stove recommendations

[zombans]

We're looking for a wood stove, and I would love to have any recommendations, suggest, and advice that people have. I have done a couple of weeks of research, but I am told there should be a lot more out there than what I have found. Nonetheless, I can't find many!

My considerations:

1. My house is 750 sf, somewhat insulated (new doors, windows, but not much in the way of insulated walls).
2. I want to cook on it.
3. My absolute limit is $1200.
4. I live in central Illinois.

What I have found:
The Sheepherder, http://www.transoceanltd.com/appliances/stoves/sheepherd.html. It would fit the bill to cook on and is small enough to heat our space, but is it a decent stove? I can find no reviews online.
Jotul F602CB. I know it would probably be a nice stove, and it heats our space, and it is in my price range. But awfully small cook top!

I ran across the Lopi Republic 1250 last night, which has a cooktop surface, but I haven't found any price listing or reviews. Anyone here have this stove?

Awaiting what y'all have to say!

Thanks!
carey

 

[jtp10181]

Is your price limit for the unit only or for the whole project?

http://quadrafire.com/Products/Wood_Burning/Wood_Model.asp?f=2100MILL

That doesn't have an actual cook top but you can use a trivet or something to put pots up there.

 

[Jimbob]

This stove would be somewhat like the Lopi stove you mentioned, and sells for $720
http://www.flame-intl.com/product.aspx?CategoId=1&Id=402&Page=spec

Here's another similar stove, should be close to $750
http://www.drolet.ca/product.aspx?CategoId=1&Id=470&Page=spec

The flat top version of this stove sells for ~ $1000
http://www.enviro.com/fireplace-products/wood/freestanding-fireplace.html#1200

This one likely fits the bill best, except I don't know the price, I would guess it is about $1000
http://www.napoleonfireplaces.com/Webshare/wood/wood stoves/Specs_1150P.html

 

[swestall]

Take a look at the Pacific Energy Aldera T4; I think it would be a the high end of your price range but it would be PERFECT for what you want to do.
You can look at it on the PE web site.

 

[begreen]

Also look at the Pacific Energy Vista which is the Alderlea T4 without the castiron jacket.

But for inexpensive, the Englander 13NC is a fine deal and being cleared out of Home Depots right now to make room for summer inventory.

 

[zombans]

My limit for stove purchase is $1200. I have the chimney installation contracted for the rest of my (small) budget. Thanks for the suggestions! I did some research on the stoves offered.

I did forget to mention, I need a roughly 12 by 12 solid flat space for a portable oven to sit atop. That's where I'm really having trouble! My kitchen stove decided to kaput right when we were beginning to look for a wood stove. That's the pickle we're in. Do we get a stove that heats well that's a pain to cook on, or get something that's good to cook on that's a pain to heat? I think I can make do on the cooking side of things, and after a few winters of not paying fuel bills, we should have enough money saved to get a decent wood stove, or cook stove. We'll see!

Does anyone here cook on their wood stove?

Thanks!
carey

 

[Jimbob]

I think the stoves I posted links for above have a big enough top to give you that 12x12 solid flat space. See reply#2 in this thread.

 

[zombans]

Jimbob, The Kodiak 1200 looks like it has a space big enough, and it is on my list of possibilities to check into further now. I could find no dealers near me for the Flame Int'l stove, and I can't find any for the Drolet Eastwood 1500. Any suggestions? The Napolean 1150 would be a perfect fit, but it retails for about $1500 here, which is, unfortunately, more than I can afford right now.

The Quadrafire 2100 Millennium looks big enough too. Jtp, do you know if it's one of those stoves with a heat shield on top, or if it's a regular hot surface? I found a diagram of the split top, and I wasn't positive it would have a regular hot top. The flat top model I couldn't find a diagram for, but a picture I saw had a tea kettle on it, so I was hopeful!

The rep who sells the Quadrafire models in our town does not like questions. I found a second wood stove salesman in town today, and he sells the Lopi stoves. He was very nice and didn't mind my questions. Will the deciding factor come down to the nicest salesman? We'll see.

