A lid, a base that does not touch, and a capacity in litres

Ash buckets, and why the lid is the whole product

Wood ash holds live embers for a surprisingly long time — days rather than hours in a deep pan — and an ash bucket is the object that accepts that fact. The lid is therefore the product, not an accessory to it: a close-fitting metal lid starves what is inside of air, and a bucket without one is a bin. Listings that show the lid seated are showing the thing that matters. The capacity in litres reads against how often the stove is emptied; 15 to 20 litres suits a stove used daily, and a bucket too large is one that is carried full and heavy. The material and gauge are galvanised or powder-coated steel, and the gauge decides whether the base stays flat — a thin base bows and then rocks, which is how a full bucket gets knocked over. Then the detail that separates the considered designs: the base construction. A raised or double base keeps the hot underside off the floor, which matters on a timber floor or a carpet and is invisible in most photographs. Finally, whether a shovel or a scoop is included and whether it clips to the bucket, since the shovel is the piece that goes missing. We compare capacity, material, dimensions, lid, handle, base, temperature and stated uses.

These parts, set out figure by figure

1. 

   FIREFIX Ash Bucket with Lid, 12.5 L

   An oval galvanised bucket with a lid and a wooden handle, published with all three external dimensions — three stated facts and no adjectives.

   Capacity

   Approximately 12.5 litres

   Material

   Galvanised steel sheet

   Dimensions

   Oval · 340 × 230 × 300 mm (W × D × H)

   Lid

   Included

   Handle

   Wooden grip

   Base

   Not raised, and not addressed on the listing

   Temperature

   Not published

   Stated uses

   The maker does not state it.

   Amazon reference

   B01MRS2AS6 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4017537534850

   • Publishes all three external dimensions, which is what decides whether it fits beside a stove
   • Oval rather than round, so it stands closer to a wall in the same volume
   • No temperature figure, as on every listing in this family

   Best for: A narrow space beside a stove, where an oval bucket fits and a round one does not

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2. 

   Spetebo Decorative Zinc Bucket with Lid, 12 L

   A decorative zinc bucket of 12 litres that lists ash among its uses — alongside ice, soil and flowers — and makes no heat claim at all.

   Capacity

   12 litres

   Material

   A decorative zinc bucket, per the listing’s own title · Galvanised metal

   Dimensions

   Approximately 32 cm high × 29.5 cm diameter

   Lid

   The maker does not state it.

   Handle

   Firmly riveted carrying handle

   Base

   Not raised

   Temperature

   None made

   Stated uses

   Transporting soil and ash, as an ice bucket, and as a flowerpot

   Amazon reference

   B08639LRC5 (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4260625746356

   • Publishes its dimensions and its capacity plainly
   • A firmly riveted handle rather than a hooked bail, which is the part that fails under load
   • It is a decorative bucket that lists ash as one use among four, not an ash bucket

   Best for: Cold ash already left to stand elsewhere, or the several other jobs this bucket is actually sold for

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3. 

   HRB Galvanised Ash Bucket with Lid, 12 L

   Galvanised steel at twelve litres, with the height published both with and without the handle — and a watertight claim alongside the heat one.

   Capacity

   12 litres

   Material

   Galvanised steel

   Dimensions

   27.2 cm · 28.3 cm, or 31 cm with the handle up

   Lid

   The maker does not state it.

   Handle

   A stable bail, stated for comfortable carrying under load

   Base

   The maker does not state it.

   Temperature

   Stated both heat-resistant and watertight · Not published

   Stated uses

   Stated usable as a log basket, for storage or as a decorative item

   Amazon reference

   B07M853V6T (one reference across 2 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4260592971294

   • Publishes the height twice — with the handle down and up — which is what decides whether the lid clears a shelf
   • A stated top diameter, so it can be checked against a hearth opening
   • Heat-resistant is stated with no figure, as everywhere in this family

   Best for: A tight space where the height with the handle raised is what actually has to fit

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4. 

   Relaxdays Ash Bucket with Lid, 12 L, Black

   The only listing on this shelf that names cooling as the job — a powder-coated steel bucket for cooling and carrying hot ash and embers.

