Best Cast Iron Fireplace Grates

Fireplace grates are primarily made from one of two materials: either steel or cast iron. Most people prefer cast iron because it retains heat exceptionally well and it tends to be more durable than steel.

If you’re in the market for a new fireplace grate, you may have come to the conclusion by now that cast iron is your best bet. There remains a question, though:

Which grate should you get?

At HY-C, we manufacture five lines of cast iron fireplace grates under our Liberty Foundry Co. name:

• The G500 Sampson Series
• The Franklin G Series
• The GT SAF-T-GRATE Series
• The G800 Series
• The G1000 Series

In this guide, we’ll take you through each line of cast iron fireplace grates. We’ll include sizes for each of our five lines and some stand-out features of each grate to help you find the right cast iron fireplace grate for your fireplace.

G500 Sampson Series Cast Iron Fireplace Grates

The Sampson G500 fireplace grate integrates a self-feeding design to keep your fire going. As logs burn, they roll down the sloped sides of the grate to ensure that hot logs on the bottom feed fresh logs on the top.

The angle of the slope is adjustable, too, to help you burn wood at the best possible pace for your fire and fireplace.

Perhaps the best part of the G500 Sampson fireplace grates is that they’re adjustable. You can buy the size you need, and you can buy additional eight-inch sections that can be added to (or removed from) your grate to ensure it fits your fireplace perfectly — no matter what.

The G500 Sampson Series is Liberty Foundry Co.’s most versatile size-wise, with five different sizes available (all styles feature a leg clearance of 2.75”):

* Dimensions are measured as front width x back width x depth x height

Franklin G Series Cast Iron Fireplace Grates

The Franklin G Series traces its name back to Benjamin Franklin himself. The Founding Father invented the metal-lined fireplace in 1743, and they came to be known as “Franklin stoves”.

Franklin G fireplace grates are relatively straightforward basket-style grates. They’re designed with a narrow depth to be used in smaller fireplaces.

Perhaps the most stand-out feature of the Franklin G Series of cast iron fireplace grates is that that three of the four sizes — the G17-BX, G22-BX, and G27-BX — come with four-inch leg clearance options (instead of the standard two inches) to facilitate additional airflow to help logs burn hotter and longer.

The four sizes in which Franklin G Series grates are available are as follows:

* Dimensions are measured as front width x back width x depth x height
**Indicates that sizes are available in a 4” leg clearance option

GT SAF-T-GRATE Cast Iron Fireplace Grates

Like the G500 Sampson Series, GT SAF-T-GRATE fireplace grates feature a curved, self-feeding design that allows burned fuel to roll toward the center and bottom of the grate while new wood is set on top.

The SAF-T-GRATES (as their name implies) are designed a bit more robustly than their G500 counterparts — all in the name of safety. As wood burns and shifts around, the sturdy, cast iron SAF-T-GRATES keep wood from rolling out of your firebox and into your living room.

Aside from that, each model features three inches of leg clearance. It’s not quite the four inch ventilation offered in some of the Franklin G models, but it still provides plenty of airflow to the logs as they burn.

The GT SAF-T-GRATES are available in three distinct sizes:

* Dimensions are measured as front width x back width x depth x height

G800 Cast Iron Fireplace Grates

The G800 Series of fireplace grates are made in a very similar basket style to the Franklin G Series grates. One of the main differences is that the G800 grates are made a bit wider for bigger fireboxes (and therefore tend to be a bit heavier).

The G800 grates also come standard with a four-inch leg clearance height, meaning they offer maximum ventilation at all times.

Aside from that, they’re very straightforward cast iron fireplace grates with just three sizes available:

* Dimensions are measured as front width x back width x depth x height

G1000 Cast Iron Fireplace Grates

Finally, the G1000 Series of fireplace grates is designed with the best of both worlds in mind: these are curved, basked-style grates that help ensure that burning wood rolls toward the middle and bottom of the grate.

The G1000 Series comes in two sizes that are made for bigger fireboxes, and both sizes are available with either two-and-a-half or four inches of leg clearance depending on how high you need the grate to be.

With the lightest models weighing in at 30 pounds, the G1000 Series of cast iron fireplace grates are about as robust as Liberty Foundry Co. makes them.

They’re available in two sizes (and each size is available with an optional four-inch leg clearance):

* Dimensions are measured as front width x back width x depth x height
**Indicates that sizes are available in a 4” leg clearance option

Which Cast Iron Fireplace Grate Should You Get?

If you’ve read this far, you’re likely set on a cast iron fireplace grate. And that’s good news, because it means you’ve started to narrow your search — after all, there are dozens (if not hundreds) of fireplace grate options out there.

Each of the five Liberty Foundry Co. series of fireplace grates has something unique to offer. The Franklin G Series is designed for narrow fireboxes. The SAF-T-GRATE offers the best in safety. The G500 Sampson Series provides the most versatile size options.

And maybe size is what will drive your purchase. But whatever the deciding factors, make sure you consider what you want out of your fireplace grate in the long term.

Because if you make the right choice now, you’ll end up with a cast iron fireplace grate that should last you for many falls and winters to come.