Outdoor Fireplace or Oven?

[compound13]

if you were building an outdoor kitchen and wanted both but could only afford one - which would you go with?

i realize a lot of this depends on personal preference. I've never had either and am in the process of designing the outdoor kitchen. It will have bar/countertops, sink, fridge, grill, big green egg - and the original intent was to have a fireplace in the corner. I'm just starting to question how often the fireplace would be used - and if it's there primarily for aesthetic purposes would something like a pizza oven accomplish the same thing (in addition to giving me another cooking vessel).

I guess i'm asking for those that have one/the other/or both, if they have any regrets or wish they could have done it better.

My apologies if this has been brought up before, i just came across the site and haven't had too much of a chance to dig around (but i've seen enough to know that i'm definitely in the right place and extremely jealous of a lot of the setups i've seen).

thx for your input!

[Karangi Dude]

Hey Compound13,
It all comes down to!!!!
Are you looking for warmth on the outside by having a fireplace that you may use for a couple of months of the year and then to just look at for the rest of the time, thinking if it were cool enough I could light a fire.
Or are you looking for warmth on the inside from eating some really amazing food that you can cook in WFO (in my case 12months of the year).
I know what my answer would be.
But if you need both you could buy a chiminea type fire place.

Cheers Doug

[RTflorida]

OVEN
an outdoor fireplace is merely for aesthics/ambiance. A lot of wasted space, money, and material in my opinion.
Since you have never had either, build the oven and buy one of those small firepits or chimineas at Home Depot or Lowes.

RT

[Tscarborough]

I have both. I use the oven 3 or 4 times a month and the fireplace 3 or 4 times a year.

[vincentscimini@comcast.ne]

I have both. It's a no brainer. Go with the WFO. Not only will you benefit from being able to cook amazing pizza and other dishes, you will still get that warmth and aesthetic look you get with a fireplace. Sounds like you're creating a beautiful outdoor kitchen and a WFO will end up being the focal point of it all. I have had mine for 2 years now and use it regularly in spring, summer and fall. I definitely get more use from and compliments on the WFO than the fireplace. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Vince

[compound13]

Originally Posted by Tscarborough

I have both. I use the oven 3 or 4 times a month and the fireplace 3 or 4 times a year.

that's what i was afraid of. i may as well draw up the oven plans along with the divorce papers

[buckeyebreadman]

My build (in the initial stages now) will have BOTH!
I'm building a Steel Dome Oven...
RIGHT below it will be a wood burning stove with the flu going straight up into the WFO flu transition....
I can close off the oven with the inner door, put on the outer door and utilize the Fireplace....I hope this makes sense....I'll submit pics once I get to that stage....
Obviously, one wouldn't use both at the same time....but going from oven to fireplace would take about 10 seconds.....

[Mike D]

If it is only for warmth or ambiance than you might end up regretting a fire place, unless you combine the grill with the fireplace. If you build a fireplace that is big enough to put a grill in that is removable, than when you are done cooking you would remove the grill and though on some wood for the fire. I have seen this done and it works great. That way you can have both. I am building my oven right now and plan on building an open style fireplace for my tuscan grills that I take out or move to have a fire.

mike
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/r...ape-14700.html (Round shape)

[horrocks007]

Do the pizza oven, then buy a 50$ fire pit from Walmart for the ambiance!

[jonlovepizza]

build a wfo with a wide front . splayed out from oven by around 5 inch bigger on the outer part of the entrance and higher , like looking into a funnel .as you look into oven.. then when you finish cooking you can pull your fire forward put some fresh timber on it and its a fire place ,,