Ash vs Beech Firewood: Which One Should You Buy?

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Ash vs beech firewood: the short answer

Ash and beech are both hardwoods that belong in the stove, not the brush pile. The one listing here that names both species, the New England Cookwood Savory Blend, mixes beech and ash with oaks, maples and black birch as its choice for a great tasting, long-lasting cook. No listing here separates ash from beech by heat output or burn time, so there is no winner to declare from the listings. What the listings do separate is moisture: kiln-dried wood at below 20 percent, 15 percent or less, and less than 10 percent. Dry wood of either species beats damp wood of the other every time. That is the practical takeaway: chase the moisture figure first and the species second.

What matters more than the species

Every listing here leads with dryness, not species. The Old Potters cherry is heat-treated under USDA oversight to below 20 percent moisture, the Firewood Central cherry is dried to 15 percent or less, and the New England blend is delivered at less than 10 percent moisture content. Kiln drying is what makes boxed firewood ready to burn the day it arrives, with no seasoning wait. When you are choosing between ash and beech from a local supplier, ask the same question these listings answer: how dry is it. A moisture meter on a fresh split tells you in seconds, and anything near the figures above is ready to stack by the stove.

The four boxes, ranked

Ranked by how directly each listing serves the ash vs beech question and the completeness of its stated specs:

1. New England Cookwood Savory Blend

The only box here that names both ash and beech, blending them with oaks, maples and black birch for what the listing calls a great tasting, long-lasting cook. The 5 inch pieces never exceed 5.25 inches, with widths from 0.75 to 1.75 inches, sized for pizza ovens and smokers, and the listing states less than 10 percent moisture content. The 14 pound box is the smallest here. Because it names both target species, it is the most useful box here for the ash vs beech question.

2. Firewood Central kiln-dried cherry

A single-species box for the stove and fireplace: 16 inch cherry splits, about 38 pounds per bundle, dried to 15 percent or less. The listing states a sweet fruity smoke note for cooking use as well, and USA sourcing from certified forests. Cherry is not ash or beech, but the stated specs are the most complete of the single-species boxes.

3. Old Potters kiln-dried cherry

Another single-species cherry box: 16 inch logs, 1.5 cubic feet in a strapped box of about 45 pounds, USDA certified and heat-treated to below 20 percent moisture. The listing notes it is accepted where untreated firewood is banned and advises storing it off the ground in a dry, ventilated spot. It ranks behind the Firewood Central box on the stated moisture figure.

4. Old Potters hickory cooking logs

The smallest box here, aimed at cooking rather than heating: 16 to 18 hickory logs at 8 inches by 2.5 inches, 18 pounds. The listing states kiln drying but gives no moisture figure, and offers oak and cherry versions alongside hickory. Fine for the grill and firepit; the heating boxes above suit the stove better.

Log size and what fits your firebox

Two listings here cut to 16 inches for fireplaces, wood stoves and fire pits, which suits most stove fireboxes. The 16 inch length is the standard the listings repeat for indoor and outdoor burning. The 5 inch pieces in the New England blend are sized for pizza ovens and smokers instead, where a full-length split would not fit. The 8 inch cooking wood at 2 to 3 inches thick fits grills, smokers and fire pits. Match the log length to your firebox: a 16 inch split will not fit a smaller firebox, and cutting kiln-dried splits shorter wastes the drying you paid for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ash or beech better for a wood stove?

The listings do not separate them. The one blend naming both treats beech and ash as equals for long-lasting cooks, alongside oak and maple. Either one, properly dry, is good stove wood. If you have a free choice, take whichever is drier and closer to the stove.

Should I buy kiln-dried firewood?

The listings make the case: kiln drying brings moisture to below 20 percent, 15 percent or less, or less than 10 percent depending on the box, so the wood is ready to burn on arrival. You skip the seasoning wait entirely.

What size logs fit a wood stove?

Two listings here cut to 16 inches for fireplaces, wood stoves and fire pits, which suits most stove fireboxes. The 5 inch pieces in the New England blend are sized for pizza ovens and smokers instead.

How should I store boxed firewood?

The Old Potters listing advises storing the box off the ground in a dry, ventilated spot. Keep it covered on top and out of standing water so the kiln-dried moisture figures hold until you burn it.

Can cooking wood go in the fireplace?

The 16 inch cherry boxes are listed for fireplaces, fire pits and wood stoves as well as cooking. The small 5 inch and 8 inch cooking pieces suit grills, smokers and pizza ovens rather than a full-size firebox.

Related guides: beech vs maple firewood, hickory vs ash firewood, oak vs beech firewood and dry wood vs green wood.