The Clearview Solution 400 stove is a plain steel stove produced in UK - it is available in lots of colours & has one single door with a curved glass in it.
Clearview stoves are available with or without multi fuel kit, smoke control kits for smokeless areas, 2,4 or 6 inch legs & optional direct air supply to connect to the outside.
Bought the clear view solution 400 2 years ago and I've held off writing a review till now to see how it performs over the 2 years. What can I say apart from what an amazing stove. Easy to light
5*. Heat output 5*. Sexiness 5*. Easy to control the air intake 5*. It's easy to strip down remove/reinstall fire rope etc. I would 100% put this stove again in a new home. It is a little pricey over other stoves but well worth it.
We bought our multi fuel pioneer stove when my son was 2. He has just had his 30th birthday and he and stove are still going strong.The only thing that has ever needed to be replaced was one
small bolt to the hinges on the door.We put in it a large kitchen diner in a fire space which we think originally housed a small range cooker. It is now our sitting room. everyone congregates here ( cats and humans) and we have created a dining room elsewhere in the house..I have cooked soups, and kept casseroles gently warmed . We use a combination of smokeless fuel and logs and have kept it in overnight in the coldest of winters.I do not normally write reviews but what was for us nearly 30 years ago an expensive purchase is on one the best things we ever bought and has brought us much warmth and pleasure. It is a simple classic design.
Stove expert replied:
What a fantastic stove and still going strong after 28 years. Certainly this has given value for money and with little maintenance costs has proved a valuable asset to this home.
I have owned a Clearview Pioneer 400 for 3 seasons and use the stove in my living room. In 2013, I had a Louman Log cabin built in my garden and decided to fit a Clearview Solution 400. I have
used the stove for one full season and can give a genuine unbiased review. Compared to the pioneer 400, it is a lot more efficient and has two secondary air components built in as opposed to one with the pioneer. My friend fitted the stove and we followed guidelines for having the stove near combustibles. Clear view supplied an extra backplate and it does keep the wood walls near the stove warm but never hot. I used the Clearview planning service and had all of my stove and parts supplied direct. I had a Poujoulet Twin Wall Flue fitted from stove through the ceiling of the cabin. I source my own wood and burn Ash, Beech and this year Macracarpa. The last wood is a big hit in NZ. Lighting the stove is very easy. I burn the stove hot from lighting until it reaches 500 F, then turn down the primary valve and run the stove using the secondary air lever. I tend to use chunky pieces of seasoned wood that I have split so can really tailor the burn to suit me. The Solution 400 is an expensive stove but worth every penny. It has been on every day during the winter months as I work from the cabin and the flue has been swept today. My sweep said the stove and flue were a pleasure to clean and he could really tell a difference between a 400 pioneer with flue liner and the Solution 400 with the double skin flue. All in all a great stove and despite the handle getting hot, which I can live with and the slightly small space to load your wood, it as an absolute pleasure to use. I can't rate Clearview highly enough. This stove is very high quality and worth the investment for aficionado or beginner alike.
I have just replaced my Stanley Shire with a Pioneer 400 and in most respects am delighted with it. It is indeed easy to light and control and the air wash works very well. I find the handle
rather stiff and have so far not managed to keep it in overnight although it certainly is easy to relight. My one rather considerable gripe is that when the stove had been installed I discovered from the Instruction leaflet that it would void the warranty to burn manufactured smokeless fuels on it. Having been assured before purchase that it was suitable for smokeless fuels I had just received a large delivery of Supatherm, the fuel I used in the Stanley. So far I have been using seasoned logs but I would like to use both types of fuel because a supply of seasoned wood cannot be guaranteed and I haven't a great deal of storage space. Also I imagine I could easily keep the stove in for hours without the need for refuelling using the Supatherm and this does not seem to be the case using logs.
Stove expert replied:
I would check again as this stove is sold as a multifuel stove which normally means wood and smokeless fuels are able to be used. Providing Supatherm is not petroleum based it should be OK.
I spent ages researching stoves, in the end we decided on balance that the Clearview would be best for us and we have not been disappointed. It is a really good little stove very simple and
well made with a quality finish. It is really easy to use and lights in seconds.The most amazing fact is that the glass does not get dirty at all even after burning for hours with wood or anthracite, the air wash is 100% effective. We live in London so paid a bit more and got one with the smoke control kit fitted. This means that you cannot fully shut down the which would make overnight burning impractical I think. Anyway it is so easy to light that we don't bother. It is very economical to run using only about a quarter of the logs that our open fire consumed last winter, the company supply excellent wood stores by the way. You need to consider where you fit the stove as we have ours in a fireplace cavity and this does mean that quite a bit of the output is absorbed by the chimney breast which is okay as it acts as a massive storage radiator, it looks right and we love it.
Stove expert replied:
Great feedback, happy customer of this Clearview stove. Fair point regarding the Defra kit as it does mean the stove can't be shut right down but this is how the stoves pass the required tests to enable them to be fitted in a smoke controlled area.
This stove is great.Everything about it exceeded my expectations .It heats our living room and about 2/3 of the downstairs of our 500 square foot house plus the bedrooms,without needing the
central heating on(now the Insulation in the house is done)We only use well seasoned wood it lights easily,heats the room quickly,is responsive,stays in and with the raised fire box is mesmerizing to watch.Not sure its the best value for money but it will pay for itself so you might as well get what you really want.A wooden door handle would be better. Have a Charnwood country 4 in dining room which is nice but there is no comparison.We went for 2 smaller stoves rather than 1 big one as its more flexible,the heat sources are in different parts of the house and you don't end up with a stove that's too hot to sit next to.Roll on winter!
I love this stove. Our house is heated solely by our two clearview stoves. This is the small one in the dining room and I only use it when we are eating. I light it 1/2 hour before I need to
use the room and it will take it from unbearably cold to pleasantly warm in that time. Even with rubbish wood the temperature in the stove rises to 600F in about 15 mins. If you want something quick and easy this is perfect.
