I often struggle to come up with gift ideas. I always want to find gifts that blend practicality with fun, good value for the price, and, because I don't really like shopping in stores anyway, I like to find gifts on line.
If your friends and family burn wood in a fireplace, stove, pellet stove, or even a masonry heater, these gift ideas meet all my criteria! They range in price, but are generally relatively inexpensive so that you don't have to spend more money that you have this holiday season!
[Note: with my criteria in mind, I didn't list the "Fireplace Tool Set" (you know the ones with the shovel, over and little broom?) as gifts here. Too obvious!]
Process
I thought about all the little gadgets kicking around my house that I'm happy to have. In addition, I searched for other wood themed gift ideas. I chose those that seemed like quality products as evidenced by solid reviews...and number of reviews. I worked to find products that had several hundred to over a thousand reviews in order to have good data to analyze!
Finally I read through the piles of reviews and sorted through the credible ones vs the wack-job ones to figure out the most balanced review for each product. (I see a HUGE part of my job at this site is to save you from reading reviews from crazy people!)
Anyhoo...I hope that through this list you can find gifts that are on sale from reliable sellers, and, that would make a good gift!
Bruntmor Rocket Stove
I mean...who doesn't want one?!? This compact wood burning stove cranks out heat burning sticks! They're great of the back yard or camping trip.
They can run on different size fuel...fill it with sticks from the back yard, firewood from the woodshed, leftover 2x4s!
We know that full sized wood burners can be pretty expensive, but rocket stoves are relatively cheap!
This rocket stove measures 12"H X 10" L X 4 1/2" W. Reviews say fires start quickly and that they "got the fire going quickly put a cast iron skillet on it it and was cooking a stir fry in minutes." One of the negative reviews said that it came missing a handle, but didn't contact customer service to either return the purchase or accept a part shipped.
Rating: 4.5 / 5 with over290 reviews
Candle Warmers Illumination Fragrance Warmer
Multi-purpsose! Use to fill your house with fragrance or light a dark room as a night-light.
The wood stove design adds the look of warmth while adding that country vibe.
Reviewers like the glow that it gives off, although several mention that the top dish doesn't come off making it challenging too clean.
Rating: 4.6 / 5 with over 6500 reviews
Fatwood
It's handy having a pile of fatwood kicking around to help get that fire burning quickly and easily. The advantage of fatwood lies in the resins that burn easily but hot enough to light the larger logs.
This particular brand had the highest reviews and was the most popular. Some reviewers felt that it gave off too much of a chemical smell. According to the manufacturer, however, it's an all natural product.
Rating: 4.7 / 5 with over 47000 reviews
Fire starters
While fatwood can a functional gift, sometimes it's nice to add a bit of holiday charm. Fire starters add more of a decorative touch and might make them more appealing as gifts.
(When I was a kid we would make wreathes and fire starters (out of wood chips and wax), decorate them, then sell them to finance our Christmas shopping!)
You lay them under the kindling, light them, and, (like fatwood but looks prettier decorating the hearth,) the fire starter burns enough to bring flames to the larger logs.
The best ones I found (best reviews, best price) are from Duck Island Designs on Etsy.
Rating: 5 / 5 with over 432 reviews
Kindling cracker
If your gift receiver is more of a hands-on person who doesn't want fatwood for fire starters, then get the a "kindling kracker!" (Say "kindling cracker just for fun!)
Of any of these gift ideas, this little rig holds the highest review rating of any of them! You put a small log into the kindling cracker and hit it with a mallet. The blade splits the wood into smaller pieces, ready kindling for the wood stove, fireplace, campfire, or rocket stove!
What makes it particularly convenient is that you don't have to worry about trying to hold up a small piece of wood then sweep your hand away at the last possible second to avoid chopping off a finger. Just tap the wood into the cracker to wedge it in there, then give it a good wack!
Most reviews report loving this little rig. It's detractors say that it doesn't split hard wood like oak. But like another reviewer stated (And I couldn't have said it better myself..) You've got to be smarter than the log!
