Clearview Pioneer 400 stove Hot

Just installed two weeks ago in our new cottage and we are impressed, not to say,in awe, of the Pioneer. We have the taller model with the wood store beneath (v.smart) and now that we're used to tuning the burn and loading it before bedtime, it heats the whole cottage, round the clock. We've turned off the CH and the oil tank looks like lasting at least 6 months before a refill.

It gives the cottage a wonderful warm heart and visitors seem to be drawn to it like some kind of new puppy. Of course, if you stay still too long in front of it, you will fall asleep but, hey, that's the magic of a wood fire in winter. Wonderful.

I downsized in September this year to a small 1930's 2 bedroomed semi detached bungalow with double glazing, cavity wall insulation and loft insulation.

The first improvement was the installation of a Clearview Pioneer 400. I researched a lot about stoves and Clearview was high on my list but my mind was made up when the Pioneer was highly recommended by a couple I know who had theirs installed a couple of years ago.

The house has gas central heating but I haven't needed to use it so far as I just leave the doors ajar and the whole house is lovely and warm

The past week I've kept the stove on all the time with a shovel of smokeless ovals at bedtime, then another shovel of ovals to keep it going all day then from teatime onwards I burn a few logs for the beautiful flames. Using the glove I empty the ash pan morning and night into a lidded metal bucket. I think it's very economical in comparison to other heating methods.

In addition I'm using an aga kettle for hot water for drinks and use the remainder to keep the dish washing up to date. I've made a few casseroles on the stove top and heat peas etc. My tumble drier is redundant as washing dries so quickly on a clothes airer in the kitchen.

I just love this little stove which is already the heart of my home and I've named her Bertha!

Bought my Pioneer about 15yrs ago and fitted it myself in an inglenook fireplace. I have a 150yr old stone built weavers terrace cottage,although I have gas central heating, it,s rarely on unless it,s very cold. I,ve burnt everything on this little stove, logs, kiln dried wood, paper briquettes and anthracite and coke mix but the most economical and ease of maintainance are ovals, at £8.50 a bag, 20kg. I light them and keep them in 24/7 during the winter, with an old pair of oven gloves I can even empty the ashpan whilst its running. Once the firebox is up to temp I shut the airscrew completely off and just open the airwash slide slightly and because it,s smokeless the little fire just rubs along quietly keeping the downstairs at a constant 70 to 75F. It doesn,t look very visual with no flames but who cares. It uses about 1 bag a week, not so bad for continuous warmth, the only problem is my wife keeps falling asleep downstairs also I wish I had fitted a back boiler now what with the gas prices

We had our Clearview Pioneer 400 installed in our living room fireplace in February 2010. Our only regret is that we didn't get it years ago!
I can't praise this stove enough. It lights so easily; the glass stays beautifully clear; the firebox is very roomy for such a small stove and of course it kicks out an amazing amount of heat!
We looked at dozens of stoves before deciding which one to get and, having chosen the Pioneer, initially hesitated because of its higher price tag compared with most others. We're so glad now that we didn't get a cheaper stove, as we absolutely love our Pioneer!
We haven't needed to attempt an overnight burn (and indeed Clearview does not recommend turning the air down too low, as this practice can leave excessive deposits in the flue) because the stove lights so easily in the morning on the warm ashes from the night before - and anyway, first thing in the morning our living room thermometer usually shows the temperature to be at least in the upper teens centigrade, as the residual heat from the gradually cooling stove keeps the room warm all night.
Finally, I would add that it looks nice too - not too modern for our 1920s house but at the same time not too fussy either.
All in all, as close to perfect as a stove can get!

Stove Expert Replied: Clearview performance gives a satisfied customer with this model. Good review.

