The best Fire baskets, compared.
Top pick: Thorness 16 inch basket Best value: VonLux folding pit – Best value as the lowest shelf price with at least 100 reviews and a stated camping job, after the top pick: 4.5 from 164 reviews at about £13.75, with the mesh-hole reviews kept in view. Updated October 2026.
A fire basket in UK shops is either a fireplace grate or a tall outdoor cage. On amazon.co.uk this set is mostly the grate: a raised metal platform with legs and a front lip that holds logs, coal or smokeless fuel above the hearth so air can reach the fuel and ash can drop. One is a folding mesh pit for camping. Several grates sold as cast iron are about 3 kg, and reviews on the lighter ones describe burn-through or a split. How to choose is set out in the [fire basket buying guide](/hub/outdoor-fire-pits/fire-basket/sub/fire-basket-buying-guide).
A fire basket in UK shops is either a fireplace grate or a tall outdoor cage.
32 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +21,400 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will the fire sit?
The Thorness is a 16 inch cast-iron fire basket at 4.9 kg, second only to the JVL on weight, at about £28.50. The title says indoor or outdoor, and the bullets describe an open fireplace for wood or coal, with 22 cm between the legs. The bullets also say 16 × 38 × 26 cm, while the technical line says 26 × 38 × 15.99 cm, so use the 22 cm leg gap against your ash pan rather than the mixed height. Amazon.co.uk shows 5.0 from 2 reviews, and there is no review text, which is not a durability test. Nothing in the listing describes assembly, and no ash pan is included. Shortlist it when you want more mass than the 3 kg grates and you can accept a file of two stars with no comments. It is a weak spend if you need a large review file before you pay the highest price in this set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a heavy 16 inch basket and you will judge the casting in person, because two stars with no written review are not evidence.
Less suitable: You need a large review file before you pay about £28.50, or one height figure the page agrees on.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used outdoors?
The title says indoor or outdoor. The bullets describe an open fireplace and wood or coal.
How wide is the leg gap?
The bullets say 22 cm between the legs. They do not say an ash pan is included.
What do buyers report?
The listing line is 5.0 from 2 reviews. There is no review text on the page, so there is no durability comment to quote.
The Almineez grate is listed at about £24.95 for indoor and outdoor use, and the bullets include a garden fire pit as well as logs, kindling and coal. Those bullets give 39 cm deep, 18 cm wide and 28 cm high, which is far narrower than the 38 cm fireplace grates in this set. It will not span a 16 inch opening. No weight is printed. The star line is 5.0 from 1 review, and there is no review text to read. Four legs and a grate-only box are all the listing confirms about how it stands. A single star with no comment is not a reason to prefer it to a grate with hundreds of reviews, unless you have measured that 18 cm width and it matches the hearth or the garden spot.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have measured a narrow 18 cm width, indoors or in a garden spot, and you do not need a review file.
Less suitable: You are filling a 16 inch fireplace, or you wanted a printed weight and more than one review.
Specifications
Common questions
How wide is it?
The bullets say 18 cm wide, 39 cm deep and 28 cm high. That width is much narrower than the 38 cm grates in this set.
Is outdoor use stated?
Yes. The title and the bullets say indoor and outdoor, including a garden fire pit.
Is there a weight or a review to read?
No weight is printed. The listing line is 5.0 from 1 review and the page has no review text.
The AB Tools grate is sold as 14 inches for a 16 inch fireplace, at 3.12 kg and about £23.25. Amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 89 reviews, the highest star line among the grates that have written reviews. The bullets say 12 × 26 × 36 cm and the technical line says 38 × 28 × 12 cm, so the opening is not settled by the page. Two reviews say it looks thinner than the grate it replaced. One review says the holes do not let ash through easily, and another says the front legs are too close for the ash pan. Cast iron is consistent on the listing, the front is curved, and the box is the grate only. Choose it when you have measured a 16 inch opening and you accept a lighter casting than the 5.35 kg JVL.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have measured a 16 inch fireplace and you want a curved cast-iron grate, knowing it is lighter than the JVL.
Less suitable: You burn coal or smokeless fuel hard enough that a thin grate has already failed, or you need an ash pan to slide under the front legs.
Specifications
Common questions
What opening is it sold for?
The title says a 14 inch grate for a 16 inch fireplace. The bullets say 12 × 26 × 36 cm and the technical line says 38 × 28 × 12 cm.
Does ash fall through?
One review says the holes do not let ash through easily and need clearing. Another says the front legs are too close for the ash pan.
Is the casting as thick as an old grate?
The listing says cast iron and 3.12 kg. Two reviews say it looks thinner than the grate it replaced.
