A Potbelly stove is a type of wood burning stove made of cast iron. It is usually round in shaped with a small bulge in the middle. This seems to be the likely reason for the name of potbelly used in its description. These stoves are shorter and smaller than the normal antique wood burning stove most people are accustomed to. The potbelly stoves are constructed of heavy cast iron. Potbellies have been a part of the American tradition for many years and are a representative of Americana.
Historically these stoves have been very popular in the past as well as in current times. Apart from heating rail road stations, schools, houses etc, they have been used for cooking food in basically the same environments. Pot belly wood stoves were generally used for dual purpose of heating and cooking and were usually kept in the family kitchen. The potbelly stoves have a round shaped oven in the center of their body. These stoves come with at least one oven and in some cases many models came with dual ovens. In some of the more advanced stoves there is a mechanism which permits you to control the quantity of heat which arrives at each burner so that the person doing the cooking can decide the intensity of the burner according to the requirement of the meal being prepared.
In our modern times we are seeing the popularity of the wood burning stove being revived. There are a number of reasons for this occurrence. They tend to provide a very economic means of heating the home. If you compare the wood stove with electric or gas appliances these stoves actually will cut your heating bill by half. Though they can use wood or coal as fuels some people will actually use grains such as corn for fuel in their stoves. This alternative makes them even less expensive to operate. Apart from their economy of operation they are beautiful pieces of furniture. Some of them are quite decorative and stylish. They are well suited for installation within restored houses or houses with a Victorian or an old fashioned ambiance about them. Some people choose them to present a feeling of the past era in their home. Perhaps others feel that some older recipes can only be cooked on these stoves. Unlike gas burners and ovens these stoves tend to keep the kitchen warm besides merely cooking the food.
Some care must be undertaken prior to purchasing one of these stoves. You should purchase the stove according to the size of your requirement. In the market today you are presented with a choice where you can buy either a genuine antique potbelly wooden stove or purchase a replica of the older designed units. The older stoves are heavier and they are usually a collector item.