After literally months of researching stoves, visiting stove supplier showrooms, trawling the internet & speaking to friends who have stoves - we eventually coughed up the extra few hundred quid & went for a Clearview Pioneer 400P.
As we didn't have a chimney or a flue we had everything installed from scratch. We have quite high ceilings & the stove was going to be freestanding (not in a recess) so we chose the Pioneer 400P which is exactly the same as the Pioneer 400 apart from the legs are longer & it allows you to store wood underneath it (which looks really smart).
The stove was installed in early summer & now as we're entering winter we've been able to get a few afternoons & evenings use out of it. We live in a large 4 bedroom detached house with a open plan living area downstairs where the stove is located. We initially thought we may need a larger stove live the Clearview 600 Solution but we're assured that the 400 would be man enough for the job, especially if we ran it hot rather than simmering away.
They we're right! The times we've let the stove rip & get up to heat it's already exceeded our high expectations. The heat is awesome easily warming the downstairs to 25-26 degrees! As we're using really well seasoned logs the glass stays nice & clean as well.
I can honestly say it's without a doubt the best purchase I've ever made for our home! We can't wait for the icy winter to set in so we can have it blazing daily - roll on cosy family winter afternoons & evenings by the fire.

We bought this stove as our only form of heating for a very large bedroom and its been fine. It would also heat a small living room without difficulty. After all, 4 KW is a LOT of heat.......remember those twin bar fires which were 2 x 750 or sometimes 2 x 1kw! However, as with wood stoves at the extremes of the range (this being Clearview's smallest) control takes a bit more skill & experience. This will certainly stay in overnight with a good prior bed of ashes (8 hrs no problem. My main gripe is the rather small size of the ash-pan compared to other Clearviews and relatively speaking. It'll do two days at a pinch. Would be good to cook on in a small kitchen too. Takes 35 cm logs, but not many of them, perhaps 2 max!

Stove Expert Replied: The ash pans should be emptied at least every day to insure that the ash does not build up under the grate system which will shorten the grates life.

We are perfectly happy with our recently installed Pioneer 400. However we are less happy with the company. The stove was being installed in a conversion that was virtually a new build. The engineer called, made some general remarks, and then disappeared for two months. In the meantime I had to collect a roof flashing (a round trip of around 110 miles) so that the roof could be put on. When the engineer finally reappeared to install it, he cut a large panel out of the new ceiling (which would have been left un plastered if he'd made it clear on his first visit, and which has further held up the completion of our project. A minor point too, I know, but he left sticky labels on the very visible flue. I feel that this is not good enough service for the extortionate price that Clearview charges (£1,600+ over and above the stove price; this is not made clear at the time of purchase.

Stove Expert Replied: The ratings are low for a review of a happy customer with their stove. Installations do vary and any areas that customers are not happy with should be taken up with the company. A happy customer is worth a great deal!

We are just getting ready to install our second Clearview Pioneer stove having been overwhelmed by the performance of our first one - installed 3 years ago on a gable wall. Our heating bill has reduced dramatically since installing this stove although we do have a free log supply. We have now opened up a second hearth running through the middle of our house and are confident that the second stove will heat the body of our house.

Burning overnight has worked really well for us when we use oak logs which thankfully we have a good supply of. My only issue with this stove is the handle for opening the door, we always have to wear a glove.

We highly recommend this stove, certainly a great investment.

Stove Expert Replied: Great review.

I bought this stove having had a Clearview stove before. It is rated at 5kw but it heats my whole house which is well insulated. I burn compressed sawdust briquettes which work well and are very clean to use and stack neatly in the garage.To be a perfect stove for me I would like it to burn slowly through the night but having said that it is very easy to light in the morning.
It is not the cheapest stove but check out the opposition and see the quality of materials used. Buy quality buy once.
Stove Expert Replied: Good review on a British Made Stove. Always good to find out how a stove perform with alternative fuels to wood and smokeless.

