March 5, 2012
by Andrew Foulds
in Barbeques
Tags: Barbecue, Barbeque, BBQ, Buying Guide, Summer Range
There’s not a lot that compares to cooking in the great outdoors on a sunny day surrounded by family and friends.
But how do you know which barbeque to buy? There are so many barbeques on the market that it’s hard to know what to go for. If you need help narrowing down your barbeque choices, consider these questions:
Cases can be made for both sides of this argument, so here it goes.
Charcoal
Pros: Flavour! Nothing says authentic like barbecue charcoal giving your meal a smokey taste. Charcoal bbqs can also, if you build up the coals correctly, get a lot hotter than their gas equivalents (great for searing steak). They’re also usually cheaper than comparable gas models.
Cons: It takes a lot longer to build up the heat on a charcoal barbeque and unless you’re an expert, controlling the temperature can be difficult. They’re also quite messy to clean.
Gas
Pros: Even cheap gas bbqs can be used all year round without worrying about standing for hours in the cold because they heat up really quickly. High end models are practically like having a second oven. It’s easier to control the temperature which means you can cook more reliably and you can clean them quickly.
Cons: They’re much more expensive than their charcoal barbeque counterparts, both in upfront cost and ongoing fees as there’s more specialised equipment (ie valves) that needs to be maintained.
2. How many people are you likely to be cooking for?
This is pretty straightforward. If you’ve got a big family then you’re going to want a bigger barbeques. If it’s just one or two of you, it might be best getting a small portable barbeque – fast to set up and clean and great for weekend trips away.
3. What features and accessories do you really need from your barbeque?
Thermometers come as standard on most modern barbeques and they’re essential if you’re a fussy cooker who wants their steak done just right. Safety is a big thing, especially if you have a young family, so consider sturdy barbeques with hoods and lids. Don’t forget about utensils and an apron!
5. The big one: how much are you willing to spend?
As with most purchases in life, you get what you pay for. It’s usually best to avoid the cheapest unknown brands as they’re likely to degrade much more quickly than the next step up the price bracket. From there, it’s all about weighing the cost against your needs, whether you’re looking for a cheap gas barbeque for the occasional cook-up or an all-inclusive titanium construct that will do you anything from sausages to a roast dinner.
November 23, 2011
by Ben Heron
in Editorial, News
Prepare for winter with this 5% discount code from Logs Direct.
Use the code “4YBF1YDJ” at checkout and receive 5% off any order of hardwood or kiln-dried logs.
*£75 minimum order applies
October 31, 2011
by Ben Heron
in Editorial, News
Tags: kiln dried log delivery, kiln dried logs, santa, snow plough, winter
With winter well on its way, children across the nation are looking forward to schools closed by snow, snowball fights in the park and fun times with friends building snowmen. While many adults may be secretly looking forward to snowball fights, this anticipation is tempered by the memories of the horrors of last year’s harsh weather. Who can forget the closed roads, dangerous driving conditions and freezing cold nights that the nation endured in the last season?
Fortunately, Logs Direct are well prepared to help the nation get through the worst of weather. People around the country will be relieved to know that Logs Direct have put plans in place to ensure the delivery of kiln dried logs in the very worst of weather conditions. This week they took delivery of a new snow plough and tractor, so that no matter what the weather conditions, the Logs Direct site and their firewood for sale will remain accessible to both customer vehicles and Logs Direct delivery trucks. Delivery of kiln dried logs will not be foiled by the weather.
The Logs Direct ethos emphasises reliable deliveries of their firewood logs so that all of their customers can count on a cosy wood fire to warm the cold winter evenings. During the snows of last year Logs Direct vowed that future snowfall would not prevent them from catering to their loyal customers – after all, it is in those conditions that their supplies of kiln dried firewood are most needed. As such they quickly decided that something needed to be done to prepare for this season. Unfortunately, the team of huskies that they tried out at first spent more time fetching the kiln dried firewood than towing it on sleds, so they decided to go with the next best option – their own snow plough that would guarantee the ability to keep the Logs Direct operation running no matter what the weather!
Of course, the biggest worry that heavy snow will bring is the danger that Santa Claus could find his sleigh stuck in a drift. The Logs Direct team are well used to chimneys of all types, and if Santa Claus requires any assistance this year, they guarantee to have their new snow plough and tractor available to help him get his sleigh back in the air. As always, Logs Direct advises the nation to make sure that their warming wood fire is not so hot that it burns Santa’s toes.
August 9, 2011
by Andrew Foulds
in Editorial, Environment, News
Tags: Firewood delivery, Firewood Industry, kiln dried logs
We reckon that when world-famous hauliers Eddie Stobart named their first truck ‘Twiggy’ they must have known one day they would be signing up to distribute our firewood!
Logs Direct has just started using these leading hauliers for some of our National distribution work.
