Home & Kitchen
The Best S'mores Makers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)
We compared a portable bonfire tin, Sterno's dedicated set and two Nostalgia electric makers on flame, capacity and whether you actually get a toasted marshmallow.
The short version
The City Bonfires tin is the s'mores gift - a real portable flame for $25. The Sterno set is the $40 dedicated station. The Nostalgia electric is the safe indoor it-depends at $30. Skip the $60 lazy-Susan - the same flameless heater with a carousel.
Our picks at a glance
- City Bonfires Portable Bonfire - Buy. A real, portable bonfire in a tin - nontoxic, made in Maryland, burns ~3 hours - $25.
- Sterno S'mores Maker - Buy. The dedicated flame station - roasting screen, built-in trays and stations, gel fuel - $40.
- Nostalgia Indoor Electric S'mores Maker - It depends. The flameless electric warmer - tabletop heater, 4 trays and forks - marshmallows get warm, not charred. $30.
- Nostalgia Electric S'mores Maker with Lazy Susan - Skip. The same flameless warmer with a rotating lazy-Susan tray carousel - $60 for spinning storage.
The verdict in 30 seconds
What mattered most
- Heat source
- Marshmallow result
- Flame
- Consumables
- Extras
- Price class
A s'mores maker promises campfire dessert without the campfire. The real divide is flame or no flame: a portable fire that chars a marshmallow 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.
A real, portable bonfire in a tin - nontoxic, made in Maryland, burns ~3 hours - $25.
Best for: The best s'mores gift - a real fire in a can for campers, small patios and cozy nights.
- An actual flame: a portable tin bonfire that chars a marshmallow like a campfire - not a warmer.
- Handmade in Maryland with nontoxic, soy-based materials - the indie story that makes it a gift.
- ~3 hours of burn - a full evening of s'mores.
- $25 - the cheapest real flame here, and the most giftable object.
- Indoor and outdoor - the bonfire you can put on a coffee table.
- A consumable: once it burns, it's done - it's a single-evening or few-evening fire.
- 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.
The dedicated flame station - roasting screen, built-in trays and stations, gel fuel - $40.
Best for: The organized s'mores host - a dedicated station for families and parties that want the full setup.
- A purpose-built s'mores rig: gel-fuel flame with a roasting screen for even toasting.
- Two built-in making stations and ingredient holders - the organized, less-messy setup.
- Real flame from Sterno gel - genuine char, not just warmth.
- Indoors or out - the flame is a controlled tabletop size.
- $40 plus gel-fuel refills - the consumable adds up.
- More parts than a tin of fire - trays and screen to wash and store.
- Still an open flame - same supervision rules as a bonfire.
The flameless electric warmer - tabletop heater, 4 trays and forks - marshmallows get warm, not charred. $30.
Best for: A kids' indoor sleepover where flame is off the table - safe and simple; just know the marshmallow won't char.
- Fully flameless electric heater - the safe indoor option, no fuel or open flame.
- 4 compartment trays plus roasting forks - a complete little serving station.
- $30 - the cheap, kid-friendly way to do s'mores indoors.
- Plug it in, it heats - no learning curve, no fire safety.
- No flame means no char - the marshmallow warms and softens but never blisters; a toaster-oven result, not a campfire one.
- Slower and less toasty - the electric heater is gentler by design.
- A unitasker - it warms s'mores ingredients, that's all.
The same flameless warmer with a rotating lazy-Susan tray carousel - $60 for spinning storage.
Best for: Nobody over the $30 version - pay double only if a rotating tray is genuinely the point.
- The lazy-Susan trays rotate - easier sharing around a table.
- Same flameless electric heater - safe indoors, no fuel.
- More compartment space for grahams, chocolate and marshmallows.
- Double the price for a rotating tray - the heater is the same flameless unit.
- Still no flame - the char problem doesn't change; you're paying $30 for a carousel.
- Bigger footprint, more pieces - the bulk without the benefit.
- The worst value in the lineup - the $30 model is the same machine.
| Criteria | City Bonfires Portable Bonfire Top pick | Sterno S'mores Maker | Nostalgia Indoor Electric S'mores Maker | Nostalgia Electric S'mores Maker with Lazy Susan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Buy it | Buy it | It depends | Skip it |
| Best for | The best s'mores gift - a real fire in a can for campers, small patios and cozy nights. | The organized s'mores host - a dedicated station for families and parties that want the full setup. | A kids' indoor sleepover where flame is off the table - safe and simple; just know the marshmallow won't char. | Nobody over the $30 version - pay double only if a rotating tray is genuinely the point. |
| Price tier | $ · budget | $$ · mid-range | $ · budget | $$ · mid-range |
| Heat source | Real flame (soy fuel tin) | Gel-fuel flame | Electric heater | Electric heater |
| Marshmallow result | Chars like a campfire | Toasts through a screen | Warms and softens | Warms and softens |
| Flame | Open flame | Open flame | None | None |
| Consumables | Tin burns out (~3h) | Gel refills | None | None |
| Extras | Just the fire | Trays + stations | Trays + forks | Rotating trays + forks |
| Price class | $25 | $40 | $30 | $60 |
Which one is right for you?
