Steel will patina with heat and exposure to the elements. When raw steel heats up, it will burn off any surface moisture or lubricants from the manufacturing process. This is visible with a rainbow effect and sometimes a dark blue hue. Stainless Steel will turn a beautiful tawny, or gold, look as it is exposed to extreme heat. This is completely normal and adds to the individual character of your fire pit. If you don’t want this look, we recommend going with our heat-rated Black powder coated steel fire pits.