The Best S'mores Makers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

City Bonfires Portable Bonfire

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The City Bonfire is the s'mores gift: a real portable bonfire in a tin, handmade in Maryland, budget tier - actual flame, actual char, outdoors only. The Sterno set is the mid-range dedicated station rated for indoors and out. The Nostalgia electric is the indoor it-depends in the budget tier. Skip the lazy-Susan version - the same flameless heater with spinning trays at a higher price tier.

A s'mores maker promises campfire dessert without the campfire. The real divide is flame or no flame: a portable fire that toasts a marshmallow over flame versus an electric warmer that heats it. We compared City Bonfires' portable tin, Sterno's dedicated kit, Nostalgia's electric maker and its lazy-Susan upgrade on what they actually do to a marshmallow, working from each maker's published specs and owner reports.

RBE top pick

City Bonfires

City Bonfires Portable Bonfire

Buy it

A real, portable bonfire in a 4 x 2 in tin - food-grade soy wax, handmade in Maryland, 3 to 5 hours of burn, outdoor use only.

Best for: The best s'mores gift - a real fire in a can for campers, small patios and cozy nights outdoors.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• An actual flame: a portable tin bonfire for roasting marshmallows over real fire - not a warmer.
• Handmade in Maryland with FDA food-grade soy wax that the maker calls safe for roasting marshmallows - the indie story that makes it a gift.
• 3 to 5 hours of total burn time, per City Bonfires, and it is easy to light and extinguish, so one tin can cover several evenings.
• Budget tier - the cheapest real flame here, and the most giftable object.
• No wood to gather - the maker says no smoke and ashes.

Know before buying

• Outdoor use only - City Bonfires states it in capitals. This is a patio and camping fire, not a coffee-table one.
• A consumable: when the wax is gone, it is done.
• Open flame needs a stable surface and a grown-up's eye - not a kids' toy.
• No trays or forks - just the fire; bring your own grahams and skewers.

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Sterno

Sterno S'mores Maker

Buy it

The dedicated flame station - roasting screen, two built-in stations, a Sterno S'mores Heat can and two forks, rated for indoors and out.

Best for: The organized s'mores host - a dedicated station for families and parties that want the full setup, indoors or out.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• A purpose-built s'mores rig: a Sterno S'mores Heat fuel can under a roasting screen for even toasting and flame protection.
• Two built-in making stations and ingredient holders - the organized, less-messy setup.
• Sterno rates it for indoors and outdoors - the only real flame here the maker says can come inside.
• An integrated heat-management system elevates the can to keep the table surface cool; the serving tray is dishwasher safe. Sterno lists the whole set at 2 lb.

Know before buying

• Mid-range tier plus fuel refills - one S'mores Heat can is included, and Sterno does not publish its burn time on this page.
• More parts than a tin of fire - tray, screen and forks to wash and store.
• Still an open flame - same supervision rules as a bonfire, and Sterno carries a Prop 65 warning.

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Nostalgia

Nostalgia Indoor Electric S'mores Maker

It depends

The flameless electric warmer - tabletop heater, 4 compartment trays and 2 forks - marshmallows get warm, not charred.

Best for: A kids' indoor sleepover where flame is off the table - safe and simple; just know the marshmallow will not char like it does over flame.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Fully flameless electric heater - the safe indoor option, no fuel or open flame.
• 4 compartment trays plus 2 stainless roasting forks - a complete little serving station for two.
• Budget tier - the cheap, kid-friendly way to do s'mores indoors.
• Stainless steel base with trays that disassemble for cleaning - plug it in, it heats, no learning curve.

Know before buying

• No flame means little or no char - expect a warmed, softened marshmallow; a toaster-oven result, not a campfire one. Nostalgia promises "golden brown", not charred.
• Slower and less toasty - the electric heater is gentler by design.
• A unitasker with two forks - it warms s'mores ingredients for two at a time, that is all.

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We'd skip it

Nostalgia

Nostalgia Electric S'mores Maker with Lazy Susan

Skip it

The same flameless warmer with 4 rotating lazy-Susan trays and 4 forks - a higher price tier for spinning storage.

Best for: Nobody over the basic version - pay more only if a rotating tray and four forks are the whole point.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• The 4 lazy-Susan trays rotate - easier sharing around a table.
• Same flameless electric heater - safe indoors, no fuel.
• 4 roasting forks instead of 2 - four people toast at once.

Know before buying

• A higher price tier than the basic model for rotating trays and two extra forks - the heater is the same flameless unit, per Nostalgia's own descriptions.
• Still no flame - the char problem does not change; you are paying mid-range money for a carousel.
• Bigger footprint, more pieces - the bulk without the benefit.
• The weakest value in the lineup - the budget model uses the same flameless heater.

