The Ideal Steel in black

[begreen]

Lorin and Ken at Woodstock were kind enough to whip me up a CAD drawing of the Ideal steel in plain black. The soapstone is exposed on the side, but it could be solid metal there if desired. It's still an industrial design, but I like it better in black. It reminds me of some older coal stoves, purpose built and serious about heat. The andirons are fleur de lis in this drawing, but they could be plain if desired. My wife doesn't approve of the look, but I hope this firebox soon migrates into more classic designs based on the same firebox. The tech behind this stove is fantastic. It's a trend setter for sure.

 

[BCC_Burner]

Interesting. I would love to learn more about the technology in it, but that's the first stove I've seen in awhile that makes me think, "wow, my NC-30 is one good looking stove."

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Thanks for posting that begreen. Some will like this for sure but certainly not all of us! In plain black, I simply do not like it at all. However, it would be okay for a work shop but not in my home.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Interesting. I would love to learn more about the technology in it, but that's the first stove I've seen in
awhile that makes me think, "wow, my NC-30 is one good looking stove."

http://blog.woodstove.com/

BCC_Burner, if you go to that blog, it really describes very well the stove and how it works. Hope this helps.

 

[BCC_Burner]

Thanks for the link BWS!

 

[begreen]

I'm definitely not pushing the all black theme. I just wanted to see it mono-colored and free of adornment. Black, or honey brown is the way most stoves have started out. It's a basic industrial look that will appeal to some, but of course not all.

 

[BCC_Burner]

It isn't so much the color as the overall design of the stove that doesn't "do it" for me. I'm saving my pennies for a Progress Hybrid, and the house I want to build around it.

 

[Tenn Dave]

Interesting. I would love to learn more about the technology in it, but that's the first stove I've seen in awhile that makes me think, "wow, my NC-30 is one good looking stove."

Yeah, this stove and some of the Blaze King models will never win beauty contests, but their performance is first class.........

 

[begreen]

I'll be curious to see how the burn times pencil out with this stove. If it can provide 12-16 hrs of good clean heat that will have a beauty of its own.

 

[Todd]

For me it would be a hard stove to purchase by pictures alone, I'd want to see it in person along with all the options.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

That is why you should have gone to DC Todd.

 

[BrowningBAR]

For me it would be a hard stove to purchase by pictures alone, I'd want to see it in person along with all the options.

I agree. The all black pics help a lot. It darkens the whole thing up so you don't see all the line art. The multicolored scheme made it seem noisy. And the two tone, light colored stove seemed unpleasant. The Defiant I have is flat black so it is a good comparison.

 

[BrotherBart]

Can't believe nobody has mentioned the hinged flop top on it. Quick servicing of the cat.

 

[Dave A.]

Hinged top? Hmm. Guess that rules out the ability to make it into an insert.

 

[weatherguy]

It isn't so much the color as the overall design of the stove that doesn't "do it" for me. I'm saving my pennies for a Progress Hybrid, and the house I want to build around it.

Me too, I think I'll switch out over the summer in time for next year's burning season. I like the idea of the new stove but the PH is a beauty and one hell of a heater.

 

[rdust]

I don't care what it looks like, although I do like the look of the stove. I think it looks like a stove should look. If it can burn low like my BK and has a bigger firebox I'd be willing to try it. I doubt it's going to be ember protection only for the hearth though. I have a feeling it looks better in person just the the BK stoves that people can't stomach.

Function over form any day of the week for me.

 

[binko]

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
Having said that, with all due respect to Tom and the Woodstock team, this is a look that only a mother could love.

 

[jeff_t]

I don't care what it looks like, although I do like the look of the stove. I think it looks like a stove should look. If it can burn low like my BK and has a bigger firebox I'd be willing to try it. I doubt it's going to be ember protection only for the hearth though. I have a feeling it looks better in person just the the BK stoves that people can't stomach.

Function over form any day of the week for me.

Ya, I think it looks fine

 

[firefighterjake]

I found the Fireview too ornate for my tastes.

I think this stove may be a top contender for the ugliest looking stove . . . after thinking that some of the Blaze King models had the lock on that title.

For my own tastes, I really like the look of the Progress H.

 

[bag of hammers]

Maybe expectations around the aesthetics are so high because Woodstock set the bar so high with their other stoves like the PH (which I think is one of the nicest looking stoves out there)...? I dunno - but I don't hate it - I could picture this stove sitting in one of those big old industrial loft conversions, for example, among the exposed brick, metal columns / beams, exposed duct work, etc. Or some other non-contemporary / rustic settings. Regardless of looks, I think it would cook me out of my place.

 

[begreen]

Can't believe nobody has mentioned the hinged flop top on it. Quick servicing of the cat.

I'm not a fan of this solution, but for this design, it would be very hard to service the cat otherwise. That said, a lot of stoves sit in basements. A clean, strong heater at $1500 can be industrial down there and bother no one.

 

[BrotherBart]

I want my welded steel stoves to have that top plate welded down to the stove body. For structural integrity if nothing else.

 

[kingquad]

I want my welded steel stoves to have that top plate welded down to the stove body. For structural integrity if nothing else.

Helps keep everything straight when you run them up to 900+

 

[BrotherBart]

Helps keep everything straight when you run them up to 900+

Or a thousand.

 

[webbie]

For me it would be a hard stove to purchase by pictures alone, I'd want to see it in person along with all the options.

You mean you want to see it "in stove".


So do they, I'm sure. We are really jumping the gun on this one. They are talking about possibly shipping in the spring/summer and who knows what it will look like and/or what options will be available?

As I've said a few times, I suspect this is the technology "prover" and in a few years we will see a range (well, maybe 3) stoves from them centered around the basics...heck, you might see a 100% cast iron one! Who knows? I doubt even they do!

The main point here is that stoves are moving up a notch in terms of efficiency and of "real world" design. We always lamented that the older EPA stoves were "designed to the test". I think the DC meetup as well as experience in the field with many of the newer stoves (BK, PE, Progress, etc.) show we are on to the Next Big Things.

This stuff actually (IMHO) brings American R&D ahead of most Euro designs when it comes to freestanding wood space heaters. They don't have the big homes to heat, so most of their clean designs don't have the burn times and larger boxes...

As I said at the panel in DC, I'm glad that my sunset years in this industry are seeing a new burst of innovation. Too much stuff is the same as it was 20, 30 and even 40 years ago.