What's the BEST Coal Briquette for Your Log Burner in 2025?

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

What's your favorite coal briquette for maximum heat in your Multi Fuel log burner? Share your top recommendations below! 🔥😀

[@paulfairbairn1066]

Hi, this year I'm burning Oxbow Excel. It seems very good but pricey! I have a multifuel stove. I buy my smokeless fuel by the tonne as it's far cheaper and lasts all winter. I've been looking at Newburn reviews along with Oxbow Red. Both look great for my requirements. I burn both wood and smokeless fuel, but like you've said, smokeless fuel is more economical than wood. I totally agree. I enjoy your channel, great stuff! 👌

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

@@paulfairbairn1066 Hey Paul thanks for the kind words means a lot i try to mix it up so its a enjoable watch :] iv heared good things about oxbow excel few people have mentioed it, I need to invest in a coal bunker i have a coal shed but need more of a practical coal storage ill buy a ton then haha :]

[@paulfairbairn1066]

​@RyansGardenDiaries can't you just store your smokeless fuel in your wood store? That's providing that you buying it in bag's as opposed to loose in 50kg sacks.

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

@ ya i do currently but id like to get 500kgs at once as its much cheaper then lose but for now its bags :]

[@paulfairbairn1066]

@ Ryan, don't you have a mate you can go half's with on a tonne of smokeless fuel?

[@nano7599]

Keep up the good work

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

hey nano thanks for popping in :]

[@mikki-madden]

I installed my own multi-fuel stove about 3 months ago and started burning kiln-dried birch to begin with. I was literally getting through a LOT of wood - bags and bags of it - and it was starting to get worrying. I sadly lost my father about a year ago and he'd always order wood, coal and anthracite which he'd keep in the 'wood shed'. I started burning a few random lumps of coal (medium sized) to see what the stove would do and I honestly was so surprised at just how good a mixture of wood and coal has been. Since I've got a good tonne's worth of coal with which to use, I have started mixing the amounts of both to approximately 25% birch and 75% coal. My room has honeslty never been so warm - it's ridiculous! My stove sits nicely in the middle range, yet the heat I get from it with coal is insane! A single piece of birch probably lasted me a good 30-40 minutes before I'd need to add more fuel. With the coal bed going I can leave it for at least 3 hours+ before ever worrying myself about having to check up on it. Even then, a simple, skinny piece of wood or some kindling is enough to get it going again. I'll then add on half a dozen chunks of coal and let it do its thing once more. The birch was costing me £4.99 from Home Bargains and it's been a brilliant product that fits nicely into my stove, burns well and is extremely competitive for the amount I get in each bag. However, after realising that I'd need a good 4 x bags per week to keep me going (16 bags per month) I realised that it was way too costly at just under £80 in total (and numerous trips to the store). By adding in the coal I genuinely use a single bag of wood each week, and by having the coal for free (esentially) it's made me not only a LOT happier in regards to how much I'll now be saving, but also by how much more warmth it affords. Wood/coal 25%/75% is, for me, what I'm going with from now on - it's brilliant!

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

Sorry about your dad mikki, Im sure hed be happy to see you carrying on with a burner after him tho :] keep that wood shed stocked up, Thanks for spending the time to watch means a lot, I can totally relate to your experience with burning wood and coal. When I first started using a multi-fuel stove, I was also using wood exclusively, and it was burning through so much! It felt like I was constantly running to get more firewood, and it definitely started to add up in cost. When I decided to mix in some coal, I had a similar "aha" moment the heat it produced was just incredible! It’s amazing how much longer the stove can run with coal compared to wood. I also found that having that nice coal base made it so much easier to reignite the fire with a little kindling or a small piece of wood. The savings were definitely a huge bonus too - it's so relieving to know you don’t have to keep buying bags and bags of wood every week. Thanks for sharing your story - it’s really encouraging to hear how others are finding ways to make their stoves work better for them! 😊

[@tonyrobinson362]

Milking sorry about your loss, Do not mix smokeless and wood it's very dangerous, I suggest you buy fuel from Housefuel but not Burnrite.

[@mikki-madden]

@RyansGardenDiaries No problem, and thank you for your reply. Yeah, having that 'a-ha' moment definitely felt amazing to say the least. I agree totally about having that lovely hot bed of coals ready to ignite a small piece of kindling and to get it going again. I do have 'down moments' since losing my dad, but watching your videos has actually really helped me to focus on your content as opposed to always reverting to the past. I'm envious of your Clock Blithfield as it's honestly one of my favourite stoves on the market at the moment. The aesthetics of it as well as the craftsmanship really sells it to me. I also adore the AFC setup and mechanical feel to how the stove operates. Please do keep up the great work as I honestly enjoy it so, so much. Mikki :0)

[@mikki-madden]

@@tonyrobinson362 Don't worry, I'm not mixing smokeless briquette's with coal, I only burn the birch with coal.

