Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit review

The Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit is the latest fire pit in Solo Stove’s smokeless range, and by far the most portable. Weighing just 1.4 lbs, the most attractive feature of this fire pit is how lightweight it is. It’s designed to sit on top of tables so that you can enjoy the flames without having to stoop towards the floor, and it comes with a foldable stand so that all surfaces underneath the pit are protected. 

Plus, it claims to be able to create a completely smokeless fire, which these days is more of a necessity than a luxury. Once you’ve enjoyed a smokeless fire pit, it’s difficult to go back to ones which make you suffer from smokey eyes and the lingering after-smell in your clothes and hair.

Aside from producing great fires for people to gather round and enjoy, the best fire pits are also easy to use and straightforward in their design. A fire pit as small as the Mesa should be exactly that, able to be enjoyed by fire pit novices and experienced campers alike. We were keen to put the Mesa to the test and see how it fared in practice.

Its price tag seems a little high for a fire pit of this size, so it was important for us to get to know the ins and outs of the Mesa, which is exactly what we’ve done. In this review, we put the fire pit through its paces, testing it with both firewood and wood pellets, to find out whether or not it’s worth your cash.

Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit: Design

The Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit comes in six different colors. The blue, black, burgundy, olive green and cream options have a ceramic coating, or there is the original silver steel design, which is what we received. We liked how the shiny silver exterior looked on our wooden garden table, and thought the fire pit blended into the surroundings nicely. 

The body of the Mesa is made from stainless steel, which is smooth to the touch, though it can reflect fingerprints quite easily. We love how easy the Mesa is to move around; being such a small fire pit, it’s no trouble at all to move it from A to B. Larger fire pits can also sometimes make an area feel cluttered, and there needs to be ample space to store them, but this definitely isn’t the case with the Mesa.

Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit: Features

Included with the Mesa Fire Pit is a stand, pellet adapter, and nylon carry bag. The stand elevates the fire pit off the table so that its surface is protected, meaning it can be used on any type of tabletop. The pellet adapter gives the option to burn pellets as well as firewood, making this a dual fuel fire pit. 

Like Solo Stove’s other fire pits, the Mesa is designed with the brand's Signature 360° Airflow to super-heat the flames and create a smokeless fire. This means that whether wood or pellets are burning, the unpleasantness of smoke will be taken out of the equation and the fire can be enjoyed without it, which is always a huge plus.

When placed on the stand, the Mesa is 6.8 inches tall and 5.1 inches wide. Its capacity is either four small pieces of wood or one pound of pellets, which means it should be really easy to get a fire going. Smaller pieces of fuel light a lot quicker than bigger pieces, though it means that fuel will need to keep being added to keep the fire going for longer.

The Mesa is the smallest in Solo Stove’s smokeless fire pit range, with the Ranger 2.0, Bonfire 2.0, and Yukon 2.0 each getting bigger in size. This makes the Mesa the most portable and the easiest to take away on vacation. Though it’s too small to cook any food, it can definitely toast a few marshmallows and provide enough heat for two or three people to enjoy.

Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit: Setup and assembly

When the Mesa first arrived, we weren’t entirely sure what it was just from looking at the box; it seemed so small for a fire pit. It was packaged very compactly, with the flame ring, pellet adapter, and foldable stand contained within the body of the fire pit, which was in the drawstring carry case. There was no single-use plastic, just two cardboard boxes and two soft foam covers for the pellet adapter and stand.

We loved how there was no assembly process required to start using the fire pit. We simply unfolded the stand and put the pellet adapter to one side, and kept the flame ring nearby as this is added once the fuel has been lit. The four legs of the stand click into place and hold the base of the fire pit perfectly, and we like how this can be folded back up and stored within the fire pit when it's not in use.

There’s also a small fold-up instruction booklet which breaks down the best way to use the fire pit safely. There’s clear instructions for using wood and pellets, which we thought would be good to refer back to in case we encountered any issues. The booklet also contains some smores recipes, which we thought was a nice addition.

Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit: Performance

Our favorite thing about the Mesa is how easy it is to use. We added a firelighter to the center of the pit and lit this with a long lighter, then placed small pieces of wood around it to catch fire. It took less than five minutes for the fire to spread and the flames to rise out the top of the pit. We continued to add smaller pieces of wood and some twigs until the fire pit was full, making sure not to cover the burn holes at the top.

Each time we’ve used the Mesa with firewood we’ve managed to keep a fire going for around 20 minutes. It’s easy to keep adding wood, and there’s potential for the fire to keep burning longer if it receives a continuous supply of fuel. We did need to keep cutting up chunks of firewood so that they were small enough to fit inside the pit, so there is a little bit of effort required.

Using the pellets was equally as simple. We placed the pellet adapter in the burn chamber with a fire lighter underneath, which again we lit with a long lighter. We then added a plentiful supply of pellets and watched as they caught fire, creating flames which lasted for around 20 minutes again. Using both the wood and the pellets as fuel created good fires, and we were impressed with how the flames looked coming out the top of the pit.

We were also pleased with how smoke-free the fires were. There was a little bit of smoke at first, but overall, the smoke produced was definitely minor and we could stand close to the fire pit without having to move. We also made the mistake of smothering the burn holes with too many pellets at one point, which did result in a lot of smoke. Once these were able to breathe again and the flames rose properly, the smoke dissipated.

The Mesa felt incredibly safe to use, and the children in our family enjoyed it as well as the adults. We loved getting it out in the evening and watching the flames, or toasting marshmallows. Being so small, it doesn’t produce loads of heat, and you do have to stand close to be able to really feel it, which is something to keep in mind if you want a fire pit that can be enjoyed by a lot of people at once.

Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit: Care and maintenance

Storing the Mesa is really easy. The stand can be folded up and placed back inside the pit along with the pellet adapter. We kept ours inside the carry bag and stored it in the outhouse, though it’s definitely small enough to keep in an indoor cabinet if you prefer. 

Something to note is that the steel visibly reflects the ash from the fire. The flame ring was a rusty shade of brown after we lit our first fire, as was the inside of the pit, and our fingers turned black from touching it. This can be avoided if the fire pit is held by the outer body, which doesn’t turn brown or ashy. Though the spotless silver aesthetic quickly disappears, we didn’t mind that the fire pit showed signs of use, and thought it would be pointless scrubbing the ashy remains away, as the next fire was going to produce the same effect.

About caring for the Mesa, Ty Hancock, Solo Stove's Product Marketing Manager says “Mesa should be emptied after each use, in order to maintain optimal airflow. Wait until Mesa has completely cooled, then empty the ashes into a fire-safe bin by simply turning it over. If you wish to clean the outside of your Mesa, you can use Barkeepers Friend for the stainless version, or warm soapy water and a microfiber towel for the colored versions.”

Solo Stove offers a lifetime warranty on all of their products. This covers any manufacturing defects, but not general wear and tear or damage due to misuse. Warranty claims are also only applicable for orders placed directly through Solo Stove, which is something to note if you’re thinking of buying through a third-party company like Amazon.

Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit: Price and availability

• $89.99 / £74.50

Given the size of the Mesa, the price is quite high. That being said, Solo Stove have frequent sales on their site and you can often find their fire pits at a heavily discounted price. At the time of writing there is an offer to buy two Mesas and get the second half price, but the price and deals change frequently on their site so it’s always worth checking. 

The colored versions are a little more expensive ($99.99), but they do look nice, and the leap in price isn’t huge by any means. Though Solo Stove products are stocked at other retailers, such as Walmart and Fire Pits USA, the Mesa isn’t currently available at any of these as it’s still a fairly new product. 

Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit: User Reviews

Being a new product, there are currently only 45 reviews for the Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit on Amazon, though these have produced an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. 72% of reviewers gave the product 5 stars, including one user who wrote “our family loves this little stove. If you're looking for major heat output go with a larger model but this one is perfect for s'mores and ambiance. It's easy to use and clean.”