We purchased our Clearview Pioneer 400 in the autumn of 2010 after a very lengthy look at all stoves. We’ve never owned a stove before so spoke to friends, chimney people, looked at and read lots of reviews and decided to spend that little bit extra on the Clearview Pioneer 400 (it was also our favorite looking stove too). Well all I can say is we just love it and give it a 5 star rating. It is just so easy to light, clean and control. We bought a Clearview magnetic thermometer to stick on the stove which I highly recommend for running the stove efficiently. I’ve only had to give the glass a couple of wipes with a damp piece of kitchen towel to clean and it didn’t really need that, the airwash really does work. We live in a little 3 bed semi detached cottage. Down stairs we have 3 rooms that interconnect. We put the stove in the middle room and our living room and kitchen/dinner run off this room. We wanted to be able to heat all these rooms and our chimney man said we would not need anything bigger than the 400 and he was right. Downstairs is lovely and warm and we have only been putting our heating on in the evening for the bathroom and upstairs. We then let the fire in the stove die down and as the stove is so efficient this takes the evening to do thus still giving out heat, so we have not tried to run it overnight. Having the stove has meant we have saved on heating oil this winter (we have our own supply of wood). Some people say the firebox is small inside but we haven’t found that to be the case and if you lay bits diagonal you can still get good sized logs in. Even with the 400 I can still get a good sized Le Creuset cocotte pot (22) on the top and have been cooking stews and steaming puddings on the top, all too great success. Our chimney man also said how clean burning and efficient Clearview stoves are, basically you get what you pay for, and someone else we know, their chimney sweep man said the cleanest chimney’s he sweeps belong to those that have Clearview stoves installed in them.

Stove Expert Replied:
Sounds as if this customer has everything and more from the stove. Cooking meals on the top, heating three rooms what a great investment. Clearview by name and by nature it seems.

This is our first wood burning stove and we installed it in the lounge of our three bedroom dormer bungalow during the summer of 2010. Coming to the end of a winter that has included the coldest December on record we have no regrets. Our reason to install it was based simply on the fact that the price of gas and electricity will continue to soar and that there is no security in the supply of gas.

Initially after a visit to a local dealer we were looking at a different manufacturer’s product, that dealer also recommended a stove with a greater heat output on the basis that it’s always better to have too much heat rather than to little. But having found this web site and seeing the other stove operating in another show room, we decided that it wasn’t for us.

After reading the Clearview reviews here we visited the Ludlow showroom in Feb 2010. Had a home visit from one of their approved installers who gave very good advice and suggested that a Pioneer 400 would be more than sufficient for our needs, without making the lounge so unbearably hot that you could not sit in the room! That clinched the deal for us and we placed our order for a Pioneer 400.

Initially I built a wood store and by the end of April had filled it with cut and split wood, to season for the winter. During the summer I installed the stove which was an easy DIY job with the extensive instructions and information that Clearview supply. Their staff are also very helpful either during telephones calls or personal visits.

During the winter we have been burning the wood that I had cut and split by April and we have become acquainted with a carpenter who brings us bags of his off cuts, hard and soft wood, chip board and MDF. It all burns really well! By April 2011 we will have burnt a total of about ten cubic meters of wood. During December I don’t think the stove went out at all. It easily heats the lounge and the bedroom upstairs where the radiators are now turned off in both rooms. There is also a significant reduction in the use of the central heating for the rest of the house.

I naïvely, never realised that it would be such an efficient and effective means of heating the house and my only regret besides not having fitted one sooner is that I didn’t buy a Clearview with a boiler and connect it in to the heating and hot water system. There’s always tomorrow!


The stove is very well made and of excellent quality, attention to detail with the adjustable door hinges and handle show what a well thought out product this is. Although expensive I would say that it was worth it. Much better than spending half the amount on a stove that didn't work as well.


The stove is very easy to use and light, never requiring more than one match to light it. Burning overnight is the only area that I have marked down and as others have said the fire box is not really large enough to be still blazing away the next morning. However filling at 11pm and turning the air slide down; will mean that there are some embers at 7am the next morning, which is easily fired up again.

Although we don’t live in a smokeless area the stove makes much less smoke when compared to that of a neighbour, whose stove is much older and of a different make. The air wash system really works and we go for weeks without cleaning the glass. The hypnotic view of it burning is never obscured.

Before we installed the stove it would have been a difficult question to answer, what is the best thing that we have ever done to this house? Since then, it’s a no brainer it has transformed our home. Thank you Clearview.

Stove Expert Replied: DIY installations should be accompanied by a sign off by the local Building Control Department or use a Hetas Engineer. In this instance customer seems happy with the results, I hope he has installed a CO2 alarm which is requirement!

I have used several different stoves over the years, Morso, Stovax, Arrow. A friend of ours has a Pioneer 400. Whilst visiting them, was the fist time we had seen the Pioneer in action.

