Non-Cat Cast Iron Stove Deliberations

[moontulip]

We're looking to put in a wood stove in our house and have gone back and forth on options so many times, and it seems to only get more complicated the closer we (hopefully) get to a decision.

We live in a 1300 square foot house in WNC, so winters can get chilly but not like up north. We have an HVAC system so the wood stove will be an alternate heat source for ambiance, affordability, and disaster preparedness (we're not hardcore preppers but tropical storm Helene was quite an eye-opener). We'll probably have to run stove or HVAC but not both at the same time, since the thermostat will be close enough to the stove that it will temp higher than the farther rooms of the house. The house is one level and the wood stove would be in a middle room, so we'll need some fans to blow hot air into more distal rooms.

Why non-cat? We'd love the efficiency and almost got a Blaze King Ashford or a Jotul Holliday, but we don't want to rely on replacing a part regularly that could become unavailable in a disaster scenario or much more expensive with shifts in global trade. I also do want to see flames much of the time as part of the ambiance factor.

Why cast iron? I've heard it's much better and also cast iron will have less off-gassing? We'll have a baby in the house soon so want good air quality. I'm willing to be argued out of cast iron preference! AHowever, I very much dislike the look of a stove with a pedestal. We do also want to be able to cook on the stove with a skillet or pot. Before I realized they were steel, I was considering a Regency F2450, Osburn 1700, or PE Super 27.

It seems like the Alderlea T5 or the Green Mountain 60 are our best options that I can see. Or maybe a Lynwood W76. I'd love a Jotul, but the Rockwood 35 is rated to 1200 square feet and may not be quite big enough for our space, and all the rest of their stoves are too small or catalytic. I feel like I've read of lots of people having issues with their Green Mountain stoves, in terms of drafting and just being a more finicky stove. I'm not a total beginner, but my experience just reinforces that a good and easy woodstove is the best kind!

Also we considered a Drolet Columbia II but the emissions were really disappointingly high at 2.8g/hr, whereas the other models I've considered were twice as clean.

I'd be so grateful for any input you can give about the Alderlea T5 vs Green Mountain 60 vs Lynwood W76, or other ideas that we haven't considered.

 

[begreen]

The Green Mountain 60 is a catalytic hybrid stove. I don't know anything about the Amantii Lynwood W76. It's a newcomer from primarily an electric stove company. If parts are a concern, I would stick with the Alderlea T5 with the larger firebox and N/S loading. Note that the T5 is a steel stove at heart with a cast iron outer jacket. Best of both worlds.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

You mentioned the Regency 2450 above. I have this stove and can’t say enough about it. I know it’s a steel stove, but I give it high marks.

 

[begreen]

I had to do a little research but found that the Lynwood W76 is the same as the SBI/Drolet Cape Town 1800 which is made by Dovre. Dovre is a very good Belgian foundry. It looks like a pretty efficient burner too. I think Drolet has now stopped selling it.

 

[EbS-P]

I had to do a little research but found that the Lynwood W76 is the same as the SBI/Drolet Cape Town 1800 which is made by Dovre. Dovre is a very good Belgian foundry. It looks like a pretty efficient burner too. I think Drolet has now stopped selling it.

Future Availability for the factory panels would be a concern of mine

 

[begreen]

Future Availability for the factory panels would be a concern of mine

Yes, I had the same thought.

 

[Todd]

Not many non cat cast iron stoves out there. Out of your choices I’d pick the PE. Morso has a couple options but may be too small.

 

[OffGridICF]

We have a Kuma Tamarack non-cat stove that was present in the house when we bought it 8 years ago. We've been very happy with it. Ours is on a pedestal with an ash drawer. The ash drawer can be opened a little for a few minutes to aid in lighting the stove. It is also easy to rake the ashes through the grate into the ash drawer to be carried out with minimal ash in the house. You can get the same stove on legs if you prefer. It has a flat top that steps up a little to the chimney. We have cooked soups and stews on it using canning rings as spacers to moderate the heat. It is not a cast iron stove.

We are building a new house and purchased a La Nordica America cook stove for backup heat (primary is a wood-fired boiler) and limited cooking. It is fine for cooking but not good as a primary heat source. It is more difficult to light than the Kuma and smoke tends to roll out when loading more wood. Cook stoves do not need to meet the same emissions requirements and will be less efficient. It feels like it takes a lot more wood due to the lower efficiency. The Kuma does a much better job of heating with less wood.

 

[begreen]

There shouldn't be smoke-rollout with sufficient draft. Is the oven bypass opened first?