Can You Cook on a Propane Fire Pit?

Short answer: You should only cook on a propane fire pit if the manufacturer says it is designed, advertised, and certified for cooking.

Can you cook on a HOWL?

The official answer is no: HOWL Campfires are not certified, advertised, or recommended for cooking.

But my gosh did we want the answer to be yes.

When we were inventing the original HOWL R4, that was the dream.

Build a portable propane fire pit that was:

• Hot like a wood fire
• Portable enough to actually bring places
• Built to reduce wildfire risk
• Allowed during burn bans where permitted
• And good for cooking at camp

That last one seemed obvious.

People have been cooking over campfires for as long as there have been campfires.

Stab meat with a stick. Drop potatoes in the coals. Toss a grate over the flame, throw on a pan, burn the first pancake, eat the second one.

That’s camp.

We wanted HOWL to do everything a campfire does — including cooking.

But as our prototype R4 actually started to work, we looked deeper into the safety regulations.

We wanted to get certified for safety because we thought it was required, and because that’s half of our entire mission.

We exist to keep the forest and the fire alive.

Making an untested, uncertified propane product and sending folks into the woods with it seemed like a terrible idea.

So we started reading through different propane fire pit and outdoor gas appliance certification categories, trying to figure out where our new invention might fit.

How Safety Certifications Work for Propane Fire Pits

There was already a category for propane fire pits, but it was called Decorative Outdoor Gas Appliances.

That didn’t seem right.

This wasn’t a patio decoration. It was functional — a piece of outdoor gear with real radiant heat.

Still, that category tested for the right kinds of things:

• stability
• ground temperature
• wind
• rain
• shutoff
• safe operation

Those are the kinds of things you want tested when you’re using a propane fire pit in the woods, at camp, in a backyard, in a ski lot, or anywhere fire risk matters.

But there was a major problem.

Buried in the 180 pages of testing protocols, it said products in this category could not be advertised or recommended for cooking.

In other words, this category could certify HOWL as an outdoor gas fire appliance.

But not as a cooking appliance.

So we looked at other categories.

There was one for Gas-Fired Outdoor Infrared Patio Heaters, which sounded promising. Our BarCoals throw serious infrared radiant heat. But that category doesn’t allow live flames or cooking.

So that was out.

Then there was Portable Type Gas Camp Stoves.

Finally, a category for cooking.

But it had a hard cap on fuel usage: 25,000 BTUs/hr.

That’s plenty of fuel for a stovetop flame.

But it’s not enough to give you the heat of a wood fire.

For reference:

• The HOWL R1 uses 54,000 BTUs/hr on high
• The HOWL R4 MKii uses 62,800 BTUs/hr on high

That fuel usage is not an accident. It is what lets a HOWL create real flame, real heat, and a real campfire experience.

So we were stuck.

There were no certifications that truly fit HOWL.

We had two options:

1. Cooking: make a tiny fire and certify it as a stove
2. No cooking: make the fire we actually wanted, and certify it in the only category that fit

But that couldn’t be right...

Why Do Some Propane Fire Pits Advertise Cooking?

There were plenty of well-known portable propane fire pits advertising for cooking.

Some even sold cooking grates, pans, or accessory kits.

And they were way above the BTU cap for cook stoves.

So how were they doing it?

They just weren’t getting certified.

That seemed odd.

These are gas products. Propane is extremely flammable.

Could companies really put uncertified products in people’s hands and send them out into dry forests?

Was that even legal?

Turns out, in many places across the U.S., it’s allowed.

Burn bans on wood often have exceptions for propane fire pits. But they often don’t require a third-party safety certification.

Canada is different. During burn bans there, a propane fire pit generally needs to have a CSA or UL-C certification to be legal.

We wanted HOWLs to be available in Canada. But we were in startup mode. That was a nice-to-have at the time.

The real question was:

Who are we as a company?

Certification Was the Hard Way

Going for certification was absolutely the hard way.

First, there was no guarantee we’d even pass. Our BarCoals produce so much heat, it wasn’t clear if they’d be allowed in the Decorative Outdoor Gas Appliance category’s parameters.

Second, it would cost tens of thousands of dollars and seriously slow down the product launch.

We were running low on money, so this was a real challenge.

And finally, even if we passed, it would leave us with a real disadvantage against uncertified competitors who leaned heavily on cooking as a selling point.

There were a lot of downsides to getting certified.

A lot of risks.

