Cast iron is traditionally the material stoves have always been made of. Wood burning stoves and multi-fuel stoves are cast in various pieces and then bolted together. This process uses a great deal of material, making the stoves very heavy and prone to air leaking into the stove from many joins making it less controllable.
However, it is very easy to put patterns and designs into Cast Iron, and this enabled ornate patterned Stoves to be made.
With the stoves being made of so much metal, they take a long time to heat up and conversely act a bit like a storage heater when the stove goes out giving heat out for some time onwards. They are also very durable. They last a long time and only tend to crack if they are subjected to thermal shock (heating too quickly or a very hot bit of fire in one part of the stove when the rest of the stove is cold). This is a very rare occurrence.
Steel wood-burning and multi-fuel stoves used to be seen as the poor relation to cast iron stoves. They would buckle and the welds were unreliable, but not anymore. Steel stoves now outsell cast iron stoves by vast numbers. The quality of the steel has improved and so has the welding as it is now done by robots. This makes steel stoves very airtight compared to cast iron stoves, giving the user greater control over the burn rate of the fire.
They also heat up much more quickly than cast iron stoves do as they contain a lot less metal, but conversely, they cool down quickly when the fire goes out. Steel stoves tend to have cleaner lines and are more contemporary than their cast Iron cousin and many steel stoves have cast iron doors for extra decoration.
So what is the best to buy?
I have been selling and using steel and cast iron stoves for over 25 years and I recommend choosing the one you like the look of best. They all last as long, so the view from your sofa is the most important criteria. Stove manufactures won’t like me saying this but most stoves made today are very, very good. Some foreign stoves are a pain for spares and some are a poor copy of other manufactures designs, but if you steer clear from those you should be fine.
The best place to buy your Stove is a high street retailer as they have to deal with callbacks and complaints and it is, therefore, unlikely that they will sell you a stove which is going to cause you trouble.
Always use a HETAS fitter. Remember this is a bomb fire in your living room.
Just call 01228 547098 for any help and advice.