Wood stove: 7 top products to heat your winter

It's October (2023, ed.), sometimes it almost still feels like summer (and who thinks of the wood stove in summer?), but we all know that autumn and winter will inexorably arrive. And with them, shorter days and colder temperatures. And again, sweaters, coats, warm clothing, soups, tea and herbal teas, blankets and duvets, home heating.
That's right. We are all preparing to light the stove and enjoy the right warmth inside our home.
How do you say? Not familiar with the world of stoves, especially wood stoves? Then this article is absolutely for you.

What is a stove?

Starting from the basics and not taking anything for granted, we can define the stove as a closed combustion chamber equipped with a specific air passage. This serves to fuel and regulate the combustion process which makes energy heat, which is the ultimate purpose for which we purchase this product.
We would like to specifically deal with the field of wood stoves, a "modern" evolution of the first and most natural heating system since the dawn of time: in fact, we will all remember that primitive people used wood by hand as a tool for lighting fire.
Often associated with the fireplace, the stove differs in its installation, normally free-standing and not built-in, and stands out for its practicality and flexibility of placement. The cost is also certainly lower in comparison; and depreciable in a shorter time.
Nowadays, pellet stoves, which use a fuel derived from wood, are also widely used. The choice between wood and pellets involves advantages and disadvantages on both sides which we will not examine here for the moment: our focus will be on wood stoves which are enjoying a formidable growth trend in recent years.

The main advantages of purchasing a wood stove

Having a wood stove at home really has many advantages. Here we list just a few of the most relevant.

• The fuel it requires, i.e. wood, has a low cost and above all is stable over time.
• The flame generated by natural wood is beautiful, alive, brilliant. As they say, “it creates an atmosphere”.
• In the event of an electrical blackout, the wood stove continues to function normally, therefore temporarily making up for the absence of heating from the radiator (or pellet stove, or floor) and also of light, since both require electricity to function.

All the most requested types of wood stoves

In this moment of growing demand for wood stoves, we want to highlight what users' main desires are. We therefore shine the spotlight on the most popular searches relating to this category.

• Wood stove with oven (and hob): it is immediately clear what the great value of this combined product is. In fact, with it you can heat domestic environments and cook meals, exploiting the potential of two distinct solutions inserted in a single device. This allows us to optimize and reduce the costs that would be recorded by using, for example, electric heating and gas hobs.
  
• Cast iron stove: in this case everything is based and centered on the material that makes up the structure, i.e. a very hard and resistant alloy of iron and carbon which is a good conductor of heat with a good thermal capacity. The temperature remains constant in the room using even just one load of wood per day. Furthermore, burning wood is clean, ecological and respectful of the environment, since only minimal carbon dioxide and water vapor are released. It goes without saying that the maintenance required is also very minimal and it will not be necessary to do anything else other than periodically emptying the ash drawer.
  
• Small wood stove: both for space needs and sometimes for cost reasons, people are often and increasingly looking for a small-sized heating element that is able to carry out its heating job very well without spending a fortune and without giving up to spaces. Efficiency is not lacking in these compact but functional products suitable for covering a not too large surface area, in the wake of increasingly optimized research in the management of one's living environment with a view to saving space.
  
• Wood stove without flue: the thought of not having a space like that of the flue in the house and of not having to drill and cross excessively our home walls with invasive installations, lately leads us to also consider the option of a wood stove which does not require a chimney. Thanks to the sole use of an 8 cm drain pipe equipped with a terminal mushroom, you don't even need to resort to signed authorizations if you live in a condominium. Truly unparalleled convenience!
  
• Ducted or ventilated stove: here is the most suitable solution for heating the whole house with a single device. As? Thanks to fans placed inside the stove which spread the heat evenly, optimizing its thermal efficiency. This also translates into greater yield with less use of fuel (wood). Another advantage is their silence as well as a very reduced depth to be able to decide to place the heat source really anywhere.
  
• Hydro wood stove or thermo stove: double savings are achieved with a stove that not only carries out its natural heating function, but also produces domestic hot water which can be used for the operation of radiators or underfloor heating, if not used even for kitchen and bathroom taps.

The most common doubts about wood stoves

Like any device with mechanical operating specifications, this product category also brings with it apparently simple questions whose answers are sometimes elusive. Let's discover the most asked questions together.

1. How to know how many stars the wood stove has?

Very simply, the number of stars is reported on the Environmental Certificate, a certified document issued by the stove manufacturer and mandatory for all systems for several years now. The responsible body Aria Pulita aims to recognize products that focus on lower emissions, high yields and lower costs.
The classification ranges from 1 to 5 and the most sought-after wood stove has 5 stars: the guarantee of dust emissions reduced by 80% compared to 1-star appliances reigns supreme.

2. When can you light the wood stove?

Since 2006 it is necessary to comply with an important regional law which has imposed restrictions and bans on the use of the stove with this fuel for some Italian areas. The regions affected are Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, due to the high concentration of pollutants already present in the air.
To avoid incurring more or less heavy fines, it is essential to have stoves with at least 4 stars.

3. How to light the wood stove?

It might seem like a banal action, but until you do it and acquire automatism, nothing should be taken for granted.
Let's start with what is needed materially speaking: obviously wood (mixed, i.e. medium logs and smaller pieces), firelighters (the "famous" Italian "diavolina"), fireproof gloves (at least until you get used to it) and poker, shovel and pliers.

We then carry out a couple of quick pre-ignition checks: the flue must be clear and the combustion chamber clean.

We start with the wood loading phase: we form a sort of pyramid by placing the largest pieces at the base and then, above them, strips, twigs and small pieces. It is a good idea to stack them "crosswise" so as to let the air pass through, so that it can fuel the fire we will light.
Important precaution: the wood that we insert inside the combustion chamber must be dry and dry.

It's the big moment! Let's arm ourselves with a lighter, match or gas lighter and light the firelighter. We remain under observation until the flame has affected the first pieces and we close the combustion chamber. Let's pause for a moment longer to see the evolution of the flame and start enjoying the warmth of the house.

4. How to clean the glass of the wood stove?

This operation is very simple to put into practice and with minimal daily effort it will allow us to enjoy the priceless and relaxing spectacle of a live and crackling flame (as well as allowing us to always have a clear vision of its state).
It is sufficient to equip yourself with a cloth moistened with hot water and "dirtied" with ash (it has degreasing power!) and pass it over the glass. The magic is done in a few seconds!

5. How much does a wood stove cost?

There is no exact answer to this question. You can start from a very economical solution with 200 euros and you can spend a few thousand euros on more complex heating systems.
The price can be determined by several variables, including the operating mechanics, the stove's production material and environmental certification.

The most widespread, sought after and sold brand: Nordica

Nordica is a guarantee and creates increasingly innovative, efficient and advanced products, from all points of view. No longer stoves that only fulfill their main role, that is, heating, but also devices that can fit in and integrate with style within the furnishings already present within the walls of more or less modern homes.
Nordica also dedicates space, time and investments to aim to have a catalog of increasingly certified 3, 4 and 5 star models, respecting the environment by giving the possibility of accessing the Thermal Account incentives.

The best-selling wood stoves

Below we present the 3 most coveted products so that we can give you an idea of which have been the most recurring purchases by other users and consumers like you.

Wood stoves available for immediate shipment

Over the last winter seasons we have all known the difficulty in supplying these products. Producers have been brought to their knees by the long timescales required to have the materials needed for the production department at home.
We therefore know perfectly well the need to be able to have a product at home quickly. So here are our proposals for immediate shipping!

Ora tocca solo a voi fare l'ultimo passo e scegliere la stufa a legna più adatta alle vostre esigenze!