If you’re here there is a solid chance that you are wondering what variety of wood to use for firewood; am I right? Or maybe you have come across some wood and want to know how it stacks up as a firewood?
Different wood will burn differently, with some varieties burning slowly and giving off a large amount of heat. Others will burn away much more quickly, and will generate less heat compared to the amount of fuel you are using. So what do you choose? Deciding between a hardwood and a softwood is a good place to start, but what about all the different varieties of wood? Birch, Pine, Spruce, Fir, & etc. which to choose?
There is certainly no shortage of choice when it comes to varieties of wood. I have collected a list of 25 different varieties of wood, rated by their heat-output, for your reference. The most accurate and commonly used measurement for determining the heat output of a specific variety of wood is Heat-Output per Cord displayed in Million BTUs.
When thinking of the heat rating of wood think of it as the higher the mBTU rating the more warmth you will get from a given amount of wood. To make it easier to understand I have given each type of wood a rating out of 100 based on their mBTU rating. 100 represents the best wood in terms of heat efficiency in this list.
The Heat Efficiency of Different Varieties of Wood
| Wood Variety | Wood Type | Easy to Light | Output mBTU | Relative Heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory | Hardwood | Medium | 27.7 | 100 |
| Black Birch | Hardwood | Medium | 26.8 | 96.7 |
| Blue Beech | Hardwood | Very Difficult | 26.8 | 96.7 |
| Apple | Hardwood | Difficult | 26.5 | 95.7 |
| White Oak | Hardwood | Medium | 25.7 | 92.9 |
| Pine | Softwood | Easy | 24.7 | 89.2 |
| Sugar Maple | Hardwood | Medium | 24.0 | 86.6 |
| Beech | Hardwood | Very Difficult | 24.0 | 86.6 |
| Red Oak | Hardwood | Difficult | 24.0 | 86.6 |
| Yellow Birch | Hardwood | Medium | 23.6 | 85.2 |
| White Ash | Hardwood | Medium | 23.6 | 85.2 |
| Paper Birch | Hardwood | Medium | 20.3 | 73.3 |
| Walnut | Hardwood | Medium | 20.2 | 72.9 |
| Cherry | Hardwood | Difficult | 20.0 | 72.2 |
| American Elm | Hardwood | Medium | 19.5 | 70.4 |
| Douglas Fir | Softwood | Easy | 18.1 | 65.3 |
| Jack Pine | Softwood | Easy | 17.1 | 61.7 |
| Yellow Poplar | Softwood | Easy | 16.0 | 57.8 |
| Blue Spruce | Softwood | Easy | 15.9 | 57.4 |
| Lodge Pine | Softwood | Easy | 15.3 | 55.2 |
| Spruce | Softwood | Easy | 14.5 | 52.3 |
| White Pine | Softwood | Easy | 14.3 | 51.6 |
| Fir | Softwood | Easy | 14.3 | 51.6 |
| Cottonwood | Hardwood | Medium | 13.5 | 48.7 |
| Basswood | Hardwood | Medium | 13.5 | 48.7 |
Not seeing the type of wood you are looking for on this list? If not you can check out a free chart that we have created that rates 54 commonly available types of wood by their heat output. All you have to do is signup for our newsletter, and you will receive a link to the chart in your inbox completely free!
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