Took me a few fires to perfect my technique. I'm using dry wood and I give it an extra split so it's on the small side. If the bark will pop off, I remove it. Once it's hot I'm getting really clean fires with almost no smoke. All the ventilation the design provides does a great job creating a hot fire. The cast iron "Throws the Heat" wow. I stacked a few pieces next to the pit and the ends of the wood started on fire. Exactly what you want in a fire pit. Love my pit, considering the cooking stuff now.