Additional information
Material | Metal |
---|---|
Product Dimensions | 12"D x 27.5"W x 16"H |
Style | Modern and Minimalist |
Brand | BioLite |
Finish Type | Painted |
Shape | Rectangular |
Item Weight | 19.8 pounds |
Fuel Type | Firewood or charcoal |
Color | Black |
UPC | 850003383354 |
Global Trade Identification Number | 10850003383351 |
Manufacturer | BioLite |
Country of Origin | China |
Item model number | FPA0201 |
Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
D_Mac –
Good design keeps the smoke away if you’re sitting near it. I love the mesh so you can see the logs burning
kateryne –
Je n’ai pas encore testé le BBQ et j’hésite à le renvoyer car au vu du prix, je ne trouve pas cela normal de livrer du matériel abîmé. J’en ai pour preuve les photos.
peds PT –
Love this thing. We did take the advice from others regarding spray painting it for longevity with a high heat grill spray paint from Home Depot. Not sure if it’s needed or not but we figured why not.
We did have a slightly bent grill that came with it so we reached out to the warranty individuals and they sent us a new one easily and for free. Which was SO NICE and appreciated. I didn’t take a pic of the new one put it is straight and totally functional! (Technically the bent one would’ve also been functional). Seriously the warranty dept is amazing and after one email it was fixed!
We did buy the mat separate but it is FOR SURE needed if you use it on grass or wood because soot does come through the bottom grates onto the mat (or grass aka fire hazards if you don’t have a mat).
I was initially worried about the fan noise and on #2 it’s cool to watch and effective but quiet. On #3+ it does start to sound more like white noise but still not a big deal. Can still talk etc. what I LOVE is that you can see the logs burn and the coals vs others.
Seriously obsessed with this thing!! It’s a perfect match with our bottle keepers in our backyard for summer and fall.
peds PT –
My boyfriend loves the firepit even though I had a few thoughts about sending it back. It wasn’t as smokeless as I had hoped it would be but it also could have been the wood we were using. We decided to keep it and experimenting with the fan and different wood. Perfect for our back sunroom.
Matthew Tate –
Vraiment sans fumée
Milana –
I read about this product and compared to many others. In my opinion it’s exactly what I expected. If your someone who likes be methodical and follow instructions exactly and take care of your products (any product for that matter) then there is nothing bad to say about this. If you need to throw in wood and a bunch of lighter fluid and not that patient probably not a good idea to get this. You have to build the fire up slow, not over fill it and keep the wood away from the battery pack and all that stuff which they extensively go over in the latest videos. If you can do that and your looking for something portable especially I can’t imagine there’s a pit better than this one. It’s great for my little driveway or porch fires to do s’mores for the kids and that’s all I need. I can get a fire going in about 5-10 mins now with my system down and watch it while I have a drink or talk to a friend. It’s really relaxing that way. I do like the Bluetooth control too. I’ve been inside and seen the fire dwindling on the back porch and cranked it up to keep it going. And the battery pack can charge your electronics too. Again that’s great for a camping scenario and for me if there’s a bad winter storm or something, since I don’t have a fire place, this could really save the day which is why I wanted it too. I never let the thing sit out more than overnight and I use a brush and clean and store it. If you’re not that kind of person I can see how you’d be disappointed.
Vishu D –
Small, fan is very noisy and possibly hitting something inside the battery/fan module. Also doesn’t put off much heat at all. Had a fire for several hours and can touch the sides of the burn chamber. Returned and bought something else.
AC –
Bei mir hat der Firepit gequalmt bei voller gebläsestufe
Vishu D –
I’m very impressed with the quality of this Biolite. Even all the extras including the canvas bag are of the top notch manufactured parts. This surely will be able to be passed on to the next generation. Don’t know the lifespan of the heat generator but it’s very well made. Everything is easy to assemble. I got the rack and griddle also. The Best heat/electric generator & firepit/grill on the market in my humble opinion. My brother has the smaller version which is more for bug out or camping outdoors.
Jeffrey S –
With the 2021 update, I think biolite cheaped out and didn’t bother with resizing the accessories. The grill grate doesn’t fit the top opening as nicely as the older model. The top opening of the + model is wider by about 1/2″ so if you aren’t careful, you can dump the grill right into the fire. I will probably need to weld some spacers to make it fit before using it.
I am also not impressed by the fan unit. I tested it out on my desk and the entire unit had a pronounced shimmy and noise characteristic of an unbalanced fan. I tore it down and the squirrel cage fan was not mounted on center and the injection molding for the impeller base wasn’t perfectly round either. I took it to the lathe and did what I could. I think I was able to take out some of the worse shimmy, but it is still visually off center. There is no adjustment as the impeller is press fit to the motor (like from those “learn electronics” kits from the 90s with the red 2-blade propellers).
Speaking of the motor, it’s a chintzy, $2.50 in bulk, 12v DC FK-180sh-14180. it sounds just like every 12v dc hobby motor ever, buzzy. I don’t really understand the online videos of how quiet the blower unit is. The dc motor alone, even inside the plastic case, should be audible, let alone with the unbalanced blower and air moving. AGC and noise reduction I imagine… At least it’s super easy to replace. You can find them on ebay for ~$6 if yours burns out or the internal bushing/bearing starts grinding. Which it will. The wiring to the motor is nice silicone-jacket high-temp stuff. The battery is probably standard PVC fare.
The electronic brain looks okay. Slotted voltage separation, though I can’t imagine there are any high-voltage planes on the board. The motor voltage steps are ~3,~5,~7,~10V. I didn’t grab the oscilloscope, but the motor is only 2 wire, so it’s most certainly not PWM controlled. The battery is a 1s4p 3.6v pack with a thermistor. No balancing or BMS from what I can tell. The quad pack shape may be difficult to find a drop in replacement.
The plastic casing is nice and mostly fits well. There is some flashing left in the battery cable pass through, and the ferrite ring mount tends to nick cables during installation (not cool). The screws are horrific. Not super soft, but the heads weren’t cut/broached deep enough, so typical drivers have a tendency to cam out very quickly.
My main concerns are the electronic board dying and the motor/impeller noise driving me crazy. If the motor dies, I will likely replace it with a dual bearing $16 squirrel cage unit off of amazon.
I assume the “fire” part of the firepit+ works the same as the older model, but if it doesn’t, I’ll update the review.
AC –
Great for outdoor camping and trips and it’s value for money
Frank –
This is the best investment I have ever made ❤️
Use it as a Weber, cook as a grill, cook using direct heat or indirect heat. Then remove that brilliant sliding grill, chuck a log on and kick back and relax.