The best paper briquette presses, compared.
Top pick: lyrlody paper log maker Best value: Relaxdays paper press, black – Highest value score at about £32.90. The silver press ties on value at about £34.90, so the lower shelf price wins. Updated 22.10.2026.
A paper briquette press squeezes soaked waste paper into a damp brick. After it dries, some households try to burn it on an open fire, in a fire pit, or in a stove. None is electric or to, and the press does not decide where you may burn the brick. UK notes report a bent plate, strut, or basket. One UK review puts burn time at about 30–40 minutes, against a seller line of up to two hours. Why these bricks are a weak stove load is in [when homemade paper bricks are a poor fuel](/hub/fireplaces-and-stoves/blog/when-homemade-paper-bricks-are-a-poor-fuel). Two titles say hydraulic, while the bullets say two hand levers. Then read steel or iron, item weight, and sheet thickness. Several cheaper listings put Paper in the material field while the title describes a steel tool. Read UK notes on bending, sharp handles, missing clamps, and damaged delivery. Relaxdays star totals include many reviews from outside the United Kingdom.
A paper briquette press squeezes soaked waste paper into a damp brick. After it dries, some households try to burn it on an open fire, in a fire pit, or in a stove.
36 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +18,600 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will you use the bricks?
lyrlody is an iron basket at £71.79 with a line of 5.0 from one rating and no review text in the file. The bullets name newspapers, coffee grounds, sawdust, straw, and leaves, and they say soak overnight. Item weight and dimensions are not stated, first available is 24 October 2025, and the rank is 652,374 in Home & Kitchen. A single five-star rating without a sentence does not show whether the handles stayed straight. The assembly question in the file is unanswered. This is not the strongest paper log maker in the capture; the star is too thin for the price. Look at it only if you already accept an unreviewed iron basket and the mixed feedstock list. Leave it if you wanted UK comments, a weight, or a price near £20–£35.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already accept an iron basket with no written reviews and a mixed feedstock list.
Less suitable: You want UK comments, a stated weight, or a first press near £20–£35.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it need assembly?
The file asks that. The bullets do not say yes or no.
What else can you put in it, according to the listing?
Coffee grounds, sawdust, straw, and leaves, as well as newspapers.
Is there a written review?
The line is 5.0 from 1 rating. The file has no review text.
The silver Relaxdays press, model 10046691, is £34.90 with 4.2 from 159 reviews. Steel is named, the item weight is 2.83 kg, and the product dimensions are 12.5 x 30 x 24 cm, with a body of about 12 x 26 x 8.5 cm. The title says hydraulic and the bullets say two hand levers. The file has one UK text in the first 50 and no UK bend note; a non-UK comment says the press deformed, and first available is 17 June 2023. Cardboard is asked and not confirmed; the bullets say waste paper. At £2 more than the black model you get a higher star line and a smaller count, not a different mechanism. Choose it if you prefer the silver finish and the 4.2 line and you will still read the title as a lever press. Skip it if you wanted several UK buyers confirming that the plate stays flat.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the silver two-lever press and you accept that the 159 reviews are not a UK-only sample.
Less suitable: You need several UK comments on whether the plate stays straight, or you thought hydraulic meant a jack.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it hydraulic?
The title says hydraulic. The bullets say two hand levers.
What are the stated sizes?
Product dimensions 12.5 x 30 x 24 cm. Body about 12 x 26 x 8.5 cm. Item weight 2.83 kg.
Can it handle cardboard?
The file asks that. The bullets say waste paper.
The Relaxdays pair, model 10052863, is titled as two silver steel presses at £50.90, with a bullet that says set of 2 and a material line of 100% steel. Item weight is 2.87 kg and the dimensions match the single silver press: 12.5 x 30 x 24 cm, body about 12 x 26 x 8.5 cm. The 4.2 from 159 line, the best-sellers rank, and the review texts match the single silver ASIN B0C867BV25, including a review dated before this ASIN's first-available date of 8 October 2025. There is no pair-specific bend note. You are not looking at a separate sample of 159 people who bought two presses. It can make sense only if you have checked that the order is actually two units and you already accept the single silver press. It is a poor buy if you wanted the 159 as extra evidence, and it is the wrong row if you wanted two independently reviewed tools.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have confirmed the basket contains two units and you already accept the single silver press.
Less suitable: You want an independent review sample, or you are paying £50.90 because 159 looks like a new crowd.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this two presses?
The title says 2 x paper briquette press, and one bullet says set of 2.
Are the reviews for this set?
