Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
1. What fuel should I use when cooking on wood?
- Ready to Burn logs
- Our value pack with mixed sizes of firewood
- Great for outdoor cooking and appliances
These logs, known as our value pack, have smaller and odd sizes due to not meeting quality control specifications. Despite this, they are great for cooking on wood due to their smaller sizes and different shapes, making it easier to get a good fire and control heat output.
The various wood species offer unique benefits for outdoor cooking, with oak providing a smoky flavor for BBQs, ash offering a beautiful fire and unique flavor, and beech being a great fuel with low spitting and exceptional heat regulation.
- Perfect for full flavour grilling and long evening chilling
- Ideal for outdoor cooking (especially pizza ovens)
- Thinner split log allows the fire to get up to cooking temperature quickly
Used widely in top restaurants across the UK, our Grill & Chill logs ensure consistent and low spitting outcomes for even and controlled cooking. Perfect for wood-fired pizza ovens, they can also be used for barbecues and fire pits.
- Outdoor cooking kits contain mixed sizes of kiln dried logs and KindleFlamers
- Ideal for campfires and firepits, but also suitable for pizza ovens.
While these kits are primarily designed for campfires and firepits, they can also be used in pizza ovens, offering versatility for different cooking styles.
- Great for BBQs
The most common reason people choose to cook with charcoal is to achieve that unforgettable smokey, tender taste. But what many do not realise is that you can achieve similar, if not more flavor, by cooking on wood. Woods like applewood and beech give off subtle fruitful flavors which can elevate your food.
2. What do I need to light my fire?
Flamers
KindleFlamers
Kindling
Flamers Bucket
- Only need one to light a fire
- Made from natural woodwool with natural, renewable untreated wood shavings
- Multi purpose: they can start fires in woodburners, BBQs, campfires and firepits
They are clean, convenient, and reliable, needing only one Flamer to light any fire. Our pack sizes range from small to large, with the largest being 200 packs for regular users.
How to light a fire using Flamers?
To light a fire, you will need to add 6 sticks of kindling, one Flamer, and logs.
- Place two kiln dried logs on the grate of your woodburner
- Stack 6-8 sticks of kindling in a Jenga formation
- Place ONE Flamer in the center of this formation
- Light the Flamer and add logs once the kindling has burnt through
- Only one to light a fire, kindling and firelighter all in one, so no need to buy any kindling.
- Natural & odourless
- Perfect for lighting a fire in woodburners, pizza ovens, chimeneas and barbecues. Also suitable for bushcraft and camping
Certainly Wood aims to make firelighting easy and enjoyable with KindleFlamers, super-efficient and super-long firelighters that require no kindling. These natural firelighters have no smell, are easy to light, and provide a long burn. Once you try them, you won't look back!
How to light your fire using KindleFlamers?
- Place two logs at the grate of your woodburner
- Lay ONE KindleFlamer along the ridge and place a small log diagonally on top
- Light the KindleFlamer and add more logs once the fire is established
For many years now, kindling has been a vital component in the traditional firelighting method. Our kindling is kiln dried and is hand-packed into wax-coated cardboard boxes, which contain no plastic. We dry our kindling starting wood below 12% moisture content, which ensures a great base for your fire pretty much straight away.
How to light your fire using kindling?
If you wish to light your fire using kindling, all you would need is 6 sticks along with one of our Flamers, then of course a match and a couple of logs!
- Place two kiln dried logs on the grate of your woodburner
- Stack 6-8 sticks of kindling in a Jenga formation
- Place ONE Flamer in the center of this formation
- Light the Flamer and add logs once the kindling has burnt through
- Store 75 Flamers or a whole box of 18 KindleFlamers
Not only do they do the job of looking good, but they are also great for storing your Flamers (75 to be pack precise) and even fit our KindleFlamers 18 pack. So, why not add that Certainly Wood touch and look into purchasing this perfect storage solution.
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3. What's the best way to light your firepit or campfire?
