Newspaper Briquette Maker - Paper Log Brick Press Machine - DIY Recycle Newspaper Into Fire Logs for Heating Stoves - Eco-Friendly Home Tool

There are many similar briquette makers on Amazon, most likely manufactured in the same factory in China, with prices ranging from $20 to $45—this one is on the higher end. Its design feels outdated, like something from 200 years ago. It works reasonably well with soaked shredded paper and Amazon cardboard boxes, though tearing up cardboard can be tedious. Luckily, I can use my paper shredder for paper scraps.Despite being made of cast iron, mine arrived with a bent piece, even though it had decent padding and packaging. One of the pressing pieces is hard to pull out, but it does manage to shape the paper pulp into bricks. The design is pretty basic, making it feel clunky to use, and the wet bricks don’t always come out cleanly, so they’re not always perfectly shaped. However, once dried, they hold their form well and burn longer than paper or cardboard alone—though not as long as wood of a similar size.Making the bricks does take some effort, especially when it comes to tearing up the materials, but there is some satisfaction in recycling paper and reducing wood consumption. The briquettes are great for starting a fire, though you’ll still need wooden logs to keep it going.