The VonLux is a folding stainless-steel mesh pit at 690 g and about £13.75, sold for the garden, camping and picnics rather than a fireplace. The title says 42 cm, while the item line says 25 × 10 × 10 cm, so the opened size and the packed size are different figures. Across 164 amazon.co.uk reviews at 4.5, buyers praise it for camping, and several report holes in the mesh after one or two fires. The bullets say the legs clip on without tools, while reviews say the clips need a shove and can slip out. Ash clogs the mesh in those reviews, and at least one buyer says the gloves named in the bullets were missing. The fuel field says charcoal, and the bullets also name firewood and coal. It is the best value in this set when you want a light pit to pack, and the wrong buy when you need a hearth grate of several kilograms or a mesh that stays intact.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a light mesh pit to pack for camping or the garden, at the lowest price in this set, and you have read the mesh-hole reviews.
Less suitable: You need a fireplace grate of several kilograms, or a mesh that reviews say stays intact after a fire.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a fireplace grate?
No. The title is a folding outdoor fire pit with a bag. The item line is 690 g and 25 × 10 × 10 cm, against 42 cm in the title.
Are tools required?
The bullets say the legs clip on without extra tools. Reviews say the clips need a shove and can slip out.
Do the gloves and the mesh hold up?
Gloves are in the bullets. At least one review says they were missing. Several reviews report holes in the mesh after one or two fires.
The JVL Arden is a fireplace grate at 5.35 kg, the heaviest in this set, with bullets of H16 × W37 × D26 cm and a hook in the box. Across 389 amazon.co.uk reviews at 4.4, it is the grate to compare with the lighter castings when you burn coal or smokeless fuel. The bullets name coal, logs and smokeless fuel, up to 5 kg, and four legs that are meant to leave room for an ash pan. One review says a standard ash pan will not fit that gap, so measure the pan you already own. The bullets say cast iron with a black powder coat, while the material field says stainless steel. At about £22.99 it is the top pick: the largest review file on a fireplace grate, and the highest weight. It is the wrong listing if you wanted a folding camping pit, or an ash pan the review says will fit.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are replacing a fireplace grate and you want the heaviest listing in this set, with the largest grate review file, at about £22.99.
Less suitable: You need a confirmed ash-pan fit, a material field that matches the bullets, or a mesh pit to pack for camping.
Specifications
Common questions
What fuel does the listing name?
The bullets say coal, logs and smokeless fuels, and up to 5 kg of fuel.
Is it cast iron or stainless steel?
The bullets say cast iron with a black powder coat. The material field says stainless steel.
Will an ash pan fit under it?
The bullets say the legs leave space for an ash pan. One review says the gap will not take a standard ash pan.
The Fire Vida grate at about £18.99 weighs 2.88 kg, the lightest printed weight among the fireplace grates here, and the bullets say coal, wood or charcoal indoors or outdoors. Amazon.co.uk shows 4.3 from 307 reviews. Several of those reviews say it burnt through, buckled or split within a few months, and one calls it painted steel rather than cast iron. The bullets say cast iron and the material field says metal. The included-components line says 12.0 × 23.0 × 32.0, the item line says 9.1 × 12.6 × 4.7 cm, and reviews argue 12 inch against 14 inch, so you cannot take a size from the title alone. The front is scooped and the grate stands on four legs. Those few months, not the 4.3 stars, are the reason to leave it if you burn coal and wanted the 5.35 kg JVL.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have measured the opening yourself and you accept a light grate whose reviews describe failure within a few months.
Less suitable: You burn coal and wanted the 5.35 kg JVL, or you need one size figure the page agrees on.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the listing be used outdoors?
The bullets say indoor and outdoor, with coal, wood or charcoal.
Which size is printed?
The included-components line says 12.0 × 23.0 × 32.0. The item line says 9.1 × 12.6 × 4.7 cm. Reviews argue 12 inch versus 14 inch.
What do the reviews say about life?
Several say it burnt through, buckled or split within a few months. One calls it painted steel rather than cast iron.
The 18 inch Fire Vida is titled for open fires, wood burners and coal stoves, at 3 kg and about £19.99, with bullets of H12 × W42 × D27 cm. The item line on the same page says 16.5 × 10.6 × 4.7 cm, so the title, the bullets and the item line are three different sizes. The bullets do not answer whether it can be used outdoors. They name fireplaces and stoves, not a garden pit. The listing stars are 4.3 from 307, the same count as the other Fire Vida, and the review bodies match that grate, including 12 inch and 14 inch complaints. Those bodies are not evidence about this 18 inch model. The bullets say cast iron and the field says metal, so model 333309 is an 18 inch claim you measure yourself, without written reviews you can attach to it.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have taped an opening that matches H12 × W42 × D27 cm and you will not treat the shared 307 reviews as comments on this model.
