Solo Stove Mesa XL: FirstLook

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Solo Stove makes the undisputed best fire pit in the business. We have been a fan ever since we experienced it first hand at a summer event. The solo stove is stainless steel, smokeless, and burns efficiently…what’s not to love?

With their flaming success (see what we did there?), it’s not surprising that Solo Stove would branch out to things like camp stoves, pizza ovens, and grills.

Mesa XL

Solo Stove offers something new and unique: the Mesa XL.

The Mesa XL is a tabletop version of their ground-based fire pit. While its smaller size might not be enough to warm up a crowd, it is perfect for making s’mores outside anywhere that has a level, stable surface (ground, table, etc).

Along with the Mesa XL itself, we also will check out the custom XL Accessory Pack to complement the tabletop fire pit. It is clearly a luxurious indulgence, but it looks oh so fun!!!

FirstLook

The Solo Stove folks took what made their fire pit amazing and shrunk it down so it could be taken/used almost anywhere. Why are their fire pits so amazing? We’ll have more on that in the FirstUse. For now, let’s take a look at what’s in the Mesa XL box.

Mesa XL + Stand Specs:

• Diameter: 7.0 in
• Height: 8.6 in
• Weight: 2.3 lbs
• Material: 304 Stainless Steel

The box contains:

• Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit (cylinder, ring)
• Folding Stand
• Nylon Carry Bag

There’s not much to assembling the Mesa XL. Putting it together takes a minute, literally:

• take the stand out of the cylinder,
• unfold the legs into position,
• place the fire pit on the stand, and
• position the flame ring on top of the rim.

Done!

The Mesa XL stainless steel cylinder is a single unit. There is a cone-shaped ring that sits on the rim, which concentrates the heat and controls the flame. See all the holes? That’s Solo Stove’s signature 360° airflow design. The stand has grips on each foot to hold the cylinder in place.

Accessories

The Mesa XL Accessory Pack is for those who want to upscale their s’mores game. It definitely looks a lot better than using wooden skewers to toast the marshmallows, AND they won’t catch fire like the skewers sometimes do (we don’t like to talk about that).

What’s in the kit?

• Pellet scoop…for the precise placement of the right amount of pellets, at a safe distance from the flame. If too many pellets are added at once, the fire will 1) cool down, and 2) smoke (because it’s cooled down), and make yucky s’mores.

• 4 Stainless steel roasting sticks…form and function!
• 4 Stick rests…very fancy pants 🙂

• Stainless steel fire pit lid…to make sure the fire stays out when done.

• Custom carry case..for easy storage and portability.

Fuel options

The Mesa XL supports two fuel options: firewood and wood pellets. When it comes to storing and carrying fuel to the stove, there are major differences between them. The instructions have details on how to fill the Mesa XL using each type.

The precut oak pieces are sized exactly right for the Mesa XL. While some of you might think that buying little pieces of wood is overkill, but for urbanites like us, pre-cut pieces for the stove are actually an enormous convenience. Not everyone has a place to split/cut, dry, and store wood.

Another way to “feed” the Solo Stove Mesa is with wood fuel pellets. Pelletized wood burns evenly and creates less ash, because the higher density and low moisture content make them burn more efficiently.

Solo Stove offers prepackaged bags of premium wood pellets:

• Wood Type: 100% Hardwood Blend
• Weight: 20 Lbs.
• Heat Output: 8,100 – 8,300 BTU/lb
• Moisture Content: <5%
• Ash Content: <0.6%

FirstThoughts

The Solo Stove Mesa XL looks to be a quality product for those wanting to add a bit of flickery-fire ambience to their outdoor gatherings. The stainless steel looks great in any setting, the multi-fuel options make it convenient, and the portability makes it perfect for sharing the Mesa love.

We look forward to firing up the Mesa and feeling the love ourselves 🙂

Links to items mentioned:

• Solo Stove Mesa XL
• Mesa XL accessories
• 5″ Fire wood
• Wood pellets