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

@@mikki-madden thanks mikki ill be doing a few videos a week so keep an eye out :] the clock is a great stove thanks for the support my friend means a lot

[@fragbruno8120]

I've heard that long term smokeless fuel briquettes can destroy your chimney liner and Pitt the glass but burning wood doesn't. That's why I haven't gone for burning stuff like that. It could be a very expensive repair in the future, but if I was struggling to get wood at some point I'd probably give these a go.

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

hey frag thanks for popping in and watching, I think it all depends i read that the old liners where an issue the new liners today can handle the briqquettes no issues at all, good quality liners with regular cleaning should be fine :], What stove do you have ?

[@fragbruno8120]

@RyansGardenDiaries I have a Woodford lovell C400 inset stove.

[@dandelionpark3673]

Wow I think my stove needs a service! I have a back boiler on mine and use either wood or smokeless coal but I don't get that kind of heat with 8 kgs! Think the one we have now is homeheat or something. Love your channel thanks for sharing

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

Hey dan thanks for popping by and watching means a lot. 8kgs would last me 2/3 days on a long burn for sure all depends maby yours has a lot more air going thro it how much coal do you go thro a winter currnetly ?

[@dandelionpark3673]

We have 2 multi fuel burners and mostly use wood. We use coal in the boiler stove when the temperature dips below freezing and so far this winter around 60 kg. It's not getting into optimal with coal though does with wood. Will get it serviced and will try your recommended fuel next time we order. Thanks for the great channel 🎉

[@marleymac370]

Newburn by far the best in my opinion..

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

hey marley i really liked this coal iv got about 100kgs atm so should keep me toasty for a while :] how much do you burn in a winter roughly ?

[@marleymac370]

@RyansGardenDiaries about a ton, the good thing about Newburn smokeless, in the morning you can open up the air vents in your stove and it will burn down to virtually nothing while giving off great heat, it's definitely the best I've used and won't burn anything else..

[@marleymac370]

Forgot to mention I've got two clearview stoves..

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

@ two !! im jelouse a ton isnt that bad at all impressed with that

[@michaellong515]

Use this on my Clearview stove and it’s the best! Very little ash and fire stays in all night.

[@christastic100]

I i was interested what other people thought of this. Apparently it has anthracite in it according to my coal merchant. I order two bags to try out with my usual bags of newburn plus to try it , Same price . It is by far superior in my morso Squirrel to my usual smokeless coal . I will be going with it for the future. Also it has So little ash and long burning. Logs are nice but don’t last like coal . I like both but use coal mainly.

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

Ya i acually got 100kgs of this for now and its been doing really well for me since how much would you use in a winter do you think ? thanks for watching :]

[@neilginnerboden9556]

Oxbow Red and Excel are identical smokless coals and on a par with Newburn. Never burn damp smokless coal it is the main cause of glazing or etching the glass.

[@markrobinson5902]

I have always been told to avoid pure anthracite and coals that contain petroleum as they can damage your stove and liners through time!

[@MrCichocki]

What is the ash residue like, as in how much is left. I'm currently using Excel which burns hot and leaves very little ash, I tried other coals and they did not burn as hot or long and left so much ash I had to empty the tray during the middle of the day. Thanks.

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

Hi thanks for popping in and watching, Well this evening i ended up burning 5kgs of coal roughly 3 on the video for the test and chucked 2 on for overnight there wasnt much ash at all really id minimal at best its defenatly one of the better coals out there, I want to try the excel myself to compare :]

[@Freddie-Moses]

Have started going with coal over wood. I buy kiln dried wood and find that I go through it very quickly so coal is cheaper for me. Can you try the Homefire Premium Ovals? Cheers

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

Hey freddie thanks for watching :] How much coal would you say you use in a winter roughly ? i think coal would be cheaper over wood myself very intresting isnt it :] i will try the Homefire Premium Ovals keep an eye out :]

[@Freddie-Moses]

@RyansGardenDiaries I have only had an inset stove for the past 6 weeks but have switched mainly to coal as I was spending £10-£15 on wood each night. You can bulk buy a 25kg bag of briquettes for £19 but have to deal with the ash. Will be using more coal in the future!

[@marleymac370]

Stay away from wild fire smokeless as they are pants..

[@RyansGardenDiaries]

Thanks for the tip appricate that

[@tonyrobinson362]

Look be very careful Newburn is seriously good for heat and longevity, But it contains petroleum which will melt your firebars quicker than other fuel.

[@bornforfreetaxtothedeath..7542]

We tried new smokeles coal this year from House fuel, and its called StoveMaster 25kg bags, very similar to phurniside small briquettes, burns very clean, even stove glass stays most off time clean, lots off heat, low ash in the morning... Not tried newburn yet... 👍

[@waynebinuk]

The best coal is good old fashioned 100% natural lumps of coal..plenty of places still sell it..just a bit off the radar..

[@bornforfreetaxtothedeath..7542]

We burn wood during cold days time, and smokless coal during night time, would like to burn smokeless all the time, (its more convenient), but that will be expensive for sure! Smokeless coal not cheap any more, not like used to be, i rememeber 2.99£ a bag, them days gone... 🫤