Esse 300 stove
The Esse Instant insert 300 stove is a small model designed to slot into a traditional fire place opening.
It has a 150mm flue outlet and you do not normally line the chimney with this model.
As the top of the Esse 300 stove slants it is the easiest to remove the stove when you sweep the chimney - to make sure you get rid of soot brought down from the chimney which can otherwise sit on top of the stove.
The Firebox on the Esse 300 stove is relatively small.
Most Recent Review
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Good but be careful
I have had an Esse 301 insert stove for about 3 years, I had been very happy with it but some time ago they changed the design of the fire brick and throat plate which they claimed gave greaterStove expert replied: Depending on what ovoids you have been using then changing to an alternative fuel may be a solution to a certain degree, operating the stove so you have control of the rate of burn though, is key to a long life of any stove, this is more difficult with an inset model as there is not normally a way of adding a flue damper to the system. This gives the operator control on the windy days when the flue draw increases to enable you to close off some of the flue opening thus reducing the rate of burn, not as much air is pulled through the stove when one is fitted.
Most Popular Review
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Esse Ironheart
We LOVE our Esse Ironheart - as long as you use dry seasoned wood and keep it cleaned properly every few months - this works like a dream - gets very hot and keeps our entire ground floor level
More reviews for Esse 300 stove (page 1 of 2)
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Lovely Stove
I''ve had my Esse 300 for close to 15 years and I love it.The only thing I''ve ever had to replace is the glass.I would like some technical advice though?When you replace the glass there areStove expert replied: The inner metal plate needs to be fitted so the curve is farthest away from the glass. Great length of service for this stove.
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Quite pleased
We have had our Esse 300 for seven years and are very pleased with its performance and output. However our chimney must have deteriorated lately, as we are getting condensation staining on theStove expert replied: A flue liner can be dropped down a chimney but it will mean taking the stove out to connect the liner to a short pipe off the stove.
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waste of money
I am about to remove my insert stove after 4 years of having no control over the burn. It burns fiercely with a wind, the controls are a waste of time(cannot shut it down ). Have phoned EsseStove expert replied: As you mention that the stove burns fiercely with the wind this is most likely to be the cause of your disappointment. The flue draw can suck the heated air up the chimney and can prevent it from heating the room effectively, this is not a fault stove but an installation issue that should be corrected, this may continue with a replacement stove. Do discuss fully with your installer as better control will undoubtedly mean more heat and less fuel being used.
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Problems with coal dust
I am posting on behalf of my elderly parents. They have had the Esse 300 for 4 years and burn coal on it daily. The coal dust that is produced means that everything in the room is covered inStove expert replied: It is worth trying an alternative smokeless fuel as they vary on the amount of ash produced. If it is house coal that is being used then this should be changed to a smokeless fuel.
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Problem with Esse 301 Insert Stove
Had my stove fitted in 2009. In 2010 I had to have the entire stove replaced as it had completely warped and was no longer usable. In fairness to Esse they sent an engineer over and replacedStove expert replied: It sounds as if the flue draw may be part of the problem and on an insert stove can be difficult to control as there is no where to fit a damper to slow this down.
