Ok, so I've heard conflicting reports on this. Conventional wisdom as well as my own knowledge would tell me it's a matter of heat transmission, radiance, and retention. If we were looking for the highest possible amount of heat transmission, stoves would be made of copper. This obviously is not the case. If we were looking for the highest possible amount of radiance, stoves would be aluminum. Another advantage would be the stoves would be far lighter if this were the case. Extremes in any category are obviously not what we are looking for. I'm uncertain of the thermal properties of soapstone compared to cast iron or plate steel, but I would imagine that it retains heat the most out of the 3 materials. I would also be confident in taking a guess to the reason for soapstone as opposed to, say, granite, would be that soapstone is a lot more soft and workable than a hard, brittle stone. Now, on to the actual question.
I am fairly certain that steel is a better transmitter of heat than cast iron, and therefore heats up faster, but also cools down faster. This would mean that cast iron retains heat much better than plate steel can. According to some reports, however, this is not the case. Some say that the cast iron not only refuses to transmit heat well, but that it heats up unevenly and even cools down faster than a similar steel stove. This seems counter-intuitive, as I cook with both cast iron and steel pans and I know that my cast iron has a much more even heat, as well as better heat retention, than any steel pan, even on an uneven heat source. The steel pans tend to get hot and cool spots even with a relatively much more even heat source.
Are these conflicting reports based on user bias, improper stove design/setup, or just based on users not getting their exact expectations out of their stove? Also, has anyone owned all three, or owned both a metal and stone stove, and, if so, did you notice any major difference in heat retention or transmission between the different materials?
Personally, I don't think I would purchase a steel stove. I've always been fond of the look and feel of cast iron, and employ it in my decor as well as cooking. I am, however, very interested in the soapstone stoves, as they seem to me like they would have the best heat retention of all, and therefore continue to stay warm for quite some time after the stove has burned down to coals. Any insight or discussion on this would be great.
I am fairly certain that steel is a better transmitter of heat than cast iron, and therefore heats up faster, but also cools down faster. This would mean that cast iron retains heat much better than plate steel can. According to some reports, however, this is not the case. Some say that the cast iron not only refuses to transmit heat well, but that it heats up unevenly and even cools down faster than a similar steel stove. This seems counter-intuitive, as I cook with both cast iron and steel pans and I know that my cast iron has a much more even heat, as well as better heat retention, than any steel pan, even on an uneven heat source. The steel pans tend to get hot and cool spots even with a relatively much more even heat source.
Are these conflicting reports based on user bias, improper stove design/setup, or just based on users not getting their exact expectations out of their stove? Also, has anyone owned all three, or owned both a metal and stone stove, and, if so, did you notice any major difference in heat retention or transmission between the different materials?
Personally, I don't think I would purchase a steel stove. I've always been fond of the look and feel of cast iron, and employ it in my decor as well as cooking. I am, however, very interested in the soapstone stoves, as they seem to me like they would have the best heat retention of all, and therefore continue to stay warm for quite some time after the stove has burned down to coals. Any insight or discussion on this would be great.
Rick
