Unpacking the magnificent Colima XL Mexican Chimenea

We like to see what happens when we deliver a chiminea to its final destination. So we persuaded one of our customers to take some photos of their new Colima XL Mexican chimenea being ‘unboxed’ and set up in the place it’ll be living, then write a post about it. Here goes.

The Colima XL Mexican chimenea – Unboxed!

Welcome to the mighty Colima XL Mexican chimenea, which found its way to remote north Devon for an exciting life in a rural garden.

First, the location. The house is down a narrow, steep lane, a location where SatNav often leaves people in completely the wrong place. Usually either in a field or at someone else’s house. The cheerful Gardeco driver managed to find our home without any trouble. He skilfully backed the van into our drive, a feat very few people manage. And he navigated the winding lane (which is far too narrow for cars to pass each other), with confidence on the way in and out. Top job.

We particularly liked the way he knew all about the Colima XL Mexican chimenea he was delivering, taking such a lot of care removing it from the van and carrying it to the house.

He spent time checking we knew how to use the chiminea, telling us about the need to season the clay first with a layer of pumice stones and a small fire. He obviously knew his stuff, unlike an ordinary delivery driver would. That was a nice touch.

The Colima XL came simply wrapped in clingfilm. It’s easy to see it can’t be boxed. That would be crazy! It’s an incredibly heavy thing, really big and solid, impossible to carry in a cardboard box. The box would just fall apart. It arrived in perfect condition, with the lid nestled safely inside, protected by tough chunks of cardboard so it couldn’t rattle about. And the black steel stand – which is really good quality, heavy and strong – was carried in separately.

Unwrapping was a simple matter, made even easier with the help of our cat Dave, who loves packaging materials. He’s also handy for showing the scale of the chiminea, further down the page!

We unwound the cling film like unwrapping an Egyptian mummy and the chiminea gradually emerged.

It’s a cool, calm greyish terracotta colour, beautifully simple in design and will look great wherever we decide to place it. We’re actually thinking it can stay on the front patio, which is sunny all day and sheltered from everything but warm southerly winds thanks to walls on three sides. If we put it in the centre of the patio we’ll have plenty of room for people to stand around it in comfort, day and night.

The chunky lid pops on top of the chimney and the whole thing sits firmly and safely on its three legged stand, far too heavy to topple off even if you accidentally knock into it. We’re thrilled to bits. And we can’t wait to take delivery of the accessories we need to fire her up for the first time – a poker, tongs and lava stones to protect the belly from cracking through thermal shock. All we need to do is take a bit of care, setting a small fire rather than a blaze, and she’ll be fine. We’re more than happy to make an effort to keep this fantastic item in the best condition.

We’re also expecting a smart thermal chiminea cover to keep her in good nick through the winter and when she isn’t being used, plus a cook stick, BBQ grill, and a toasting fork. We’ve decided to go for top quality rather than cheap, nasty BBQ accessories, since we want them to last as long as our chiminea and perform just as well.

We are really looking forward to christening our new chiminea with a fire, then get cooking. Watch this space for more real-life photos and video telling the story…