The 4.2 from 159 line and the review texts match the single silver press B0C867BV25, including a review dated before this ASIN's first-available date.
What size is stated?
Product dimensions 12.5 x 30 x 24 cm. Body about 12 x 26 x 8.5 cm. Item weight 2.87 kg.
The eBuzz lever press is the £19.99 listing in this set, and the file behind it holds 27 UK review texts under a 4.2 from 95 amazon.co.uk ratings. The bullets describe a steel tool for newspaper and magazines, with a soak of a couple of hours, while the material field says Paper and the item weight is 3 kg. UK notes report a plate, a strut, or a basket that bent, so the low price is not a promise of a stiff frame. One UK review in the same file puts burn time at about 30–40 minutes, against a seller line of up to 2 hours. A buyer wrote that they made cardboard logs, but the bullets name newspaper and magazines, and the file does not treat cardboard as suitable stove fuel. Country of origin is given as China. If you want the fullest UK commentary in this capture at the lowest price, this is the row to read first; if you need a stated sheet thickness, it is the wrong row.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the cheapest press in this capture and will read the bend notes before you load it with newspaper.
Less suitable: You need a stated sheet thickness, or you plan to press cardboard as stove fuel.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used with cardboard?
The bullets name newspaper and magazines. A UK review says the buyer made cardboard logs. The file does not say cardboard is suitable stove fuel.
What is it made of?
The bullets say robust steel. The technical material field says Paper, and the item weight is 3 kg.
How long does the seller say a brick burns?
The bullets say up to 2 hours. One UK review in the same file says about 30–40 minutes.
The black Relaxdays press, model 10033819, is £32.90 and shows 3.9 from 435 reviews, the largest star count in the set. The material field says steel, the item weight is 2.88 kg, and the body is about 12 x 26 x 9 cm, with China given as the country of origin. The title says hydraulic, while the bullets say you work it with two hand levers, so the file does not document a jack. Only two UK texts sit in the first 50 reviews, and a UK note says it bent after about 70 bricks. The bullets name waste paper, not cardboard, and they do not state a soak time or a burn duration. The large total is a volume of comments, though most of that first sample is not labelled as the United Kingdom. It fits if you want a steel field at £32.90 and you will ignore the hydraulic word. It does not fit if you are paying extra because you think 435 means 435 British buyers.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a named steel field around £33 and you will read the title as a two-lever press.
Less suitable: You want a hydraulic ram, or you are treating 435 reviews as a British sample.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it hydraulic?
The title says hydraulic. The bullets say you operate it with two levers by hand.
Can it handle cardboard?
The file asks that. The bullets say waste paper, not cardboard.
What size and weight are stated?
Body about 12 x 26 x 9 cm. Item weight 2.88 kg. Material field: steel.
AB Tools part MVL095 is a lever press at £26.23, listed at 3.8 from 68 reviews, with 15 UK texts in the file. The bullets cover newspaper and waste paper, and they say instructions are included. The material field says Paper and the item weight is 3.28 kg, so you are not buying a named steel gauge. UK notes say the frame distorted after about 20–40 bricks, which is early if you hoped a few pounds over the £19.99 listing would buy a stiffer press. The seller still claims a slow burn of up to 2 hours and does not name a stove. The best-sellers line sits at 75,934 in DIY & Tools. This suits you if you want printed instructions at a mid-entry price and you accept a short working life in the UK notes. It is a weak second buy if the first cheap press you owned has already bent.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a mid-price lever press with instructions and you have already accepted the 20–40 brick distortion notes.
Less suitable: You are replacing a press that bent, or you need the material field to name steel.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it come with instructions?
Yes. The bullets say instructions are included.
What material does the listing state?
The material field says Paper. The item weight is 3.28 kg. The title is a paper log maker.
Can the listing be used in a fireplace?
The listing asks that question. The bullets claim a slow burn of up to 2 hours. They do not name a stove model.
Harewood's Inglenook basket press is also £26.23, with 3.5 from only 14 reviews and three UK texts in the file. The bullets claim up to 2 hours, minimum ash, and no need for firelighters, and they name old newspaper, though soak time is not stated. The package line says 10 x 10 x 5 cm beside an item weight of 3.28 kg, which cannot both describe the same tool, so that size is not a figure you can plan around. A UK note says it bent on first use. First available is 14 June 2016, and the rank is 339,866 in DIY & Tools. The indoor-use question in the file is unanswered. You might look at it only if you specifically want the Inglenook name and you will treat the first press as a trial. Skip it if you want a steel field that matches the title, or more than a handful of UK comments.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You specifically want the Inglenook name and will treat a 14-review listing as a trial, not as proof.