In this section, we will compare three firelighting methods; the traditional method with logs over kindling and firelighter, the new top-down method with the opposite structure, and finally, our very own KindleFlamer top down method.
All of the options will achieve a good result when using quality materials like our Flamers natural firelighters and kiln dried kindling and logs. It comes down to personal preference and in some cases time you have to light your fire.
KindleFlamer Method (reccomended)
KindleFlamers are the ultimate firelighter and you don't need kinding to light your fire.
- Place a couple of logs at the base
- Lay ONE KindleFlamer in the ridge and place a smaller log diagonally on top
- Light the KindleFlamer and add more logs once the fire is established.
Top-down Method
We have become fans of the newer top-down approach that most stove manufacturers now recommend.
- Place a couple of larger logs at the base
- Build your kindling Jenga formation on top of this
- Place ONE Flamer in the middle of the Jenga formation and light
- Add logs once the kindling has burnt through
The beauty of this method is that the logs are less likely to collapse when positioned on top of your Jenga stack.
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4. Types of Cooking on Wood
We want to introduce you to the various methods of cooking on wood and the benefits of each type. Here we will explore campfires, firepits, kotlichs, BBQs and pizza ovens.
Campfire Cooking
- Great for cooking meats, hot dogs, kebabs, skewers, and toasting marshmallows
- Very little equipment required
- Simple lighting
What are campfires good for?
Campfires are notorious for adding the most beautiful flavor to foods, whether that's meats, vegetables, or sweets. Some foods you can cook over a campfire include kebab, bread, meats, fruit and vegetables, grilled cheese, hotdogs, and marshmallows; proper traditional camping food!
How do you cook on a campfire?
To master cooking on a campfire, all you need is kiln dried logs, firelighters, and a match, and depending on what you are cooking, you will need a campfire grill/grate, pot, or Dutch oven.
Key Considerations when cooking on a campfire
Fuel:
The key to a perfect campfire is a clean-burning fire which can only be achieved with dried wood. Using wet wood/twigs will create a smoky fire which causes unnecessary pollution. Use kiln dried logs for the perfect burn.
Location:
When preparing your campfire, pay close attention to where you situate your fire. Make sure you have permission and if you can, use previously estalblished areas to avoid scaring the location further. Stay away from trees and build your campfire on gravel, sand, rocks or soil.
Wind:
Be sensible when dealing with fires. Avoid lighting fires in severe weather conditions like strong winds as it could lead to wildfires. Although not as important, cooking in winds makes it difficult to cook foods evenly and it will take longer to cook due to the coals loosing heat quicker.
Cooking with Dutch Ovens
- Good for stews, soups, casseroles, roasting, and bread
- Great at conducting heat and keeping moisture in
- When cooking on wood with your Dutch oven, ensure you have a good bed of coals
What are Dutch Ovens good for?
Dutch ovens are one of the most versatile outdoor cooking pieces of equipment.
As a result of their tight-fitting lids and heavy metal construction, constant, multi-directional heat is provided, meaning that the food inside will be cooked evenly; this is vital when cooking on wood. Almost any cooking task can be performed in a Dutch oven, such as roasting, cooking bread, soups, stews, and even frying.
Dutch ovens conduct heat exceptionally well, so they are great for keeping food warm for more extended periods of time, which means that it is most useful for long-simmering stews, soups, and even casseroles.
As well as stews and soups, Dutch ovens are also notable for cooking bread. The radiant heat acts similar to those of a pizza oven, and the lid holds in steam and moisture, which is perfect for creating crusts.
How do I use Dutch ovens when cooking outdoors?
The key to cooking perfectly with a Dutch oven is getting a good bed of coals. If you were unsure, the coals are the aftermath of the wood burning out. High amounts of heat still remain in these coals, which is how the cooking of the food actually takes place.
Whether you are cooking on your firepit or a DIY campfire in the ground, as long as you create a good bed of coals, you will be able to use your Dutch ovens accordingly. Another tip when cooking with a Dutch oven is to place these hot coals on top of the oven.
