Can You Cook on a Propane Fire Table? (Answered)

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James

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A propane fire table brings warmth and a touch of elegance to your backyard or patio. It’s essentially an appliance that combines a propane fire pit and a patio table. That said, you might wonder if it’s alright to use it for cooking like an outdoor grill.

You can cook on a propane fire table and cook a wide range of dishes on it. But if you want to use it for cooking, you’ll need accessories like a grilling grate, rotisserie, stand, and a few skewers, depending on what dish you want to cook. 

Note that these appliances are designed to offer warm, realistic flames and are listed as decorative appliances and not cooking appliances. But with appropriate safety measures, you can cook some of your favorite dishes using a propane fire table. Let’s find out how! 

Is It Safe To Cook on a Propane Fire Table?

Safety is one of the most common concerns for cooking with propane fire tables. Propane, used in these types of fire tables, is a completely safe fuel that produces no harmful gasses or byproducts. Many barbeque grills also use propane as their fuel source. 

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It’s safe to cook on a propane fire table, provided that you keep the burners and media (such as lava rocks and fire glass) clean. You don’t want food particles to block the burners and fire pit media, as these can be safety hazards.

The fire pit tables aren’t primarily designed to cook; they lack certain features commonly found in gas grills like food drip pans. So, if you plan to use your fire table for cooking, you’ll have to be extra careful, especially while roasting anything on the flame. 

Will Cooking on a Propane Fire Table Alter Food Taste?

Another common concern among people who want to cook on their propane fire table is taste. If you wonder whether your food will taste funky or odd if you cook on a fire table, let me put your mind at ease. 

Cooking on a propane fire table won’t alter food taste. As propane is a very safe fuel that doesn’t produce any byproducts, there’s no reason for your food to smell or taste weird. 

Natural propane is a perfectly odorless gas. However, when supplied commercially in cylinders, a chemical with a foul odor called ‘Ethyl Mercaptan‘ is added to help detect any leaks. The amount of ethyl mercaptan added is very small, and once it’s burnt off, it doesn’t leave any noticeable smell, either. 

Will Cooking on a Propane Fire Table Damage It?

Cooking on a propane fire table won’t damage it. But the downside of cooking on your fire table is that food drippings might land on the media or the burners. Although most of the food particles might burn off, some might clog the pores of the burners or cause some issues with flame distribution. 

Besides, as your fire table sits outside, the food particles might attract insects and rodents that might gnaw on gas lines and cause potential leakage. 

To ensure your propane fire table is always in good shape, you shouldn’t wait to clean the burners and media (lava rocks or fire glass beads) once you’re done with cooking. That way, you don’t risk causing damage to the appliance or smoking the next time you try to use the fire table.  

What Can You Cook on Your Propane Fire Table? 

You can cook anything you’d cook on a grill on a propane fire table. All you need is fire, and there’s plenty of fire a propane fire table can offer! Go on and roast marshmallows, cook chicken breast, salmon, even hotdogs over the open flame.

There’s only one issue, though. If you own a fancy fire table, all the cooking can get a bit messy, and you might have to spend a considerable amount of time cleaning once done. 

What Accessories Do You Need for a Propane Fire Table?

You need accessories like a grill rack, a few skewers, tongs, a stand, and a grill grate for a propane fire tab—most fire tables don’t come with them. You don’t need anything fancy or expensive. As long as the accessories are good enough for the job, you’re good to go!

One of the best accessories that I’d recommend if you’re looking to cook on your propane fire table is this Texsport Rotisserie Grill and Spit. It’s made of stainless steel and easy to assemble. There’s no need for any tool to take it down, either.

How Much Heat Do Propane Fire Tables Produce?

If you are thinking of cooking on a propane fire table, the amount of heat they produce might be an issue.

A typical fire table that uses propane as fuel produces about 40,000 to 100,000 BTU of heat. These numbers are considerably lower than what you’d expect from a wooden grill. Cooking with a propane fire table might take a bit longer than on a wood-burning grill. 

Are Propane Fire Tables Safer Than Wood?

Propane fire tables are safer than wood. Unlike wood, propane fire tables are much cleaner fuel and don’t smoke. A wood fire can quickly become dangerous if not properly contained. You can quickly shut off a propane fire table during an emergency.

Therefore, propane fire tables are among the safest appliances with open flames out there.

If you get your fire table installed properly, be sure to follow the recommended maintenance schedule, these are incredibly safe appliances, especially if you compare them with wood-burning fire pits. 

Bottom Line

Fire tables are a great addition to your patio or backyard, and you can certainly cook on them. If you follow proper precautions and get the right accessories, you can enjoy a perfect evening cooking on your fire table the next time you entertain some guests.  

Compared to wood fire, propane fire tables are better and safer than wood, in general. Propane fire tables don’t smoke, and they’re a much better option than wood, especially for those who prefer a more eco-friendly cooking method.

Ready to cook your first meal on a propane fire table? Happy cooking!

Sources

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James

In my early years, I had worked small jobs with landscaping and construction companies to boost other homeowners' home value and have worked on similar projects on my own homes. I suppose you can say that we are "slow house flippers" since we tend to live in them for a few years while working on improvement projects.