From Lands End to John O’Groats the world famous trucks will be making regional deliveries of kiln dried wood, wood pellets, seasoned hardwood and softwood fuels to some of our commercial and domestic customers.
Eddie Stobart is the leading company in the UK for transport and logistics, with more than 2,250 trucks criss-crossing the country every day. In fact, an Eddie Stobart vehicle, with its
distinctive green and red livery, is passed on average every 4.5 minutes when driving on the country’s major roads.
The world famous brand is followed by more than 25,000 members of the Stobart Club, dedicated fans who spend their time spotting the iconic trucks and collecting the individual
girls’ names on each and every one of them.
Nation-wide firewood distribution is a good fit for two British companies which are both doing their bit to look after the environment. Logs Direct, based in North Lancashire, are one of the leading suppliers of carbon neutral fuels in the UK.
Burning wood fuel in the form of wood burner logs is far more environmentally friendly than burning other fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas which release high levels of carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere.
We fire our kilns with renewable biomass fuels which reduce our impact on the environment. Furthermore because we are a direct supplier of fire logs and manage our own processing, kiln drying and warehousing, we are cutting out the middle man and reducing our transport costs – a saving we pass on to you.
Eddie Stobart has invested heavily in biomass fuels to make the transport industry more sustainable. They have also introduced modal shift operations which reduces carbon emissions
by using rail, sea and air transport in addition to the road to make their journeys as environmentally-friendly as possible.
As winter approaches, we can ensure that wherever you are in the UK, we can keep your homes warm and cosy throughout the coldest season. We offer free regional delivery of kiln dried logs and other high quality products. This commitment to the environment and to you our customers means that we can satisfy the growing demand for our products, both now and in the future.
August 5, 2011
by Andrew Foulds
in Editorial, News
Tags: Logs Direct News, Warma
UK firewood and eco fuel supplier, Logs Direct has recently launched its newly branded ‘Warma’ range of home fuels. The new range is made up of kiln dried wood products, coal and smokeless fuels and firelighting products.
The Warma range is only available through our network of distributors throughout the UK and Ireland. A group of specialists from the Logs Direct team have selected the best products for our retail partners and combined this with elegant and well produced packaging to enhance their shelves.
Logs direct is based in Lancashire and was started over ten years ago by father and son team Alan and Andrew Foulds. They have progressed and develop and today produce over 4000 units per day to become one of the top hardwood, softwood and kiln dried wood suppliers in the UK.
Warma was launched at the annual Hearth and homes exhibition in Harrogate, for three days many of the National fireplace showrooms and independent shops came on the stand to visit this new range and to see for themselves what had been created and the response was brilliant. One such customer commented,
“at last a retail friendly range of winter fuel products “.
Many more positive comments were received about the presentation of the warma Range of products.
You can see the full range of Warma products on the new Warma Home Fuels website.
July 25, 2011
by Ben Heron
in Editorial, Environment
Tags: deforestation, environment, Firewood Industry, kiln dried logs
With energy costs continuing to rise and no sign yet of a viable low cost alternative, more and more people are switching back to traditional methods of heating their home. Open fires and wood burning stoves are becoming increasingly popular and, as a result, the wood industry has enjoyed steady growth in recent years.
Aside from turning back to these methods in order to save on energy costs, there have been considerable improvements elsewhere that have helped the industry no end.
Some years ago, anything involving the wood industry tended to court a bad press. Deforestation and the affect that it had on the environment were both in the news and the industry was undoubtedly affected. Thankfully, these days wood such as that which is used to make kindling and fuel for fires and stoves is, in the main, taken from renewable sources. The wood industry has certainly woken up to these issues and the positive actions that is has taken have, in turn, produced a positive affect on demand.
The wood industry has also made significant improvements in the products that it is associated with. Far from being a dying trade, people are turning back to traditional heating methods as they fight back against the rising costs of heating their home.
As a result, many logs used in fires and wood burning stoves are purpose made and are therefore more suited to the task.
Purpose made logs, such as Blazers Eco Logs or Kiln Dried Logs are lighter and easier to handle, they light more easily and burn hotter for longer and are therefore far more economical.
The wood industry hasn’t enjoyed this growth by accident: It has recognised the needs for its products and has improved them accordingly along with its overall image. With this greener outlook and improved range of products, it looks set to thrive for many years to come.
July 20, 2011
by Ben Heron
in Environment, Kiln Dried Logs
Tags: heat energy, kiln dried logs, kiln drying, kilns, moisure content
Kiln drying involves the introduction of heat to reduce the water content of the firewood. Heat is traditionally provided by gas or electric heating, by steam heat exchangers or via solar power. Most log drying kilns operate at temperatures of up to 110 degrees Celsius, with typical log drying times of 1-2 weeks. A kiln schedule is used to determine the exact time and temperature required to effectively dry the firewood, based on the type of wood involved.
