Why You Can Trust CNET New Solo Stove 2.0 Fire Pits Add a Removable Ash Pan and That Makes Me Happy
Solo Stove makes some of the best smokeless fire pits. Now they're a lot easier to clean, based on our hands-on test with the new middle-sized Bonfire 2.0 model.
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Solo Stove fire pits are among the best smokeless fire pits out there, and while they work great and their stainless steel construction gives them a sleek appearance, they have one flaw: They're not so easy to clean up. However, that's changing with the arrival of the new Solo Stove 2.0 fire pits, which are available in the same three sizes -- Ranger 2.0 (small), Bonfire 2.0 (medium) and Yukon 2.0 (large) -- and have a removable ash pan, a feature missing from the 1.0 models (which are no longer available for sale).
I tested the midsize Bonfire 2.0 model, and it's been a breeze to get fires started -- the 2.0 fire pits have the same 360-degree Airflow Technology that allows for smokeless fire -- and on the outside, the 2.0 fire pit looks the same as the 1.0 version. The difference is on the inside: once your fire has gone out and fully cooled down, you simply remove the screen over the pan, which collects the majority of the cinders, then remove the pan itself and dump the remaining ash (you no longer have to turn over the fire pit to remove the ash). A bit of the finer ash can end up at the bottom of the fire pit basin after you remove the pan but that's easy to remove with a wet rag or paper towel.
I was able to get a robust fire going in just under 10 minutes.
Alas, if you already own a Solo Stove 1.0 fire pit, you can't buy the new removable ash pan for it. "There is no way to retrofit the 1.0 Fire Pit to have a removable ash pan," a Solo Stove rep told me. That's unfortunate, but it's certainly a good thing that Solo Stove has finally delivered the most-asked-for feature from its users.
The cinders the next day (they got rained on a bit).
The new Solo Stove 2.0 models debuted on August 1, but they're already available with some hefty discounts:
- Ranger 2.0: $230 (save $70)
- Bonfire 2.0: $260 (save $140)
- Yukon 2.0: $460 (save $290)
They're still more expensive than the 1.0 models were, but I do think the ash pan is a significant enough upgrade to spend the extra dough on.
Editors' note: This story was originally published on August 1. It's been updated to note that the 1.0 models are no longer sold, and to correct the pricing and links for the current 2.0 models.