By Christie Vanover | Published June 20, 2016 | Last Updated February 16, 2023
As much as I love big, fancy grills, the foundation of grilling comes down to three simple necessities: fire, somewhere to burn the fire and a grill grate.
Traditional grills solve those needs with a package deal, but today, I’m going to teach you how to improvise and make your own fire pit grill.
Why would you want to do this? Because
(A) all the fun backyards have fire pits nowadays
(B) one accessory, two functions
(C) you can pick a style and color other than black
(D) when the grilling is done, the party can keep on keepin on
You ready? Let’s do this.
CHOOSING YOUR FIRE PIT
There are three main things to consider when selecting a fire pit that will work well as a grill. This cast iron pit with a copper finish checks the block on all three.
CHOOSE A FIRE PIT WITH A SOMEWHAT SHALLOW BOWL.
You want the coals to be close enough to the grill grate that you can actually cook your meat. Those deep-bowled pits will require too many coals. The pit I use has a 7-inch deep bowl. It’s perfect.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE DIAMETER.
Most fire pits don’t come with a grill grate, so you’ll need to purchase that separately. The size of the grate you’ll need will depend on the diameter of the top of your fire pit. A 30-inch diameter is great for party grilling, but if you’re cooking for a family of four, you can go smaller.
The Sunnydaze X-Marks Fire Pit Grate is my favorite fire pit grate. It’s very sturdy, has handles for easy removal and comes in square, round and rectangle sizes, ranging from 19 inches to 40 inches. As an added bonus, the signature x-marks provide great grill marks and keep narrow veggies like asparagus from falling into the coals.
SELECT A PIT THAT MATCHES YOUR STYLE.
Fire pits come in many designs. While I like the look of rustic copper, you can find a pit to match your backyard style and budget.
That’s all there is to it. If you make your own fire pit grill, show me on instagram, using #GirlsCanGrill.
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