Hearthstone Homestead vs Jøtul F 400 Castine

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zub75

New Member
Aug 27, 2008
9
Northern BC, Canada
I am looking at replacing my Gas freestanding with a Wood Burning Freestanding. I have a single level home 1000 sq ft. I have had a local dealer do an assessment and I have narrowed it down to these two models.

Hearthstone Homestead vs Jøtul F 400 Castine

So far I have read many good reviews on both, the hearthstone has some complaints about smoking and a small ash pan, but there seems to be a consensus on a user issue. I like the idea of the soapstone.

I have never had wood prior to this so any ideas or recommendations on those of you that have.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
We have the homestead and also heat 1000sf. ranch and could not be happier with the stove. We used the stove exclusively last winter as the furnace died the year before, the furnace is still kaput so it will be wood heat only again this winter. last year we went through 2 cords of wood and most of that was cottonwood and pine, the one thing about soapstone is you have to think ahead about a 1/2 hour when your making adjustments to air or adding wood.
 
We switched from a cast iron stove last season to a soapstone stove. The soapstone stove puts out a much more consistent and friendly heat. It was a common situation for me to come back 14+ hours later to find coals in the stove that could be used to quickly restart it. The soapstone also never gets so hot that you are cooked out of the room where it is located. We are very pleased with the upgrade. However the Jotul's look like great stoves and I hear many good things about them. Ultimately you're deciding between what material you want in the stove. The manufacturers you mention are both high quality outfits.
 
I'd go with the soapstone if you are intending to burn 24/7.
 
I heat almost 5000 sq. ft. with an oslo on the lower level (2000 sq. ft.) and a Castine on the main level (also 2000 sq. ft.) The 850 sq. ft. loft is heated by the rising air as well. The castine is rated at 1500 sq.ft. and with an open floor plan and well placed ceiling fans it will do that and maybe a bit more. I have no 1st hand knowledge of your other choice but I think the Castine might serve you well. I'm probably biased though.
Joe
 
BeGreen said:
I'd go with the soapstone if you are intending to burn 24/7.
Click to expand...

I agree, the more even heat output of soapstone could make you get away with a little larger than recommended soap stove if your looking for longer burns. You may want to look at the Heritage or the Woodstock stoves.
 
I have a single level home 1000 sq ft.
Click to expand...

I live in a similar size home and chose the Hearthstone because of the "gentle" heat of Soapstone. I think cast iron or steel would overpower the smallish living room the stove will be in. I also want to burn 24/7 as much as possible and the heat-life of soapstone lends itself to that. As a previous poster noted, they are both fine brands, the choice is in materials. Good luck.
 
is there any data that backs whats being said about soapstome stoves??

Thanks John
 
is there any data that backs whats being said about soapstome stoves??
Click to expand...

Hey Johnny--Hearthstone has a great graph in their brochure that shows the "heat-life" of soapstone vs. cast iron and stainless. For whatever reason, it is not on their website. Instead, they have these generalities, that while not exactly precise, are useful:

"soapstone possesses extraordinary heat retention properties that surpass other materials. When you build a fire in your soapstone stove, the soapstone absorbs massive amounts of heat from the fire, then radiates it back into your room. Inside, the stove directly absorbs the high heat of the fire, while outside, it radiates heat into the room from its surface.

The soapstone stays warm for hours, continuing to warm your home with an even, gentle heat, long after the fire cools. That is why it is the ideal material for overnight heating or for other long stretches of time when you can't tend the fire."
 
badger1968 said:
is there any data that backs whats being said about soapstome stoves??
Click to expand...

Hey Johnny--Hearthstone has a great graph in their brochure that shows the "heat-life" of soapstone vs. cast iron and stainless. For whatever reason, it is not on their website. Instead, they have these generalities, that while not exactly precise, are useful:

"soapstone possesses extraordinary heat retention properties that surpass other materials. When you build a fire in your soapstone stove, the soapstone absorbs massive amounts of heat from the fire, then radiates it back into your room. Inside, the stove directly absorbs the high heat of the fire, while outside, it radiates heat into the room from its surface.

