Steel or cast iron fire pit
Updated: 21 October 2026
You are looking at three titles and trying to decide which metal word to believe. A steel or cast iron fire pit, in this amazon.co.uk set, is a question about one listing at a time: what that page says, and what the reviews in that file say. A shop table of 6–10 mm cast iron against 3 mm steel is not a measurement of these bowls. The pages compared are the ones on the [Blumfeldt fire bowl comparison](/hub/outdoor-fire-pits/blumfeldt-fire-bowl), on 20 October 2026. There was no lab sectioning of the metal. Prices below only identify the listing. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are looking at three titles and trying to decide which metal word to believe.
You are looking at three titles and trying to decide which metal word to believe. A steel or cast iron fire pit, in this amazon.co.uk set, is a question about one listing at a time: what that page says, and what the reviews in that file say. A shop table of 6–10 mm cast iron against 3 mm steel is not a measurement of these bowls. The pages compared are the ones on the Blumfeldt fire bowl comparison, on 20 October 2026. There was no lab sectioning of the metal. Prices below only identify the listing. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Metal on the listing | What reviews say | Thickness printed | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Harbour Housewares Harbour 60 cm fire bowl | Cast iron on the title | UK reviews say stamped or pressed steel | Not printed on the listing | 7.4 | about £89.98 | View offer |
 Esschert Esschert FF44 fire bowl | Cast iron | UK reviews call it cast iron and thick | Not printed on the listing | 7.7 | about £64.99 | View offer | |
| Best value |  blumfeldt Blumfeldt Versailles fire bowl | Alloy steel, painted | Reviews call the sheet thin and the welds light | Not printed on the listing | 7.2 | about £115.69 | View offer |
On this page
What the title says and what the review says
Trust the reviews for that ASIN, not the words cast iron on every title. The Harbour 60 cm, HH-DH740, at £89.98, says cast iron in the title, the bullets, and the material line. UK reviews say stamped or pressed mild steel. One reviewer told the seller it is not cast iron.
The Harbour 100 cm, HH-DH741, at £137.99, is the same pattern. In the first 50 UK review blocks, buyers say pressed steel or mild steel. One names 3.5 mm pressed steel. One review still calls it cast iron. Across 1,408 UK reviews at 4.5, the pressed-steel comment is the one that repeats. The Esschert FF44, at £64.99, is the other case: UK reviews also call it cast iron and thick, and the black coating burns off. The wider checklist is the fire bowl buying guide.
Painted and lacquered steel in this set
Painted Blumfeldt bowls are a finish story, not a cast-iron claim. The Versailles, at £115.69, is painted alloy steel. Reviews call the sheet thin and the welds light. They do not rename the metal. One review says the wire lid was the wrong size.
The Fireball title says alloy steel at 0.1 inch. The review blocks are marked Germany. They say the paint flakes, and one review names 2 mm sheet. The Orbit amazon file does not print a thickness. One German review says the paint lifted after the first fire. The Merano reviews, not from the UK, say the sheet is thin and warps and that the lacquer flakes. Who each bowl is for is best fire bowl UK.
Pre-rusted steel and the corten bullet
Pre-rusted and Corten are not interchangeable words in this set. Both Nicoman bowls are listed as pre-rusted steel, and neither uses a Corten bullet. The 70 cm file has one UK review, about height, not a patina test. The 90 cm file has no review text. A rust colour on the photo is the finish the page is selling.
The Heat bullets say 3 mm Corten, at £79.95. The spec line says alloy steel, unfinished. The brand field reads MOODZ. One review says corten, and one says the metal arrived grey. The Savage bullets say rust colour and 3 mm. Reviews say that finish marks hands. Rust-look, pre-rusted steel, and a Corten bullet are three listings.
Thickness only where a listing prints it
Use a millimetre figure only when that listing prints it. Heat bullets: 3 mm. Savage bullets: 3 mm. Fire Globe bullets: 2.8 mm. Fireball title: 0.1 inch. One Harbour 100 cm review says 3.5 mm pressed steel, which is a reviewer’s figure, not the title. The Orbit amazon file is silent. The maker page’s 1.5 mm is not an amazon bullet.
A shop table of 6–10 mm cast iron against 3 mm steel is that shop’s table. Printed 3 mm did not stop the Savage wrong-plate reviews, or the Fire Globe reviews that say the plate warps.
Common questions
Are the Harbour bowls in this set cast iron?
The listings say yes. The title, the bullets, and the material line on both HH-DH740 and HH-DH741 say cast iron. UK reviews say stamped, pressed, or mild steel. One 100 cm review names 3.5 mm pressed steel. One review still says cast iron. The title and the UK reviews disagree, which is enough to stop you buying on the title alone.
Is the Esschert FF44 the same case as the Harbour bowls?
No. The Esschert title says cast iron, and UK reviews also call it cast iron and thick. The complaint there is the black coating, which burns off. The Harbour complaint is that the metal is not what the title says. Same adjective, different review files. Treat them as two purchases.
What does a corten bullet mean on the Heat listing?
The bullets say 3 mm Corten, while the spec line says alloy steel, unfinished. One review says corten. Another says the bowl arrived grey rather than rust-coloured. The brand field says MOODZ. You can buy it as a low 60 cm bowl at 10.6 kg. You cannot treat the Corten word as agreed by every line on the page.
What happens to painted steel after the first hot fire?
In these files, paint and lacquer move. Fireball reviews say the paint flakes. One Orbit review says the paint lifted after the first fire. Merano reviews say the lacquer flakes and the sheet warps. Those blocks are not UK-written. They are still the only use notes in the files. Do not oil or repaint a bowl while it is hot.
How thick is the steel when the listing actually prints a number?
Heat bullets: 3 mm. Savage bullets: 3 mm. Fire Globe bullets: 2.8 mm. Fireball title: 0.1 inch, with one review saying 2 mm. One Harbour 100 cm review says 3.5 mm, against a cast-iron title. The Orbit amazon page does not print a thickness. If your listing is silent, the page does not say.
Does a rust-look finish mean weathering steel?
Not in this set. The Savage bullets say a rust colour, and reviews say that finish marks hands. The Nicoman bullets say pre-rusted steel, without the word Corten. The Heat bullets say Corten, and the spec line says unfinished alloy steel. A brown photo is not a weathering-steel claim.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for the twelve ASINs in this set. Checked 21 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Smoke control areas: the rules (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Garden bonfires: the rules (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Smoke control area enforcement by local authorities in England (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- DEFRA, Reducing air pollution from outdoor burning (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Selling wood for domestic use in England (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020, Schedule 2 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- blumfeldt.co.uk, Fireball tiltable steel fire bowl (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- blumfeldt.co.uk, Orbit 3-in-1 steel fire bowl (retrieved 21 October 2026)