Sir:
For the true self-sufficient survivalist the Tulikivi soapstone heater (with bake oven) [from Finland] is the supreme method of heating and cooking in a home. We replaced a dangerous old fireplace with a Tulikivi four years ago and admit they are very expensive, but worth every dollar. A two hour fire heats our wel- insulated 1,200 square foot home via one two hour fire per day. On very cold days…15F and below. We burn two shorter fires in the morning and evening of one and a half hours each. The wood savings over a conventional wood stove is approximately 50% and the even radiant heat is absorbed in the far corners of our home. The big bonus is that a we enjoy a fire from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m .in the evening and when we arise in the morning the house is usually a consistent 70F, even with at any outside temperature.
Our Tulikivi consists of 7,000 pounds of soapstone and is very fire manageable….you can adjust the warmth of your home in infinite values by controlling the burn times and quantities of wood. And the radiant heat eliminates the stuffy “hot air” of a conventional wood stove and the overheating of a dwelling. Some claim radiant heat provides a healthier climate. I don’t know about that but we haven’t had a cold or other illness in four years.
The bake oven is a joy to use. It works like a convection oven and bakes bread and roasts to perfection. We have baked pot roast, chicken, beans, etc… and the result is always better than a conventional oven. And cooking time is much shorter. The expense of $10,000 to $20,000 was daunting but we decided not to buy a new car and invest in the Tulikivi. It is estimated that they pay for themselves in ten years and then you have a working heirloom for life. What would a car be worth after ten years? This is not a sales pitch. We do not sell these units. But for someone who likes to cut wood and cook it is the cat’s meow. – Tom in Juneau, Alaska