Can You Roast Marshmallows on a Gas Fire Table? (And 4 Other Things People Always Ask)
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We get a lot of questions. Some of them show up in emails, some in phone calls, and some in the middle of a product description when a customer realizes they forgot to ask the thing they actually wanted to know. Over time, five questions keep coming back.
Here are honest answers to all of them.
1. Can you roast marshmallows on a gas fire table?
Sort of, and it depends on what's in the fire bowl.
If your fire table or fire pit uses glass beads or lava rocks as the media — the decorative layer that sits on top of the burner — the short answer is no. Gas flames burn clean, but the glass and rocks can absorb residue from food, and more importantly, dripping sugar will damage the media and potentially clog the burner. It's not worth it.
If you have a simple open fire bowl with a propane burner and no decorative media, you can roast marshmallows the same way you would over any open flame. Just keep the stick well clear of the burner itself.
If s'mores are a priority for your household — and honestly, fair — a classic fire pit or a fire bowl with an open design is a better choice than a table with a glass media bed. We'd steer you that direction from the start rather than have you find out later.
2. How long does a propane tank last?
A standard 20-pound propane tank holds about 430,000 BTUs of energy. Most gas fire tables run between 40,000 and 90,000 BTUs per hour, depending on the burner size and how high you have the flame turned up.
Do the math and you get roughly:
- At 40,000 BTU/hr (lower setting): about 10 hours per tank
- At 60,000 BTU/hr (mid setting): about 7 hours per tank
- At 90,000 BTU/hr (high setting): about 4-5 hours per tank
Most people run their fire table at mid-to-low most of the time. In practice, a single 20-pound tank tends to last the average household through several evenings — typically a week or two of regular use in warmer months.
Keep a spare. There is no worse moment than 8:47 on a Friday night when the flame dies and you realize the backup tank is empty too.
3. What's the difference between a fire pit, a fire table, and a fire bowl?
People use these terms loosely, so here's what we mean when we say them:
Fire pit: A freestanding unit, usually round or square, designed primarily as a fire feature. You gather around it. You don't set drinks on it. Traditional fire pits were wood-burning; most of what we sell are propane or natural gas. They tend to sit lower to the ground.
Fire table: A table that has a fire feature built into the surface. You sit around it the way you'd sit around a coffee table or dining table. The fire is recessed into the tabletop, usually surrounded by glass media. Practical for entertaining because it functions as actual furniture — you can rest a drink on the edge, there's a surface to work with.
Fire bowl: A bowl-shaped vessel, usually elevated on a pedestal or legs, with a gas burner inside. More sculptural than a fire table. They make a visual statement. Good for patios where you want ambiance without adding another piece of table furniture. They tend to throw heat upward and outward more openly than a fire table.
The right one depends on how you use your outdoor space. If you entertain and want a centerpiece that doubles as a surface, a fire table. If you want a focal point that's more of a conversation piece than a piece of furniture, a fire bowl. If you want something that feels like a traditional campfire experience in gas form, a fire pit.
4. Do gas fire tables actually keep you warm?
Warmer than nothing. Not as warm as you'd expect from looking at the flame.
The honest answer is that gas fire tables are primarily ambiance and secondarily warmth. A 60,000 BTU fire table will take the edge off a cool evening — think 55 to 65 degrees — and make sitting outside comfortable when you'd otherwise go in. It won't heat your patio the way a patio heater does, because patio heaters are designed to direct heat downward toward the people sitting under them, while a fire table radiates heat outward in all directions, much of it going up and sideways rather than at you.
If warmth is the primary goal, a standing patio heater positioned above your seating area will outperform a fire table at the same BTU rating. If ambiance, mood, and the experience of gathering around a fire matter — which for most of our customers is the actual point — a fire table does that beautifully.
They work best when you want both. The fire creates the atmosphere. A light jacket handles the rest.
5. Do I need to cover it when I'm not using it?
Yes. Every time.
Glass media is porous and absorbs moisture. Water that sits in the burner pan will cause rust over time, clog the burner, and leave mineral deposits on the glass beads that are difficult to clean. Most fire table covers cost $30 to $80, and a good cover will extend the life of a $1,500 fire table by years.
The covers that come with fire tables — or that manufacturers sell as accessories — are designed to fit the exact dimensions of the unit and protect the most vulnerable parts. Generic covers work too, as long as they're waterproof and fit securely enough that wind won't pull them off.
If your fire table doesn't have a cover yet, that's the first thing we'd add to the order. It's the lowest-cost maintenance decision you can make.
Have a question that isn't on this list? Call us at 1-512-289-5700 or send a message through the contact page. We answer every one.