WhatStove?

Review of Thornton Dale stove

Does what it says on the tin

David Shaw 7 years ago

Great stove - very happy with it. Very easy to light. Great appearance. Huge viewing glass. Chucks out a lot of heat with seasoned logs. Glass remains clean. easy to control. Accepts big logs. What more can you ask?

We had this installed a couple of years ago to replace an open grate. I like fires, but the open grate allowed smoke to enter the room.

So we put this in. It''s only a back up to a central heating system, and is not connected to the hot water or heating. We tend to use it only on very cold days, or when we want the benefit of real flames.

It uses around one log every half hour with primary air closed off; secondary and tertiary air fully open.

I bought a 1.25 cubic metre of seasoned Ash logs. Looks like it will last through two winters. Obviously, if you use it more often, you''ll get through the wood a bit quicker. All the logs fit comfortably inside the firebox

The logs burn down to a very fine ash, so we are pretty sure the claims of complete combustion are valid.

I tend to clean the glass every three or four times of use, but it is not hard-baked on. An old yellow/green pan cleaner with water and soap is enough to get rid of any deposits in a few minutes. You could definitely leave it longer before cleaning if you wanted to.

Oh, and then there are the admiring comments from guests....

Overall rating:

5 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 4.3)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.3)
Value for money 5 flames (avg 4.1)
Ease of use 5 flames (avg 4.2)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 4.8)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 4.2)
How well does the airwash work 5 flames (avg 4.8)
Controllability 5 flames (avg 4.8)
Handle operation 5 flames (avg 4.1)
How likely are you to buy it again? 5 flames (avg 4.7)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 4.7)