By doing so, you will ensure the contents of the oven to cooking even and thoroughly. This is the most effective method of cooking with a Dutch oven and is guaranteed to give great results.
History of Dutch Ovens
As you might expect from something with "Dutch" in its name, the Dutch oven originates from the Netherlands. Back in the 17th century, the first Dutch ovens were made from copper and brass, which were highly valued and handmade by only the finest craftsmen.
However, the price of these deterred many, so in 1710 an Englishmen named Abraham Darby wanted to create a cheaper but still as effective alternative.
To do so, he used the more economical metal of cast iron to try and replicate this fine-crafted cooking utensil, and this is what we use in the UK to this day.
Cooking with a Kotlich
- Enamel cooking pot means it is easy and light to handle
- Easily adjusted to ensure an optimal cooking experience
- Great for casseroles, stews and soups
What can you cook on a Kotlich?
Traditionally, Hungarians used kotlichs to cook goulash or fish soup but the range is much more versatile than that.
Due to their large container, kotlichs are great to use when cooking for an audience. In the office, we have cooked casseroles and stews, but the possibilities are endless.
Things like chili, bolognese, soups, and even custard. The adjustable chains make it easy to manage and ensure your cooking experience is as easy as it can be.
History of Kotlich's
Although familiar with the shape, many do not know the name of this tripod cooking utensil. Well pictured below, is a kotlich set.
The kotlich (Serbo-Croat name) or bogracs (Hungarian) is an enamel cooking pot that hangs from a light tripod, easily set up anywhere from the back doorstep to the allotment, from riverside to the beach.
Enamel is light and easy to handle and clean; the tripod makes cooking very versatile. The pot or grill can be adjusted to suit the heat, and it can be swung about to keep food moving and the heat even. We nearly always use the “fire pit” to contain the fire.
This isn’t essential where there is space for a fire, but the fire pit allows you to contain and control the fire wherever you choose to place it.
Cooking on Firepits
- Perfect for outdoor chilling & grilling
- Great for social gatherings
- You can cook almost anything in a variety of different methods
How do I use my firepit to cook outdoors?
It depends on what you cooking! If you wish to cook meats there are two methods that you should follow; grilling and roasting. Grilling is quite self-explanatory and will give your food that amazing smoky flavor, similar to that of a BBQ.
All you will need for this is a grill panel and fuel.
However, one of the most primal ways of cooking food over a fire pit is with using a rotisserie. Even though you will need to spend a little more time cooking, the juicy, mouthwatering meat you end up with is definitely worth the extra time.
Another way is by using a pot or Dutch oven. Once you have let your firewood burn through, you will be left with hot coals. These hot coals are great fuel for Dutch oven cooking as these ovens are great conductors of heat. A top tip for this type of cooking on a firepit is to place some of your coals on top and around the side of the cooking apparatus, to allow for optimal cooking.
Among the many things that can be cooked on a fire pit, the most notorious one is marshmallows. You can use shop bought marshmellow skewers or even collect some twigs onto which you can spike your marshmellows. You want to cook them over hot flames but be careful - they burn very quickly.
What are firepits?
Firepits aren't just for outdoor chilling, why not use them for outdoor grilling! Not only are firepits amazing garden centrepiece, but they are also actually great for cooking on wood. The obvious cooking method when talking about firepits is grilling. This method is not only the most common method, it is probably the easiest. Some firepits do actually come with a grill, but if yours doesn't these can be easily picked up in-store or online.
Cooking with Pizza Ovens
- Will insulate heat extremely well, meaning it is easy to retain heat for hours
- Can cook pizzas and other foods in under 5 minutes, which is very useful when cooking for an audience
What can you cook in a pizza oven?
Let's get the most obvious one out of the way; pizzas. Yes, in a pizza oven you can indeed cook pizzas. They make for a wonderfully light pizza but at the same time retain the crispy and slightly smokey flavor in the crusts. The insulation these ovens have are like no other, meaning that you can fully cook your pizza in some ovens even within 90 seconds.
