you can also buy mortar for bricks or limestone and use it to construct the walls along with the material, but alternate the layers or the walls will not come together properly.
Making the cooking surface
The best cooking surface to hold pots and pans and allow for all types of cooking is a standard metal grate. The grate will allow the flames to easily reach the food and cook it and will also promote even cooking. When selecting which grate to use it is best to purchase one that is both stainless steel and none stick. The reason for this is that it makes it easier to clean and the stainless steel will protect it against rust. Make sure that your grate is slightly bigger in both length and width to your fire pit so that it can rest on top and use the support of the walls you created. Purchase two steel or metal containers, one for water and one for putting the remnants of the fire in. Having water close by will allow you to put out the fire quickly and safely and a metal container will not melt from the fires heat. The other steel container for the remnants of the fire ensures that hot embers that may not have gone out can be collected and closed off to allow for proper cooling and to allow them to go out without causing a fire.
