Why Hotblocks

Stack of HotBlocks

Briquettes are a great alternative to traditional wood fuel. In most cases they perform better and offer real benefits to the User. Not all briquettes compare well against HotBlocks though and here’s why!

We manufacture HotBlocks in our own factory in Yorkshire using clean waste wood collected by us from our own regular customers. We carry out checks before the waste wood goes into our shredders to ensure that it conforms to our quality standards. We don’t use contaminated timber or non-wood materials such as MDF, chipboard or other types of particle board. Wherever possible any traces of these materials are excluded. 

We dry the chips in our own purpose built ovens to ensure that HotBlocks have a consistent moisture content of less than 10%. No adhesives or binding agents are used to “stick” the chips together; it is purely the pressure applied in the mould that forms the chips into the block shape and because they are formed under such huge pressure they are much more dense than logs too!

Many briquettes will expand significantly when they burn and this can pose a safety risk in certain situations. We researched this problem thoroughly and selected a block shaped briquette which is moulded in one single action by our machines, rather than by an extrusion process. Combining a single action mould this along with our low moisture content and mixed chip sizes minimises any expansion, reduces the risk of spitting and ensures a long consistent burn. The blend of fine and course chips also makes them easier to light as well!

We also take care to pack HotBlocks by hand into high quality weather resistant packaging. This ensures that they can be safely stored for long periods of time yet still retain their quality and performance.

We’re also proud to be a family business employing local people and producing a quality British product.

Points to remember when buying wood fuel:

  • HotBlocks have a moisture content of less than 10% compared to kiln dried logs at 20%+ and seasoned logs of 30-50%. (Higher moisture reduces the heat output during burning, increases the amount of ash produced & creates harmful chimney flue residues. It is also the cause of spitting and blackened glass on the stove door too!).
  • If you are thinking of still buying logs, always buy them by the cubic metre and not by weight. You don’t want to pay for up to 50% water!
  • Between 3 & 5 cubic metres of logs would be needed to match a cubic metre of briquettes in terms of heat output.
  • Many briquettes are similar or even identical in shape and size to one another but contain completely different materials in their make-up. Always check the country of origin and the specification of the source material used to make them. Make sure they do not contain any harmful ingredients!
  • Some briquettes will expand considerably during burning, so always be careful if using a new make of briquette for the first time.
  • Some briquettes are made from harvested timber! Consider whether felling trees to provide feedstock for briquette manufacture is environmentally justifiable?