Not only can you cook pizzas in pizza ovens, but you also cook a variety of things ranging from jacket potatoes, bread, meats and veggies. Just make sure to keep rotating the food during cooking, as it is easy to overcook one side if not turned.
What fuel should I use when cooking with my Pizza Oven?
We recommend our Grill & Chill logs as they are 100% British beech, so you can ensure consistency when using these logs for cooking your food. Another reason why you should give these logs a go is because of their proven and low spitting characteristics.
History of Pizza Ovens
Did you know the earliest wood-fired ovens date back to as late as the 19th century? Unlike modern household ovens that provide nearly constant heat, the wood-fired pizza ovens are typically lit once during the firing stage. After the embers are moved to the back and sides of the oven, the chamber will stay well insulated for hours. The retained heat can be used to cook batches of bread, roasts, and more importantly pizzas!
Cooking on BBQs
- Perfect summer activity with family and friends
- You can cook an array of foods like burgers, sausages, chicken, veggies, halloumi, surf and turf
What can you cook on a BBQ?
Infamously, burgers and sausages are classic foods to cook on the barbecue and are easily done. But do you ever fancy trying something a little different?
Corn, surf & turf, kebabs, skewers, grilled halloumi, quesadillas, and grilled vegetables are amongst the many food possibilities you can cook on the BBQ.
How to light a wood-fired BBQ?
- A healthy start: A healthy start to fire is vital for a long-lasting, well-burning BBQ. There are two methods you can use when starting your wood fire; the top-down or traditional method. More on that here.
- Circulation: The key to lighting any fire is to have good circulation. Air provides oxygen to the fire and without it, it will neither light nor burn Make sure to open the vents slightly and place your logs diagonally.
- Firelighter: Instead of using scrunched-up newspaper, why not opt for the more reliable option and choose an all natural firelighter This will massively impact the time it will take to light your fire plus, it will not affect your food as there are no chemicals let off.
- Wood: First of all, make sure your logs are dry and try and use a range of log sizes, starting with smaller pieces and using the larger sizes to steady the burn.
How To Light A Charcoal BBQ?
- Make sure to use the correct amount of charcoal: The more charcoal you will use and the tighter you pack it, the hotter your fire will be and the longer it will burn. You'll need to use different amounts of charcoal for different food content, for example, you would need to use more charcoals when cooking processed meats like sausages and burgers, to avoid food poising.
- No smoke: Make sure you only start cooking when there is no smoke. If there is smoke on your charcoal BBQ, it is a good indication that the coals are not ready.
- Temperature: To ensure your barbeque retains the right amount of heat, you want to purchase a temperature gauge and not let the temperature go under 107 Celsius. Most charcoal BBQs will also have vents, which is useful if you need to reduce the heat, slow down cooking or escalate cooking times.
- Lighting charcoal BBQs: Many struggle when attempting to light charcoal BBQs, but have no fear, our fire lighters are here. Instead of struggling with newspapers and kindling, all you need is one KindleFlamer. Simply place a KindleFlamer on top of the charcoals and light and the firelighter will do the heavy work for you. They are all natural, using no chemicals, but don’t worry, they certainly don’t lack in punch! They are a firelighting natural.. Take a look at our KindleFlamers!
5. Things to consider when cooking outside
How dry are your logs
Our logs are definitely the best choice for cooking - they have less moisture content, thanks to our kiln-drying process – which results in more intense heat and a lot less smoke when used in a fire pit or even barbeque. You can’t grill on wet logs as the food will be steamed or smoked rather than grilled as it’s impossible to achieve a high-enough temperature. Our logs have less oil content too, thanks to kiln-drying, meaning the only thing spitting will be your sausages.
How clean is your wood/charcoal?
Our logs go through two processes: chopping and drying. They are natural and so when used for cooking, you will not have to worry about any chemical additions or flavors. This means when cooking with wood, your food will taste of nothing but the subtleties of wood smoke. Also, with some chemical-based firelighters or fire lighting fuel, you often risk emitting many chemicals which are bound to worsen the taste of your food. With our all-natural flamers firelighters, you are guaranteed to avoid this and taste nothing but the food you're cooking!