We recently moved house and left our much loved Morso behind. Our new home has two fireplaces, we have just fitted the Pioneer 400 in to one of them. It is fantastic, very controllable, the airwash really does work. The fit and finish of the stove is excellent. It is very efficient, providing you use well seasoned hard wood. I was apprehensive about purchasing a 'steel' stove, I now wonder why? I cannot recommend this stove enough. If you have any doubts about spending the extra compared with some other cheaper stoves, don't you will not be disappointed!

I have marked burning overnight down slightly, however I do not expect the stove to do this, filling the firebox full of wood and 'slumbering' it, is not what these stoves have been designed to do. If you want it to go through the night use Anthracite. I have also marked the handle operation down slightly as you need a glove to operate it due to it getting hot. I will get used to it, I am finding the glove useful for positioning logs in the firebox.

The Clearview 650 is now on order and will be fitted in the next couple of weeks, this will heat our domestic hot water and run the central heating, Winter here we come!I hope this review helps.

We have had our Clearview Pioneer 400 for three winters now and it does what is claimed, it is a well build product and the airwash system does work well.

We don't have our own supply of wood so had logs delivered which are now quite expensive and not always as dry as they should be. We could never get the fire to keep in overnight with wood and were advised against doing this by the installer as it substantially shortens the life of the chimney liner.

During last winter we switched from wood to anthracite which gives much better results, needs a lot less attention and will easily keep in overnight and works out cheaper than damp logs. Also the novelty of stacking a delivery of wood in the snow after a day's work soon wears off!

Minor criticisms of the stove - the brass handle and controls get too hot to touch when in use and gloves are required. I would have expected a better design on a stove this expensive. The brassware needs frequent cleaning to remain shiny as they quickly dull down.

In summary, my advice is to check the quality logs from your local log supplier before buying any wood burner as the moisture content of the wood makes such a huge difference. If you have a ready supply of cheap WELL SEASONED firewood you will be happy with this stove, otherwise it can work out an expensive method of heating the one room.

I purchased my Clearview Pioneer 3 years ago. We have just come through our 3rd winter with it. I installed myself with a builder friend. I purchased it because my builder friend had already installed a Vision in his house and raved about it. I did lots of research and ended up coming back to the Clearview every time.

I am so glad I did. It is fantastic. Controllable. Easy to light. As others have said I watch it as much as the TV. It is the heart of our house and I feel sad in the spring when it is no longer being lit each evening.

The best thing I have done to this house since moving here four years ago.

Finally made the decision to buy a woodburner could not believe how much choice of stoves there are.we saw and liked the look of the 400 but was shocked to see the cost but we went away and checked the reports and reviews.went back and bought the 400 then worried whether we had wasted our money.Now the stove has been fitted and been running for a good month or so,the worry has turned to relief.If we hadnt bought this stove we feel we would have made a mistake it is everything we wanted.overnight burn is excellent just chuck a log in turn right down then in morning open up and away it goes.never had to clean the glass must be down to the airwash system.the only problem we have found is the ash raker handle is difficult to operate with a glove on.
that apart cannot fault the stove and would advise anyone looking for a stove to seriously consider this one.

This is our second Clearview stove, we bought a Vision in 1999 and when we moved we brought it with us to the new house. We got the chimneys lined with insulated concrete and bought a Pioneer 400 for the smaller front room in 2004.

This addition meant that we haven't had to use our gas central heating for 5 years, and our annual gas bill is less than £100. These stoves are an important part of our low carbon lifestyle.

We don't use the front room Pioneer as much as the back room/kitchen Vision, but it is a super stove, just as good as the bigger stove, perhaps just slightly less easy to keep the fire in overnight, although we do sometimes do it! But it's SO easy to light, this really isn't a problem. The double-glazed window doesn't soot up and all the parts are replacable, although we haven't had to replace anything from the Pioneer. It easily heats the room it's in, and the bedroom above too.

Several friends have bought a Pioneer since seeing our Clearviews, and they are all very pleased with it. The flat-top version is good as you can put a kettle on it or even cook with a small pan.