Less suitable: You wanted outdoor use confirmed, or a review file that belongs to model 333309.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing say outdoor?
The listing asks if it can be used outdoors. The bullets do not answer. They name open fires, wood burners and coal stoves.
What size is printed?
The title says 18 inch. The bullets say H12 × W42 × D27 cm. The item line says 16.5 × 10.6 × 4.7 cm.
Can the reviews be read as this model?
The review bodies match B01DA8NEVA, including 12 inch and 14 inch complaints. The listing line is 4.3 from 307. Do not treat those bodies as proof about this 18 inch grate.
The Inglenook GRA01 is an indoor fireplace grate at about £16.25, the lowest grate price in this set, with 4.3 from 276 reviews and a stated weight of 3.12 kg. The bullets say about 15 inches wide, 38 cm wide, 28 cm deep and 12 cm high, for a 16 inch fireplace. Some reviews measured about 13.5 inches or 13 inches, and the item line says 38 × 38 cm, so measure the opening. Many reviews say the bars are thin and fail in a season of coal or regular fires. Others report about three years, which is their experience rather than a figure to plan on. The usage field says indoor, so this listing does not support a garden fire. At this price it is a spare grate for occasional wood, and a poor substitute for the heavier JVL if coal has already destroyed a light casting.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the cheapest fireplace grate in this set for occasional wood, and you have measured an opening closer to 13–15 inches.
Less suitable: You burn coal or run regular fires and need bars that reviews do not describe as failing in a season, or you wanted outdoor use.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it for outdoor use?
The indoor-outdoor field says indoor. The title is a fireplace grate.
How wide is a 16 inch Inglenook?
The bullets say about 15 inches wide, 38 cm. Some reviews measured about 13.5 inches or 13 inches.
How long do buyers say it lasts?
Many reviews say the bars are thin and fail in a season of coal or regular fires. Others report about three years. That is their report, not a test.
The AB Tools 12 inch grate is listed for a 14 inch fireplace, at the same 3.12 kg as the 14 inch model and about £22.68. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.2 from 70 reviews. One buyer measured 12 inches and had expected 13, and the bullets (12 × 23 × 30.5 cm) do not match the technical line (33 × 23 × 12 cm). The listing uses the same photograph as the 14 inch grate, with part MVL100 rather than MVL098, so check the part number on the parcel. A review says modern smokeless fuel can buckle it after a few years, and another says it does not like extreme heat and is cheap enough to replace. It can fill a small coal-and-log opening if you already expect to replace a light grate. It is a weak buy if you wanted the 14 inch casting, or a heavy grate for frequent smokeless fuel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a 14 inch opening and you will check that the parcel is part MVL100, not the 14 inch grate in the shared photograph.
Less suitable: You burn smokeless fuel often, or you needed a measured 13 inch width.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it 12 inches or 13?
The title says about 12 inches wide for a 14 inch fireplace. One review measured 12 inches and had expected 13.
What do reviews say about heat?
One review says modern smokeless fuel can buckle it after a few years. Another says it does not like extreme heat and is cheap enough to replace.
Why does the photo match the 14 inch grate?
The listing uses the same photograph as B09WYSKFK9. The part number here is MVL100, not MVL098.
Nine amazon.co.uk listings were scored out of 100 from the star line, the review count, the printed weight, whether the material lines agree, whether the size lines agree, and what the reviews say about burn-through. There is no laboratory test. The top pick is the highest score, once. Best value is the lowest shelf price that still has at least 100 reviews and a stated camping job, and it is not given to the top pick. A 5.0 from one or two reviews is not treated as a durability test. The 18 inch Fire Vida keeps the printed stars, and the shared review bodies are not scored as evidence about that model.
Stars
47%The amazon.co.uk rating times 8, rounded. A listing with no star line would score 0. Every listing in this set has a star line.
Review count
14%12 points at 300 reviews or more, 9 at 100–299, 6 at 50–99, and 0 under 10, with a further minus 10 when the count is under 10. The 18 inch Fire Vida scores 0 for count because the review bodies match the other Fire Vida.
Weight
14%12 points at 4.5 kg or more, 6 when a grate weight is printed below that, 8 for the folding pit’s stated 690 g, and 0 when no weight is printed.
Material agreement
9%8 points when the bullets and the material field agree, and 2 when they conflict. The JVL bullets say cast iron and the field says stainless steel. Both Fire Vida listings conflict in the same way.
Size agreement
9%8 points when the bullet and the item line are the same measurements. 3 points when the centimetre lines disagree, or the printed width is far narrower than the other fireplace grates.
