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Review of Jotul 118 stove

Used Jotul 118 40+ years so far

Alison Long 7 years ago

I should have said we''re on our 2nd but that was because we had a chimney fire in the ''80''s and the firefighters took the first one out in the rain. Crack! We still have it and could replace the side panel and be back in business.

The 2nd one has been in use as our primary heat source ever since. It''s between the kitchen and the dining room but we doubled the size of the house when we were energetic still and doorways have required us to put in oil heat for some spaces. However, our central living area is dependent on the Jotul.

Our only problem is that we must replace the side burn plates every decade. They warp. I wonder if they''d last longer if we switched them from side to side each summer.

We do keep it going overnight. There are a couple of tricks to getting it to go for six or eight hours. First, rake coals forward. Next, select the logs either for long ones or two short ones end to end. Select also for smaller diameter at the bottom (to make sure you continue to get coals) and as many large ones as will fit snugly. Arrange them with each layer back a few inches so lower levels burn the fronts of upper ones. On top, I sometimes push a log or two well back so that it doesn''t start to burn until later. Then, after you make sure the bottom is burning well, cut the opening down to a very thin slice of light. If it isn''t burning well before you do this or you don''t have enough coals, of course it will go out. If you leave it too open, it won''t last, so it takes practice to get it right (and an assortment of hardwood logs). We burn about 4 cords per winter, though this winter a relative is living with us who needs the heat up all the time, even when we''re at work or the day is warm. We''ll probably burn 5 this year.

I''m up several times in the night (age 75 is like that) and notice if it''s warm. Unless I screwed up in stacking it or did it too early or whatever, it continues to give off pleasant heat all night. By morning, it may be down to smallish coals but the sides are still radiating some warmth. It takes 10 minutes to bring it up to speed.

And the tea kettle is just a couple of minutes away from boiling for a big pot of tea.

Enjoy!

Stove expert replied: Happy customer

Overall rating:

5 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 5)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.9)
Value for money 5 flames (avg 4.7)
Ease of use 5 flames (avg 4.8)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 4.4)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 4.7)
How well does the airwash work 5 flames (avg 3.9)
Controllability 5 flames (avg 4.6)
Handle operation 5 flames (avg 4.3)
How likely are you to buy it again? 5 flames (avg 4.8)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 4.8)