My brother bought a similar-sized Town and Country stove, and when he bought his second stove, decided on a Clearview.

We recommend Clearview Stoves above the others we've seen and experienced.

John Cossham, York

15 years ago I bought a Clearview Vision 500 and was extremely pleased with it. 10 years later we moved to a cottage and the Clearview Vision was too big for the fireplace so purchased a Hunter Hawk.

Much later on I found out that Clearview had introduced the new Clearview Pioneer so after some measuring discovered that it would fit nicely.

Now I thought that the Hunter Hawk was OK but since installing the Clearview Pioneer it is like chalk and cheese, the Clearview experience is back and makes the Hunter seem not even second division but more like a third division stove.

I know that Clearview are expensive but their stoves will still be going when the Hunter is dead and gone. So do yourself a huge favour and buy a Clearview - they are not called the Rolls Royce of stoves without good reason!

This will be our fourth winter with this hard working little stove. Fitted in a north facing room in an exposed position, we couldn't ask for more!

We occasionally burn smokeless fuel, but find that it burns far too hot and we end up having to open all the internal doors.

This wonderful little workhorse has been used to make casseroles on and boil kettles of water in power cuts. I timed boiling a pan of potatoes on it compared to the gas hob, and beat the hob by two minutes (it was going at full capacity).

Having the longer legged option means you can store small logs or kindling underneath.

If lit in the morning and the room is left with the doors open, a gentle heat will permeate throughout the ground floor during the day.

We are installing a second stove but have chosen a Charnwood Country 4; two reasons: the hike in price for a Pioneer during four years is over £300. We wanted a light coloured stove for a dark room, Charnwood are the only manufacturers that do this in a paint finish, unless we want to pay £2k to Chesneys (National Trust).

We have been using the Clearview 400 for abot 7 years now with no complaints. Burning only logs it lights in a jiffy, sometimes just using newspaper without kindling. Contrary to the experience of Shughes the fire stays in overnight every time. Indeed, we have frequently damped the fire down late at night and have been able to bring it back to life after returning home from work the following evening (18 hours later).

I can't fault our Clearview Pioneer..I love it. Wood burners are really my husbands thing and I have never been 100% sure, until now but I am completely hooked and can't wait for another snowy winter. It is so easy to light and to use and looks great with its big window. Perfect for our average size Victorian sitting room - it really kicks out the heat and I can turn most of our downstairs radiators off. Cant recommend it enough.

I like Clearview stoves. I have a Vision 500 and a Pioneer, but the Pioneer doesn't operate as well, purely because the firebox is so much smaller. It is not really possible to keep a fire in over-night in the Pioneer and in my opinion, this should be reflected in the price. Overall, the build quality and functionality are good and it is good that we support UK manufacturing. But in the smaller stove range, in my opinion, the Little Thurlow (Town and Country) is better value for money.

After making the mistake of buying a cheaper woodburner in our previous house, we decided to go for the clearview in our new house. No regrets and can't recommend it highly enough. It does everything it says it does .... it's highly efficient, easy to light, heats up a room quickly and burns perfectly clear. Very satisfying. We've recently started using coal on the multifuel pioneer and have discovered that this enables up to keep the fire burning all night - superb!

I have had other stoves in the past, but this one is by far the best! I would never buy another make of stove after using the Clearview. No need to burn overnight as it lights so easily within minutes in the morning.

I have two stoves and this is my favourite. Lights very easily (the little front vent works a treat and it does have a good tall chimney flue) and is easy and accurate to control. Its star feature is the overnight burn. Last thing I pop a couple of logs in, and turn it down full. In the morning it looks like it has gone out, but just open the vents and in a few minutes it is going full - and still has lots of wood to burn. So no messy starting. It can go for weeks on end with never going out. Of course you need to empty the ash, but this is easy to do even when it is burning. The front control for shaking the ash down works well. The glass also stays pretty clean, even over a period of weeks. The heat output is fair for the size of stove too. The only downside I found with it is that if you want an external air intake (rather than from the room) the supplied cowling only allows for intake on an extenral wall - i.e. it only can go straight out. Overall my favourite stove.

