WhatStove?

Review of Charnwood Island III stove

OK stove for a premium price

Dave Woods 8 years ago

I wish Charnwood would spend as much effort on sweating the little details of the Charnwood Island III as they spend on their high-gloss advertising. A couple of extra cm in the length of the glass (which the stove was designed to accommodate) would have allowed them to mount the brackets that hold the glass out of the viewing field, which makes getting the glass completely clean nearly impossible. The rope seals for the glass overlap the glass and can be seen from outside the stove. Would a drop of Lock-tite on the throttle button, so it doesn't unthread itself, have broken the bank? On the plus side, the single lever control works extremely well and adjusts the intensity of the flame in fine increments. The large doors allow an excellent view of the fire. Mine burns timber so fast (no boiler, btw) that we've nicknamed it the Oliver Cromwell, as it will single-handedly deforest this island in it's lifetime. I find the internal dimensions awkward; the wide and surprisingly shallow burn area makes for awkward loading of fuel. Ticks loudly as the box expands from heat. I don't think this is as premium a stove as their advertising makes their products appear.

Stove expert replied: If the stove is working hard all the time with little control do get the flue draw tested to ensure that it is not in excess of the recommended strength in the manual, this can have an adverse affect on the stove and the components used therein.

Overall rating:

3.5 flames

Build Quality 3 flames (avg 4)
Quality of finish 4 flames (avg 3.6)
Value for money 2 flames (avg 2.6)
Ease of use 5 flames (avg 3.3)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 3.3)
Firebox size 3 flames (avg 4.1)
How well does the airwash work 5 flames (avg 2.5)
Controllability 5 flames (avg 3.4)
Handle operation 4 flames (avg 3.5)
How likely are you to buy it again? 2 flames (avg 2.7)
What is your overall satisfaction? 3 flames (avg 2.5)