The heat of your fire
While sometimes cooking over live flames can be useful, the majority of the time it can be difficult to manage and not give you the results you wish for. Cook over embers to ensure your cooking experience is manageable and the heat is steady.
Safety
Whilst dealing with fire, there will always be the risk that you may get burnt. To avoid this we recommend investing in some long-handed gadgets like tongs or pokers.
Weather
When cooking on wood, there is no point in attempting to cook when there is strong weather or winds. Not only can it be hazardous, but it will also only dampen your cooking experience and the cooking time will vary as the coals will be cooling down quicker than usual as a result of the wind.
Do not use softwoods
When cooking on wood, you want to avoid softwoods as they burn too quickly. Hardwoods such as oak ask and beech are best for cooking heat, as they provide a long strong burn whilst also giving you a great flavour. Our kiln dried logs are made up from these species so are always a safe bet whilst cooking.
6. Cooking On Wood Recipes
7. Cooking On Wood FAQs
What wood should I use for a firepit?
Any kiln-dried firewood will do just the trick! However, we recommend our Flaming Firewood as the logs are smaller and less uniform in size, thus allowing for easier heat control and an easier, more enjoyable cooking experience.
What wood should I use for a pizza oven?
Our Grill & Chill logs: These particular logs are a specially selected species, meaning that they are low spitting with incredible heat output. They are also a lot thinner in diameter which is really useful for those with smaller ovens or beginners.
What wood should I use for campfires?
Any low moisture or kiln dried logs! As long as you are not burning wet wood, you will be able to get a good, long burn which is vital for cooking on wood. If testing the camping waters, you might want to consider our log boxes which contain both logs and KindleFlamers natural firelighters, so you will only need a match or flint and steel to spark up the fire.
How do I cook outdoors with a BBQ?
Simply place your coals on the grate of your BBQ, place your firelighter of choosing on these coals, and cover the firelighter with some more coals, then light! This process could take a while, so a tip of ours is to use one of our KindleFlamers as your firelighter. Why do you ask? Well, it's because they are 3x the length of our normal Flamers, which means they cover more width in the BBQ. This will mean more coals will get hotter quickly, letting you get cooking faster!
How do I start a fire?
Simply place two logs on their diagonal on the grate or base of your fire pit/campfire/pizza oven, place one of our KindleFlamers in the middle, then proceed to place another two logs in a similar fashion on top of the bottom two. Light your firelighter and stand in awe of the dancing flames you will soon see.
What can I cook on the campfire?
Anything you can imagine! With the right equipment, you and your campfire could cook anything you wish. Ranging from casseroles & stews to puddings and bread, your campfire can accomplish anything. Check out our Campfire recipes here!
What can I cook in a kotlich?
Any sauce base recipe really, whether that's soups, stews or casseroles. These are really easy to set up and can be adjusted depending on your desired cooking times.
What can I cook in a firepit?
Firepits are really versatile and depending on what equipment you have handy, you can literally cook anything! Whether that's a 5- star meal or classic smores. Toasty's, kebabs' marshmallows, burgers, sausages, popcorn, or even bread are amongst some of the foods you can cook on your firepit.
What can I cook in a wood-fired BBQ?
Wood-fired BBQs are a rare sight in the UK, as most citizens use charcoal as their main BBQ fuel. Nevertheless, wood-fired BBQs are amazing at adding that smokey flavor to your foods and can be a quicker and easier method than charcoal BBQs. On any BBQ you can cook the classics like burgers, sausages, kebabs, and sweetcorn, but there is a lot more you can cook than that. Check out our BBQ recipes here!
What can I cook in a pizza oven?
Pizza ovens are great pieces of cooking equipment and are actually a lot more versatile than people think. Other than the obvious (pizzas) you can cook a variety of foods, ranging from great-tasting roasted vegetables to fresh fish, succulent meats to pies, seafood, and even cakes, pizza ovens can do it all.
