Today, energy cost is fast rising and firewood is not excepted from this price hike. So it is always advisable to get the most of the money you invest in your firewood; you can do this by choosing wood with optimized output. Some artificial wood logs are already available for this purpose. However, if you still prefer the real ones, I suggest that you look into the BTU rating of a wood. Provided below are 14 of the best woods to burn inindoor fireplaces.
1. Topping the list of the best wood to burn is Rock Elm at 32,000 BTUs per cord.
2. Shagbark Hickory — 30,600 BTUs
3. White Oak — 30,600
4. Bitternut Hickory — 29,200
5. Sugar Maple — 29,000
6. Beech — 27,800
7. Red Oak — 27,300
8. Yellow Birch — 26,200
9. Red Elm — 25,400
10. White Ash — 25,000
11. White Elm — 24,500
12. Red Maple — 24,000
13. Tamarack — 24,000
14. Black Cherry –23,500
But if the burning experience interests you more than BTU ratings, let me provide you an ordered list of the different trees which can be chopped and made into firewood (along with short descriptions).
Acacia: Burns slowly, with good heat, but with acrid smoke.
Alder: Heat do not last long
Apple: Apple when burnt producing a pleasing scent, the flame produced also burns slowly and steadily too. The flame does not become too large, but the heat is satisfying.
Ash: Probably the best firewood, even burns when freshly cut, but more efficient when dry. The flame and heat are great!
Beech: Almost similar to ash, but it shoots out embers while burning. Can be dangerous.
Birch: The smell is pleasing and it produces good heat. However, it burns fast.
Cedar: If you like the crackle and the snaps, cedar should be your choice. It gives little heat but with really good heat. The scent is also pleasing.
Cherry: Among the other woods with the upperhand when it comes to scent. Cherry offers good flame and heat.
Chestnut: Not so good of a choice. Chesnut wood shoots-out embers while burning, the flame is small and the heating power is low.
Hazel: Good choice.
Holly: Best when really dry. Heat is good.
Hornbeam: Almost as good as beech.
Laburnum: Best not to be used, ever! A very poisonous tree with acrid smoke which taints food.
Larch: Again, if you love the cracking sound, this is good for you. The heat power is fairly good.
Laurel: The flame is beautiful. Perfect for romantic fireplace activities.
Lime: Poor. Burns with dull flame.
Maple: Good.
Oak: The novelist’s ‘blazing fire of oaken logs’ is fanciful, Oak is sparse in flame and the smoke is acrid, but dry old oak is excellent for heat, burning slowly and steadily until whole log collapses into cigar-like ash.
Pear: A good heat and a good scent.
Pine: Bums with a splendid flame, but apt to spit.
Plane: Burns pleasantly, but is apt to throw sparks if very dry.
Plum: Good heat and aromatic.
Poplar: Don’t use this. Bad choice.
Rhododendron: The tough wood burns slow. Heat is strong.
Spruce: Burns too quickly and with too many sparks.
Sycamore: Burns with a good flame, with moderate heat. Useless green.
Thorn: Quite one of the best woods. Burns slowly, with great heat and little smoke.
Walnut: Very useful as a aroma source. Perfect for romantic fireplace activities. The heat and flame are equally satisfying.
Willow: Sparks are likely, and needs to be really dry when used. The heat power is fair..
Yew: Among the best, yew burns slow and has very strong heat power. The scent is a plus.
Since we all know that there is are hundreds of thousands of other trees which can be chopped and dried to become firewood, this list is expected to lengthen to infinity. You do not have to worry though, when faced with a dilemma as to which choice is the best, just remember to choose hardwoods.
Moreover, I personally think the best firewood to burn are those which are readily available for us to use or buy. As long as the wood is dry, I’m all fine. Well, the cheap price is always a plus. So try to shop for wood during off-seasons (not during winter), during these times of the year, firewood price drastically goes down. Make use of this opportunity- begin buying and storing them somewhere secure (where they are kept dry). And the next thing you’ll know, you have tons of firewood enough to last you until the next winter. =D