OPENFIRE Taps into Live Fire Cooking Trend

Part fire pit, part barbecue grill, OPENFIRE is all about a growing outdoor living expe rience: the culinary campfire.

At its core, the multipurpose product is a wood-burning fire pit with a wind guard and built-in heat deflector to protect grass or other surfaces below. But with cooking accessories attached and suspended above the fire, OPENFIRE turns into a versatile live-fire cooker.

The attachments – including a fry pan, grill grate, Dutch oven, kettle, and heat deflector/warming shelf – can be used in dividually or in combination to grill, sauté, roast, make pizza, cook stews, soups or chili, and more. The cooking accessories can be raised and lowered, or rotated side to side, to adjust the proximity of the food to the fire and heat.

“OPENFIRE taps into the growing trend of cooking over a live wood fire,” says Kevin Dusold, of parent company Bimex Corp. “The flavor from cooking over wood is fantastic, but this experience is also about the rich, worldwide culinary tradition of live-fire cooking. This is a life style product and the response in the U.S. has been amazing.”

OPENFIRE was designed and created by a blacksmith in a village in Slovenia, a small country nestled in the Alps and bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. It’s still handmade there today. The product can be used in the backyard, but is portable enough to tote to campsites, lake homes or tailgates. It’s sold as a Deluxe Set with all attachments included, or as a Basic Set with fire pit and grill grate included and other optional accessories sold separately.

It’s imported by Bimex Corp., and available to specialty retail dealers in North America. Call (800) 497-6496 or visit www.openfirebbq.com.

— Lisa Readie Mayer

Interesting Wallpaper

Thought wallpaper was dated and out-of-style, eh? Well, not so fast. We ran across a company based in the UK that has a wide variety of cool wallpapers, and will even create murals from your images.

The company is called Murals Wallpaper and it promises to deliver to the U.S. within seven days for a charge of only $28. The wallpaper will arrive in a cardboard tube that serves as ample protection from damage.

Images shown here are but a few of the company’s offerings. Call +44 (0)151 708 5400 or visit www.muralswallpaper.co.uk.

Napoleon Fireplaces

The Allure Phantom Series fireplace has a mesh front and matte surround, eliminating distracting reflections caused by a typical glass front. The high intensity LED lights can be seen at night or during the daytime. No fireplace maintenance is required; no gas fitters or specialists are needed for installation. The fireplace comes in 42-, 50- and 60-in. sizes. The flame color is adjustable to match the mood and dé cor. During warm weather, the heater can be switched off so only the flame is visible for mood without emitting heat. The fireplace heats a room up to 400 sq. ft. Call (800) 461-5581 or visit www.napoleonfireplaces.com.

The Outdoor GreatRoom Company

The Linear Vintage Fire Table features a stunning Honey Glow Brown burner set inside a distressed wood-look tile top. The base is a trendy, distressed cedar that will age beautifully over time. Call (866) 303-4028 or visit www.outdoorrooms.com.

Gloster

Grand Weave by Danish designer Henrik Pedersen features tactile, man-made fibres woven around aluminum frames. Available in Meteor or White frames with Basalt or Parchment fibres, the extensive modular Outdoor Lounge collection comes in a variety of cushion fabrics, including eight waterproof options. Complementary coffee, center and side tables accompany the seating group with optional traditional teak top or hard ‘Bianco’ or ‘Nero’ colored ceramic tops. Call (434) 575-1003 or visit www.gloster.com.

Bradley Smoker

Add flavor to grilled food with hop-infused Premium Bisquettes. Two varieties - beer and sage - produce delicious aromas. Beer Bisquettes combine maple wood with hops and are perfect for beef, chicken, ribs or sausage. Sage Bisquettes have a maple with sage flavor and enhance lamb, pork, poultry and cured meats. Call (866) 508-7514 or visit www.bradleysmoker.com.