I love coals. Blood red coals. Tonight is one of the first real cold nights we've had, I had the stove burning at 700 for about an hour and a couple hours later(20 minutes ago) I Opened her up and stuffed more wood in. The thick bed of glowing rubies is fantastic. super super hot. you just open the door for a minute so it can get air and then load it up. makes the wood catch quickly. my favorite way to find the stove.