See our pick instead See it at Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

A s’mores maker is judged on one thing: does it give you campfire-style toasting? That means flame or no flame. We compared a real portable bonfire tin, Sterno’s fuel-can station, and Nostalgia’s two electric warmers on what they do to the marshmallow, what they cost to run, where the maker says they can be used and how giftable they are. We work from each maker’s published specifications and the pattern of owner reports; we do not test products, and where a maker does not publish a figure we say so.

The City Bonfire is a real fire in a tin: a 4 x 2 in can of FDA food-grade soy wax, handmade in Maryland, that City Bonfires rates at 3 to 5 hours of total burn time. The maker describes it as easy to light and extinguish, with no wood, no embers, no smoke and no ashes, and says the food-grade wax makes it safe for roasting marshmallows.

It is the most giftable object here and the cheapest real flame, in the budget tier - a bonfire you can carry to a campsite or a patio table for roasting marshmallows over real fire. Two limits need stating plainly. First, City Bonfires rates it for outdoor use only, in capitals, so this is not a coffee-table fire. Second, it is consumable: the wax is finite, though because it extinguishes and relights, one tin covers several evenings rather than one. Owners who treat it as a patio or camping fire with a few nights in it are the happy ones. It is the s’mores answer with real fire for the least money.

The Sterno set is the dedicated station: a Sterno S’mores Heat fuel can under a roasting screen, with two built-in making stations and ingredient holders in a serving tray. Sterno lists the contents as one tray, one roasting screen, one S’mores Heat can and two roasting forks, at 2 lb for the set. An integrated heat-management system elevates the can to keep the table surface cool, the tray is dishwasher safe, and Sterno rates the whole thing for indoors and outdoors, which makes it the only real flame here the maker says can come inside.

The screen toasts evenly and the trays organize the grahams and chocolate - it is the civilized campfire. Real flame means real char, but the fuel can is a refill cost (one is included; Sterno does not publish its burn time on the product page) and it is more parts than a tin. Sterno also carries a California Prop 65 warning on the listing. For a host, or a family that wants flame at the kitchen table, it is the pick.

The Nostalgia electric is the flameless option: a tabletop electric heater on a stainless steel base with four compartment trays and two stainless roasting forks, in the budget tier, built for indoor kids. Nostalgia’s own promise is “golden brown”, and the trays disassemble for cleaning.

Whether it is right depends on the expectation. There is no flame, so the marshmallow warms and softens rather than charring - a toaster-oven texture, not a campfire one - and with two forks it serves two at a time. For a kids’ sleepover where flame is off the table it is the safe answer; for the real s’mores taste it is not.

The lazy-Susan version is the same flameless electric heater on the same stainless base, per Nostalgia’s near-identical descriptions, with two changes: the four compartment trays spin, and there are four roasting forks instead of two. It sits in the mid-range tier, at a higher tier than the basic model.

That is a higher price tier for rotation and two forks. The heater is unchanged, so it is still flameless. If four people need to toast at once the extra forks have a use, but extra forks are a small add-on. It is the weakest value in the lineup; buy the basic model if electric is the need, or buy flame for the real thing.

City Bonfire vs Sterno: which should you buy?

The City Bonfire is a budget-tier self-contained wax fire rated for outdoors only; the Sterno is a mid-range refillable station rated for indoors and out.

Buy the City Bonfire for the purest s’mores gift - real flame, indie charm, cheapest, for a patio or a campsite. Buy the Sterno when the organized trays and a maker-rated indoor flame matter - it is the party station for the kitchen table, not the portable fire.

What to look for

• Flame is the whole question: only real fire gives you campfire-style char - electric warmers heat, they do not toast over a flame.
• Where the maker says it can go: City Bonfires is outdoor-only; Sterno is rated indoors and out; the electrics are indoor appliances. Match the gift to the room.
• Fuel is the running cost: fuel cans and wax tins are consumables; electric is plug-and-go.
• Safety scales with age: electric for kids indoors; flame options need a steady surface and supervision.
• Count the forks: the Nostalgia models ship two or four, which decides how many people toast at once.
• A maker is a ceremony, not a tool: you are buying the setup - the marshmallow is easy anywhere.

Our final take

The City Bonfires tin is the s’mores maker to gift - a real portable flame in the budget tier, for outdoors. The Sterno set is the mid-range organized station for hosts, and the one flame rated to come inside. The Nostalgia electric is the safe indoor it-depends in the budget tier. Skip the lazy-Susan version - the same heater at a higher price tier. For real char, buy the fire; for kids indoors, buy the basic warmer.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: City Bonfires Portable Bonfire vs Sterno S'mores Maker.

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