ESSE LIGHTHEART WOOD BURNING COOK STOVE

The Esse Lightheart compact wood fired cook stove is the very latest in a long line of range cookers from Britain’s oldest stove maker. We’re pleased to say that Esse’s 170 year old heritage is in evidence everywhere in the British made Lightheart from its industrial chic design lines and user-friendly operation to its supreme practicality and heavyweight cast iron and steel construction. As you’d expect from a modern Ecodesign stove the Esse Lightheart excels at minimising emissions too. All in all it really is a quality piece of kit that will make a wonderful addition to any home. Even if you already have a fully functioning kitchen the Lightheart will offer you some spare cooking / warming capacity, for example when placed in a suitable inglenook, or if you are simply looking for the perfect off-grid cooking and heating solution for a log cabin, shepherd hut or yurt. Either way the Esse Lightheart cook stove’s versatility has a lot offer.

The Lightheart is effectively a scaled down version of Esse’s best selling Ironheart range cooker (as seen on TV’s River Cottage). It will deliver a controllable 4.6kW heat output to the living space and will provide 47 litres of hot oven (180oC) within 60 minutes from a cold standing

start. With the Lightheart you also get a cleverly designed stainless steel one-piece ‘dog bone’ hot plate set within the 700mm x 500mm (27.5” x 19.5”) thick steel top. This has two distinctive interlinked 260mm (10.2”) diameter ‘rings’ with a cooking temperature range of up to 220oC on the left hand ring placed on top of the fire chamber making it ideal for most types of cooking. The right hand ring set above the oven can achieves temperatures of up to 120oC and will best lend itself for simmering and slow cooking.

An A+ rated efficiency of 81% ensures that the Esse Lightheart will also be very economic to run as an every day stove. In terms of ease of operation it has just one geared air slider control set above the fire chamber door to precisely manage the fire’s burn rate, the oven and hotplate temperature and the fuel consumption. An integral temperature gauge set within the cast iron oven door will allow you to monitor baking and roasting process while the newly designed firebox with its good-sized window provides a great view of the fire and will easily handle seasoned logs of up to 200mm (8”) long.

ALSO WORTH CONSIDERING...

You should also check out the slightly more expensive British made Charnwood Haven which is slightly wider and taller and also offers greater efficiency. For the extra money you also get direct external air supply, a choice of high leg or store stand base, a rear shelf (which the Lightheart doesn’t need) and a choice of two colours. It produces 6.6kW heat output which is not always a great idea if you’re planning on putting your cook stove in a small space or temporary structure like a shepherd hut. Also worth considering is the popular Defra approved 4.5kW Salamander Little Range Cook Stove which packs an impressively big punch for its size.

ESSE LIGHTHEART FEATURES

• Scaled down version of the best selling Esse Ironheart
• A+ rated 81% efficiency for cost effective operation
• Ideal for smaller living spaces as well as shepherd huts, yurts and cabins
• Robust traditional premium quality steel and cast iron construction
• Low emissions clean burning operation
• Simple geared air control for precise heat and fuel management
• Powerful airwash system to jeep the glass clear
• Precisely controlled 4.6kW nominal heat output
• Handles 200mm (8”) seasoned logs
• Oven capacity 47 litres with one wire shelf and three positions
• Integrated temperature gauge
• ESSE’s signature ‘dog bone hotplate’ with boiling and simmering ‘rings’
• 5 year warranty