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Gas plancha vs wood fire pit: knobs or a garden fire

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are stuck between a gas flat plate and a wood bowl that also calls itself a plancha. The titles make them sound like the same purchase. They are not. This page compares the Campingaz cartridge plancha and the BIG HORN four-burner against the BIG HORN 60 cm wood bowl. Prices and the full table stay on the [plancha barbecue comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/plancha-barbecue). The wider decision order sits on the [plancha barbecue buying guide](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/plancha-barbecue/sub/plancha-barbecue-buying-guide). How to light and shut down sits on [how to use a plancha](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/plancha-barbecue/sub/plancha-barbecue-how-to-use).

You are stuck between a gas flat plate and a wood bowl that also calls itself a plancha. The titles make them sound like the same purchase. They are not.

Our top picks

Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha

Best overall

Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha
9.2/10about £159.99
View offer
BIG HORN BIG HORN 4-burner gas plancha

Best value

BIG HORN BIG HORN 4-burner gas plancha
8.8/10about £179.00
View offer
BIG HORN BIG HORN wood-fired plancha

Alternative

BIG HORN BIG HORN wood-fired plancha
8.4/10about £189.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are actually comparing
  2. 2.Knobs versus a fire
  3. 3.Which rules apply
  4. 4.When gas, when wood, when neither

What you are actually comparing

On the gas side you have two shapes. The Othello 1 CV at about £159.99 is one 2.8 kW burner on a 30 by 45 cm enamelled plate, fuelled by a Campingaz CV 470 Plus cartridge, with hose and regulator named in the bullets. The BIG HORN four-burner at about £179.00 offers four adjustable burners and a listed 10 kW on a tabletop enamelled plate, but the English bullets do not name the gas type or regulator. On the wood side, the BIG HORN bowl at about £189.99 carries a 60 cm coating-free stainless plate, a central open-flame rack, wood storage underneath, and a plate that lifts off so the bowl works as a fire pit. You are choosing knob-controlled gas against a garden fire you can cook on. The wood unit is 18.6 kg and UK reviews treat it as a patio installation.

Knobs versus a fire

Gas gives you a dial. One burner sears well and cannot hold a cool corner at the same time. Four burners can, if the supply matches the appliance. UK Othello reviewers talk about a hot plate for burgers and steak once it is up to heat. The four-burner’s UK file in this capture is thin, so the zone claim comes from the four knobs on the listing. Wood gives you flame management and smoke. UK wood-bowl reviews praise even cooks on the days they lit it, a raised 87 cm height, and the option to remove the plate for a pure fire pit. Smoke is the cost of that choice. There is no UK taste test in this file that ranks a gas plate against this stainless ring.
Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha

Testsieger

Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha
9.2/10about £159.99
View offer

Which rules apply

Gas planchas sit under the gas-appliance regime as it applies in Great Britain, with UKCA or CE marking paths on GOV.UK. BS EN 498:2012 covers outdoor LPG barbecues and contact grills. It does not apply to a wood fire bowl, and it does not print an efficiency percentage you can use as a shop score. These ASINs were not inspected here for a mark on the data plate. GOV.UK smoke-control rules allow outdoor barbecues, chimineas and pizza ovens. Neighbours can still complain about nuisance smoke. London Fire Brigade and Northern Gas Networks treat carbon monoxide as a risk when outdoor solid-fuel and gas appliances are left in enclosed spaces. Neither side of this comparison belongs in a tent, caravan, houseboat or on a balcony. Keep the cook outdoors, including cool-down.

When gas, when wood, when neither

Choose gas when you want knobs, a weekday light-up without chopping wood, and a stated fuel path. Prefer the Othello when CV 470 Plus cartridges are easy to buy and one heat zone is enough. Prefer the four-burner only after the manual names the regulator and cylinder. Choose the wood bowl when you want a garden fire feature that can also cook, you can assemble a heavy unit (UK reviews say about 40 to 45 minutes despite a no-assembly attribute), and wood smoke is acceptable. A cover is a separate purchase. Choose neither when the site is a balcony, a tent, an awning or an indoor kitchen, or if you only wanted a loose plate for an existing barbecue.

Common questions

When is gas the right plancha?
When you want controlled burners and a fuel you can shut with a valve. Cartridge gas suits the Othello. Cylinder gas only suits the four-burner after the fitting is written down.
When is the wood bowl the right one?
When a fire pit that can cook matters more than a quick weekday sear, and you will leave the unit in the garden with a cover.
Does the wood bowl need a gas regulator or EN 498?
No. It burns wood. EN 498 frames outdoor LPG barbecues and contact grills, not this bowl.
Can I use the wood bowl in a smoke control area?
GOV.UK allows outdoor barbecues in smoke control areas. Nuisance smoke can still draw a complaint. Do not burn waste that pollutes.
Will the wood plate taste more like a barbecue?
Some cooks prefer wood smoke. This capture has no lab taste score. Do not buy the bowl for a measured flavour win.
Can I use the bowl only as a fire pit?
Yes. The bullets say you remove the griddle and use the bowl as a fire pit. UK reviews describe both uses.
Which one is safer on a balcony?
Neither. Keep both outdoors away from balconies, tents and enclosed spaces. A listing balcony line is not clearance.
What if I want weekday cooking without wood or a cartridge?
Then this versus page is the wrong fork. Look at whether a stated patio-gas plancha with trolley and regulator exists outside this three-ASIN set, or stay on the buying guide before you force the four-burner’s blank fitting.

Related pages

Portable plancha for camping

Best gas plancha UK

Plancha barbecue

Plancha barbecue buying guide: fuel and the fitting

How to use a plancha: outdoors, preheat, shut-down

Sources

Public UK sources on gas appliances, UKCA and CE, outdoor LPG barbecues, barbecue gas safety, carbon monoxide, smoke control, patio-gas regulators, and balcony rules. Prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 21 October 2026. No mark was inspected on these units.

  1. GOV.UK — gas appliances enforcement (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. GOV.UK — UKCA and CE marking (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. BSI — BS EN 498:2012 outdoor LPG barbecues (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Gas Safe Register — BBQ safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. London Fire Brigade — carbon monoxide (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. GOV.UK — smoke control area rules (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Calor — hose and regulator for a gas BBQ (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. L&Q — barbecue safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)