The circular plate firepit is not a barbecue. It's a different object, with its own soul, that asks to be truly understood. Whether you own an OFYR, an Arteflame, a handcrafted Corten or an Italian model, Fire and Plate teaches you to use it for real — 62 tested recipes and the maintenance chapters no one else has ever written properly.
A growing collection of standalone manuals. Each title is dedicated to a single tool, practice or fire ritual — read in any order.
The circular plate manual
In development
In development
English Edition
The complete manual
Italian Edition
Manuale del braciere a piastra circolare
Written by a fire cook, not a studio chef. 62 recipes tested in real evenings — from the classic Fiorentina to tomahawk, nose-to-tail cuts, Iberian secrets, whole salt-baked fish, Japanese yakitori, Valencian paella, slow cast-iron ragùs, smoked desserts and cocktails.
How to read and use the inner edge, the mid band and the outer rim — one plate, three different kitchens.
How to start, drive and feed the flame during service, without panic and without wasted embers.
Concrete recipes built around ingredients you can actually find — meat, fish, vegetables, breads, slow ragùs, desserts and smoked cocktails.
How to build and maintain the iron patina — the real secret of the plate. A neglected firepit lasts five years; a well-treated one lasts thirty.
How to overwinter the firepit without ruining it, with five troubleshooting protocols for when something goes wrong.
How to organize a fire evening for eight to ten guests without losing your mind — timing, mise en place, rhythm.
Designer and fire cook. Open Fire Manual is his ongoing project — a working library shaped by years of experimentation around flame, steel and outdoor living.
Instagram→Finally a serious manual for fire plate cooking.
M. Rinaldi
Chef, Milano
Beautifully designed and incredibly practical.
T. Jensen
Outdoor architect
Makes you want to cook outside every weekend.
S. Marchetti
Home cook
Short reads, techniques and chapters pulled from Fire and Plate. The method explained, before you even light the fire.
Technique4 minYour plate is not a single cooking surface. It's three different zones — 400-500 °C at the inner edge, 250-350 °C in the mid band, 150-220 °C at the outer rim — each with its own job. Master them and you cook well; ignore them and you wonder why the meat turns stringy.
“One plate, three kitchens. Searing, cooking, holding — all at the same time, on the same disk.”Read excerpt
Care5 minA firepit treated badly lasts five years. One treated well lasts thirty. Daily cleaning and the patina ritual, seasonal treatments, winter storage, and five troubleshooting protocols for when something goes wrong — the maintenance chapters no other Italian book has ever written properly.
“The carbon patina is the real natural non-stick. The same principle as well-cured cast iron.”Read excerpt
Recipes6 minFrom the classic Fiorentina to tomahawk, from nose-to-tail cuts to Iberian secrets, from whole salt-baked fish to Japanese yakitori, from Valencian paella to slow cast-iron ragùs, all the way to desserts and smoked cocktails. Each recipe with precise ingredients, numbered steps and a wine, beer or cocktail pairing.
“Tested in real evenings, not in a photo studio.”Read excerpt
Hosting4 minHow to organize a fire evening for eight to ten guests without losing your mind: timing, mise en place, the rhythm of the plate. Plus the twelve moments of the year when lighting the firepit changes the day.
“Open fire at the center, hot circular plate around it, friends standing around. Gravity does the cleaning.”Read excerpt
A growing collection of manuals on outdoor fire culture. Each title is standalone — read them in any order.
Yes. It starts from first principles — lighting, reading and governing the fire — and builds up to advanced technique.
Yes. The principles apply to any circular plate firepit with an open flame core — OFYR, Arteflame, handcrafted Corten, or Italian models like Grill Design Milano.
62 recipes tested in real evenings — from Fiorentina and tomahawk to nose-to-tail cuts, Iberian secrets, whole salt-baked fish, yakitori, paella, slow cast-iron ragùs, smoked desserts and cocktails.
Instant search across the 62 recipes, temperatures and conversions always at hand, comfortable use in the garden — phone or tablet right next to the firepit.
More titles are in development. Follow @openfiremanual on Instagram for release dates.