Welcome to the boards. Some random thoughts this morning as I sip a cup of black coffee:
Stove body: You can go with soapstone, plate steel, or cast iron. Each has its pros and cons, of course. For example, soap stone might not have as high a sustained operating temp range as a plate steel, but soapstone is said to be a softer heat that last longer, as the stones hold heat for a long time. Cast iron and soapstone are generally prettier stoves, but one might argue that it's harder to damage a big plate steel box. But the bottom line is that there are good, reliable manufacturers for each type. Do your research, and pick the stove body that works best for you.
Combustion design: Today's modern, EPA certified stoves achieve their emissions requirements through one of two basic designs: a catalytic or non-catalytic secondary combustion system. The catalytic system works by passing wood smoke/volatile gases through a special ceramic honeycomb treated with special metals. This allows the smoke/volatile gases to combust (called secondary combustion) at around 500F. Catalytic stoves by reputable makers have a reputation for long burn times. The non-catalytic stoves achieve the same secondary combustion results, but they usually do so by using a baffle inside the top of the stove and the introduction of preheated, secondary combustion air via tubes just below the baffle. There is another non-cat design sometimes called a "downdraft" type stove (e.g., the Lopi Leyden by Travis Industries). I have no personal experience with this combustion design, but from what I've read here, it's a "fussier" design and seems to cause significant wear on the refractory package inside the stove. Read more about combustion designs here: (broken link removed to http://www.woodheat.org/technology/woodstoves.htm)
Fuel: Regardless of combustion design, today's stove work best with wood that is, on average, around 18-22% moisture content. Cat stoves might be argued to prefer the drier of the two, while a non-cat design MIGHT be a little more forgiving. But trust me, there is NO substitute for properly seasoned wood. This means that, (again, on AVERAGE), your wood has been cut, split, and stacked with sufficient wind and sun for around 12 months. Your particular climate will of course affect drying times, but one year is a good average. Some species require more or less. Soft woods like pine, in a hot, dry summer, can be ready in 6 months. Oak, on the other hand, really needs at least 18 months to begin to be ready. Be warned: sellers who advertise "seasoned" wood rarely have what is truly seasoned wood. If you don't have fuel, get it now, split it small.
Manufacturers: Just a quick few off the top of my head...Reliable soapstone makers include Hearthstone (non-cat stoves) and Woodstock (cat stove). Both make good, reliable, and gorgeous stoves. Reliable steel makers include: Travis (Lopi and Avalon), Quadrafire, Pacific Energy, England's Stove Works (Summer's Heat, Englander, and one more), and Blaze King (most popular for their king and princess catalytic models). The most noted cast iron stove here has to be the Jotul F500 Oslo. In my opinion, easily the nicest looking stove on the market, especially the blue/black enamel.
Chimney system: Perhaps two of the most important things here are getting the right sized diameter flue for your appliance to ensure proper draft and making sure it is the minimum height recommended by the manufacturer. If you want a masonry chimney for aesthetics, for example, consider having it lined with an insulated, stainless steel liner in addition to just traditional clay tiles. But today's stainless steel chimney systems from reliable manufacturers are literally designed to last decades. You can get great systems from: Selkirk, Hart & Cooley, ICC (Excel), and Simpson, for example. Just make sure you follow all installation instructions, obey all clearances, and don't mix pipe brands. Also, there are two types of "connector" or "stove" pipe: single and double walled. The single can radiate more heat into a room, but requires 18" CTC (clearance to combustibles); the double wall can have a 6" CTC, depending on your particular stove's final clearance requirements.
Heat type: You'll generally find that a stove leans one way or the other towards being either a radiant heater or a convective heater. Radiant stoves warm pretty much everything around them by radiating heat. They'll generally require a larger footprint due to needed higher clearances. Convection stoves are usually jacketed by a heat shield (like my Lopi Endeavor), and they heat more by pulling cold air in at the floor level and circulating it back into the room via "ducts" in the jacket around the stove body. Many jacketed stoves have low CTCs, but I highly recommend getting the optional blower if you want to get more heat out of your stove.
Further reading: Be sure to check out the Wood Stove Library section at Woodstock's site:
http://www.woodstove.com/ Also check out:
http://www.woodheat.org for good info. And last but certainly not least, be sure to check member Tom Oyen's valuable site at: (broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/library.htm)
