Ceramic wood stoves

Masonry stove were traditionally clad in glazed ceramic tiles, hence the name ceramic stoves. Traditional and antique ceramic stoves (as pictured above) were often over 2m tall, and finished in ornate, coloured ceramic tiles (although some ceramic stoves were finished in plain white). The masonry body and ceramic tiles soaked up the heat from the fire, remaining warm long after the stove had gone out.

I can recall many many days spent in Eastern Europe trying to carefully identify and piece together the jumbled remains of a whole hoard of antique ceramic stove parts. This was a bit like assembling several ceramic stove puzzles, the pieces of which had all been thoroughly mixed together, and with no picture for a guide.

These days there is a wealth of different materials (sandstone, soapstone, shamotte) used to provide the thermal mass that enables these stoves to work efficiently, and to give the gentle, long lasting warmth associated with masonry stoves. New technologies and developments have not just improved the look and efficiency of ceramic stoves, with big airwashed windows, cleanburn, etc. This has also enabled these stoves to be sold at a much more affordable price. Traditionally ceramic and masonry stoves would be lit and then burnt at full blast to heat up the body of the stove. Modern cleanburn technology means that you can now keep your masonry stove running for longer without compromising efficiency. There are a growing selection of modern, wood burning, masonry stoves available, just visit our masonry stoves page to see some which we can offer.