By Julian Patrick
Are you thinking of buying a Clearview stove? Are Clearview Stoves the best of the best?
There are certain brands that people migrate toward when money is abundant. “What’s the best?”, they ask. “What do all the other wealthy people have?” Not necessarily a bad strategy – saves research time and there has to be a good reason all the posh people have them? I bought a pair of posh wellies and they leaked within the year – turns out production moved to China - so blindly following the pack does not always work.
Clearview stoves is that “premier” brand in the stove world and the Clearview Pioneer 400 is their flagship stove. Step into the stereotypical, affluent home and you will likely find Aga and Clearview mixing it with Land Rover, aforementioned Hunter wellies and Farrow and Ball.
I have fitted a few Clearview Pioneer 400 stoves, three for the same customer (obviously a fan and, yes, we had the same wellies) and if I fitted down South I might have fitted a few more.
The Pioneer 400 is indeed a good solid stove; heavy, well-made and British: buy a Clearview stove and you’ll likely have many years of use and be very happy with it.
So what’s not to like? Well I am a little disappointed that the Clearview range (at the time of writing April 2017) has stayed pretty much the same for many years, no new models, no new innovations. The Clearview Pioneer 400 is the same as it ever was. At the time of writing (25 Jan 2019) Clearview Stoves are not Ecodesign Ready. Any stove not Ecodesign ready will be banned from sale following 2022.
At the same time the stove market has moved on, firebox sizes have increased, viewing windows have increased in size (widescreen proportions on some models) and there have been some gorgeous and often understated aesthetics. The more “traditional” (old fashioned?) models are gathering dust at the rear of showrooms.
On their website Clearview give some good reasons to buy a Clearview stove:
Anyway, I think you are catching my drift. The Clearview Pioneer 400 is a fine stove, solid, well built and, should one appreciated the more traditional styling, desirable. It is also very expensive. But if you want the Clearview badge then you are going to have to pay for it.
Here is somebody else with similar views:
We did not choose this stove as is usually the case - this stove was chosen by our customers. We added the Heta Inspire to our site following a particularly high demand for quotes for the stove from our customers, despite the fact that it was not on our website - this being a sure sign that a stove is a potential winner :-)
"When you unwrap it you will understand. When you light it you will understand. Some things are worth spending a little more on and we have yet to find a finer contemporary wood burning stove on the market".
Multi fuel kit available for this stove.
Low, High-leg and log-store versions available.
"I think the Aste and Ivar are the best 5kW wood burning stoves available on the market today."
- Julian Patrick, Author of The Stovefitter's Manual.
Using the same chassis as the superb DG Ivar 5 the Aste has a slightly retro, traditional appeal. Simply beautiful.
Huge viewing area.
Multi fuel kit available for this stove.
I think the Aste and Ivar are the best 5kW wood burning stoves available on the market today.
Julian Patrick, Author of The Stovefitter's Manual.
We did not choose this stove as is usually the case - this stove was chosen by our customers. We added the Heta Inspire to our site following a particularly high demand for quotes for the stove from our customers, despite the fact that it was not on our website - this being a sure sign that a stove is a potential winner :-)
"When you unwrap it you will understand. When you light it you will understand. Some things are worth spending a little more on and we have yet to find a finer contemporary wood burning stove on the market".
Multi fuel kit available for this stove.
Low, High-leg and log-store versions available.
"I think the Aste and Ivar are the best 5kW wood burning stoves available on the market today."
- Julian Patrick, Author of The Stovefitter's Manual.
Using the same chassis as the superb DG Ivar 5 the Aste has a slightly retro, traditional appeal. Simply beautiful.
Huge viewing area.
Multi fuel kit available for this stove.
I think the Aste and Ivar are the best 5kW wood burning stoves available on the market today.
Julian Patrick, Author of The Stovefitter's Manual.
The stove above is the DG Ivar 8
These differences leads to different fire and heat characteristics.
My mother-in-law's new Ivar 5 is in an old chimney recess, in a sitting room - an ideal situation given the Ivar's superior flame view and front heat characteristics.
Our Pioneer is free standing in a working country kitchen - again an ideal situation given the Pioneer's top heat and more rugged characteristics.
Our conclusion is that the Ivar 5 is a top quality stove at a competitive price.
Julian Patrick is the author of The Stovefitter's Manual and an experienced wood burning stove installer (including solid fuel heating systems).
Laid down tools in 2013 to write The Stove Fitter's Manual and open a small shop in North Wales (the Wood Stove Hut). Launched Stovefitter's Warehouse soon after due to fast growth of sales.
Own stove is a DG Ivar 5.
Already have a chimney? You need 1. Stove 2. Liner 3. Fitting Pack 4. Chimney closure plate (Hardiebacker board from Builder's merchants or galvanised sheet).That's it!
No chimney? Check out our shed kits or let us design your clip-together chimney design - easy peasy.
Stovefitter's Warehouse is owned and managed by Julian Patrick, blogger and author of The Stove Fitter's Manual. Julian was previously a full-time installer of wood-burning stoves (including solid fuel heating systems). He laid down the tools in 2013 to write his stove manual and open a small shop in North Wales (the Wood Stove Hut, soon to grow into The Stovefitter's Warehouse).
