Off-Grid Flame View Cookstove Review

[@jackiesanders489]

I'm an 81 yearold male Ozark hill billy and grew up with wood cook stoves, Grandma even hatched eggs in the warmer, her stove had a foot warmer on the bottom left side and i can still see grandpa sitting with his feet on the warmer and his coffee cup and saucer sipping his coffee from the saucer on cold mornings.

[@awildernesscalling47]

Wow, love the old memories! We are feeling such a blessing in getting back to some of the old ways. One of our favorite things in the winter is sitting in front of our crackling fire with a hot drink in hand. Hard to believe how many simple pleasures have been lost in the current society. Thank you for sharing!

[@jackiesanders489]

@@awildernesscalling47 i'm the eldest left in our clan and i often post my memories of the clan oldies on our family clan page, i also host a yearly campout on the Current river for the clan, this year was year 35 in a row.

[@dellalderman8011]

My grandpa did the same thing with the saucer. Hmmmmmmmm

[@denislosieroutdoors]

Thank you so much for the review I'm in New Brunswick 🇨🇦 working on my off grid cabin glad I can get a good canadian make cook stove going to research this company and keep an eye out for one... thanks for sharing there eh!

[@kmhtaylor]

I have the same stove with the flipped firebox, meaning our firebox is on the other side. I was worried about the 'Puffs-O-Smoke' but if you make sure the oven selector is closed when you open the firebox door, open the vents, there are no issues! I love my stove! Way better than electric forced air!

[@ericbilliter3354]

We've had our Flame View for 10 years now & love it!

[@xendarcodm]

Amen, beautiful Bible and life style. We recently moved to a country house that is old and has 3 chimneys. One is in the kitchen for a stove of this style. We can’t quite afford it right now but I watch these videos and dream.

[@awildernesscalling47]

Thank you for your encouraging words. Like you, we are slowly building up our homestead as our means allow. This stove was purchased used, watch out for a good used airtight cookstove 😁

[@annerogal5690]

I have this stove as well. I hear you on the puffs of smoke from time to time. However, I have no problem keeping a fire and having good coals in the morning. When I open the stove I first open the draft on the stove pipe, then flip the handle to the right, and slide the other little slide to the right as well to open it. Then I wait a moment till the fire flares up and open the door just a crack to get the draw coming in through the door and up the chimney. Then I do whatever needs doing, scraping the coals around to let the ash fall down through into the ash pans. I am using hardwood that I get cut and split and try to keep a year ahead. I get the wood cut to only a foot long so that I can put it in the firebox front to back instead of the long way, because I found that when I built the fire that way, the logs might roll down against the door and make it hard to open the door without having things falling out. Also, with the shorter wood I can build the main fire at one side of the firebox and stand up the next logs I will burn over at the other side. This works really well for me. Once I get the fire going I always burn it wide open for ten or fifteen minutes first thing in the morning and then again probably when I am getting ready to start cooking supper. This fast burn cooks off any creosote which might have gummed up on things if your wood is not fully dry. Doing it frequently reduces the risk of chimney fire and lets the flaky stuff just fall down. Then I close all the drafts down as that way the fire burns more slowly and gives the most heat. I only flip the thing that controls whether the smoke goes directly up the chimney or all the way around the oven to the directly up the chimney direction, to the right, when I want a quick fire for a few minutes while cooking. Otherwise you will burn your wood up instead of getting that good bed of coals you want to carry the fire overnight. If you are burning softwood it is really pretty near impossible to hold a fire overnight but I have been heating with this stove for about fifteen years and have always been able to keep a fire overnight. The other thing you didn’t show when you were doing the clean out video is the little hatch below the oven. When you pull out the drawer you can see a little plate fitted in to the upper edge of the stove just above the drawer opening. You want to pull that drawer out and get something like a little loaf pan to place under the opening, then just lift that little plate up and out of the way. Use the same tool that you are using to scrape the ashes off the top of the oven to go in all along the floor under the oven and scrape all that is in there, ashes and if damp wood, flaky creosote out into the pan and dispose of it. You might do that every couple of weeks through the heating season. It makes a big difference in how well the stove draws. Glad you are happy with your stove and I hope when you get the water jacket set up and running you will let us know how that works for you. Another good video would be one showing how to change the firebricks inside the firebox. Hope your cornbread turned out just right!

[@Noniinthebush]

Wow I’ve never seen one with the fire box like that. That is so awesome that you can actually see the fire 🔥 love that stove!

