What is the Best Fuel for a Fire Pit
In my opinion the best fuel for a fire pit is wood, especially wood with low moisture content. There is something extremely captivating about a natural wood fire, its crackling, smell and warmth. But what the best fire pit fuel is for you will depend on your personal preferences and priorities. There are various things you can burn in a fire pit. Some are more eco-friendly, others less messy to use. Let’s look at different options.
Fire pit fuel
What do you burn in a fire pit?
What can I burn in my outdoor fire pit? There are many options of what you can use for fuel in a fire pit. The most popular options for fueling a fire pit are: wood, propane and natural gas, but the list is longer. What else can you burn in fire pits? Here we will cover different types of fire pit fuels and their advantages and disadvantages.
What fuel can you use in a fire pit? What burns well in a fire pit?
Fuels you can use in a fire pit include:
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- Wood
- Propane
- Natural gas
- Charcoal
- Wood briquettes
- Wood pellets
- Gel fuel
- Ethanol and bio-ethanol
- Recycled coffee grounds
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Below we go through some of the pluses and minuses of each of these options.
Wood
Wood is the most popular choice for fire pit fuel. There’s nothing like the heat and smell of a natural wood fire. Firewood is usually easily accessible and if you have your own supply, it’s free! It may not be the easiest to light firewood, but sitting around the natural fire is so rewarding.
What wood can you burn in a fire pit?
With very few exceptions of some toxic plants you can burn virtually any natural wood in your fire pit.
What wood is best for a fire pit?
Hardwoods, such as oak, ash and beech provide good heat and a long burn. If you’re cooking over your fire pit, then apple, cherry or hickory wood will add aroma to your dishes.
Here is a list of good firewood types:
- Oak
- Beech
- Maple
- Alder
- Birch
- Ash
- Cedar
- Hickory
- Pecan
- Wood from fruit trees, especially apple, cherry and plum
Are there any disadvantages of burning wood in a fire pit or fire pan?
The downside of burning wood in your fire pit is that it can produce quite a lot of smoke (especially if not dried well). Cleaning afterwards can also be messy, as you will be left with ashes in your fire pit. Want to know what you can do with fire pit ashes? We have an article about it here: ‘What to do with fire pit ashes’.
What is the best value firewood for fire pits?
Larch is a great value firewood for fire pits and fireplaces. It’s dense, highly calorific and has great burning qualities.
You will find some firewood options here:
Apple Firewood Logs and Wood Chips for Fireplace, Cooking, BBQ
Firewood Logs – Split Firewood Birch for Fireplace, Fire Pit, Wood Stove, Bonfire
Hickory Wood Chunks
Firewood Cooking Wood Logs – USDA Certified Kiln Dried Red Oak
What can you burn in a fire pit other than wood?
Propane
Using propane for your fire pit fuel has many advantages. First, lighting a propane fire pit is quick and easy. Apart from that, propane tanks are available at many gas stations and grocery stores. Propane also burns cleaner than firewood, so you will have way less cleaning afterwards, and it’s better for the environment. It’s downside is the price – propane tends to be more expensive than for example natural gas.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is also a great fuel for fire pits. It burns clean, it’s environmentally friendly and easy to light. However, it’s only practical to use it for your fire pit if you already have a gas hookup in your house.
Charcoal
This is a great option, especially if you need controlled heat e.g. for barbecue or cooking over the fire.
Wood briquettes (wood bricks)
Wood briquettes are a cleaner alternative to burning wood in your backyard fire pit. They are made of recycled kiln-dried and compressed wood chips and sawdust. The plus of using them is that they produce more heat than wood logs and burn cleaner.
Wood pellets
Pellets are made from condensed sawdust and lumber scraps. They burn clean and are suitable for cooking fires as well as heating.
Gel fuel
What is gel fuel? Gel fuel is isopropyl alcohol that is sold in cans. This fire pit fuel is clean, smoke free and sootless. Some gel fuel has organic matter mixed into it to create the crackling and popping effects similar to a burning wood.
Bio ethanol and ethanol
They are both environmentally friendly and clean energy sources.
Dried coffee grounds
Coffee grounds are becoming more and more popular as fire pit fuel. Recycled waste coffee grounds are compressed into coffee logs. You can buy them in supermarkets or make your own. Not only eco-friendly, they burn clean and are easy to use.
Natural Hardwood Pellets
Coffee Wood Pellets
Duraflame Fire Logs
Gel Fuel Cans – Methanol Gel, Entertainment and Buffet Cooking Fuel
FAQs
Here we answer some common questions about what you can burn in a fire pit and what you shouldn’t:
What is the cheapest fuel for an outdoor fire pit?
The cheapest fuel for a fire pit can come from untreated scrap lumber, fallen trees or what you can collect in the woods, e.g. pine cones and fallen tree branches. If you are looking for cheap of free firewood sources, it’s also a good idea to make friends with a local tree cutter and collect wood from them.
Can I burn cardboard in my fire pit?
You can burn cardboard in a fire pit, but there are a few conditions. First, it should only be cardboard without any print on it, as ink can be toxic while burned. Second, use it only in small amounts as it can create a huge fire very quickly. Apart from that, never burn cardboard outdoors in windy weather as it can get blown away by the wind and set something on fire.
Can you burn wet wood in a fire pit?
Well, it’s not the best idea. Wet wood, whether it’s freshly cut wood, or dump wood, will produce more smoke than flames or heat. High moisture content in wood causes incomplete combustion and it’s simply not worth it.
Can I burn pine needles in my fire pit?
Yes, as long as they are well dried, you can burn pine needles in an outdoor fire pit or a fire pan.
Can you burn a Christmas tree in a fire pit?
Yes, it’s a great source of fuel for your outdoor fire pit. But remember, first it needs to dry really well. It always has more moisture inside than in seams!
What wood should you not burn in a fire pit?
You shouldn’t burn in your fire pit: treated wood, painted or varnished wood, plywood, chipboard, MDF or any wood containing chemicals.
Can you use manufactured wood logs in a fire pit?
Yes, you can burn in your fire pit manufactured logs e.g. Duraflame. However, they contain chemicals that can break down the finish of some metal fire bowls as they get hotter than regular wood. To protect your fire bowl, you can put sand at the bottom. Here you can read more about putting sand at the bottom of your fire pit.
