WhatStove?

Review of Stovax Brunel 3cb stove

Brunel 3CB

Jamie Wakeham 15 years ago

Solidly built with a great finish, and capable of pumping out a lot of heat.

Major plus points: very easy to light; big glass door (with a pretty good airwash - sure, if you burn poorly seasoned or damp wood it will blacken up, but that's true of any stove); nice wide firebox which makes it easy to reload whilst burning; well designed ash can; superb build quality - very soldily constructed and, IMO, a nice balance between a modern and traditional appearance.

Minus points: handles are a little fiddly, and the secondary air control gets quite hot; perhaps tricky to run slowly ( I find that even with everything stopped down it still burns quite fast); if I'm being really picky, the ash tray in front of the door is awkward to clean because of its raised lip.

It's not the cheapest on the market - but over (say) a 15 year life span, you're talking maybe £25 per year for a much nicer product. I've experience with a Hunter Herald 6, which we considered as a budget option, and I am thoroughly satisfied that the Brunel was worth the extra money.

Overall rating:

4 flames

Build Quality 5 flames (avg 3.3)
Quality of finish 5 flames (avg 4.3)
Value for money 3 flames (avg 3.2)
Ease of use 4 flames (avg 3.8)
Ease of lighting 5 flames (avg 4.3)
Firebox size 5 flames (avg 3.6)
How well does the airwash work 4 flames (avg 3.6)
Controllability 3 flames (avg 3.6)
Handle operation 3 flames (avg 2.8)
How likely are you to buy it again? 4 flames (avg 3.1)
What is your overall satisfaction? 5 flames (avg 3.5)