[@TheForever1990]

Keep in mind that I've only used it for a couple weeks, that being said, so far so good kzbin.infoUgkxAU9pOCSV9Y5JprooHvfxTpOrt4hx8uRM . Using it at 8 ft. by 8ft. deer blind that is insulated. I have to keep the door cracked for it to get enough air to burn, but that is very likely the wood I've used. Much better quality than I expected for the price. Now if I can just take it easy in the beginning it won't be 90 degrees in my blind. All in all it seems like a keeper.

[@oldplaner]

We bought a Flameview wood cookstove last September and ran it most every day here in the north Okanagan from October til mid April burning mostly Douglas Fir and when it got down around minus 10 we used more Birch. We had a chimney sweep come and inspect today and there was no creosote, just ash in the chimney. He had never seen one before but liked what he saw. We have enjoyed cooking on it and have cooked many meals big and small with it. The warming oven is handy for keeping food warm while making large meals and as you mentioned it's great for drying and dehydrating. I enjoyed your video and look forward to more, Thanks

[@awildernesscalling47]

oldplaner glad to hear you are happy with your FlameView after a year of steady use! We had been using a propane camp stove for a few years here, and it felt like a luxury to cook on this stove once we got it installed last December! Any idea where you can buy firebricks for these stoves? (We do some of our shopping in the Okanagan.) Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@oldplaner]

@@awildernesscalling47 They are a common brick and they were avail at Home Depot last year. I wanted to mention too, in your video I think you mentioned flipping the lever when you are not baking to send the smoke up the pipe instead of around the oven. We leave ours circulating all the time except when we first light the stove until the fire gets some coals.This way it's always ready to bake and plus we retain far more heat for our house as the whole stove acts as a large heat sink.(unless it cooks you out of the cabin) Anyway, I'm glad to see others cooking with wood . We'll look forward to more vids.- Paul

[@awildernesscalling47]

oldplaner, thank you for the advice on the lever for baking! Maybe I’ll be baking more often with the oven prepped all the time 😁

[@rickiejones707]

I have seen some really negative youtube reviews about the flameview by one vendor. I totally love the look of the margin stove as Margin stoves look as if they were made to go in a kitchen rather than a warehouse which is how some of the other stoves look to me. However, I know that functionality is the objective and not so much the looks. What can you tell me about this stove? Does it smoke? Was it difficult to assemble it once you got it home? How many times have you had to change the firebrick? Do you have trouble with smoke leakage? Please give me as much information as you can I would greatly appreciate it!!

[@oldplaner]

@@awildernesscalling47 Another tip we found usefull is a rectangle pizza stone that we used to use in our electric oven to bake sourdough bread, we recently used it in the Flameview and I left it in there and found it provides a good bottom heat for casseroles and apple crisp and the top is always browned nicely by the stove anyway.

[@paulcaskey]

Thanks for sharing! (Sleepy dog made me smile.)

[@awildernesscalling47]

Paul Caskey, thanks! Yes our lab is a pretty special part of our homestead family! She loves to sleep by the crackling stove in the winter months.

[@dianeguetterman8932]

Thanks for the video. I'm always fascinated with wood stoves. I hope you make more videos. I love your stove and your rustic home.

[@awildernesscalling47]

Thank you Diane! Before we went off-grid we were watching every homesteading video we could find, so we’re trying to return the favor. We’re a little slow to get more videos up but hope to have more up very soon! Glad you enjoyed.

[@shikarisahib6054]

Had the smaller version without the oven.Best stove I ever owned.

[@grather1]

We own a flame view as well. The lever on the top isn’t necessarily just if you want to bake. It circulates smoke through the whole stove. So while starting the stove it’s essential to have it flipped to the right. Since the stove has to be nice and warm in order for the draft to pull it all the way around the oven. It’s a good stove overall, it heats our house and we bake in it. It also has the weakest draft of any stove I’ve used. Even with the driest wood it would try to smoke as you open the door.

[@awildernesscalling47]

Thank you for the info. We have found the same thing. The draft is bad, and it does smoke when we open the door. I think I forgot to be clear about that in the video. We did recently add a length of stove pipe to the top of our chimney and that had helped the draft issue a bit.

[@grather1]

@@awildernesscalling47 there is also a collar you can buy that heats the pipe up for better drafts. But that requires the use of power. Not so good for off grid situations. After having examined the stove thoroughly I’m still not sure why it doesn’t draw as well as others I’ve used. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@awildernesscalling47]

@@grather1 yes, you are right, the collar you mentioned wouldn’t work well in our situation, but interesting! Would work for some people for sure.