The Pacific Energy stoves--the Alderlea T4 looks nice, and I was wondering if a portable oven would fit in the middle between the swing-out cooktop. I couldn't find any pricing, but it looks almost too nice for me to afford! The Vista top looks too small for a portable oven, as does the Englander. And since I didn't tell you I needed a 12 by 12 space, that's my own fault!

carey

 

[begreen]

The Alderlea T4 and the Vista are the same stove. One has a castiron jacket and the other has a steel jacket. But you are correct, neither provide a clear 12 x 12 surface. The flue connector is too far forward. The Quad 2100 however, does look like a good choice if you can get it in your price range. It is a straight flat top, no heat shield there.

Also look at a Jotul 602. It's good for cooking and has the top dimensions you require, especially if set up withrear exit flue. And it's in your price range. We cooked on our old one and it worked well.

 

[Jimbob]

Zombans, try entering your Zip code here to check for local dealers:

http://www.drolet.ca/find-dealer.aspx?Country=us

http://www.flame-intl.com/find-dealer.aspx?Country=us

 

[Jimbob]

How close are these guys to you:

COPPERFIELD CHIMNEY SUPPLY INC

1141 BRYN MAWR AVE
ITASCA
Illinois, United States
60143

Tel.: (630) 467-0000

 

[zombans]

All I can get from either site is that there are no dealers in my area, with 125 miles radius, and it won't let me try a larger area. Thanks anyway!

carey

 

[Jimbob]

Northern tool carries some of the Drolets.
This one would work for you.
For $599, it is well within your price range.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200307391_200307391

 

[begreen]

www.acehardwareoutlet.com also carries some drolets at good prices.

 

[zombans]

So, in narrowing down what we're looking at, I have a question about convection stoves. You can still get a hot top surface with these kinds of stoves, correct? The Napolean non-cookstove we were looking at didn't get hot enough to boil water. Just want to be sure I'm getting what I'm looking for. Specifically I'm asking about the Quadra-Fire 2100 Millennium and the Drolet Myriad DB 03050.

Thanks, friends, for holding my hand through all of this. I am thankful for your patience and your wisdom.

carey

 

[Jimbob]

The Napolean non-cookstove we were looking at didn't get hot enough to boil water. Just want to be sure I'm getting what I'm looking for. Specifically I'm asking about the Quadra-Fire 2100 Millennium and the Drolet Myriad DB 03050.
carey

I could easily boil water on my dad's Drolet Adirondack, which is quite a bit smaller than the Myriad.
You can download the owner's manual for the Myriad from this page:
http://www.drolet.ca/product.aspx?CategoId=1&Id=212

Either of those 2 stoves should work for you. Just go for the cheapest one of the 2, then you'll have lots of $$$ left over.

 

[jtp10181]

The Quad 2100 you could easily get 400-600 deg on the top surface. That piece of metal is the shell of the firebox.

 

[zombans]

I ended up being unable to decide between the Drolet, the Quad, and the Jotul, so I handed it off to my husband to decide. He decided on the Jotul, because it seemed simple to operate, and would be delivered into our house.

So, it arrived yesterday, and my thought today is, is this thing made in China, or what? The side burnplates are not attached (the insulation is exposed), and although one burnplate is wedged in, it's not in the correct place. The bottom of the stove has two different plates of iron, but one is higher than the other. Did it get dropped on the way from Nebraska? When I brought up some of the things I read online about the Jotul 602CB having problems with the way it was built (reviews I saw here), the salesman said they'd inspect it before I ever got it, so if something bad came in, I'd never even know it. So, I called him today and asked if they had inspected it. Well, no. Argh! I'm not much of a consumer, meaning I don't like buying things. And especially when I spend $900, I expect to get something radiating quality. Live and learn, I guess, but I surely hope this turns out all right.

carey
regretting she had not purchased the Drolet