Less suitable: You want a matching steel field, a stated soak time, or a press that UK notes do not say failed on the first brick.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used indoors?
The listing asks that. The bullets do not answer it.
What are the stated dimensions?
The package line says 10 x 10 x 5 cm at 3.28 kg. That size conflicts with the weight.
What does the seller claim about burn time?
Up to 2 hours, with minimum ash, and no need for firelighters.
LUCKDANO's iron basket is £53.50, listed at 2.6 from three reviews, and first available on 23 September 2026. The bullets name newspapers plus coffee grounds, sawdust, leaves, and straw, and they say soak newspapers overnight. Item weight is 3.05 kg and the package is 33 x 17 x 15 cm. The one UK review says the handles bent after about 20 bricks. There is no seller burn-time line. Paying more than £50 for three ratings and an early bend is hard to justify from this file. It only suits you if you already wanted an iron basket that mentions sawdust and leaves, and you treat the handle note as the likely outcome. Skip it for a first newspaper press when cheaper listings have far more UK text.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already want an iron basket that lists sawdust and leaves, and you accept a three-review sample.
Less suitable: You want a first newspaper press with a large UK comment set, or handles that the only UK review says stayed straight.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used with other materials?
The bullets name coffee grounds, sawdust, leaves, and straw as well as newspapers.
How long is the soak?
The bullets say soak newspapers overnight.
What did the UK review say?
One UK review says the handles bent after about 20 bricks.
AB Tools MVL095_MVL102 is titled as a briquette maker and holder in alloy steel at £54.13, with an item weight of 5.36 kg and country of origin China. That is the heaviest AB Tools row and the only holder kit in the set. The listing has no customer-review line, so there is no bend note and no star rating to lean on. The bullets claim a slow burn of up to 2 hours and name newspaper and waste paper, without listing the extra pieces in the set. The best-sellers rank matches the single MVL095 listing at 75,934 in DIY & Tools, which is another reason not to treat this as a separate crowd of buyers. Consider it only if you specifically want the holder and the alloy-steel line and you can return it if the set is incomplete. Do not buy it as a reviewed upgrade over the £26.23 MVL095 press.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You specifically want the holder kit and the alloy-steel line, and you can return an incomplete set.
Less suitable: You want reviewed proof that this is a stiffer press than MVL095 at £26.23.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the set?
The title says briquette maker and holder. The part number is MVL095_MVL102. The bullets do not list extra pieces.
Is there a review count?
No. The listing has no customer-review line.
What material and weight are stated?
Alloy steel, item weight 5.36 kg. Country of origin China.
VIOLK is the only listing that states a sheet thickness: 1.2 mm steel, with a net weight of 8 kg in the bullets and an item weight of 8.5 kg, at £133. The bullets say no assembly, a soak of about 30 minutes, and newspaper, magazine, cardboard, and other waste paper. There is no customer-review line, so nobody in the file confirms the 1.2 mm sheet or the 8 kg figure. The package line says 1 x 1 x 1 cm, which conflicts with bullet dimensions of 38 x 31 x 18 cm. First available is 13 July 2023. Cardboard in the bullets is not a statement that cardboard is suitable stove fuel. Pay this only if the stated thickness is the spec you came for and you can return a parcel that does not match the bullets. Skip it if you need buyer evidence before you spend more than £100.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You came for a stated 1.2 mm sheet and about 8 kg, and you can return the tool if the parcel does not match.
Less suitable: You need UK reviews before spending more than £100, or you read the cardboard bullet as permission to fuel a wood burner.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it require assembly?
The bullets say no assembly.
Can it be used with cardboard?
The bullets name newspaper, magazine, cardboard, and other waste paper.
What thickness and weight are stated?
Steel sheet 1.2 mm and net weight 8 kg in the bullets. The package line says 1 x 1 x 1 cm and item weight 8.5 kg.
Ten amazon.co.uk paper briquette press listings were scored on a 0–100 scale. Stars are up to 40 points from the amazon.co.uk rating, cut when the review count is under 10, and zero when there is no review line. Sample is up to 20 points from the review count, capped when the review block is copied from another ASIN or when fewer than five UK texts sit in the first 50 of a large listing. Fit is up to 25 points from the stated material, the mechanism, bend notes, a stated soak time, and instructions. Value is up to 15 points from the shelf price against the review count and whether the material field names a metal. The highest score is the top pick. The highest value score among the rest is the best value. If those value parts tie, the lower shelf price wins. This is not a lab test, a burn-time test, or a Defra approval. Prices are the amazon.co.uk shelf prices on 19 October 2026.
