5 reasons to buy wood-burning stoves online

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Gr8fires.co.uk is an online only wood-burning stove retailer. Here are a few of the ways that benefits you when you are shopping for a wood burner.

1. Get the best prices for wood-burning stoves
Buying a stove from a wood-burning stove company that sells exclusively online gives you access to the lowest prices.

It makes sense that a company without the overheads of running a shop can offer you better value than would otherwise be the case.

At Gr8Fires, we operate a price match promise to ensure that you always get the best deal.

2. Get more variety
The internet has more options that you could possibly hope to fit in a wood-burning stove showroom.

The extra variety gives you more choice and helps to ensure you get the stove that’s right for your home.

3. Quick price comparison
Shopping online for wood-burning stoves gives you the ability to quickly and easily shop around. Once you’ve found an appliance or a few appliances that you like, it is simple to compare the prices across different websites.

When you have found the best price for the stove you want – and in the unlikely event that it’s not already the price on our site – you can take advantage of the aforementioned price match promise.

4. Read customer reviews
See what people who have already bought your stove think about while you weigh up the options. Our star rating and written reviews make it easy to see how other customers have found their wood burner once it was installed.

Use the information to inform your decision as you choose the best stove for you.

5. Shop at your convenience
No petrol money, no parking, no hanging around at the shop, no hard sell, no closing hours.

Shopping for wood burners online means you browse all the information you need at your leisure, look at as many stoves as you like and then get in touch when you’ve got specific questions – all from the comfort of your own living room. We won’t even judge you if you’re shopping in your pyjamas.

Your stove will be posted to you free of charge on baskets over £300 and we offer a 14 day money back guarantee in case you change your mind.

Ready to browse now? Have a look at our current range of stoves.

An Elegant Black and Silver Dimplex Castillo Electric Fire Adds the Finishing Touch to a Living Room

The Dimplex Castillo Electric Fire in Barry’s Living Room

When Barry Turner decided to give his living room a dramatic new look with new furniture and an elegant black and silver colour scheme he knew that his old Burley electric fire would have to go. Having had it for around ten to fifteen years, Barry decided that not only was it high time for a complete top to toe front room make over but that his existing fire’s brass surround would not work with the new décor he had in mind.

Once his new living room was complete Barry set about choosing the finishing touch – a new fireplace for his home. And he knew exactly the person who would be able to assist him in making this important purchase: his daughter who he freely admits is the one with the ‘good taste’ when it comes to making changes to, and purchases for, their home.

“All in All, It Sold Itself to Us”

Barry and his daughter didn’t want the hassle of pounding the pavements so decided to  give the high street retailers and out of town showrooms a miss and immediately focused their search for a new electric fire online. As active eBay business users, who were indeed intending to pay for their fire with money earned from selling items on eBay, the first place they turned to was…you guessed it – eBay. However after much searching they found that the other sellers weren’t coming up with the goods and they couldn’t find anything that perfectly suited their new decoration.

After a little more surfing on the internet it wasn’t long before they came across the Gr8 Fires website and were delighted to find that not only were our prices beating the competition hands down but that we were stocking the exact fireplace they’d been looking for; the Dimplex Castillo Freestanding Electric Fire. The elegant Art Deco lines of the fireplace and its chrome and satin silver effect finish convinced them on sight that this was the fireplace for them. Not only that, but the fact that they knew and trusted Dimplex as a brand also meant that they were sure they were making a well informed choice by purchasing from a name they could trust.

“Absolutely Delighted – the Flame Effect is so Realistic”

Barry and his daughter were pleased that our user friendly site meant that purchasing the fire was so quick and easy and that delivery was exactly as promised with the delivery man taking the fire all the way into their front room ready to be installed. They found installation fast and trouble free too, although Barry did change the supplied black cable for a white one so that it blended in with his carpet (and his new colour scheme!) better. In keeping with the new design of their living room Barry and his daughter also opted for the white pebble fuel bed instead of coal as they ‘provide a stunning effect’ and are ‘much better and less messier than coal’. The white pebbles also look fantastic with their existing white plaster fireplace surround and the marble backing and hearth, as the above picture that they very kindly provided for us proves.

The natural fire effect you get from Dimplex Optiflame gives you a welcoming cosy glow

Barry also loves the soothing effect of the unique Optifame effect, especially as his old electric fire only had an unrealistic and unwelcoming electric bulb type glow. In fact Barry often uses the fire without having the heating on as he loves the glow so much and the coziness it brings to their living room on cold or dark evenings. The whole family agrees – including Jessie the dog – and they love nothing more than switching on the Optiflame effect and settling down for the night with a good book or in front of the TV. Barry even says that he finds his eyes drifting off from the programme he’s watching and towards the fireplace!

Easy to Use and a Great Price

Both father and daughter are more than happy with their new electric Dimplex fire. They remarked upon how the fire was simple to use and that considering the bargain, discounted price that we’re currently selling it at, they couldn’t be more pleased with its high quality appearance.

