I have no problem starting a fire in my cold Jotul C450 insert. I usually stuff the box, kindling on top and light a lint and wax homemade fire starter, no problem (Top down method). This insert is rated as 8 hour burn times but if I want another log to light from coals it's 5-6. Is this 8 hours the time it takes for the last ember to snuff out? I think it must be, no fire is going to burn consistently forever. I was late in getting a new log on the fire today and it is a no burn day, I also ran out of fire starters. I didn't want to let a log smoke in the middle of the day until it finally got lit. So what I did, was splinter kindling to match sticks, and steadily added bigger pieces building a crisscrossed formation box around the embers and resulting flames. This worked very well and was able add small spits within minutes. This got the fire started, but I got too much smoke leaking into the house, any smoke is too much . Maybe I built the fire to fast? The insert is built so the smoke goes close to the door, over the baffle and up the liner. I like building a fire with just a leftover ember, it feels very primal. Most of the smoke came from blowing on it to get started. Match sticks wont leave enough coal to get the next size bigger going in flames, maybe jut get some flames shut the door,and steadily add bigger wood over time, yea, tha twiull work,but goes back to why I use a top down, I don't have to remember to come back every 10 minutes
