A method of producing an engineered fuel feed stock from a processed MSW stream, comprising: a) selecting chemical molecular characteristics for the engineered fuel feed stock comprising a carbon content of greater than 60 weight-% determined in accordance with American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) standards D3176 or D5373, a hydrogen content of between 5 weight-% and 10 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D3176 or D5373, a moisture content of between 12 and 20 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D3302, D5142 or E939, a sulfur content of less than 2 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D4239, an ash content of less than 15 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D5142 or E830; b) selecting a plurality of components from the processed MSW stream which components in combination have chemical molecular characteristics for the engineered fuel feedstock a); c) combining the plurality of components of step b) to form the engineered fuel feed stock, wherein the engineered fuel feed stock contains substantially no glass, metals, grit, and noncombustible waste; d) comparing resulting chemical molecular characteristics of the engineered fuel feed stock of step c) with the chemical molecular characteristics defined in step a); and e) adding other fuel components to the engineered fuel feed stock of step c) if the chemical molecular characteristics of the plurality of components selected in step b) do not equal the chemical molecular characteristics of step a), in order to meet the chemical molecular characteristics of step a). a) selecting chemical molecular characteristics for the engineered fuel feed stock comprising a carbon content of greater than 60 weight-% determined in accordance with American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) standards D3176 or D5373, a hydrogen content of between 5 weight-% and 10 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D3176 or D5373, a moisture content of between 12 and 20 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D3302, D5142 or E939, a sulfur content of less than 2 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D4239, an ash content of less than 15 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D5142 or E830; a carbon content of greater than 60 weight-% determined in accordance with American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) standards D3176 or D5373, a hydrogen content of between 5 weight-% and 10 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D3176 or D5373, a moisture content of between 12 and 20 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D3302, D5142 or E939, a sulfur content of less than 2 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D4239, an ash content of less than 15 weight-% determined in accordance with the ASTM standards D5142 or E830; b) selecting a plurality of components from the processed MSW stream which components in combination have chemical molecular characteristics for the engineered fuel feedstock a); c) combining the plurality of components of step b) to form the engineered fuel feed stock, wherein the engineered fuel feed stock contains substantially no glass, metals, grit, and noncombustible waste; d) comparing resulting chemical molecular characteristics of the engineered fuel feed stock of step c) with the chemical molecular characteristics defined in step a); and e) adding other fuel components to the engineered fuel feed stock of step c) if the chemical molecular characteristics of the plurality of components selected in step b) do not equal the chemical molecular characteristics of step a), in order to meet the chemical molecular characteristics of step a).