The calorific value of wood is far higher than other heat sources used for home or professional cooking. While lighting a gas burner is a no-brainer, the choice of firewood with the best bang for your buck needs some attention. There are countless wood species selected according their calorific value.
Best firewood for cooking
Usually, the best firewood for cooking in an oven are beech and oak. The smart move is combining the two species to maximize their qualities. Beech is a hardwood with an intense aroma, and when mixed with oak it adds an appealing flavor to food. The best choice for burning is oak to reach the highest temperatures, and then add beech to keep the fire burning before cooking. Olive firewood may be another tip-top solution but its price will probably scare most customers away.
Overall, the "best buy" firewood is the hornbeam (also called "ironwood"), belonging to the family Betulaceae, and subfamily Coryloideae. The horbeam tree grows in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Firewood to avoid burning for cooking
Not every piece of timber makes good fuel so let’s consider which species of wood you should avoid. Cherry sparks more than other hardwoods when burning, so we recommend avoiding that one. The entire family of evergreen plants (like pine) burn fast, and smoke a lot which can cause your flue to coat with soot.