[@terryoverstreet7497]

In the past most wood and coal stoves were bolt together for shipping and moving. After assembly the seams where cemented over on the inside. Most good stove supply companies sell stove cement and will ship to you. It is simple to do and will address most your negatives. It will help your overnight burn. Also separate your woods and use a slow burn verity for your night burn. In the morning start with variety that burns hat and fast to bring your stove to full operating temp. There are a lot of posters and articles on line describing wood species burn qualities. I used to watch my Grand mother with her's and it was a beautiful coordinated dance all day. warm the cabin and heat the coffee ..rising dough in the warmer and baking. Every frontier wife set the pace of her stove to tailor to her family.

[@awildernesscalling47]

I know what you mean about your Grandma’s dance through the day with her stove. The function of our stove is so far beyond simply cooking and baking. We love having a cookstove that warms our house as well. We will have to look into the possibility of the stove cement you mentioned. Thank you 😊

[@peterwright4647]

Our old farm cook stove also had a water reservoir for dishes, laundry or bathing. The amount of time that appliance was used is staggering. No microwaves then or for the family in this video.

[@kevinwhipple3326]

You guys are living the dream!!!

[@awildernesscalling47]

Thank you for watching! From the time I was a kid, I always wanted to do something like this. Now as North America reeling with catastrophes of all kinds, we are hoping to inspire others in their quest for a simple country lifestyle.

[@LittleCountryCabin]

I LOVE this video AND your cabin! We live in a log cabin in the southern US. Thank you so much for sharing this. Thank you for boldly living your faith!! Just subscribed too🤗. God bless y’all!❤️

[@awildernesscalling47]

Thank you for watching! My husband is from Tennessee, so we have a soft spot for the south. A cabin in the south sounds pretty wonderful, we’re dealing with an early snowfall at the moment 😁 God bless you guys as well!

[@_SunRa_]

Awesome stove! I've never seen one like that!

[@dejavu666wampas9]

This just in, on a related topic, you’re gorgeous. The stove is too, but on a different level. The sound of the oven door opening with the rooster crowing in the background brings back so many memories. Thanks for the video.

[@terryshrives8322]

Great video. More old school. I really like it. Thanks for sharing.

[@reimaginemendfw6334]

Great job. Thanks for sharing.

[@mattbrodacki4980]

Great vid. I’m no safety sally for sure, but would mask up little man and run a vac in lower right corner to pull dust and ash so not coming back into your house. I did a ride along for entire day with a friend who owns a chimney sweep.. learned a bunch and those were the two big take aways he gave me!

[@awildernesscalling47]

Great idea, cleaning out the stove leaves a layer of dust around the area, a vac would help for sure.

[@maxsands3861]

@@awildernesscalling47 If you ever do use a vac make sure to empty it right away just in case there is an ember that is still hot. Beautiful stove, they are bolted together for a reason expansion/contraction. Nice video.

[@williamkechkaylo7915]

well, bolt together will make it easier to move especially if you need to go by boat like us, however, when you put it together, use furnace cement or use strands of the rope that is used around the door between the joints and that will make it air tight. we also live off grid in northern ont. and we are solar and some wind. i didn't know that stove was available, so we have a gas stove (lp) for cooking during the warmer times. wood stove cooking when needed. you can appreciate that lol!

[@awildernesscalling47]

Great ideas, and you are right, it would be easier to move/replace parts as it is bolted rather than welded. Thank you for sharing!

[@cjyoung7372]

You had me at amish that looks so stylish as well

[@SteadfastTrailFarm]

Thank you for sharing! I've been looking at different options! ~jc

[@awildernesscalling47]

Great, glad we could help!

[@Wildflower_Breads]

I have an Elmira Fireview wood cookstove and, like yours, it doesn't burn as long as some other wood stoves. On cold nights, we do have to get up and put more wood in after 5 to 6 hours. However, I was watching a video by the lady from Obadiah Stoveworks and she was saying that they installed some gasket material along the top of the stove and now they get 10 to 12 hours of a burn on a full load of wood. I want to find out more about how they do that and try it on mine. Might work on yours, too.

[@annettechain6986]

Great review of the stove. FYI, water jackets should not be installed until connected to the water supply or it will burn out prematurely. This model is also known to drip creosote out of the bottom.

[@awildernesscalling47]

I’m so glad our stove hasn’t been dripping creosote, hopefully that does not happen! Good info, thanks for sharing!