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Problems with Esse 301 inset stove
My Esse 301 was installed by an Esse agent in May 2010. It heats the room well enough and certainly gives out a lot more heat than an open fire. However, I have grave misgivings about the design and build quality. What Esse refer to as 'fire bricks' are the replaceable metal plates in the firebox - two either side and one with an Esse logo on at the rear. In theory they drop into place and should be easily replaceable when burned through. My rear plate has burned through 3 times in as many years and I have had 3 sets of plates delivered from Esse, replacing all 3 each time. This job is a nightmare. All 3 plates have to be removed vertically, but there is not enough headroom in the firebox to allow this, despite the throat plate being lifted out before attempting to remove the 3 plates. When I phoned Esse Tech Services in 2011 to ask how to remove the plates the lady said just to prise the side plates towards the centre - but this is impossible as the side plates drop down into slots at their front ends and prising from the sides would just cause structural damage to the fire. I replaced the plates again for the third time in October 2013 and total time taken was nearly 2 hours. I finally managed to get the third plate in place by hammering it in with a heavy metal chisel and had just about given up when it jammed into placed. In short, these replaceable plates are almost impossible to get either in or out. I finished up the last time with a sore wrist from my efforts, not to mention the mental torture of the exercise. In short, very badly designed. Recently I have also had to replace the glass in the door, which had cracked and also the fire rope on the inside of the door. This I can cope with, but the latest problem is that the horizontal metal plate in the centre of the fire opening when the door is open is starting to bulge outwards - and this is not a replaceable part - as it is part of the body of the stove. At time of writing this I await reply from both Esse and their installation agent on a way forward. In the worse-case scenario it looks like I may have to get the stove replaced - but I would certainly not put another Esse back in. I have only burned smokeless fuel (egg shaped) and this is recommended in their brochure. The grate on the 301 is actually too small for logs anyway.Stove expert replied: Failures in the internal components on such a regular basis could possibly be due to over firing of the stove, and as you are now saying the front is distorting I feel this would require further investigation. Maximum burn rate is recommended for short period of 15 - 20mins at any one time, with slumbering periods in between. Smokeless fuels also vary greatly in the heat they generate and there are some that are not suitable for use in a closed appliance, worth checking this also.
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Great Design but Quality Suspect
I'll start this review by explaining that my view on the Esse 301 build quality and value for money has been somewhat coloured by having one that didn't appear to be have been properly checked before it left the factory. Given the price of the stove, I'd have expected better of Esse who weren't very good on customer service either, contrary to one of the reviewers on here. The fault meant the main vent wouldn't close properly, which we eventually found was a problem on a batch of stoves due to a sub-contractor Esse had used. Suffice to say it is worth checking the stove very carefully on receipt! Away from that, the stove is very well designed and, in line with other reviewers, it has really changed the room it has been in. It throws out a lot of heat, which not only heats the north facing room it's in but also the bedroom above. I didn't fully appreciate both the convected heat from the vents and the amount it heated up the flue, making the chimney, effectively, a large storage heater. Tied in with the amount of heat radiated from the stove we've been able to turn off the central heating this winter for all but the very coldest of days. Compared to an open fire (which I have had before and I grew up with) it's easy to light and to use. We tend to find it works best with smokeless fuel and filling up the firebox and closing the bottom vent is all that is needed to get it to burn overnight. Opening up the main (bottom) vent in the morning means it leaps back into life and it's ready for the day. In terms of control-ability, it is easy to keep at exactly the right level of heat and flames, whether it's burning wood or smokeless fuel. The only difference between the two is using the main vent for smokeless and the secondary vent for wood (which when it's heated up generates some really nice flames that fill the firebox and give a great effect). Firebox size is quite small but it's only something we notice when we burn wood and even then it's a case of fuelling it a bit more regularly and cutting wood to the right size. Finally, the airwash works as well as you would expect at keeping the glass clean, given it's a small stove. Burning smokeless fuel means the glass needs a wipe over every day (hardly arduous); wood means that it pretty much keeps itself clean as long as it's properly seasoned wood and the stove is given a blast every now and then. Would I buy this stove again? I'd look elsewhere due to my experience with Esse but in terms of our satisfaction with the stove now it has been fixed, we're very happy. St9ove Expert Replied: Information given gives a fair review of this stove, its pluses and minuses. -
heat a plenty
This is a superb buy I have now had mine 6 years and it is still a pleasure to light and watch come Autumns chill.We had an open fire prior to buying and thought the heat from that was good -
esse 300
This stove was a excellent purchase we have never been so warm our room is 12 x 12 and once the fire gets going we tend to have the room door open so the heat goes upstairs as well. The large