Its the first stove I've ever owned, and having installed it myself just a couple of weeks ago I'm really disappointed that summer is on the way - as I won't get to play with it much more. It looks really nice and would fit in to either a traditional style or contemporary (you can have either brass or brushed steel handles for a small additional charge). Other optional extras I would recommend are the removable handles - so you don't get the issue of them getting too hot and also the long legs so you get more air flow under the stove. I've found it easy to light and doesn't take too long to get upto temperature. The air wash works great except for a small area towards the bottom of the glass, but cleaned up fine with a damp cloth. Burns efficiently when up to temperature - a couple of small logs will last over an hour. Compared with an open fire it gives off a gentle heat via convection rather than radiating so you don't really notice the warmth given off until you leave the room and go back in. Although its a small stove it gives off enough heat that I've switched off the gas boiler. It also doesn't produce much ash (I guess as a consequence of being very efficient) so you don't have to empty it very often. As for the cost you have to look at it as a long term investment - Clearview are known for their reliability and are easy to maintain. When I bought mine, a chap came into the shop to pickup some fire cement to repair the firebricks in his clearview - but it was 20 odd years old and still going strong.

Without doubt, a great stove. We bought ours from people putting in a new one (wonder if they bought another Clearview?)

Pro - Very controllable (slider is main control). Amazing gentle flame, very watchable. Top quality build.

Con - Small stove so can't stack enough wood to last overnight - but it only takes a few minutes in the morning to have a cosy fire roaring again.

Our first stove was the Pioneer and it set a benchmark which is hard to match. Very controllable, heats up in a jiffy, and no fancy grate system which gets jammed. The (adjustable) handle design is simple and effective. All in all very pleased with the stove, and the second stove we bought would have been a Cleaview except for the fact that they don't sell a double-sided stove. We ended up with a Woodwarm Fireview 9kW, which don't get me wrong, is a good stove, but doesn't have the simplicity, ruggedness & ease of use the Pioneer does

We had one in the last house, so yes we had to have one in the new house. Coming home to a Clearview is like returning home to a dog with its tail wagging!

We installed a Clearview last year and enjoyed the warmth all through the very cold weather. My only criticism is that the room gets too warm, even at the lowest setting! Although it is a little expensive I would not hesitate to recommend it as being the best stove to buy. An added bonus is using the stove top to cook, reheating stews etc. or cooking foil wrapped meat/fish.

In my review I scored everything as 5 but put Value for Money as 4. I have just replaced a fireplace with a wood burner but bought a Stovax because the Clearview was too tall and I didn't want to move the fireplace lintel. I now know the difference in performance between a £600 stove and a Clearview and the extra money for a Clearview is well worth it. I am amazed at how much less controlable the Stovax is and that the airwash is inferior. Now I know this I rate the Clearview's value for money as 5 and wished that I could have fitted a Clearview here too.

Whastove expert says: Clearviews are very good stoves and, like Morso customers, Clearview customers are usually very happy with their stoves. There are still stoves on the market that will give you a similar performance for a lower price tag.

I was lucky enough to "inherit" a Clearview Pioneer 400 when we bought our last house. It is by far and away the best stove I have ever used. It looks great, it very efficient, controllability is fantastic (you really can fine tune this with the two air controls) and the air wash really works unlike any other stove I have used. We have moved house and made the mistake of not bringing our Clearview with us. The Villager in our new house is not a patch on our old stove so I am replacing it with a Clearview and buying another Clearview for a second room.



Yes, Clearviews are expensive but if you can afford the extra then it is definitely worth it, especially given that they last for years, and you will love this stove. The other reviews scored the stove poorly on overnight burning. I have never found this to be a problem. Make sure the stove is at full heat with a good thick base of embers, then load up with wood and close down the air so it is almost fully closed. The stove will the tick over until morning where it will jump back in to life when you fully open both air vents.

absolutly delighted with this fire, i watch it more than the T.V!!!

Excellent stove, wholeheatedly recommended. So good we bought another for another room in our cottage. We know 2 friends who owned a Clearview, but weren't prepeared to pay the extra for another stove in their house, and both now regret it moaning about no airwash, poor heat, lighting etc