Heat logs buying guide
Heat logs — also known as wood briquettes — are compressed from dry sawdust, so they burn cleaner, longer and with a higher calorific value than ordinary firewood. Which briquette suits you best mostly comes down to what you're after: a beautiful flame, long and steady burning, or heat that lasts through the night. Below we first compare the two main types, then put every briquette side by side.
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Answer a few quick questions and we'll show you the briquette that matches your stove and the way you like to burn.
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Step 1 — Beautiful flame or long burning?
Do you mainly want to enjoy a lovely, lively fire, or are you after long-lasting, steady heat with little to fuss over? That decides which type of briquette suits you best.
Ambience & flame
Beautiful flame
- Lively flames for a cosy fire
- Pini Kay has a hole through the middle for extra oxygen
- Giant Flames is versatile — also for pizza oven, plancha and fire pit
- Ideal when the fire is clearly on show
Best choice if: you have an open fire or a stove with a glass door and love watching the flames.
View Pini Kay →
Long & steady
Long burning & overnight
- Burn long and evenly with little smoke
- Smoulder for a long time — less topping up
- Night briquettes glow for up to 10 hours
- Ideal for maximum heat and keeping the stove warm overnight
Best choice if: you want long burning sessions, or to keep the stove warm through the evening and night.
View round beech →
Step 2 — Compare the briquettes
All briquettes have a high calorific value (around 4 to 5.2 kWh per kilo), higher than firewood thanks to their low moisture content. The difference is mainly in how they burn: flame versus long, slow smoulder. Here's everything at a glance.
| Heat log | Type | Made from | How it burns | Calorific value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Flames 100% natural wood · ash content < 0.6% · round Ø 7.5 cm Versatile | Versatile | 100% natural wood, no binders | Clean and versatile — suitable for stove, fireplace, fire pit, plancha and pizza oven | 4.8 kWh/kg | Shop → |
| Pini Kay briquettes Beech & oak · L 25 × Ø 6.5 cm Flame & ambience | Flame & ambience | Beech and oak wood | Hole through the middle gives extra oxygen and a beautiful flame | 5 kWh/kg | Shop → |
| Round beech briquettes Beech · DIN-51731 · L 30 × Ø 10 cm Long & steady Highest calorific value | Long & steady | Beech wood | No hole: burns long with low flames and little smoke | 5.2 kWh/kg | Shop → |
| RUF briquettes Birch (also oak/beech) · DIN-51731 · 7.5 × 12 × 5 cm Long & steady | Long & steady | Birch wood | Small flame and smoulders for a long time — also suitable for overnight burning | 4.9 kWh/kg | Shop → |
| Night briquettes Softwood bark · large block 39 × 15 × 19 cm Overnight | Overnight | 100% natural softwood bark | Glows for up to 10 hours — long-lasting, steady heat, ideal for overnight | ± 4 kWh/kg | Shop → |
Calorific values are approximate, per kilo. RUF and round beech are produced to the DIN-51731 quality standard.
Our advice in short
Beautiful flame?
Want a lively, cosy fire? Choose Pini Kay — the hole through the middle gives the fire extra oxygen and beautiful flames.
Long burning with little smoke?
For long, even heat, round beech and RUF briquettes are ideal: they burn long and smoulder gently.
Warm through the night?
Want heat still there in the morning? Night briquettes glow for up to 10 hours and give steady heat.
Versatile, pizza & BBQ too?
One briquette for everything? Giant Flames is 100% natural (ash content below 0.6%) and suitable for stove, fireplace, fire pit, plancha and pizza oven.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between heat logs and firewood?
Heat logs (wood briquettes) are compressed from dry sawdust and have a low moisture content. That means they burn cleaner, longer and with a higher calorific value (around 4–5.2 kWh/kg versus 4.1–4.3 kWh/kg for firewood). They're also more compact, so you need less storage space. Many people combine the two: firewood for the flame, briquettes for long-lasting heat.
Which briquette burns longest and is best for overnight?
For overnight, night briquettes are the best choice: they glow for up to 10 hours and give steady heat. Round beech and RUF briquettes also burn long and smoulder gently, ideal for long burning sessions.
What does DIN-51731 mean?
DIN-51731 is a German quality standard for compressed wood fuels. Briquettes that meet it have a guaranteed high calorific value, low moisture and ash content, and contain no harmful additives. Our RUF and round beech briquettes are produced to this standard.
Can I burn briquettes and firewood together?
Absolutely. A common approach is to build a lovely fire with firewood, then add briquettes for long-lasting, steady heat. That way you get the best of both: a beautiful flame and a long burn time.