The soapstone stays warm for hours, continuing to warm your home with an even, gentle heat, long after the fire cools. That is why it is the ideal material for overnight heating or for other long stretches of time when you can't tend the fire."
Click to expand...


It almost sounds to good to be true. is the soapstone stoves still this new? i will need one for the cellar and it sounds like the soap is in order. why dont everybody use them if there so great??


Please help.

John
 
Essentially I think this is a matter of thermal mass. If Jotul put another layer of cast iron around the Castine or Oslo, I think it would act a lot like a soapstone equivalent. The T6 Alderlea is educating me about thermal mass. With a full cast-iron jacket, it behaves quite differently than I expected from a steel stove. It's a bit slower to come up to temperature and so far has never felt blazing hot as one gets close to the stove. But when the fire dies down, the stove continues to radiate stored heat. This gives it a very even heating quality that is noticeably different from the Castine.

I'd prefer the Castine or even a simple steel stove if I was burning evenings and weekends and wanted to quickly heat up the house. But for 24/7 burning, so far I am liking the increased thermal mass of the Alderlea.
 
johnnywarm said:
badger1968 said:
is there any data that backs whats being said about soapstome stoves??
Click to expand...

Hey Johnny--Hearthstone has a great graph in their brochure that shows the "heat-life" of soapstone vs. cast iron and stainless. For whatever reason, it is not on their website. Instead, they have these generalities, that while not exactly precise, are useful:

"soapstone possesses extraordinary heat retention properties that surpass other materials. When you build a fire in your soapstone stove, the soapstone absorbs massive amounts of heat from the fire, then radiates it back into your room. Inside, the stove directly absorbs the high heat of the fire, while outside, it radiates heat into the room from its surface.

The soapstone stays warm for hours, continuing to warm your home with an even, gentle heat, long after the fire cools. That is why it is the ideal material for overnight heating or for other long stretches of time when you can't tend the fire."
Click to expand...


It almost sounds to good to be true. is the soapstone stoves still this new? i will need one for the cellar and it sounds like the soap is in order. why dont everybody use them if there so great??


Please help.

John
Click to expand...

I don't burn 24/7 so a soapstone does not make sense for me. I like the cast iron as it heats up the house quickly.
 
The mass and density of the device is the key. Any increase in M and D would provide a more constant and longer thermal output, however also requiring more time to simply get warm and in turn cool down, after the fuel is exhausted. Look at the thick european masonry ovens. For me, I prefer cast iron, however brand preference and a local dealer can help (or hurt) the decision process. Choose wisely and enjoy your good heating!
 
I don't wonder if the insulating value of the house may also be a factor. Could it be possible that a very well insulated and tight house would do well with a soapstone stove's even and consistent heat output while a leaky and less than ideally insulated house may benefit more from the dense blast of heat from cast iron? I know a fellow with a traditional masonry stove in a leaky and not too insulated small log cabin and when it gets very cold out he needs to run the stove like a regular woodstove, IE all day burns.
 
BeGreen said:
Essentially I think this is a matter of thermal mass. If Jotul put another layer of cast iron around the Castine or Oslo, I think it would act a lot like a soapstone equivalent. The T6 Alderlea is educating me about thermal mass. With a full cast-iron jacket, it behaves quite differently than I expected from a steel stove. It's a bit slower to come up to temperature and so far has never felt blazing hot as one gets close to the stove. But when the fire dies down, the stove continues to radiate stored heat. This gives it a very even heating quality that is noticeably different from the Castine.

I'd prefer the Castine or even a simple steel stove if I was burning evenings and weekends and wanted to quickly heat up the house. But for 24/7 burning, so far I am liking the increased thermal mass of the Alderlea.
Click to expand...

I think your being fooled by the convection heat given off by the cast iron jacket on the T-6. What your missing is the soft radiant heat of soapstone. Even with the extra mass of the T-6 it still only holds half as many BTU's per pound as soapstone.
 
dvellone said:
I don't wonder if the insulating value of the house may also be a factor. Could it be possible that a very well insulated and tight house would do well with a soapstone stove's even and consistent heat output while a leaky and less than ideally insulated house may benefit more from the dense blast of heat from cast iron? I know a fellow with a traditional masonry stove in a leaky and not too insulated small log cabin and when it gets very cold out he needs to run the stove like a regular woodstove, IE all day burns.
Click to expand...

