Can you cook on a Chiminea?

Cooking on an Aussie Heatwave Chiminea is definitely a great experience. It’s a unique, easy, hassle free way to enjoy outdoor grilling, roasting and especially pizzas when entertaining friends & family.

Chimineas are great for barbecuing meats, fish, vegetables, slow cooking roasts and wood fired pizzas. You can even bake your potatoes in aluminium foil over the hot coals.

Also don’t forget the roasted marshmallows on sticks for the kids.

Here are a few tips for cooking on a Chiminea

Firstly you need to get our Aussie Heatwave Pizza Oven and BBQ attachment “Chima-Q “ for cooking on your Chiminea. It slots easily into the top of the chimney to create a wood fired oven and grill. With the hood you cook perfect wood fired pizzas and roasts & even bake breads and cakes. Without the hood you can BBQ straight on the grill and It grills and roasts perfectly and better still all the fat goes back into the fire, so it’s a very healthy, clean way to cook & no mess! Your imagination is your only limitation. Anything you can cook on a regular BBQ or in your oven can be cooked on a chiminea. If you’ve ever dreamt of owning a woodfired Italian oven this fulfils the dream for a fraction of the price, way easier to use, it takes up less space, it’s portable & It’s multifunctional, giving you both heating & cooking!!

Always use quality hardwood logs for cooking on a Chiminea. Hardwood burns slowly, giving a lot of heat. Hardwood also provides a steady and controlled heat source.

Never use treated wood such as treated pine as it contains arsenic & will poison your food.

For extra flavour you can add applewood or hickory, but it’s not necessary.

You are ready to cook on a chiminea within 15-30 mins after establishing the fire. It’s important that your fire is established and that your fire is burning brightly and cleanly. This will ensure a good cooking environment & temperature.

When cooking a pizza, You can use a pizza stone, and or a metal pizza tray. If using a pizza stone It’s best to preheat the pizza stone for a few minutes. We also recommend using a round metal tray or pizza crisper on top of the Stone. The trays are easy to slide in and out with tongs while the stone slows the cooking of the base down enabling the top to cook perfectly. Pizza trays are easy to wash & dishwasher safe whereas the stone gets dirty and black from the fire over time. It’s best not to wash them too often as they are fragile & don’t last long if washed regularly. Pizza trays & Pizza Crisper trays are readily available at most supermarkets & kitchen shops. Pizza Crispers are simply round trays with holes in them which speed up the cooking of your pizza.

The pizza stone can also be used to diffuse the heat when slow roasting. The hottest spot is in the centre of the BBQ grill directly over the chimney so fast heat up and crispy bases are guaranteed.

Conclusion

Overall, cooking on a chiminea is super easy & offers a unique and enjoyable outdoor experience that combines the benefits of open fire cooking, real wood fired flavours, together with a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Check our our Chiminea range.

Cooking on a Chimina inspiration