Beginner’s Guide to Open Fire Cooking: Everything You Need to Know

There’s something primal about cooking with fire. Long before gas and electricity, flame was the warrior’s stove, a place where meals became rituals and survival became celebration. Today, open fire cooking offers not just bold flavours, but a return to our ancestors way of resilience and simplicity values that are at the heart of Warrior Garden.

What is Open Fire Cooking?

Open fire cooking is the art of preparing food directly over flame, embers, or hot stones. Using wood or charcoal, it transforms ingredients with smoky depth and seared textures that no modern kitchen can match.

Why Start Cooking Over Fire?

• Flavour: Smoke and flame give food an unmistakable taste.
• Connection: Fire cooking links us back to ancestral tradition.
• Community: Gathering around fire turns meals into shared rituals.

Essential Equipment for Beginners

You don’t need a full outdoor kitchen to get started. A simple firepit and grill grate will do. For more versatility, add a tripod with a hanging grill, or heavy-duty cast and spun iron pans for searing and simmering. Our carefully curated Open Fire Cooking Collection has a great selection of items for you to explore the various open flame styles

Fire Safety Basics

Fire is powerful so please respect it. Always cook over glowing embers rather than wild flames. Choose seasoned hardwoods like oak or beech, never resinous or treated wood. Keep water or sand nearby, wear heat-safe gloves, and never leave a live fire unattended.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Cooking over flames instead of embers.
• Using the wrong wood — softwoods create excess smoke and resin.
• Skipping preheating, which leads to uneven cooking.

Final Warrior’s Note

Like training the body, mastering fire takes patience and repetition. The first attempt may test your nerves, but each burn builds confidence. Hard mornings make for easy days and a well-cooked meal by fire is a warrior’s reward.