Wood burning stoves have been in use since as early as the eighteenth century. They became extremely popular during the nineteenth century and even now they are in great demand. In the earliest stoves earthenware tiles were used for protection. They were often beautifully decorated and were employed in some of the greatest palaces of Europe during the middle ages.
Ceramic at that time was popular for use as the material from which to fashion wood burning stoves from. Even up to the twentieth century the use of ceramic was prevalent in the construction of the wood burning stoves even those with an iron firebox. The ceramic stoves were able to absorb large quantities of heat and release that heat over a long period of time.
Later, after cast iron was found to work very effectively in the stoves it became the popular material for building the wood burning stoves. It tended to offer many advantages over the ceramic versions. Cast iron is a very strong material and the stoves which are built from it are actually quite durable. Many of the cast iron stoves from over a century ago are still functional and in a very good condition. Most of the antique wood burning stoves were made of cast iron.
Cast iron can easily sustain very high temperatures without being damaged and it is a good conductor of heat. The stoves are usually made from plates which are bolted together. If a part is damaged, it can be quickly replaced. It also allows the stove to be designed in various ways and ornamented as one desires. As you can readily see the stoves were more than a mere source of heat the wood burning stove made of cast iron represented a beautiful piece of furniture and occupied a place of pride in whichever room it was kept in. Even today these stoves are in big demand by collectors. By the end of the nineteenth century the cast iron stoves began being manufactured in various enamel colors.
Modern manufacturing methods dictate that there are mainly three materials which are popular in the construction of modern wood burning stoves - steel, cast iron and soapstone. Steel is a very good conductor of heat and is suitable for large rooms and basements where it quickly starts radiating heat after being started. Soapstone on the other hand takes a long time to heat up and keeps on radiating heat for a considerable amount of time after being turned off. Cast iron lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
Wood burning stoves have revived their popularity because they look beautiful and are very cost effective and reliable as compared to gas, oil or electric stoves.
I found that most of wood stoves in the market are cast iron stoves, they are great just like you mentioned above, nice look, efficiently, economic, but I heard somebody said that cast iron wood burning stoves are easily broken up because repeated cooling and heating, I don't know whether it is true.
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