A simple guide
If you’re searching for a new stove, whether it’s your first stove, a replacement stove, or an additional stove in a different room, you will always be faced with the question; "should I buy a multi-fuel stove or a wood burning stove?"
There are a lot of similarities between these stoves, but being aware of the two types is essential.
We discuss the simple differences between the two types of stoves to keep things simple!
Wood Burning Stove
A wood burning stove is just that, it only burns wood logs. They are usually built with a flat base so that the ashes from the burning wood are collected and do not go into an ash-pan. Fresh logs are placed on top as wood burns better on a bed of ash.
Multi-Fuel Stoves
Multi-fuel stoves can burn a variety of materials including wood logs, peat/turf briquettes and smokeless fuels. These types of stoves are designed to burn all these different types of fuels as effectively as possible and are generally more efficient. Another design difference is that multi-fuel stoves have a riddling plate which collects ash. This is because smokeless fuels burn better raised with air drawn from underneath.
Your Choice
The are many factors to consider when choosing between the stoves, including whether you’re in a smokeless zone, the cost of installation for a wood burning stove vs a multi-fuel stove and if your conscious is pushing you to being more eco-friendly.
But a major consideration is to know what kind of fuel you wish to burn and whether you will have easy access to it. Local suppliers might not always be available, although online purchases of firewood is always available.
Finally, according to the Stove Industry Alliance (SIA), they found that people approximately 77% of people with a multi-fuel stove actually only burn wood. Burning wood in a multi-fuel stove isn’t as efficient as burning wood in a wood-burning stove. So consider your options carefully and decide what fuel you will be using.