WhatStove?

Review of Firebelly Razen Cookstove CS-1

Great stove

Kathy Bushell 10 years ago

It was a long wait to get but has been worth it as it is so much easier, faster and fuel efficient to cook on than my old Stanley range. The oven gets really hot in 20 minutes and uses up far less wood than a range with a back boiler. Might be more tricky to bake at a low temperature but I probably just need to practice with different types of logs. When lighting it is important not to fully close the door for quite a long time (5 minutes) or else it goes out again. Really heats the room up too and I love seeing the flames which is unusual with cooking stoves. Standing it on legs makes the room look more spacious and gives a bit of storage space for logs if you are careful not to let them touch the firebox. The look is very modern but it looks great in my old farmhouse too. I have found orange oil is great for cleaning the hob to get it grease free. When the door catch broke shortly after buying it I worried I might not hear back from them, but in fact the after sales service has been brilliant. The stove builder and designer came out straight away to fix it for free. One note of caution; the sides bulge out slightly when it is running hot sometimes which was a little disconcerting the first time it happened. It really doesn't matter though because they shrink back when it cools down again. To anyone wondering whether to go for a stove that does everything, ie heating and cooking and hot water, or whether to get 2 stoves, I would recommend getting 2. Each stove is running far more efficiently than when we just had one. For a really simple effective cookstove that is easy to maintain and that also heats a fair sized room I heartily recommend this stove. British and beautiful quality.

Overall rating:

5 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 4.5)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.5)
Value for money 4 flames (avg 3)
Ease of use 5 flames (avg 4.5)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 4.5)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 5)
How well does the airwash work 5 flames (avg 4)
Controllability 3.5 flames (avg 3.3)
Handle operation 5 flames (avg 4)
How likely are you to buy it again? 5 flames (avg 4)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 4)