As Aldi’s fire pits and log burners return, here are our favourite garden products

Make the most of your outside space and get cooking while the sun is shining

Fire up the bbq and enjoy a sunny weekend in the garden (iStock)

As this weekend looks set to be sunny, and we’re coming to the end of the fifth week in lockdown, you may well be planning a barbecue or want to spend the longer evenings outside, if you have a garden.

With an average of 18C forecasted, it’s time to crack open a beer and get the sunscreen out as you chow down on hotdogs, burgers and homemade kebabs.

You’re probably settling into your new normal, working from home with minimal trips outside for essentials, so planning to cook a feast in the sunshine is a sure way to boost your mood.

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Aldi's popular fire pits are returning to shelves, just in time for the hot weather (Aldi)

If you’re on the hunt for a new bit of barbecuing equipment, Aldi has announced its bringing back its budget-friendly fire pits and log burners from last year.

If Aldi is your local shop, you can pick one up in-store as part of its seasonal special buys, on your next essential shopping trip. But if not, you can pre-order online from 26 April.

The supermarket’s grey geometric fire pit is £49.99 and comes with a mesh lid and a cooking grate, so you can use it as a barbecue too. And of course you can keep it burning beyond cooking to prolong your evenings spent outside, thanks to its warmth.

For an extra £10, its outdoor log burner will keep the fire burning well past sundown. Looking more expensive than the price tag suggests, it’s black with mesh gating and has a section to store firewood below.

Stay warm and cosy after the sunsets with the bargain log burner too (Aldi)

Seeing as we’re now spending almost all of our time indoors, these gadgets are the perfect opportunity to revamp your space and make the most of the warmer evenings.

And once the lockdown has lifted, you can invite your friends and family over to impress them with your new al fresco culinary skills.

Here are some of our IndyBest tried and tested recommendations for eating outside and making the most of your garden in the sun.

Grill on a gas bbq

A gas bbq is much quicker to get cooking on than its charcoal counterpart, and means won’t have to get your hands dirty or deal with the plumes of smoke either.

The Weber spirit II E-320, £699 from Weber, topped our test of the best gas bbqs, which will suit cooking for a larger family.

The grill also works with Weber’s new iGrill 3 “smart” thermometer, which means you can keep on top of how your meat is cooking via an app on your phone. (The Independent)

The cast iron grate gave a really good sear to all of our tester’s food, and it incorporates a removable circular section, so you can accessorise with a pizza stone, griddle or even a wok, adding real versatility to the meals that you produce.

Another bonus was the side burner, which meant our tester could simmer some sauces in a 10in pan or even fry some mushrooms to go with a barbecued breakfast.

The foldable side table can be collapsed after use, reducing the footprint of the barbecue and making it a welcome addition to different sized spaces.

If you’re limited on space, however, try the Char Broil all-star 120 portable gas barbecue, £379.99 from Mill Race Garden Centre, with drop-down shelving that means it can be compactly stored away on a balcony, if you don’t have a garden.

You can also detach the grill from the stand so it can act as a table, it even has storage space for your kitchen towels and a mini bin.

Try a pizza oven

Get creative and shun shop-bought pizzas in favour of making your own and cooking it outside with a pizza oven. This Ooni Koda gas-powered outdoor pizza oven, £249 from Ooni, will whip up a mean pepperoni... or whatever your topping choice is.

Easy to assemble and use, you'll be a pizza connoisseur in no time with this pizza oven (The Independent)

Setting up is easy and cooking time is swift, our reviewer found it took no more than 90 seconds to produce a 12-inch pizza with a charred and crispy base, with puffed up cheese and crisp meaty toppings.

It’s insulated with a powder-coated, carbon steel shell, which means there’ll be no burnt fingers when you’re putting a new dough in or taking out your finished pizza.

Keep warm with a chiminea

Take the chill out of outdoor dining once the sun has set with a chiminea. Designed to burn slowly and keep the temperature of the fire constant, they originally came from Mexico, invented for baking bread, but can now be used simply to warm up al fresco dining.

Stay warm in the garden even after the sun sets with a chiminea (The Independent)

This self-standing Jotul terrazza, £319 from Fireplace Products, has a large fire opening and has room to fit larger logs to keep the fire burning for longer, without having to constantly supervise it. It arrives flatpacked and assembly is simple, so you’ll have no issues getting it from the front door to the back door.

Sit back and relax

Aside from how to cook the food, you need somewhere to eat it too, so kick back with a glass of wine for the evening on this set.

The Forrester eight-seat cube set dining table and chairs, £797 from Envirobuild, came out on top in our IndyBest guide to the best garden furniture.

This alfresco dining set stows away neatly and won't take up much room on your patio (The Independent)

The shrewd design is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic and it transforms into an eight-seater so you can stretch out and relax, and once things go back to normal, have friends over for a long-overdue barbecue.

This set also saves on space, as the chairs neatly sit underneath the table to form a small cube.

Get some shade

If it gets a little too hot, or you decide you’ve had enough sun for the day, pitch up a parasol for a stylish way to keep the UV rays out of range.

Keep cool in the hot weather with a colourful parasol (East London Parasols)

This East London Parasol Company big aretha, £755, will offer respite while being a stylish addition to our garden with its colourful parasol, easily removable covers, quality brass fittings and sunshine yellow interior to brighten up your day.

But for a bold pop of colour, there’s the Norfolk Leisure geisha garden parasol in lime green, £121 from Cuckooland. Perfectly round, it may look delicate but is a sturdy brolly with an aluminium pole and user-friendly push-button tilt.