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A concrete bioethanol fire table with lounge seating on a paved patio in a normal Australian suburban backyard at dusk

How To Choose A Fire Table

A concrete bioethanol fire table with lounge seating on a paved patio in a normal Australian suburban backyard at dusk

Choosing a fire table comes down to five things: your space, whether it's for indoors or outdoors, the size and heat output you actually need, ongoing fuel cost, and finish. Get those right and everything else falls into place. Here's how to work through each one.

Two couples gather around a fire table with glowing fire glass on a spacious Australian alfresco patio

Start With Your Space

Measure before you shop, not after. EcoSmart's outdoor clearance guidelines call for 2,000 mm of open space above the unit and 600 mm from fixed objects, on a level, non-combustible base. Check your patio or courtyard against those numbers before falling in love with a particular model.

Because these units are freestanding, there's no gas line, flue or plumbing to plan around, and no tradesperson booking to factor into the timeline. The 360° articulating feet mean uneven pavers or slightly sloped decking aren't a dealbreaker either.

An Australian homeowner measures the open space on a covered alfresco patio before choosing a fire table

Indoor or Outdoor?

This is a genuine decision point, not just a style preference. Both the Fire Base 40 and Mimosa 40 are rated for indoor and outdoor use, but indoor placement has its own requirements: the Indoor Safety Tray and the included AB8 Efficiency Ring fitted, a minimum room volume of 116 m³, and adequate ventilation. If you're set on an indoor fireplace-style feature, confirm the room meets that volume before you buy. If it's staying outdoors permanently, the outdoor clearance figures above are what matter instead.

Size and Heat Output

The Fire Base 40 is 1,000 × 1,000 × 339 mm and weighs 67.7 kg in concrete or 54.9 kg in teak, a square table built for a full entertaining surface. The Mimosa 40 is a round alternative at 1,016 mm diameter and 351 mm high, weighing 54.04 kg, a softer form with no corners to work around, suited to lounge-style seating and intimate courtyards. Both run the same AB8 burner, putting out 6 kW (21.56 MJ/h) and comfortably heating a zone up to 60 m². Bigger doesn't mean warmer here, and round doesn't mean smaller either: size is really about scale, shape and tabletop real estate, not heat output.

That's worth sitting with for a moment, because it changes how you should shop. Rather than picking on size alone, work out whether a square entertaining surface (the Fire Base 40) or a round, gathering-focused form (the Mimosa 40) suits your space and how people actually sit around it.

Fuel and Running Cost

Running cost is worth factoring in up front, not discovering later. e-NRG bioethanol burns at around 1.1 L/hr at full flame, which works out to roughly $6.60–$7.30 an hour delivered. Fitting the AB8 Efficiency Ring cuts that fuel use by about a third, stretching a full 8 L tank from 7–9 hours to 9–11 hours and dropping the hourly cost to roughly $3.30–$5.10. If you'll be running it most weekends through the cooler months, that ring pays for itself quickly.

Material and Finish

The choice is really concrete or teak for the base, and both pair with the same 304 stainless steel AB8 burner. Concrete leans architectural and modern; teak brings more warmth and texture. Either way, the tempered Black Glass Charcoal media and glass wind guards (like the L50 Fire Screen) are the accessories worth adding, for the finished look and a bit of flame protection in exposed spots.

Four Australians relax around a concrete-finish fire table on a covered alfresco patio at dusk with wine and outdoor dining

Certification and After-Care

Look for genuine certification: UL 1370, EN 16647 and ACCC compliance. It's a reasonable proxy for a manufacturer that's actually tested the product, rather than an uncertified import. My Acre backs every fire table with a 2-year warranty, which is worth asking about wherever you're buying from.

It's also worth asking what happens after the sale. A fire table is a long-term outdoor purchase, and a straightforward warranty process matters more once you're a year or two in than it did on the day it arrived.

Budget for the Accessories Too

The unit itself is only part of the cost. Factor in a glass wind guard if the spot you have in mind is at all exposed, a properly fitted cover for whichever seasons it'll sit outside uncovered, and a supply of e-NRG bioethanol, since that's sold separately and ordered as you go rather than included with the table. None of it is expensive individually, but it's worth pricing in from the start rather than as an afterthought once the table's already arrived.

The best fire table isn't the biggest or the most photographed one online. It's the one sized and placed correctly for your space, doing the job, indoor or outdoor, ambience or zone heat, you actually bought it for.

Frequently asked questions

How do you choose a fire table?

Work through five things: your space and clearances, indoor or outdoor use, the size and heat you need, running cost, and finish. EcoSmart tables need 2,000 mm above and 600 mm from fixed objects outdoors.

Should you choose an indoor or outdoor fire table?

Both the Fire Base 40 and Mimosa 40 are rated for both, but indoor use needs the Indoor Safety Tray, AB8 Efficiency Ring, a minimum 116 m³ room volume and ventilation. Confirm the room meets that before buying for indoors.

What size fire table should you get?

Shape and tabletop space matter more than heat, since both the Fire Base 40 and Mimosa 40 run the same 6 kW AB8 burner. Choose the square Fire Base 40 for a full entertaining surface, the round Mimosa 40 for lounge-style seating and courtyards.

What running cost should you budget for a fire table?

e-NRG bioethanol burns about 1.1 L/hr at full flame, roughly $6.60 to $7.30 an hour, dropping to about $3.30 to $5.10 with the Efficiency Ring fitted, which also stretches a full tank from 7 to 9 hours to 9 to 11.

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Hayden Pearson

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About the author:
“I have a real passion for helping transform outdoor spaces so people can relax, connect and entertain with confidence and pride. With My Acre, I love guiding homeowners to create beautiful and functional outdoor living areas."

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