Duty in the reviews
7%6 points when a file of 50 or more reviews does not describe burn-through, a buckle, a split, bars failing in a season, or mesh holes. Lower when reviews describe a thinner casting or that failure. A further minus applies when a standard ash pan will not fit, ash clogs the mesh, or the clips slip.
Choose the job before the star count. A fireplace grate, a garden cage and a folding camping pit are different objects, and this set is mostly the grate. On amazon.co.uk the nine listings run from about £13.75 to about £28.50. Quality is the weight, whether the bars survive coal or smokeless fuel, and whether the inch title matches the centimetre lines. A 4.4 from 389 reviews is a different record from 5.0 from two reviews with no written text. A loose grate is not a Defra-exempt stove.
A fire basket in UK shops is either a fireplace grate or a tall outdoor cage, and this amazon.co.uk set is mostly the grate. The grate is a raised metal platform with legs and a front lip. It holds logs, coal or smokeless fuel above the hearth so air can reach the fuel and ash can drop. A log-storage basket is not this category. Garden cages are not in this set. The only folding mesh pit here is the VonLux, at about £13.75 and 690 g, sold for the garden, camping and picnics.
A log-storage basket is not this category. A fireplace grate holds fuel above the hearth. A folding mesh pit is for camping and the garden. A tall garden cage is a third object, and it is not in this set of nine.
A 16 inch label is the fireplace, not always the grate. Several pages disagree between the title and the centimetre lines. The JVL bullets say cast iron and the field says stainless steel. Both Fire Vida listings conflict in the same way. One review calls a Fire Vida grate painted steel. Read the kilograms, then the bullet, then the material field.
Several buyers say the front legs are too close for a standard ash pan even when the bullets promise space underneath. The Thorness file is 5.0 from 2 reviews with no written text, and the Almineez file is 5.0 from 1 review with no text. That is not a durability test. The 18 inch Fire Vida shares review bodies with the other Fire Vida, so those bodies are not evidence about that model.
The first split is the job. A fireplace grate, a garden cage and a folding camping pit are different purchases, and a log-storage basket is none of them. This set is eight fireplace grates or baskets plus the VonLux mesh pit. Garden cages are absent. Only the VonLux is sold as a garden and camping fire pit. Thorness and Almineez say indoor or outdoor. The smaller Fire Vida bullets say both. The 18 inch Fire Vida does not answer outdoor use. The Inglenook usage field says indoor.
Weight is the practical check when the word cast iron appears on every grate. The JVL is 5.35 kg. The Thorness is 4.9 kg. The AB Tools grates and the Inglenook are 3.12 kg. The smaller Fire Vida is 2.88 kg and the 18 inch Fire Vida is 3 kg. The VonLux is 690 g. The Almineez page prints no weight. Reviews on the lighter grates describe burn-through, a buckle, a split, or bars failing in a season of coal. The JVL file does not describe that failure.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are fitting a grate into an existing open fireplace. The JVL Arden at about £22.99 is the top pick: 5.35 kg, 4.4 from 389 reviews, and bullets of H16 × W37 × D26 cm that match the item line. The bullets name coal, logs and smokeless fuel. One review says a standard ash pan will not fit, so measure the pan you already own. It is the wrong listing if you wanted a folding camping pit.
A thinner grate has already buckled or split, and you are comparing weight. The JVL at 5.35 kg is the heaviest grate in this set. The Inglenook at 3.12 kg is cheaper, and many reviews say its bars fail in a season of coal, so it is not the listing for that duty. A 5.0 from two reviews, with no written text, is not a durability test.
You want a fire off the ground for camping and you should not buy a 5 kg hearth grate. The VonLux folding pit at about £13.75 is the best value: 690 g, 4.5 from 164 reviews, and a stated garden and camping job. Reviews praise camping and also report mesh holes after one or two fires, clips that slip, and ash that clogs the mesh.
The top pick is the JVL Arden grate at about £22.99. It is the highest score: 5.35 kg, 4.4 from 389 amazon.co.uk reviews, and size lines that agree. The material field says stainless steel while the bullets say cast iron, and one review says a standard ash pan will not fit. The best value is the VonLux folding mesh pit at about £13.75, the lowest shelf price with at least 100 reviews and a stated camping job, after the top pick is set aside. Several reviews report mesh holes after one or two fires. The cheaper Inglenook grate is not badged, because many reviews say the bars fail in a season of coal. None of these scores is a laboratory test, and a loose grate is not a Defra-exempt stove.
VonLux folding pit
Best value as the lowest shelf price with at least 100 reviews and a stated camping job, after the top pick: 4.5 from 164 reviews at about £13.75, with the mesh-hole reviews kept in view.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources for smoke, fuel and fireplace clearance. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this set. Checked 21 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines in this set. We did not run a lab test.