[@oldplaner]

We've had no creosote either and are into our second heating and cooking season used everyday from October through end of March. We've heated with wood since 1984 and have had several different woodstoves and we love this one. The fire brick is in good shape and no smoke escapes anywhere except through the chimney.

[@varietasVeritas]

@@awildernesscalling47 A little sand in the bottom can make the metal last a lot longer.

[@tiptopgirl4124]

@@varietasVeritas Sand in the bottom …? Where bouts and how deep please?? Lol Just got my first wood cook stove

[@varietasVeritas]

@@tiptopgirl4124 Cover the bottom, anywhere ashes will settle on. Two to three inches deep.

[@rosemarycarden175]

Love wood stoves. I'm almost 72 & I'm looking for a cast iron stove i can cook on as well as heating to put in my dining room. I looked at buck stoves, but haven found one I can use on here. If power goes out, I want to cook inside instead of using my outdoor grill. In east Tennessee. Thanks for sharing 😂🎉❤

[@BiometricFileHasBeenCorrupted]

Wonderful video for times like this yes. God Bless you n yours In Christ Jesus our Lord

[@awildernesscalling47]

So glad we could be a blessing to you as we see troubled times approaching. 🙏

[@sailingkoko]

Nicely done on the video. Hope you get to 1k subscribers soon.

[@johncostelloe743]

Thank you for sharing very enjoyable

[@smilingdog54]

I love the configuration of this stove! I like the firebox with the glass door. Too bad it is bolted together instead of welded!

[@awildernesscalling47]

We love sitting in front of the stove on wintery days 😊 it’s also handy to be able to quickly see when the fire is dying down with out opening the door.

[@fwi1298]

can't move the stove easy if it's welded

[@yardsausage]

that drawer under the oven might be a warmer and not for storage?..and also, yall could weld the seams so it stays air tight...great video.

[@brianlangum6253]

Welding could cause more trouble. Metal expand and contracts as it heats and cools. If you weld it, you could cause warping and cracking of the metal plates, especially since the stove probably doesnt heat up uniformly from the wood fire. .

[@yardsausage]

@@brianlangum6253 oh ok..i learned something new..as i have never welded..thanks.

[@ivanpainter357]

I ENJOYED YOUR VIDEO I HAVE A GEM PAC JUST BAKED A TURKEY FOR THANKSGIVING ALSO COOKED ON THE TOP I NOTICED YOU GOT SOME GOOD HELP MY SON JUST TURNED 45 SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY HE WAS THAT SIZE YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL HOME IVAN FROM ILLINOIS I HAD A BIRTHDAY IN OCTOBER I,M 76

[@joeb9563]

This was so helpful! Thank you!!!

[@jimf1964]

So I e been told that the tray under the oven was supposed to be used as a warming tray also, because it gets so warm, but we've just started to put pans in there. And 2 questions. I didn't even know there were bolted ovens. Is the leaking smoke maybe because there are old gaskets, or do you think it's just that way? And do you think a wood stove is a better or worse choice for heating than a non cooking wood stove?

[@noreenhollywood3120]

Great video! You’ve helped me so much. I purchased a home in Ontario recently and it has the FlameView in it. I’m from Ireland and so this is absolutely new to me. What is the knob on the pipe for (where the FlameView logo is)? Also to be clear, when I light the fire, I switch the lever to the right (as smoke goes into the oven) and it goes left for baking? So much to learn....🙁

[@awildernesscalling47]

Hi Noreen, so glad we could help, and great to hear you are learning to use your FlameView! The knob on the pipe is the main damper, when you turn it so it is horizontal, the chimney pipe is closed. You are right, the lever is turned to the right for regular fires, but if you want to do any baking turn it to the left. When I’m baking mode, the smoke is diverted around the oven, which how the oven gets hot. When not in baking mode the smoke just goes straight up the chimney. Hope this makes sense, happy to answer any questions 😊

[@noreenhollywood3120]

@@awildernesscalling47 you’re a ⭐️ thank you! That answered my question! I’m still learning to use it❤️

[@rickiejones707]

I have seen some really negative youtube reviews about the flameview by one vendor. I totally love the look of the margin stove as Margin stoves look as if they were made to go in a kitchen rather than a warehouse which is how some of the other stoves look. However, I know that functionality is the objective and not so much the looks. What can you tell me about this stove? Does it smoke? Was it difficult to assemble it once you got it home? How many times have you had to change the firebrick? Do you have trouble with smoke leakage? Please give me as much information as you can I would greatly appreciate it!!

