Before you start doing any cooking you need to make sure that your chiminea is set up on a stable base that is not made of any type of combustible materials. You also want to be sure that the chiminea is completely level. It should not wobble at all so you will not have to worry about it toppling over while you are cooking and starting things in the surrounding on fire. Never leave your chiminea unattended while there is a fire lit. If you have any children they could easily get burnt if no adults were around.
When you are getting ready to begin cooking you should be sure to start the fire in your chiminea at least 30 minutes before you are ready to place any food inside. This will give the fire ample opportunity to get going so that your food will cook evenly and quickly. You never want to start the fire with any kind of accelerant. Barbeque coals are the best thing to use when you are cooking. Always use barbeque tongs when you are preparing your food and using fire gloves would be a smart extra measure to make sure you are safe while preparing food.
When you are working with a clay chiminea you want to be sure to seal it against the elements. While this is not always needed it can extend the life of your chiminea. Furniture and Butcher's wax both work very well for this task. You should also look into getting some type of covering for your clay chiminea, a grill cover would work and many chiminea dealers offer storm covers. If you live in an area that gets very cold it is best to store your clay chiminea inside so you can prevent it from cracking. When storing your clay chiminea indoors you do not want to store it on its stand.
When you are cooking with a stainless steel chiminea you should be sure to pay attention to the food that you are cooking because it can cook very quickly. This is because fires can burn longer and hotter in stainless steel chimineas. Just as you would want to protect your clay chiminea you would want to protect your stainless steel chiminea from the elements. While stainless steel chimineas are not likely to crack they can become rusty if left out in the rain for too long. Now while stainless steel chimineas can be stored outside in colder weather, if you choose to store them inside you would store them in a manner similar to a clay chiminea.
Cooking with a chiminea can be a lot of fun as long as you do your research and take the proper precautions before you start.
Simon Davies writes for http://www.chimineashop.co.uk where you can find a great selection of cast iron chiminea.
