These two fire logs, Java Log and Enviro-Log, have a lot in common. Both are made from waste materials: coffee grounds in one case; waxed cardboard, like milk cartons, in the other. Both advertise more heat per unit weight and lower emissions than regular wood. Java-Log asserts carbon neutrality, because its waxy binder comes from plant sources I don't know the provenance of the wax in Enviro-Log. Both advertise a 3hr burn time for the 5lb log.
They're alike in how they burn, too, whether that's a good thing or not. I had a chance to test both. I burned them, one at a time, in an outdoor firepit a steep-sided ceramic bowl about 80cm across and 30 deep. Both times, I burned the log during daylight on a metal grate with plenty of air circulation underneath, and lit them according to the manufacturers' directions. For the Java-Log, that meant leaving the paper wrapper on and lighting the wrapper in three places. I found this somewhat less than satisfactory, since only one end of the log lit. Following the manufacturer's directions, I didn't poke at it until the whole length of it was lit, which took about a half hour. Even then, the surface didn't burn evenly until, against recommendation, I turned it over, grooved side down. That seemed to burn a bit better. I never got very big flames, but I'm sure it would have been more impressive at night. Burning had a slight waxy smell. That's a big point for me, compared to the aroma of woodsmoke, because my wife's asthma worked a lot better with the Java-Log's emissions than with regular smoke. (I missed the woodsy aroma, but you can't have everything.) It burned pretty much the advertised time, but went through phases of more and less smoke as it burned. It burned cleanly and completely, unlike wood which always leaves charred ends, leaving only a cup or two of uniform, sandy ash. I assume the ash comes only from the coffee grounds, so it should be compost-compatible.
The Enviro-Log was remarkably similar, in my test. Directions say to unwrap the log, wad the wrapping under the log, and use the wrapping as kindling. As with the Java-Log, this was less than satisfactory. It lit, but rolled off the wad once burning weakened it, so I had to move the log back onto the burning wrapper. As with the Java-Log, the manufacturer's procedure lit only one end of the log. It also took about a half hour and a little turning for it to catch completely. It burned much the way the Java-log did, but with a slightly more pronounced waxy smell and with a little papery ash flying away (but caught by the firepit's screen). The Enviro-Log had smoky phases as did the Java-Log, but a bit smokier. It also burned down cleanly, but the pile of papery ash at the end was a good bit bigger than the Java-Log's residue. Since it's just paper ash it should be as garden-friendly as wood ash, but I wouldn't swear to either log's ash suiting an organic farmer.
I found the two pretty much equivalent in this test. The waxy smell meant I wouldn't use either for cooking, and they don't produce coals the way wood fires do. Only one thing (which I didn't test) left me leaning toward the Enviro-Log. The Java-Log's instructions are quite insistent about burning only one at a time, not burning other wood or fuel with it, and leaving it alone while it burns. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that the waxy binder could soften if the log overheated, possibly causing it to crumble or flare up. Likewise, the "leave it alone" order could be due to softening with heat, so that poking at it would break it up rather than turning it. The Enviro-Log advertises that you can burn one with other fuel (e.g., regular wood) in the fire, burn two together, or add additional fuel before the first log burns out. That flexibility is a real selling point, especially if you plan to keep the fire going past one log's lifetime.
In summary: they're both attractive because of my wife's sensitivity to wood smoke, and both use materials that would otherwise have gone to landfill. When burned one at a time, they behave quite comparably not a big showy fire, more than enough to cast a bit of warmth. The Enviro-Log seems more versatile, though, and doesn't prohibit many of the things I normally do with regular wooden logs.
-wiredweirdonly one log for $50+ dollars? That is insanity! That is totally disappointing. I can get 6 for this price from a different vendor.
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