Choosing the Right Wood or Charcoal for cooking
If you are hoping to cook outdoors using barbecues, fire pits or a pizza oven, you'll want the same charcoal they use in restaurants and kiln dried logs to reduce moisture in your pizza oven.
Pizza ovens only work when they are very very hot and to achieve that high temperature you need logs to burn with a low moisture content. We sell beech, birch, oak and other woods as hardwood logs that are kiln dried to reduce the moisture level to an absolute minimum.
This means the fuel in your wood fired ovens burns hot with less smoke and your pizza will cook perfectly and taste great. The type of fire you have in your pizza oven matters otherwise you compromise on that authentic wood fired pizza oven taste in your food.
Cooking Bread in a Pizza or Bread Oven
If you've cooked up a pizza feast at a very high heat with hardwood logs burning very hot, you'll have a lot of residual heat in your oven for a few hours afterwards.
This is the perfect time to cook bread. As the temperature falls once you've finished cooking pizzas, the oven is still hot enough to cook a loaf of bread without the need for more firewood and the smell will be wonderful.
Read our guide using wood fired pizza ovens here
Grilling with Restaurant Grade Charcoal
Restaurant-grade charcoal is typically of higher quality and purity compared to standard charcoal, which makes it particularly suitable for grilling.
Size and Consistency: Restaurant-grade charcoal usually comes in larger, more uniform chunks, which burn more evenly and produce steady, consistent heat. This makes it easier to control cooking temperatures, which is important for grilling a variety of food to perfection.
Longer Burn Time: The larger chunks in restaurant-grade charcoal have a longer burn time than regular charcoal. This means less charcoal is needed to maintain the heat, saving fuel and reducing the frequency of adding more charcoal mid-cook.
Higher Heat Output: It’s often made from denser, hardwood sources, which produces a higher heat output than regular charcoal. This high heat is ideal for grilling because it can create a great sear on the outside of meats while keeping the inside juicy.
Reduced Smoke and Residue: Restaurant-grade charcoal tends to have fewer additives or fillers, which means it produces less smoke and leaves behind less ash or residue. The clean burn makes it more pleasant to work with and allows the food’s natural flavors to shine without interference from smoke or chemicals.
Low Odor and Cleaner Flavor: Without fillers or binders found in cheaper charcoal options, restaurant-grade charcoal imparts a cleaner, more authentic charcoal-grilled flavor to food, which is ideal for quality grilling.
Because of these advantages, restaurant-grade charcoal is favored in professional kitchens and by barbecue enthusiasts alike, especially for dishes that benefit from precise temperature control and high, clean heat.
How charcoal is made
Good charcoal is mostly pure carbon, it’s made by heating hard wood in low oxygen ovens, this process can take days and burns off compounds such as water, methane, hydrogen, and tar.
In commercial processing, the burning takes place in large concrete or steel silos with very little oxygen, and stops before it all turns to ash. The process leaves black lumps of lump wood, nearly 75% of the original wood weight is removed by this process.
When lit, the carbon in charcoal combines with oxygen and forms carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water, other gases, and has massive quantities of energy.
It packs more potential energy per ounce than any raw wood. Charcoal lumps, burn hot, and produces less smoke. Our restaurant grade charcoal is 100% wood with no additives,
The process of making charcoal is ancient, the evidence of charcoal production going back approximately 25,000 years.
Because charcoal burns hotter, cleaner, and more evenly than wood, it was used by smelters for smelting iron ore in blast furnaces, and blacksmiths who formed and shaped steel. Commercial production was first done in pits covered with soil by specially trained workers.
Lump Wood charcoal
Lumpwood charcoal is crafted from hardwood trees, utilising even the branches, which minimises waste. Eucalyptus, a fast-growing tree in some regions, is commonly used.
In certain areas, local townspeople are even hired by the government to cut down these water-thirsty trees, freeing up vital water resources for village agriculture and crop irrigation.
Other hardwoods like oak, birch, ash, and apple are also frequently used in charcoal production. All our lumpwood charcoal is made exclusively from hardwood, ensuring high quality and sustainability.
Barbecue lump wood burns hotter and produces a really nice taste. In general terms, lump wood charcoal is easy to light, burns for 1-3 hours and produces high heat.
Lump woods are very versatile, however as they burn quicker than briquettes, many people use lump wood for the barbecue basics like steaks, burgers and sausages, fish, prawns, vegetables and so on, the list is endless
Uses for Lump Wood Charcoal Ash
Once you have had your BBQ or grill, you can put the ash straight onto your garden. Ash from additive free lump wood charcoal contains a lot of potash which is really good for many plants.
Potash can change the pH of your soil making it more alkaline though so be cautious with its use.
Cooking Wood
We produce our own Cooking Wood on-site to ensure top quality, using only kiln-dried firewood. Each log is carefully hand-selected before leaving our premises.
During this process, we sort logs by size; smaller logs go into our Cooking Wood bags, while larger logs are hand-split to meet the precise size requirements for cooking.
All our Cooking Wood is cut to a specific size to meet our high standards, then stored in a warm, dry environment to maintain optimal dryness, allowing for additional drying if needed.
This preparation makes our Cooking Wood ideal for cooking: it lights easily and, once aflame, brings ovens to temperature faster than electric or gas stoves. Simply add more logs as needed to maintain the desired temperature for your BBQ or cooker.
Our Cooking Wood is made exclusively from top-quality hardwoods like oak, ash, and birch, which we’ve found to be the best after years of testing. The flavours they produce are outstanding. Occasionally, we get Applewood logs, and when we do, we notify our customers so they can take advantage of this special stock—our dedication to quality is something our customers truly appreciate.
We began offering Cooking Wood over 10 years ago, and since then, while many have tried to replicate our approach, none match the consistency and quality of Logan’s Cooking Wood. Unlike others, we hand-pick each log to ensure uniform size and exceptional heat output, giving us a distinct edge in the market.
Today, we supply many of the UK’s top restaurants and renowned chefs, who continue to rely on our Cooking Wood for its quality and consistency. Our wood is not only ideal for cooking but also highly rated for smoking meats and fish, offering an all-in-one solution that helps our customers avoid extra expense. The positive reviews speak for themselves—our Cooking Wood consistently delivers.
Storing Kiln Dried Cooking Wood
Proper storage of kiln-dried cooking wood is essential to maintain its quality, longevity, and performance. Here are some tips to ensure your wood stays in top condition for cooking:
Keep the logs dry
Kiln-dried wood is prized for its low moisture content, which allows it to burn efficiently and produce a clean, steady heat. Store it in a dry location, ideally indoors or in a well-covered, ventilated outdoor area. Avoid placing it directly on the ground to prevent it from absorbing ground moisture.
Provide Ventilation
Good airflow around the wood helps it stay dry and prevents mould or mildew. Stack the wood loosely rather than tightly packed to promote air circulation, keeping the logs at their optimum dryness.
Protect from Rain and Humidity
If stored outside, cover the woodpile with a waterproof cover, leaving the sides exposed for ventilation. In humid climates, consider using a dehumidifier in your storage area if indoors, as excess humidity can reduce the wood’s efficiency.
Avoid Extreme Temperatures
Kiln-dried wood doesn’t need intense heat to stay dry; simply storing it in a cool, dry place is sufficient. Excessive heat may cause the wood to crack and lose its quality, so avoid placing it near radiators or heaters.
Only Store What you Need
While kiln-dried wood has a long shelf life, keeping only what you need for a few months at a time ensures your wood stays at its best quality. This prevents long-term exposure to environmental factors that could impact its performance.