Ye, it's a huge factor.
 
I want to thank everybody for replying to my Question.so if you wanted to burn all night----you would get a soapstone stove?????this will be going into the cellar to heat the floors,is it still worth it or is is better to get say a --steel stove for down there???


John
 
What happened to the Castine you just got? Where is that going? Maybe better to start a separate thread if the heating needs are very different.
 
BeGreen said:
What happened to the Castine you just got? Where is that going? Maybe better to start a separate thread if the heating needs are very different.
Click to expand...


Its Going in front of the fireplace.i would like a big stove in the cellar and i'm very interested in how long theses soapstone's work.
 
They don't burn longer unless perhaps if it is a cat stove. But they do release heat for a longer period. If all that is desired is an equivalent long burn, a cheaper big steel stove would do the job.
 
BeGreen said:
They don't burn longer unless perhaps if it is a cat stove. But they do release heat for a longer period. If all that is desired is an equivalent long burn, a cheaper big steel stove would do the job.
Click to expand...


That is what i'm looking for. thank you.

John
 
johnnywarm said:
badger1968 said:
is there any data that backs whats being said about soapstome stoves??
Click to expand...

Hey Johnny--Hearthstone has a great graph in their brochure that shows the "heat-life" of soapstone vs. cast iron and stainless. For whatever reason, it is not on their website. Instead, they have these generalities, that while not exactly precise, are useful:

"soapstone possesses extraordinary heat retention properties that surpass other materials. When you build a fire in your soapstone stove, the soapstone absorbs massive amounts of heat from the fire, then radiates it back into your room. Inside, the stove directly absorbs the high heat of the fire, while outside, it radiates heat into the room from its surface.

The soapstone stays warm for hours, continuing to warm your home with an even, gentle heat, long after the fire cools. That is why it is the ideal material for overnight heating or for other long stretches of time when you can't tend the fire."
Click to expand...


It almost sounds to good to be true. is the soapstone stoves still this new? i will need one for the cellar and it sounds like the soap is in order. why dont everybody use them if there so great??


Please help.

John
Click to expand...


Thanks for all the comments and information. It has raised a few more questions about the burn time and burning 24/7.

First thing is, about the heat of the soapstone. It's really is great heat. I first ran into full soapstone fire places while staying at a restort, it was excellent. However full custom made soapstone stoves are really expensive. Around $10,000 installed so out of my price range.

The other issue I am wondering about is the burn time. I won't be around for 7-9 hours most days to add wood to the stove, so I am now thinking that the soapstone may be a poor idea for my lifestyle.

From some of the comments here and other postings I have the understanding that the initial fire will take 30-60 minutes to get the stone heat started and you have to make adjustments to the hearthstone stove approx. 30 minutes before opening the door on an active fire. Are these accurate statements?

Any thoughts?
 
zub75 said:
From some of the comments here and other postings I have the understanding that the initial fire will take 30-60 minutes to get the stone heat started and you have to make adjustments to the hearthstone stove approx. 30 minutes before opening the door on an active fire. Are these accurate statements?

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Burn time is more related to the firebox size than the stove material. With a good stove of >2 cu ft firebox size you should have hot coals left over after 8 hrs. To some extent this depends on the stove design. For example, our neighbor's PE Spectrum often has hot coals after an overnight burn and that is with softwood. A cat stove, like the Fireview, may get you 10-12 hrs depending on the air control setting and the wood. A 3 cu ft stove can also provide this length of burn and more and has more reserve heat.

As for the last statement, it sounds like a misunderstanding. When the fire is fully involved and a full load is really burning, it's not a great idea to open the door on any stove if you can avoid it. Opening the door is going to feed it a whole lot of air. It won't hurt anything, the system can take it if it is installed safely. But usually the only time you would do this is if a log has rolled into the glass door.
 
I think i'm starting to understand soapstone stove's :)

John
 
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