Ridgecrest groups residential fire features into five core types — fire pits, fire tables, fire bowls, fire-and-water bowls, and torches — plus two adjacent categories, chimineas and fire columns/towers, that customers often compare against them. Each type differs mainly by form (open vs. enclosed), height and seating role, and whether water is combined with the flame.

A fire table is a fire feature built into a furniture-height surface with a wide surrounding ledge, so it doubles as a dining or entertaining surface in addition to providing flame and heat. Heat output is comparable to a fire pit despite the larger footprint. Larger fire tables can weigh 300–450+ lbs, so check your deck or patio's load-bearing capacity before choosing a larger model.

Most gas fire features run on either natural gas or liquid propane — the two dominant fuels. Wood-burning and bioethanol/gel options exist but are niche, with bioethanol/gel used mainly on small tabletop-scale features. The right choice comes down to a practical trade-off between installation cost, portability, permanence, and ongoing fuel cost.

BTU (British Thermal Unit) is the standard measure of a fire feature's rated heat output — the amount of heat needed to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. It's a manufacturer-published specification, not an independently tested figure, so it's best used as a general guide to relative heat output rather than a guaranteed number.

Before installing any gas fire feature, plan around six things: clearance from structures and combustibles, an acceptable placement surface, gas/electrical utility work, local permitting (which can involve multiple layers, including your HOA), wind/weather siting, and receiving-logistics for a heavy product. None of these has one universal number — each depends on your specific product, local code, and site.

Start with the group you usually host, arrange seats to face each other around a focal point such as a table, fire feature or view, and keep paths around the group rather than through it. Allow about 24 in of table edge per diner and 3–4 ft behind chairs. Place the space near the house door, where sun and wind suit the times you gather; seating around a fire feature must follow the product manual’s safety distances.