There are a lot more customers who bought the Mesa directly from Solo Stove. 2014 reviews on the website produced an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, which is a really positive indicator of how people are responding to the fire pit. One customer wrote, “it is so much fun and easy to use. Portability can't be beat!”

Some people have unfortunately been left disappointed by their experience with the Mesa. One reviewer wrote, “Huge fan of Solo Stove but highly disappointed with this little Mesa stove. Can't keep it going with pellets and it smokes terribly when trying to add pellets to the stove. Provides very little heat when it is burning.” 

Most of the complaints seem to come from people using pellets rather than firewood as fuel, suggesting that the pellets are the main source of difficulty, though this wasn’t our experience in testing. Some people believe the Mesa to be overpriced given that it’s too small to produce a long-lasting fire.

Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit: What the experts say

Ty Hancock from Solo Stove says “The Mesa is perfect for anyone who wants to spend some enjoyable time outdoors. From parents that want to roast smores with their kids, to individuals that want to sit outside and enjoy a mesmerizing flame, it is extremely usable for all households and skill levels. 

If purchased, there will be the ongoing costs of fuel as well as the initial upfront cost of the fire pit. Ty says, “how much it costs to enjoy the Mesa over a couple of years really depends on usage, as well as the cost of fuel, which fuel you are using, and if fuel stays at a similar price as right now. In theory, if you burned a pound of pellets every single day for a year, that could cost you as little as $61.”

Should you buy the Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit?

The Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit is a really enjoyable little fire pit. It’s easy to use, hassle-free, and doesn’t require a lot of cleaning. Though it’s small, it produces strong fires and the flames that rise out the top are enjoyable to watch. 

The silver steel version looks great on top of an outdoor table, but the ceramic versions could look even better, with their choice of stylish colors. If you’re looking for a small fire pit that takes up very little storage space, and that you can easily take away on vacation, then the Mesa could be the one for you. 

Plus, it really is smokeless; just make sure to keep the air holes free of fuel and you’ll be able to enjoy the fire without suffering the unpleasantness of smoke. You’ll be able to enjoy a fire for 30 minutes or longer if you keep supplying it with fuel. Pellets and firewood are both suitable, though firewood does need to be chopped up small to be able to fit, which can be a little bit of effort. We’d definitely recommend the Mesa for people with little fire pit experience, as compared to bigger designs, this one makes it really easy to get a nice fire going.

The only critique we have of the Mesa is the price. It’s quite expensive for what it is, and given that it can’t create a lot of heat, you may end up wanting to buy two, so that multiple people can enjoy using the Mesa at once. That being said, you may be able to get good value for money if you buy directly from Solo Stove, because of their frequent sales and offers. There’s also the ongoing cost of fuel to maintain, though the Mesa definitely requires less fuel than other, larger fire pits.

How does the Solo Stove Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit compare to competitors?

The Mesa is around $100 cheaper than the next fire pit in Solo Stove’s range (Ranger 2.0), but it’s also significantly smaller. We’ve also tested Solo Stove’s Bonfire 2.0, which works in the exact same way as the Mesa, but gives a different experience because it’s so much bigger. 

The Mesa obviously gives off a lot less heat than the Bonfire, and you do have to stand pretty close to be able to feel it, but this doesn’t make it less enjoyable. We really liked how easy it was to get a fire going in the Mesa; it took a lot less time and less fuel than the Bonfire.

We’ve also tested the BioLite FirePit+, which had smart technology features and a rechargeable powerpack that controlled a fan in the fire pit. We enjoyed the FirePit+, but it did produce a little more smoke than fires in Solo Stove’s products. 

The Mesa is by far the most hassle-free and easiest to use, and something we’d definitely recommend for those with less fire pit experience. It’s also the most portable, though if you want a fire pit that can be used by several people at once, the Mesa may not be the best choice; only a couple of people at a time can get close enough to really feel the heat.