Anyone who heats with a stove has a choice – and that is exactly what makes it complicated. Pellets or briquettes? Beech or spruce? And what about the lignite and hard coal still on sale at the DIY store? This overview sorts out the five most important solid fuels: soberly, with figures, and with a clear recommendation as to which fuel belongs in which stove.
The five solid fuels at a glance
| Fuel | Calorific value (approx.) | Ash | Origin | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood pellets (ENplus® A1) | 4.8–5.0 kWh/kg | below 0.7 % | Sawdust, renewable | Pellet boiler, pellet stove |
| Wood briquettes (RUF, Nestro, PiniKay) | 4.8–5.2 kWh/kg | below 1 % | Wood shavings, renewable | Wood stove, tiled stove, workshop stove |
| Beech firewood (20 % residual moisture) | approx. 4.0 kWh/kg | approx. 1 % | Roundwood, renewable | Wood stove, fire bowl, pizza oven |
| Lignite briquettes | 5.3–5.6 kWh/kg | 3–6 % | fossil | only stoves approved for coal |
| Hard coal / anthracite | 7.5–9.0 kWh/kg | 4–8 % | fossil | only stoves approved for coal |
The figures are guide values; what always counts is the value on the bag and the approval of the stove. What stands out: in pure calorific value, hard coal leads. In everything else – ash, emissions, handling, future viability – the wood fuels lead.
Wood pellets: the fuel for automatic heating
Pellets are compressed sawdust, without binders, with defined dimensions (6 mm diameter) and standardised quality. They are the only solid fuel that can be conveyed and dosed automatically – which is why they belong in pellet boilers and pellet stoves and nowhere else. Pellets have no place in a wood stove: they slip through the grate, burn uncontrollably and ruin the glass.
What matters: the certificate. ENplus® A1 or DINplus guarantee calorific value, ash content and low fines. Everything about it in the pellet quality guide.
Wood briquettes: predictable warmth for the wood stove
Briquettes are what firewood would like to be: dry (below 10 % residual moisture), dense, uniform. They burn longer and hotter than logs, leave hardly any ash and stack on the pallet like books. Hardwood briquettes (RUF, Nestro) hold the embers for hours, softwood briquettes (BLUE line) and PiniKay formats with a hole ignite quickly and give off heat fast. An overview of the pressed shapes can be found on the wood briquettes page.
Firewood: the original with a real flame
Nothing replaces the crackle and flame of logs. The price is effort: firewood must be dry (below 20 % residual moisture), needs space and time to store, and the calorific value varies with species and moisture. Kiln-dried firewood such as our hardwood mix takes the drying off your hands. If you want to sort out the storage question, read Storing firewood properly.
Lignite, peat and hard coal: for stoves approved for them
Coal and peat briquettes belong in fireplaces approved for them: slow-combustion stoves, coal stoves, cookers and workshop stoves. There they play to their strengths – hard coal with around 8 kWh/kg and embers for many hours, peat briquettes with six to eight hours of glow for the night. Three things to bear in mind: firstly, many modern wood stoves allow wood only according to their type plate – coal damages the grate and firebrick and voids the approval. Secondly, since 2023 coal has been subject to the national CO₂ price. Thirdly, coal produces more ash than wood. HEIZFUXX® offers screened hard coal and peat briquettes for stoves built for them. The detailed comparison: Hard coal or wood briquettes?
Which fuel for which stove?
- Pellet boiler / pellet stove: certified wood pellets only.
- Wood stove (steel/cast iron): firewood and wood briquettes; briquettes for the night, logs for the flame.
- Tiled and masonry stove: hardwood briquettes and beech logs – the storage mass loves long, even embers.
- Workshop and slow-combustion stove: hard coal and peat briquettes if the type plate allows them; otherwise hardwood briquettes.
- Fire bowl, pizza oven, smoker: firewood; for the grill, charcoal and briquettes.
Conclusion
The stove decides the fuel. Wood stove, tiled stove, pellet boiler: wood – as pellet, briquette or log. Slow-combustion stove, coal stove, cooker: hard coal and peat briquettes. Everything from one brand: HEIZFUXX® – everything for stove and fireplace.
HEIZFUXX® · SIMPLE. CLEVER. HEATING.
Wood pellets, wood briquettes, firewood, kindling, peat briquettes and hard coal – by the bag at DIY stores, by the pallet online. Where to get HEIZFUXX®.