But skipping the certification process just didn’t sit right.

Our whole reason for being was to keep the forest and the campfire alive.

If we weren’t willing to take safety seriously when it cost us something, then our mission didn’t mean much.

So we paid UL to run the full process.

Certification was expensive, slow, and risky. But skipping it didn’t sit right.

What UL Testing Looked Like

The testing process took a few weeks.

Hundreds of tests.

• They swung a big bag of sand into the unit to test tip-over resistance.
• They blasted the A-Flame and BarCoals with wind and rain.
• They tested lighting it after a torrential downpour.
• They measured temperatures on the handle, the knobs, the ground, nearby walls, and overhead surfaces.
• They evaluated the instructions, the controls, the shutoff, and the safety of operation.

When they called to tell us the results, we put the phone on speaker. Everyone in our little R&D shop huddled in as they gave us the news.

We all cheered.

We were following our mission.

Every HOWL Campfire since has been tested and certified in the Decorative Outdoor Gas Appliance category under ANSI Z21.97-2017 (R2022) / CSA 2.41-2017 (R2022).

The UL and UL-C certification mark on your HOWL is one of the most important parts of the product.

It tells you what it’s designed for, and what we care about.

And yes, it means we can’t tell you to cook on it.

Propane Fire Pit vs. Propane Camp Stove

A propane fire pit and a propane camp stove both burn propane.

But they are built for different jobs.

 

Folks who camp a lot usually already know this.

They’re used to bringing a cook stove in addition to their campfire – whether that’s a wood fire or a HOWL.

That’s because stoves from Coleman, Camp Chef, Jetboil, and similar brands are just better for cooking.

They give you a smaller, more controlled flame that’s adjustable for simmering, sautéing, frying, or boiling water.

A campfire is typically too hot, too hard to control, and likely to turn your pans black.

So no, your HOWL is not a cook stove.

It has a different job.

What HOWL Is Built For

HOWL is built to give you a real fire where burning wood is not allowed, not wise, or not worth the risk.

A HOWL gives you:

• Heat
• Light
• Fast setup
• Fast shutdown
• No embers
• No sparks
• No scorched ground
• A real campfire experience where wood fires are restricted or impractical

It is not a 3-in-1 gadget that does a few things halfway.

It’s a tool built for the mission:

Keep the forest and the fire alive.

For cooking, bring a stove. For fire, bring a HOWL.”

Explore Certified Propane Campfires

If you’re looking for a portable propane campfire built for real heat, fast shutdown, burn-ban utility where allowed, and third-party safety certification, explore HOWL Campfires.

Explore Certified Campfires

Always follow the owner’s manual, local fire restrictions, and applicable burn-ban rules. HOWL Campfires are certified as Decorative Outdoor Gas Appliances and are not certified as cooking appliances.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cooking on Propane Fire Pits

Can you cook on a propane fire pit?

You should only cook on a propane fire pit if the manufacturer says it is designed, advertised, and certified for cooking. Many propane fire pits are designed for flame, heat, and atmosphere, not cooking control.

Can you cook on a HOWL Campfire?

No. HOWL Campfires are not certified, advertised, or recommended for cooking. They are certified as Decorative Outdoor Gas Appliances, not cooking appliances.

Why can’t HOWL recommend cooking?

HOWL is certified under the Decorative Outdoor Gas Appliance category. That category does not test for cooking safety, so we cannot advertise or recommend HOWL for cooking.

What should I use for cooking at camp?

Use a certified camp stove or cooking appliance designed for cooking. Stoves from brands like Coleman, Camp Chef, Jetboil, and similar companies give you a smaller, more controlled flame that is better for simmering, frying, sautéing, and boiling water.

Can you use a propane fire pit during a burn ban?

Rules vary by location. Many U.S. burn bans make exceptions for propane fire pits, but local rules differ. In Canada, a propane fire pit generally needs CSA or UL-C certification to be legal during burn bans. Always check the current rules where you are camping.

Why does HOWL use more BTUs than a camp stove?

HOWL uses more BTUs because it is built to feel like a real campfire. The Portable Type Gas Camp Stove category has a 25,000 BTU/hr cap. HOWL products use higher fuel output to create the flame, heat, and campfire experience they are built for.

Is a propane fire pit better than a camp stove?

Not for cooking. A camp stove is better for cooking. A propane fire pit is better for heat, light, atmosphere, and gathering around the fire. Use the stove for food. Use the HOWL for the fire.