Solo Stove Fire Pit Pellet Adapter Review

Publish date: 2024-04-25

Depending on who you are and where you live, loading up a fireplace or outdoor stove with firewood can be a semi-sacred act—especially if you wake up early to chop firewood. But some days, you might want a more convenient, efficient wood-burning option.

It’s no secret that Family Handyman loves Solo Stove smokeless fire pits. They’re made of ultra-lightweight, heat-resistant stainless steel and are very portable. Solo Stove fire pits also have a range of accessories that let you use them on heat-sensitive surfaces and for cooking. One fire pit accessory—the Pi Fire, an outdoor pizza oven—allows you to make a wood-fired pizza right on top of your Solo Stove fire pit! Need we say more?

The latest accessory in the Solo Stove family just launched, and it’ll add more flexibility to your fuel options. With the newly-released Solo Stove Pellet Adapter, you can effortlessly switch from firewood to wood-burning pellets, which offer a longer-lasting, cleaner fuel source for your fire pit.

We know buying new products can be a gamble as fewer real-life buyer reviews are available for fresh-on-the-market products. Luckily, we tested the Solo Stove Pellet Adapter ahead of its launch so you can shop stress-free and efficiently, which is the same way you’ll be fueling your fire with the new Solo Stove Pellet Adapter.

What Is the Solo Stove Pellet Adapter?

top view of solo stove pellet adapter Mary Henn/Family Handyman

Put simply: The Solo Stove Fire Pit Pellet Adapter converts your existing Solo Stove (the Ranger, Bonfire and Yukon) into a pellet-fuel fire pit.

The lightweight insert lets you easily switch between firewood and pellet fuel sources with vent holes that allow airflow and keep pellets from dropping into the ash pan before burning. The insert fits directly over the base plate and has handles for quick conversion. It’s made of strong stainless steel (like the rest of your Solo Stove fire pit) that will withstand heat and pressure over time.

Wondering why you’d want a pellet adapter for your wood-burning fire pit? Pellets are easier to store, lightweight, burn longer than firewood and provide more heat than wood. Best of all, virtually any type of wood pellet will work in your Solo Stove fire pit with the Pellet Adapter (although hardwood pellets will burn slightly longer than softwood pellets).

VIA MERCHANT VIA MERCHANT

Optimize your fire pit for a pellet-fueled burn and turn it into the ultimate dual-fuel backyard centerpiece.

The Solo Stove Pellet Adapter Product Features

The Solo Stove Pellet Adapter is made for the Ranger, Bonfire and Yukon Solo Stove fire pits. The pellet adapter will give you about two hours of burn time once your fire pit is full of pellets. For reference, the Ranger holds 25 pounds of pellets, the Bonfire holds 45 pounds and the Yukon holds 77 pounds of pellets.

If you’re worried about using your Solo Stove fire pit accessories with the new pellet adapter, don’t sweat it! You can use all the accessories (even the cooking ones) with the adapter. If you’re using the pellet adapter with a Solo Stove Cast Iron Cooktop, you’ll want to buy food-safe pellets. Additionally, if you’re using the Pi Fire, it probably goes without saying that you’ll still want to use firewood for your wood-fired pie.

How We Tested the Solo Stove Pellet Adapter

top view of pellets in a solo stove Mary Henn/Family Handyman

Using the Solo Stove Pellet Adapter is as easy as popping it in directly over the base plate and filling it with wood pellets. Pellets can be added on top of the adapter until they are one inch below the secondary burn holes on the interior of the fire pit.

I used the Solo Stove Bonfire Pellet Adapter with my Bonfire 2.0 to test the product ahead of its launch. And let me tell you, I loved it. I actually preferred using wood pellets to woodfire logs in my Solo Stove. It was easier and quicker to get the fire going with pellets. Plus, the pellets seemed to burn longer while producing fewer emissions than firewood logs. I only put enough pellets in to cover the surface of the adapter, and I had a fire that lasted about 30 minutes. If I had filled my Bonfire with pellets, the fire would have lasted at least a few hours.

It’s recommended that you use woodfire starters—Solo Stove sells their own starters—or pellet fire-starting gel on top of the pellets for lighting the fire. I used a couple of Duraflame Firestart firelighters to get my fire going, and they worked like a charm. My fire was roaring within minutes.

In fact, the fire was so intense that I wished I had the Bonfire Shield to keep the flames at bay and embers from escaping. I recommend picking up a Solo Stove Shield if you plan on sitting close to the fire. Additionally, I’d recommend it if you use your fire pit around patio furniture, children or pets.

Pros

Easy to use
Lightweight and slim
Compatible with virtually any type of wood pellet
Works with other Solo Stove fire pit accessories
Pellets can be used in combination with firewood
Pellets provide a consistent and longer burn than firewood
Easier to control fire temperature

Cons

Wood pellets can be more expensive than firewood logs and chips

FAQ

How long do wood pellets last in a fire pit?

A pellet adaptor is a fire pit accessory that makes it possible to use wood pellets instead of logs or sticks. Using wood pellets instead of normal firewood creates the ideal environment for cooking over a fire pit since you can expect approximately two hours of burn time from a fire pit full of pellets. They’re easier to store and more lightweight than logs, too.

It’s worth noting that hardwood pellets burn for longer than softwood pellets.

How do you burn pellets in a smokeless fire pit?

Burning pellets in a smokeless fire pit is an easy process that requires minimal fire-building skills. Simply add about two inches of wood pellets to the fire pit, then use a fire starter kit or some kindling and a match to get the fire going. Once the fire is roaring, add a few pellets whenever it starts to go down.

Can you burn pellets in a regular fire pit?

The thing to keep in mind with pellets is that they burn at a higher temperature than logs and sticks. That means first checking whether a fire pit can handle such high heat is crucial. Smokeless pits like the ones from Solo Stove, pellet stoves and pellet grills all take this into consideration.

For anything other than a wood pellet fire pit or grill, consider checking to ensure that the materials won’t warp or melt at high temperatures before using pellets. If you’re planning to use wood pellets in the Solo Stove, the wood pellet adaptor is required.

What Reviewers Are Saying

“Received my pellet adapter last week,” writes verified reviewer Greg.” To me, this is a must-order for your Solo Stove. I have a Yukon, put in 80 pounds of wood pellets and achieved a two-hour burn with little to no fire maintenance. It is also so much easier to light and puts out a tremendous amount of heat during that two-hour period. Where I am located wood pellets are about $5 a bag.”

Final Verdict

Between the cost of wood pellets vs. firewood and how much easier it is to keep a flame burning, I can fully recommend the Pellet Adaptor as one of our top must-have Solo Stove accessories. It’s especially useful for those without the space for a fully-stocked firewood rack.

Where to Buy the Solo Stove Pellet Adapter

Fhm Ecomm Lighting Pellets Courtesy Solo Stove Courtesy Solo Stove

You can buy the Solo Stove Pellet Adapter on the Solo Stove site and on Amazon. You don’t have to go another day without a consistent, maintenance-free fire in your backyard fire pit. Shop the Solo Stove Pellet Adapter for your Ranger ($40), Bonfire ($50) and Yukon ($70) smokeless fire pits, and upgrade how you feed the flames!