- The best s'mores gift - a real fire in a can for campers, small patios and cozy nights. Buy it City Bonfires Portable Bonfire
- The organized s'mores host - a dedicated station for families and parties that want the full setup. Buy it Sterno S'mores Maker
- A kids' indoor sleepover where flame is off the table - safe and simple; just know the marshmallow won't char. It depends Nostalgia Indoor Electric S'mores Maker
- Nobody over the $30 version - pay double only if a rotating tray is genuinely the point. Skip it Nostalgia Electric S'mores Maker with Lazy Susan
How we judged the field
A s’mores maker is judged on one thing: does it char a marshmallow? That means flame or no flame. We compared a real portable bonfire tin, Sterno’s gel-fuel station, and Nostalgia’s two electric warmers on what they do to the marshmallow, what they cost to run and how giftable they are.
The City Bonfire is a real fire in a tin: a portable, soy-based bonfire handmade in Maryland that burns about 3 hours. $25.
It’s the most giftable object here - a bonfire you can put on a coffee table, indoors or out, that actually chars a marshmallow. It’s consumable (burns down, done) and it’s an open flame that wants supervision, but it’s the s’mores answer with real fire for the least money.
The Sterno set is the dedicated station: a gel-fuel flame under a roasting screen, with built-in ingredient trays and making stations. $40.
The screen toasts evenly and the trays organize the grahams and chocolate - it’s the civilized campfire. Real flame means real char, but gel capsules are a refill cost and it’s more parts than a tin. For a host or a family that wants the whole setup, it’s the pick.
The Nostalgia electric is the flameless option: a tabletop heater with 4 trays and forks, $30, safe for indoor kids.
Whether it’s right depends on the expectation. There’s no flame, so the marshmallow warms and softens but never blisters - a toaster-oven texture, not a campfire one. For a kids’ sleepover where flame is off the table it’s the safe answer; for the real s’mores taste it isn’t.
The lazy-Susan version is the same flameless heater with a rotating tray carousel - $60.
That’s double the $30 model for a spinning tray. The marshmallow still doesn’t char, the heater is unchanged - you’re paying $30 for rotation. It’s the worst value in the lineup; buy the basic model if electric is the need, or the flame for the real thing.
City Bonfire vs Sterno: which should you buy?
The City Bonfire is a $25 self-contained fire tin; the Sterno is a $40 refillable station.
Buy the City Bonfire for the purest s’mores gift - real flame, indie charm, cheapest. Buy the Sterno when the organized trays and refillable burner matter - it’s the party station, not the portable fire.
What to look for
- Flame is the whole question: only real fire chars a marshmallow - electric warmers heat, they don’t toast.
- Fuel is the running cost: gel capsules and soy tins are consumables; electric is plug-and-go.
- Safety scales with age: electric for kids indoors; flame options need a steady surface and supervision.
- Trays are a nice-to-have: they organize ingredients but don’t change the toast.
- A maker is a ceremony, not a tool: you’re 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 for $25. The Sterno set is the $40 organized station for hosts. The Nostalgia electric is the safe indoor it-depends at $30. Skip the lazy-Susan version - the same heater at double the price. For real char, buy the fire; for kids indoors, buy the $30 warmer.
Questions, answered
Do electric s'mores makers actually toast marshmallows?
They warm and soften them - an electric heater has no flame, so you get a gooey marshmallow, not a blistered, charred one. For the campfire texture you need real flame: a gel burner or a portable bonfire tin.
Are indoor s'mores makers safe?
Electric ones are designed for indoor use - no flame, no fuel. Gel and soy-fuel tins are real open flames: tabletop- safe with supervision, on a stable surface, away from curtains - but they're fire, treat them like it.
What fuel does a tabletop s'mores maker use?
Sterno-style sets use gel-fuel capsules that burn about an hour each. The City Bonfire is a self-contained soy-fuel tin that burns ~3 hours then is done. Electric models need only an outlet.
Is a s'mores maker a good gift?
A fun one - it's a dessert event, not a tool. Best for families, campers and anyone with a small patio. The honest catch: a fire in a can is consumable, and the electric version won't char.
Can you make s'mores without a maker at all?
Sure - a candle, a stove burner or an oven broiler all work. The makers exist for safety and ceremony: a contained flame or a kid-safe heater plus a place to set the grahams. The gift is the setup, not the heat.
Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: City Bonfires Portable Bonfire vs Sterno S'mores Maker.
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