Rating: 4.8 / 5 with over 5000 reviews
Too much firewood T-Shirt
Okay...this one was just too funny NOT to include it on the list. If you know a handful of "wood burner people," then you know the type. They OBSESS about having enough firewood. They're like the characters in the insurance commercial who are turning into their parents. They can't see a log lying on the side of the road without saying "hmmm...that's a nice piece of firewood" and stopping to throw it in the back of the truck. (or Camry)!
Check it out here!
No review available
Galfire Thermometer magnetic
Thermometers are handy gadgets to monitor wood burning stove performance. You want to keep the fire burning hot enough to reduce creosote, to activate the catalytic converter, and often monitor when to add more logs.
This thermometer has a magnet so it sticks easily to the side of the stove without have to "install" it with screws or some sort of heat resistant epoxy.
Know that you will most likely need some other thermometer to calibrate it. One reviewer said that it is "heat spring operated, so set it on a flue with a known good thermometer on it, then turn the pointer by hand either tightening or loosening until it’s correct."
Rating: 4.3 / 5 with over 1000 reviews
Walden Fire Pit Stoker Poker
Ok...this seems like such a silly gift...but people love it! First of all, although our parents warned us about it, we still love playing with fire. This "Stoker Poker" gives us license to do so! If you you'r burning wood in a stove, fireplace, or fire pit and the logs are smoldering a bit, you just give a blast of breath through the one-way valve of the poker and, poof...revitalized fire! Plus, you can move that one persnickety log over to improve air flow.
It's custom designed wooden handle which makes it feel more "authentic" and less mass produced.
The only negative reviews worried about its durability. One reviewer said that they "used it on maybe 10 fires and the head that helps you turn logs came off. The only thing holding it on where 2 small spot welds. Poor design, quality and construction."
Rating: 4.4 / 5 with over 5400 reviews
Hake Dutch Cast Iron Teapot
I have vivid memories of the kettle sitting on top of the wood burner stove at my grandmother's.
A frequent tea drinker, she kept the kettle on the stove both to humidify the house from the dry wood heat and also to have a constant supply of hot water for her tea breaks.
This teapot is one of the best sellers. Its cast iron material make it rugged enough for the wood stove as well as holds heat to keep the water warm if taken off the stove. Plus, the enamel lining on the inside keeps iron flavor out of the tea.
Most people love this kettle and "use mine everyday." However, another reviewer says that the "description is very confusing, states that it can be used on a woodstove...but the directions state not to boil water in it. It will boil on a wood burning stove therefore useless." In sorting through the reviews and directions, however, I found that you can certainly boil water on a wood stove in it. However, using on a gas stove with only a little water in it (like a single cup of tea) heats up the enamel lining too much and may cause it to crack. Keep it full and on the woodstove and it is fine.
Rating: 4.6 / 5 with over 7100 reviews
Voda Heat Powered Fan
One of the challenges of keeping the house warm with wood is temperature variation. Often it's cozy warm next to the fire but the temperatures get chilly on the other side of the room.
Using a fan really helps air movement. This heat powered fan is perfectly suited for this job. It doesn't require electricity, so just plop it on top of the stove, let the fire burn, and enjoy the warmth!
Reviewers say that this fan is "Very Quiet and works just like it did when we got it about 1 1/2 years ago!" In addition, it "still spreads the warmth... throughout out home whether the electricity is available or not."
Less enthusiastic reviewers felt that the fan don't "push that much air. I can blow harder than the two fans I bought combined."
Rating: 4.4 / 5 with over 5400 reviews
Bonus Gift
I wouldn't be much of a writer if I didn't recommend a good book to read around fireplaces! And this is a tricky one because books fall into so many categories...fiction, non-fiction, books about winter, fireplaces, etc.
I had a hard time choosing. So, I decided to just go with one of my favorite books of all time: The River Why by David James Duncan. The narrator's father, an avid fly fisherman, and his mother, "a plunker of worms," set up a fantastic philosophical, funny, story that's a good read anytime, but especially around the hearth when the wind whips around outside! Any person who likes the outdoors and especially fishing will love this book!