Traditional kilns are constructed of brick masonry or a hollow cement structure and the wood is stacked in chambers to optimise the air flow around the logs and therefore improve drying. Air circulation is critical, to carry evaporated moisture away from the wood and this is often assisted by fans in the kiln. Dehumidification systems are also sometimes used to maintain the humidity of the kiln at a constant level during drying. In dehumidifying kilns, water vapour is condensed off in the dehumidifier and removed as a liquid.
During the kiln drying process, insects and mould are killed off, meaning that kiln dried logs are cleaner, lighter and better burning than air dried firewood. To determine if the kiln drying process has been effective, there are three practical methods of measuring moisture in wood.
- Physically weighing the timber before and after drying it and calculating the moisture content.
- Using a pin type meter which measures the electrical resistance of the timber.
- Using a meter that uses electro-magnetic technology to measure moisture.
Logs which have been kiln dried produce the highest possible heat output when burned due to a much lower moisture content (kiln dried logs have less than 20% moisture, whilst the driest seasoned logs usually still have 30% moisture). The more moisture present in the logs, the more heat energy is wasted in water evaporation when the logs are burned.
For the best selection of kiln dried firewood including free delivery thoughout the UK, visit Logs Direct. Logs Direct are one of the main kiln dried firewood specialists in the UK with their own kiln drying, log processing and distribution facilities. Because they are a direct supplier, they can offer kiln dried wood at a far lower cost than most firewood distributors.
July 15, 2011
by Ben Heron
in Wood Briquettes
Tags: Blazers Eco Logs, sawdust briquettes, wood briquettes
In these times of rising energy costs when more people are turning back to traditional methods of heating their homes, open fires and wood burning stoves are back in vogue. Of the many alternatives that you can use as fuel for these appliances, wood briquettes are among the most popular.
Essentially, wood briquettes are made from compressed sawdust and because they are purpose made they are perfectly designed for your traditional heating appliance.
Sawdust is a natural by-product of the wood processing industry and in the past may well have been disposed of as waste material. Now, with ecological awareness at the forefront of the wood industry, this sawdust is taken and used positively.
The sawdust is dried to remove as much moisture as possible – on average a wood briquette will contain around 10% moisture but in most cases it is much less. Using a specially designed press, the briquettes are formed into either rectangular or circular blocks and are then ready for sale.
There are many benefits in using wood briquettes for heating purposes. This process of manufacture means that they are ecologically very sound and that sawdust which would have been wasted in the past is put to good use.
Because the briquettes are so dry, they are easy to light and burn quickly. They reach their optimum temperature in a short space of time but because they are so compressed, they burn hotter for longer. All of this means that they are far more economical than wood logs but they are also versatile and can be used both on open fires and on wood burning stoves.
Far from being the fuel of the past, wood briquettes are among the fuel of the future. The ecological manner in which they are made just underlines how far the wood industry has come to recognise this fact.
Blazers Eco Logs are available in 10Kg bags directly from Logs Direct.
July 10, 2011
by Ben Heron
in Editorial, Environment
Tags: deforestation, environment, environmental impact, forest management, forests, sustainability, wood
Burning wood to create fuel is probably one of the oldest ways of keeping ourselves warm. Indeed, the discovery that wood can be burned to create fire and warmth could be considered one of mankind’s greatest advances.
In this day and age where environmental concerns are so important, burning firewood is once again a good source of heat. Because burning wood produces no more Carbon Dioxide then would be produced when it naturally degrades, it is considered to be carbon neutral.
However, there are growing concerns about the deforestation of the planet so it is vital the wood is sustainably sourced and maintaining a sustainable long term supply of timber for the firewood market is a concern for the industry.
The logging industry around the world can be too intensive and when too much wood is removed from a forest it can lead to soil erosion and habitat destruction.
However, in many countries firewood is being harvested in a sustainable manor so there is very little environmental impact.
One way of producing fire wood sustainably is to use sustainable forest management. The idea is to manage forests in such a way that they continue to provide wood products without destroying the forest. The key is to maintain the stewardship of the forest so that its resources are still available to future generations.
Here in the UK, the Forestry Commission works to ensure that England’s forests play their part in “enriching people’s quality of life and their environment”. They are also leaders in sustainability in a bid to preserve our woodlands for future generations.
Another way of lessening the environmental impact of firewood is to use wood that is a by-product of natural forestry. Deadfall, which hasn’t started to rot, can be used to supply firewood as it already partly seasoned. Standing dead timber is even better as it is also partly seasoned but usually has little rot.
Barbeque Buying Guide Mar 05 2012
Logs Direct November Promotion Nov 23 2011
Preparing for winter: A new snow plough for Logs Direct Oct 31 2011
Eddie Stobart start Logs Direct firewood delivery throughout the UK Aug 09 2011