   Capacity

   12 litres

   Material

   Steel with a powder coating, stated heat-resistant

   Dimensions

   Approximately 34 × 32.5 × 28 cm (H × W × D)

   Lid

   Included — stated to prevent scattering and keep furniture dust-free

   Handle

   A bail for easy carrying — no wooden grip stated

   Base

   The maker does not state it.

   Temperature

   Not published

   Stated uses

   Cooling and transporting hot ash and embers · Storing charcoal and briquettes

   Amazon reference

   B0875L1HN2 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4052025306915

   • Names cooling as the purpose, which is what an ash bucket is actually doing while it stands full
   • Publishes all three dimensions
   • No wooden grip stated, where four listings in this family have one as heat protection

   Best for: Emptying a stove that is still warm, into something that names cooling as what it is for

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5. 

   Schürer Metallwaren Ash Bucket with Lid, 25 L

   Twenty-five litres — double most of this shelf — with the only warning here that matters: not suitable for liquids.

   Capacity

   Approximately 25 litres — the largest in this family

   Material

   Galvanised, from the title

   Dimensions

   410 mm · Ø 280 mm

   Lid

   Included

   Handle

   The maker does not state it.

   Base

   The maker does not state it.

   Temperature

   Not suitable for liquids, stated — and stated twice · Not published

   Stated uses

   Five, of which three are unique — the listing repeats itself

   Amazon reference

   B01N3YE8EQ (one reference across 3 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4262448330323

   • The largest capacity on this shelf by a wide margin
   • The only listing in this family to state that it is not for liquids
   • Five published features of which three are unique — two lines are printed twice

   Best for: A stove emptied weekly rather than daily, where a 12-litre bucket fills too fast

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6. 

   Ora-Tec Ash Bucket 15 L, Matt Black

   Galvanised first and then powder-coated, with a wooden grip the listing actually explains: it insulates, so the bucket can be carried warm.

   Capacity

   15 litres

   Material

   Steel galvanised first, then powder-coated matt black — a double treatment, stated

   Dimensions

   Ø 24 cm × H 30.5 cm, approximately 33 cm wide across the handles

   Lid

   Close-fitting, stated to keep fine ash dust in and the smell of cold ash contained

   Handle

   Steel bail with an ergonomic wooden grip, stated to insulate against heat

   Base

   The maker does not state it.

   Temperature

   Not published

   Stated uses

   Can be carried safely while the contents are still warm, per the maker · Fireplace ash, barbecue charcoal or briquettes, indoors and out

   Amazon reference

   B0767L1NLX (one reference across 4 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4054626217683

   • Explains what the wooden grip is for, which four listings in this family have and only this one justifies
   • Two coatings rather than one — galvanised under the powder coat
   • Heat-resistant is implied throughout and never given a figure

   Best for: Carrying a bucket that is still warm, by somebody who does it every few days all winter

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7. 

   BLACK OAK Vesuvio Ash Bucket, 20 L, Oval

   The only bucket on this shelf with a raised base — stated to protect the floor even with hot ash — plus a published 30 kg load rating.

   Capacity

   Maximum 30 kg — the only load figure published here · 20 litres

   Material

   Galvanised steel, matt black powder-coated, with an extra-thick wall stated to prevent warping

   Dimensions

   39 cm high including the lid, 30 cm across the narrow side, 39 cm opening on the long side · Oval, stated slim so it stands anywhere

   Lid

   Precisely fitted, stated to keep ash and dust in during transport

   Handle

   Stainless steel bail with a large ergonomic wooden grip

   Base

   Stated to protect the floor even with hot ash containing embers — the only one in this family

   Temperature

   The maker does not state it.

   Stated uses

   The maker does not state it.

   Amazon reference

   B0CSPPKXZJ (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4260724272602

   • The raised base is the only feature in this family that addresses what a hot bucket does to the floor beneath it
   • Publishes a maximum load, which no other listing on this shelf does
   • Heat-resistant is claimed without a temperature, like every listing in this family

   Best for: A bucket that has to stand indoors while its contents cool, on a floor that would rather it did not

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