What are the advantages or disadvantages to choosing a square vs. a round firebox when buying an off-set firebox smoker?
Harry Jiles– Having owned both round and square firebox pits, I will give you my opinion. Square fireboxes have more room. A 16″ sq. firebox has more interior volume than a 16″ round firebox. This extra room allows you to have more room under the fire grate for ash, a full 16″ square firegrate and more room over the firegrate, so the flames are not right at the top of the firebox. All this extra room helps give you better fire control. Ashes don’t build up and smother the fire as quickly, more room to rake the coals to one side or the other and more room to add logs without burning the paint off the top of the firebox. Another added feature of the square firebox is the ability to use the flat top as a cooking surface for pots and also as a grill. I personally feel the round firebox is one of the biggest shortcomings of the NB and Brinkmann offset pits. The 16″ firebox makes fire control difficult, or at least somewhat tedious. However, when you have a round firebox of 20″ or more, the