Stars
40%The amazon.co.uk star line, scaled to 40 points. A review count under 10 uses a lower cap, so one or three ratings cannot outrank a larger sample on stars alone. No review line scores zero.
Sample
20%The review count, up to 20 points. A copied review block is capped. A listing with 100 or more reviews and fewer than five UK texts in the first 50 is also capped. The amazon.co.uk total still includes reviews from outside the United Kingdom.
Fit
25%Whether steel or iron is named and the material field agrees, whether a sheet thickness is stated, and whether the title and the bullets describe the same mechanism. Bend notes, a stated soak time, and included instructions add points. A review count under 10 caps this part.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP against a usable press: under about £25 with 50 or more reviews scores highest. A steel field in the £25–£35 band scores above a Paper field at a similar price. A copied review block or a thin sample above about £36 scores lower.
Confirm the mechanism, then the material field, the item weight, and any sheet thickness. Prefer a UK bend note you can read over a high star line from a sample that is mostly outside the United Kingdom. A homemade brick is not an authorised fuel, and a seller line of up to two hours is not a measured burn.
A paper briquette press is a hand tool that squeezes soaked waste paper into a damp brick. After the brick has dried, some households in the United Kingdom try to burn it on an open fire, in a fire pit, or in a stove. On amazon.co.uk, in the capture dated 19 October 2026, the ten kept listings are manual steel or iron presses from about £19.99 to about £133. None is electric or Ready to Burn. The press does not decide where you may burn the brick. Confirm the mechanism first.
Do not treat a seller line of up to two hours as a measured burn. One UK reviewer on the eBuzz listing reported about 30–40 minutes.
UK notes around about £20–£35 include a first-use bend, distortion after about 20–40 bricks, and a bend after about 70 bricks. A low price is not a stiff frame.
Do not burn a brick that is still damp, and do not load glossy mail. Seller drying times run to weeks or a couple of months. HETAS says not to burn card or colour print in a wood burner.
Two Relaxdays titles say hydraulic, while the bullets say two hand levers. No kept listing shows a jack, so those rows are lever presses. Read steel or iron next to the material field. The black Relaxdays field says steel at 2.88 kg. The silver field says steel at 2.83 kg. eBuzz bullets say steel, the field says Paper, and the item weight is 3 kg. AB Tools MVL095 is 3.28 kg with a Paper field. The maker-and-holder row names alloy steel at 5.36 kg and has no review line.
Bend notes in the UK texts cluster around about £20–£35. eBuzz, 4.2 from 95 with 27 UK texts, has notes of a bent plate, strut, or basket. AB Tools MVL095, 3.8 from 68 with 15 UK texts, has distortion after about 20–40 bricks. Harewood, 3.5 from 14 with three UK texts, has a first-use bend. The black Relaxdays press shows 3.9 from 435, but only two UK texts sit in the first 50, and a UK note says it bent after about 70 bricks.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have newspaper and an outdoor fire you are allowed to run, and you can wait weeks for bricks to dry. The eBuzz paper log maker is the top pick at about £19.99: 4.2 from 95 reviews and 27 UK texts. UK notes report a bent plate, strut, or basket. This is not a stove fuel.
You want the material field to say steel, and you will read the title as two hand levers. The black Relaxdays press is the best value at about £32.90, with 3.9 from 435 reviews. Only two UK texts sit in the first 50, and a UK note says it bent after about 70 bricks.
You came for a stated gauge and you can return a parcel that does not match the bullets. VIOLK is the only listing with 1.2 mm sheet and a net weight of 8 kg, at about £133. There is no customer-review line. Cardboard in the bullets is not permission to fuel a wood burner.
The top pick is the eBuzz paper log maker at about £19.99. It scores 74: 4.2 from 95 reviews, 27 UK texts, and a lever press whose bullets name newspaper and magazines. UK notes report a bent plate, strut, or basket, the material field says Paper, and one UK review puts burn time at about 30–40 minutes against a seller line of up to two hours. The best value is the black Relaxdays press at about £32.90. It and the silver Relaxdays press both score 12 on value; the black press is the lower shelf price, the material field says steel, and the listing shows 3.9 from 435 reviews. The title says hydraulic while the bullets say two hand levers, and only two UK texts sit in the first 50. None of these scores is a measured burn, a gauge check, or a smoke-control permission.
Relaxdays paper press, black
Highest value score at about £32.90. The silver press ties on value at about £34.90, so the lower shelf price wins.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings on 19 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the listings. This is not a laboratory test.