We have to say we agree because the beauty of this Dimplex electric fire is that thanks to the Optiflame effect and the stylish, natural white pebbles, you can enjoy the look of your fireplace all year round without having to have the heat on unnecessarily – making it perfect for use throughout the warmer summer months as well. Although having said that knowing our unpredictable British summer weather you never know when you might need the heating on too!

The Quest to Find the Perfect Small Stove for a Devonshire Bungalow

The Mazona Orlando 4.5kW Multi-Fuel Stove Small in Hilary and Anthony’s Living Room

When Hilary and Anthony Melton decided to install their very first stove in their Devon home they both admit to initially being a little in the dark and didn’t know where to start. Not only did they not know whether they wanted a wood burning or a multi fuel burning stove, but they weren’t sure of the type of design to go for either.

Not only that but because the Meltons live in a small bungalow, they had been told that they would only need a stove that had a maximum heat output of 4.5KW – something else that they hadn’t known. And who can blame them; how many of us would know exactly what we’re looking for when choosing a stove for the very first time!

The Meltons embarked on their quest to find the perfect stove for their home the traditional way: by hitting the high street. Hilary Melton says they spent many hours searching long and hard and high and low in local shops, stores and wholesalers that sell woodburners and multi fuel stoves. Unfortunately their search was ultimately fruitless as some shops didn’t sell stoves small enough to fit nicely in their chimney breast and others had stoves with a maximum heat output of just 4.5KW, and as the Meltons wanted to make sure their bungalow is efficiently heated and is warm and snug throughout our cold winters (and very often cold summers!) they wanted a stove that had a slightly higher heat output than this.

Searching the Internet for a Stove Can be Daunting for a First Timer!

Discouraged with their efforts, Anthony and Hilary gave up and retreated back to their bungalow where they decided they needed a Plan B. Despite neither of them being particularly internet savvy they decided that it was time to bring their search for a stove up to date and start browsing the web. Indeed, as Hilary says “…for someone who is new to this it all seemed a bit daunting!”

They needn’t have worried for they appeared to have rapidly got the hang of surfing the net and were soon trawling their way through site after site of companies who sell fireplaces and stoves. Unfortunately though, once again, their search hit a brick wall as they quite quickly found themselves staring in bewilderment at poorly organized, user unfriendly websites that seemed to be selling their stoves and fires at what appeared to the Meltons, after their extensive research, vastly inflated prices.

The price wasn’t the only problem they kept coming up against; the other issue was that none of these companies were very clear about stating which extra parts you would need in order to install your fire – such as flue liner kits. As Hilary says, most of these they had not budgeted for simply because they didn’t know about them.  So as the costs crept up and the Meltons were still no nearer to their dream of having a toasty, traditional stove adorning their chimney breast they may well have been feeling a little on the despondent side. But all was not lost…

I Came Upon the Site for GR8 Fires and it Grabbed us From the Start

Yes, good old Gr8 Fires saves the day yet again! Despite their initial reservations with using the internet and buying a stove online, both Hilary and Anthony were delighted to finally stumble across Gr8 Fire’s website, describing it as “a well-made website” which is “easy to use and easy to find the right stove at the right price”. The couple also liked the fact that “you can see all the fittings you may need and work out how much everything will cost there and then” – something our competitors are not so good at, it seems. Having finally found the stove of their dreams at a price they could afford, the Small Orlando 4.5kW Multi Fuel Stove by Mazona, the Meltons lost no time in purchasing it, along with a 6 Inch flexible flue liner kit.

With the cast iron Orlando stove duly ordered, Hilary started to worry about how they would get it from the delivery van on the road up to their house, but as she soon found out when it was delivered, she needn’t have worried as the Gr8 Fires driver simply put it on a trolley, and not only wheeled it up to the front door but carried it inside and placed it in their front room ready for the fitter.  As Hilary says “I thought service like that had died out in the sixties – how wrong you can be!”

We Wish We had Bought One Years Ago

Anthony and Hilary wasted no time in getting their new stove fitted – with even the fitter remarking that it was a great stove with fantastic features considering the low price – and they say that even with a small fire the heat output is fantastic. In fact their only regret is that they didn’t buy a Gr8 Fires stove years ago!

Best wood for wood burning stove fuel

Best wood for wood burning stove fuel

When it comes to wood-burning stoves, all woods are not equal. The type of wood you choose to burn can have a big impact on your experience.

The aesthetics, scent and sound of your stove can all be affected by the wood you use. But perhaps most importantly, the efficiency of your wood-burning stove will vary dramatically depending on your choice of fuel.

Ideally, you want to use a slow-burning wood. This will provide an even supply of heat over a sustained period. Holly, for instance, is a fast burning wood. Although it gives off good heat, it is more efficient to use something that burns slowly. Continue reading