Eastern Red Cedar: Softwood, low heat output, easy to ignite, medium smoky, tends to pop and sparks quite a bit – fair – best for kindling.
Eastern White Pine: Softwood, low heat output, easy to ignite, medium smoky, few pops and sparks, fair – best for kindling.
Elm: Hardwood, low heat output, not easy to ignite, smoky, sparks little, not a great choice but if you must – must season for a very long time – relatively damp wood. My advice is to stay away from using it.
Gum: Hardwood, medium heat output once going, realtively easy to ignite, a little smoky, few sparks and pops, like Elm – must season a long time.
Hard Maple: Hardwood, high heat output, not easy to ignite, very little smoke, sparks when poked, excellent choice.
Hickory: Hardwood, high heat output, not eay to ignite, somewhat smoky, this is excellent stuff – favored by chefs and others for smoking meat.
Larch: Softwood, medium heat output, easy to ignite, a bit smoky, sparks and pops, fair wood good for kindling – excellent for exciting the fire.
Locust: Hardwood, very high heat output, difficult to ignite, very little smoke, sparks when poked, excellent – very dense wood – burns with very intense heat.
Mesquite: Hardwood, high heat output, not easy to ignite, can be smoky, sparks when poked, excellent and aromatic, great for smoking foods.
Oak: Hardwood, high heat output, not easy to ignite, little smoke, sparks when poked, excellent burning wood.
Redwood: Softwood, low heat output, easy to ignite, medium smoky, can spark a bit, fair but best for kindling.
In the next in the series I will list woods S-Y
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Great, thanks. I’m buying two cords of oak and maple. It’s good to know the wood will be keeping me warm, even if it is hard to ignite.
Hey Jesse –
My pleasure. Keep warm!