Modern Contemporary Steel Convector Wood Burning and Multifuel Stoves

Many of today’s contemporary style stoves are mostly wood burning stoves yet several manufacturers have designed them also to burn smokeless fuel. This is due to the thickness and grade of steel along with high temperature internal linings. The designs are mostly taller than the traditional multifuel stove mostly seen in the UK. An advantage of the taller wood burning stove is that it has a much bigger burning chamber than the traditional cast-iron stove. The bigger burning chamber leads to a better fuel combustion, cleaner burning with less emissions and a high efficiency.

The wood burning stoves are cleverly designed with inner and outer steel sides. Air rises from inside the base of the stove heats up in the cavity and is expelled from the top. This is known as convection and as well as heating a room quickly it helps keep the side walls of the woodburning stove cooler as the convection is continually dissipating the heat. Radiant heat is mainly from the front of the stove. The best of these woodburning stoves not only will have a primary burning system which is necessary for solid fuel burning but a preheated air system for a cleaner glass. The result of the larger burner chamber and preheated airwash is a log burning fire that is stunning to look at with a great heat output. Primary, secondary and tertiary air are discussed in more depth in another article. Many modern wood burning stoves are used as stand alone features and add to the ambience of a room like a well designed piece of furniture. The stoves look equally good when placed in a fireplace opening as long as a minimum of 300 to 400 mm is left clear above the wood burner so as not to impede the air convection.

Many of these contemporary wood burning stoves are supplied with an upper chamber in the outer design of the stove which can be used for keeping plates, coffee or food warm .Some of the stove designs have even a pyroceramic glass oven door on the front with a glass mounted temperature gauge. I have used this type in our showroom to successfully cook bread, small chickens and pizzas all to the delight of our customers.

A large number of our customers who started their stove experience with a traditional style wood or multifuel stove have since moved on to the more contemporary, modern wood burning or multifuel stove.

I recommend that you always look for a Din or Din+ kite mark with your contemporary wood burning stove which shows it has been produced to high German standards for quality and emissions.