A roaring fire at Christmas is the perfect way to create a homely, festive atmosphere. Here are our best tips to help you get the most from your open fire or wood-burning stove during the Christmas period.
Stock up on fuel
Make sure you have a good supply of wood to burn throughout the festive period. Many log suppliers will be closed in between Christmas and New Year so you need to stock up as you will be using more logs than usual during this time.
Fill your log baskets with as many logs as you can so that they fully dry out. You can also arrange a stack of them around your fireplace to avoid having to make too many trips out in the cold.
Turn up the heat
Don’t wait for your guests to arrive before lighting your fire, get it going early to allow the flames to settle and help build up a good amount of heat into the room. The Grenadier Firelighter will allow you to get flames roaring quickly without having the hassle of using paper, matches or chemical firelighters.
The trick is to get the fire burning really well for 30 – 45 minutes to warm the chimney. Once the stove is at the optimum temperature, partly close the stove air vents and feed your fire one or two fresh logs when the burning logs are half embers. Keeping the fire ‘low’, that is burning just enough wood to keep the stove running efficiently, is an art, but well worth practicing.
Get the scent of Christmas
Adding spices and fruit to your fire will get the real scent of Christmas throughout your home. Cinnamon sticks create a gorgeous, spicy, sweet smell which is particularly lovely at Christmas. Just place 2 or 3 sticks in with the logs. Alternatively, you could add a few drops of your favourite essential oils to your logs, allow to dry and then burn them.
Sit back and enjoy
Finally, pour yourself a glass of mulled wine or your festive tipple of choice, relax in the company of friends and family and enjoy the warmth and comfort of your fire.
Still struggling for the perfect Christmas present? The Grenadier Electric Firelighter makes an excellent and practical gift for anyone you know with a fire. 