The Wood Stove Accessories Blog

Product Features

    * 2.5-quart capacity
    * Highly polished 18/10 stainless-steel construction will not rust
    * Elegant zinc cast handle features a heat-resistant phenolic grip
    * Non-whistling S-shaped spout for drip-less pouring
    * 9-inch-wide base heats water quickly

Available at: Amazon – Click Here for Details

Product Description
Decorative and graceful, there’s no whistle to pierce your ears, just a slender S-shaped spout that pours without dripping. In concession to modern times, the zinc cast handle and lid know features a heat-resistant phenolic grip. Polished to a mirror finish, the 18/10 stainless steel will not rust and only needs a soft rub with a cloth to stay shiny. The 9-1/2-inch-high teakettle measures 9 inches across the bottom, providing greater heating surface and a quicker boil.

Helpful Amazon Customer Reviews

By T.C. (Lowell, MA)
“This is actually a great tea kettle! I bought it to replace a Pfaltzgraff that had basically rusted inside – who knew you shouldn’t leave water in a kettle

This does not have a whistle, which for me personally was great. I find kettles with whistles annoying. Oddly enough, you can actually “hear” when your water is boiling. When you turn the fire on under it, it makes a slight bubbling sound – then goes quiet once it reaches a boil.

It’s easy to keep it clean; pours very smoothly compared to my old kettle; and is a perfect size for a few cups of tea. My only peeve initially is that the handle does not rotate – it’s a fixed handle, but I got over it quickly enough.”

      
By C. L. Miller (Midwest)
“An excellent teakettle for the money. Holds 2.5 quarts, and has an opening large enough to get your hand into to dry and wash the inside. Directions do state not to allow water to stand in it for prolonged periods because it will rust over time. This isn’t a problem with the large opening. This one doesn’t have a whistle – and the handle stays cool to the touch. Easy to fill, easy to clean, and easy on the wallet. Good value overall.”

      
By A. Fischer (Sunnyvale, CA)
“I have had this teakettle for about 3 years, and it has been great! I like that there isn’t a whistle, it pours really nicely, has never dripped on me, and has a wide enough opening to get water in and a sponge when you want to clean it.

I’m now replacing it b/c I am a lazy kettle owner and have left water in it constantly so it’s getting rusty. It also sits out on my stove and grease and other stove ookiness has gotten all over the outside and it’s past the point of cleaning. That’s my own fault though, like I said I’m a lazy kettle owner and didn’t clean it like I should have.

Great kettle.”

Technorati Tags: stainless steel tea kettle, stainless teakettle, tea kettle

How to light wood pellets in a pellet basket with a gel firestarter in a wood stove or fireplace. Turn your existing wood stove or fireplace into a pellet stove. Great gift idea for fireplace accessories and wood pellets!

Duration : 0:0:46

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Technorati Tags: gel firestarter, pellet basket, wood pellet stove

According to R.J. Cohn, Editor of ruralnorthwest.com the owners of North Idaho Energy Logs are cranking out a whopping 100 tons of their eight-pound energy logs and 30 tons of wood pellets per day.

This company that started out small has gone from two log-making machines that were built in the 1920’s to a total of nine maching producing a half-ton of energy logs per hour per machine. Owners say that “Sales have been up for several years because home heating costs have soared,” and that “People are looking for an alternative.”

Tested extensively against other manufactured wood heating logs, Clark Fairchild, one of the owners said that pound-for-pound their logs burned twice as long as other manufactured logs.

“They also weigh eight pounds compared to others on the market that are five to six pounds in weight,” he said. “One eight-pound energy log contains 68,800 BTUs, and one unit of them has approximately 16 ½ million BTUs. It’s pretty hard to beat what they can put out in heat for the price.”

Log comparison tests done in both a conventional uncertified wood stove and a phase 2 certified wood stove also demonstrate what Fairchild is talking about. The high-density and low-moisture content of the North Idaho Energy Logs allows them to pack a whopping 8,600 BTUs per pound, which translates into some serious heat.

http://www.ruralnorthwest.com/artman/publish/article_8965.shtml

Manufactured Heating Logs

Technorati Tags: fireplace logs, Wood Stove Accessories

Many people are turning to wood burning stoves or inserts to save on heating costs this year.

If you are planning on getting a wood burning stove or fireplace insert remember some of the most important rules for safe and environmentally sound wood burning:

- Burn only well-seasoned wood and minimize the amount of soft woods (like pine and spruce).  Not only do unseasoned woods or other unsuitable materials create more creosote, they are also more polluting.

- It is best to burn wood that has dried for a full year.  Plan ahead not only for this years wood needs, but next years as well.

- When making a purchase, buy the most efficient wood burner you can afford. It will give you more heat per unit of wood and save both time and money in the long run.

- Don’t burn trash (especially plastic and vinyl). Trash gives off a number of unhealthy pollutants when burned, several of which are proven to cause cancer.

- Follow the manufacturers directions for lighting and running your wood burning stove or insert.  The manufacturer instructions will help you run your stove or insert as efficiently as possible.

Technorati Tags: seasoned wood, wood stove efficiency, wood stove safety

According to Ken Belson of the New York Times there are “Wood Wars” going on around the suburbs of New York City.

Tree trimmers for the utility company, that are used to scavengers in pickup trucks, are now seeing Mercedes-Benzes trailing their crews and loading logs into their (carefully lined) trunks.

Landscapers are also being pestered for the scrap branches they had to pay to dump just a few months ago. “People are desperate to look for ways to heat their homes cheaply.” said one arborist interview by Mr. Belson.

After a summer of high oil and gas prices, suburb dwellers around New York, and across the country, are going low-tech in hopes of reducing their energy bills this winter.

Shipments of pellet stoves, more than tripled in the first half of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007, according to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association; the going rate for a cord of wood is $225, up from $175 last year, and the price of pellets, usually made from compressed sawdust, which has been scarce because of a slowdown in homebuilding, is also up (some people also burn shelled corn, peanuts, cotton and even cherry or olive pits).

Homeowners, not just in rural areas but also in the suburbs, are scrounging for wood, getting permits to cut in parks, hitting up tree-cutting crews and striking deals with neighbors.

Wood and wood-burning heating stoves go through spasms of popularity whenever oil and gas prices shoot up, most recently in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. But this year’s run-up in prices was so rapid and sustained that people started planning for the coming winter not long after last winter’s snow melted.

Residential heating oil prices during the coming season are projected to increase 25 percent over last heating season, according to a forecast published on Tuesday by the Federal Energy Information Administration. Residential natural gas prices over the same period are projected to increase of about 17 percent.

With demand driving up prices for precut wood, many stove owners are taking to their neighborhood streets in search of free fuel.  Some towns try to prevent roadside scrounging by setting up wood-recycling depots. In Yorktown Heights, landscapers can dump their waste wood at a public works center. The town turns some of the wood into mulch, which residents grab to use in their gardens. They can also take as many of the remaining logs as they like, and lately, they have been disappearing faster and faster.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/nyregion/15wood.html?em

Technorati Tags: wood scrounging, Wood Stove Accessories, wood war