# Uses for rice coal?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-rice-coal/769425>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 23, 2016, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-rice-coal/769425 "2016-10-23T01:36:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-rice-coal/769425/1 "2016-10-23T01:36:12Z")

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I have several large boxes of rice coal in my basement. I got them for my friend who does blacksmithing. It doesn’t really work for smithing. So now, I am stuck with it. I tried burning it in my outdoor fire pit, and it was very hard to keep it lit. Is it safe or effective to burn in a woodstove? Is there anything else I could do with it?

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-rice-coal/769425/2 "2016-10-23T02:40:22Z")

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[Apparently you can use it for landscaping.](http://raystationcoalandstoves.com/services/)

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-rice-coal/769425/3 "2016-10-23T03:11:46Z")

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Some home heating furnaces use it

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JlOFA81rhxg/maxresdefault.jpg "Coal! 3 tons rice delivered!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlOFA81rhxg)

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**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-rice-coal/769425/4 "2016-10-23T04:49:42Z")

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Coal stoves draw from the bottom or somesuch, it burns very hot and needs a grate.

> **[Can I burn coal in my woodstove?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=36174)**
>
> Can anyone tell me if it’s safe to burn coal in a wood stove? Mine is a freestanding one, in my living room, not absolutely air tight. But pretty close. Also, is there a cost savings over wood? I live in California, where coal burning isn’t common....

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**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-rice-coal/769425/5 "2016-10-23T09:48:37Z")

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You can use it in a fireplace designed for wood.

Just ensure that its on grate so that air can flow through it.

You can put wood above the bed of coal, so as to get more flame and hence light and heat.

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-rice-coal/769425/6 "2016-10-23T12:26:13Z")

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> [@Isilder](#):
>
> You can use it in a fireplace designed for wood.
> 
> Just ensure that its on grate so that air can flow through it.
> 
> You can put wood above the bed of coal, so as to get more flame and hence light and heat.

Be careful using it in a wood fireplace, coal can get much hotter and can damage a fireplace not designed for it.