Stainless steel plate with central opening for fire bowl - 3 sizes

These plates are pierced at their centre by a wide opening, left completely free. No grate: a hole. The fire stays visible, within reach, and you cook on the ring of steel that surrounds it. Three diameters, from 82 cm to 102 cm.

A hole rather than a grate, and what that allows

The opening changes three things. You can feed the fire without taking anything apart, sliding a log in through the centre, whereas a solid or grated plate forces you to lift it off. You keep the view of the flames, which is the whole point of a fire bowl. And you can stand a pot, a wok or a kettle directly over the open fire.

The trade-off is that nothing grills in the centre. If you are after searing meat over a direct flame, the version with a grate is the one you want, not this one.

A cooking ring all the way round

Between the outer edge and the opening, a wide band of steel runs right around: about 22 cm on the 82, 25 cm on the 98 and 27 cm on the 102. That is a considerable griddle surface, heated by the rim of the firebox, and it makes a full circle: several people can cook at once without getting in each other's way, each on their own sector.

The heat is not even across it, and that turns out to be an advantage once you understand it: very hot near the opening, gentler towards the edge. You sear on the inner edge and hold food on the outer one.

Four welded handles

The stainless steel is about 3 mm thick and the whole plate weighs 11 to 16 kg depending on the size. The four handles welded around the edge are not decoration: they let two people lift the plate on and off, wearing gloves, with the fire lit.

Stainless steel earns its place through upkeep rather than cooking. A plate that lives outdoors and takes grease and rain needs no more than scraping here, where plain steel asks to be oiled after every use. It is handmade.

Choosing a size, and checking it fits

The plate rests on the rim of the fire bowl with no fixing: it has to be a little wider than the firebox opening. Measure the outside diameter before ordering — a plate that is too small will not sit, one that is too large overhangs harmlessly but loses heat.

The compatibilities given by the maker differ from size to size. The 98 cm covers BALI, POLO, VIKING, INDIANA, SANTIAGO, PANAMA and PALMA. The 102 cm covers six of them: the same list without PALMA. The 82 cm, with its smaller 38 cm opening, is meant for fireboxes of that diameter. When in doubt, the outside diameter of your fire bowl settles it better than its model name.

Before you order

It is made in Europe. This item is not held in our warehouses: it ships straight from the maker, so check the lead time shown on this page before confirming your basket.