What’s the Best Burning Firewood? – The top 5 types

Last Updated on January 29, 2024 by Jeremy

When it comes to camping and sitting around a nice burning flame NOT around a propane firepit, telling stories, and enjoying a couple of hot-dogs and beverages, have you ever stopped to consider what’s the best burning firewood?

Admit it, if you are anything like me, wood is wood, and as long as it burns that’s all that matters… Right? Actually, you’ll want to re-think that statement after you read this article.

I bet you didn’t know that there are actually 5 different types of wood that are considered the best. Do you know what they are?

Quite simply, they are:

1. 1- Oak
2. 2- Maple
3. 3- Cherry
4. 4- Ash
5. 5- Hickory

Now that you know, Would you like to know the reason behind this scientific question? Is it science? Let’s find out!

OAK

One of the top five best woods to burn for firewood is Oak. When I think of oak I think of the song, “tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree”, which, for your entertainment, I’ve added the song below!

Such a classic!

Anyway, the simple fact that Oak is considered one of the best firewood to burn is because of it’s abundance in nature. It’s also one of the easiest wood types to split.

Oak is considered to have a high caloric and low moisture content, which means it can burn hotter and longer than other types of firewood we use today.

The downside, is that Oak is really expensive in the carpentry industry, which makes this wood rather expensive to burn. However, it does produce a pleasant smoky aroma to it when burning, so having that glass of wine and a bite of those S’mores when you are near this fire, rather seems quite fitting.

If you knew of Oak as one of the top 5 best burning firewood before I told you, congratulations! Next up…

MAPLE

Having a Maple tree is quite the impeccable view; All of those pretty colored leaves in seasons change. Spectacular!

Now would of you considered it to be one of the best firewood to burn, really? Ironically, this is a flavor of wood pellet that’s used in Pit Boss Smokers, and the like. So naturally, it’s also a good firewood to burn.

The reason it’s considered to be one of the best firewood, is due to its denseness and how dry it is. These two things when combined mean it can produce a fire that burns longer and hotter.

One of Maples nicest features for firewood is that when you go to start your next campfire, it will light that much quicker. In comparison, Maple could be similar to that of the “Paper” Birch tree.

Birch wood is similar in texture and color, plus strength, being the fact they are both hardwoods. But Maple has the edge over Birch, as it’s a little stronger and lighter than that of it’s counter-part.

CHERRY

Cherry wood, Like Oak and Maple, is a carpenters dream. Some of the most impressive furniture makers I’ve met loved their Cherry hardwood. But it’s also a great choice for pellets or shavings in a Smoker or small wood stove as well, due to it’s uniqueness in aroma.

So what makes Cherry such a contender for best burning firewood? Well, again, like that of Maple, Cherry is a dense type of wood, which will make it burn slower and last longer.

The fact that Cherry wood has little sap and resin included in it, gives this type of firewood the ability to leave such a beautiful smell. Naturally, this is why a lot of people go to this type of wood to burn in their smokers. So, why not use it for a fire pit when camping?

Perhaps the downside, like Oak, is the pricing attached to this type of wood. But, it’s considered the best for a reason, and the reasons mentioned above are exactly why it’s the best.

ASH

Contrary to Poplar belief, I wanted to make a tree pun in this article, but I felt I should leaf it alone before I made an Ash of myself 🙂

Now to the good stuff. Reasons why the Ash tree is considered one of the best firewood are:

• -Dense
• -Low Moisture
• -Burns Long and Hot
• -Slow to crackle
• -Less Smoke
• -Easy to Split & Stack

As in comparison to the first four woods mentioned above, you can easily see why Ash is another of the best burning firewood.

HICKORY

Hickory-Dickory-Dock, why is this firewood the best burning option? Well, perhaps it would enlighten you to know that Hickory is used naturally in food flavors from it’s smoky smell. Also, being the fact that Hickory is a hard wood, means that it has a longer burn time when compared to other woods.

It is also one of those types of woods that don’t produce a lot of sparks, which makes this firewood a great choice for indoor fireplaces or tiny wood burning stoves.

Other Types of Firewood That Can Be Used To Burn?

Knowing that the 5 Best Burning Firewood’s are out of the way, and for reasons that make it so, would there be other wood to consider? Of course! Wood is wood, as long as it burns that’s all that matters, right? Well..

On a word of caution, ANY WOOD that you consider burning that can damage the Ecosystem should be avoided. This is especially true in national, regional, provincial and state parks, where removal is strictly prohibited!

That said, some of the other types of more common, readily available firewood to choose from, you have:

1. 1- Birch
2. 2- Poplar
3. 3- Larch
4. 4- Walnut
5. 5- Cedar
6. 6- Pine
7. 7- Spruce
8. 8- Cottonwood
9. 9- Alder
10. 10- Apple

What’s the Best Burning Firewood Conclusion

From learning of the best burning firewood, I think it’s safe to say that you can gather your friends, and one of the top 5 types of wood, carefully light that Excelsior Fire Starter from: Cutting Edge Firewood and watch an enjoyable glow of orange and smokeless blue flame crackle in the fire pit around your campsite sitting around it on one of your best lawn chairs.

When the flames die down, and the coals are red-hot, it’s time to put this article to rest. Stoke the ashes with your water source and have a pleasant evening. Pull out your LED flashlight and head to bed!

If you have a Firewood story, or would like to learn more about Cutting Edge Firewood Products, Click the link to the left and don’t forget to leave a comment below.

And another option, have a read on RV Parks Near Golf Courses!

Cheers!