[@nancyengle4656]

MySelfReliance has the same base (non-stove) model, and has been making coal with it, which may solve your burn-time issue, as some forms of coal have double the fuel. He puts strips of wood in a metal box and puts the burning log on top; basically "smoking" the water out of the strips in the absence of oxygen.

[@5NFarm]

I love it! I've always wanted a wood cookstove but now we live in an area where there are very few trees so wood burning isn't an option for us here. I'm curious, what do you use for cooking during the warmer months?

[@awildernesscalling47]

We use our cookstove in the summer, except during the very hottest weeks. Our cabin stays cool most of the summer as the roof is well insulated and in the mountains where we live it cools down quite a bit at night. We do have a propane burner that we use mid-summer, but it’s more like a camping stove, so no oven. I usually plan baking for early mornings or cool days mid-summer. Just an idea, there are some wood cookstoves that can also burn coal, if that is an option for you. One such stove is the Heco. Our neighbor has one and loves it. Airtight and very well made.

[@5NFarm]

@@awildernesscalling47 Thanks for replying. Cool days all/most of the time sound so nice! I'll have to check into that stove. Although, there isn't a coal source near us either. If we were able to get it it would have to be shipped in.

[@awildernesscalling47]

@@5NFarm the nice thing about coal is that it doesn’t take up as much space as the equivalent amount of wood you would need for the winter, and you can stockpile it for later use if necessary!

[@5NFarm]

@@awildernesscalling47 Interesting..we lived in Kentucky for about a year while my husband worked there and coal was the main heat source there. It seemed like everyone had a pile next to their house. We've always lived in the woods so have always had plenty of wood for heat. Until now.

[@kennethmccann6402]

Beautiful!

[@varietasVeritas]

I'll bet a little refractory cement could patch those leaks. Squeeze it into the cracks.

[@Thomas-zh4dy]

The dog looks like he enjoys the stove.

[@davidprocter3578]

At a guess I would say your stove has been over heated by it's previous owner, this can lead to warping of the cast components which in turn will cause the problems you describe, Resealing in these situations notoriously difficult and rarely lasts well often requiring attention 2 to 3 times a year.For the moment I would suggest you fit an H pot to the top of your flue the extra draw will help with the puffing billy smoke problem but will do nothing for the slumber mode. Next summer take the thing outside strip it right down and rebuild using the best gap filling sealants you can find, better still sell it for spares and buy a new one. And remember all never let your fire boxes overheat.

[@awildernesscalling47]

We’ve been thinking the same thing...thanks for the info. We did actually add a length of chimney pipe just a few weeks ago, and it seems to have helped the draft. Not perfect, but definitely better!

[@patraic5241]

I like. Though I think I would try and find a second rack for the oven. Other than that it's a prize.

[@Thomas-zh4dy]

Thanks for the video. I'm in the market for a high quality cookstove-heater with boiler.

[@jksmountaindream]

How did you get it into the home? Those things weigh a ton

[@awildernesscalling47]

Yes! They are crazy heavy! We had it on a pallet and moved it to our porch with the tractor forks, then it took 5 guys to get it into our one-level cabin, shimmying it slowly on plywood across the floor.

[@jksmountaindream]

@@awildernesscalling47 1/3 of my brain really wants one and the other 2/3 says dont be that stupid!

[@susyward6978]

Look at the golden retriever sleep on the cushion 😂

[@awildernesscalling47]

Yes, she’s a pretty spoiled girl 😍

[@chrisbarnes7981]

All wood cook stoves smoke when they don’t draw good it’s no big deal once you get it warmed up it will draw you can light a peace of newspaper in and light it that will warm it up and it will draw better

[@smartdoctorphysicist3095]

Can you tell me what it cost you if tha is okay with you guy, thank you.

[@علاءفرحان-ز6ن]

منتج رائع لو موجود في العراق شكرا لكم

[@HiddenBlessingsHomestead]

I have owned one for years and we cook on it all winter, but as we are moving I am looking at my options, if any one has a wood cookstove they love let me know.

[@lesliekendall2206]

I've wanted a wood cookstove for a long time but I dress like the 1850's. (Yeah, I'm one of "those" 😊). Anyway, I'm too afraid my dress will catch fire. It wasn't an uncommon thing back then.

[@awildernesscalling47]

I’ve always wished I lived in the pioneer era. I love dresses! Definitely is a danger working around the stove, but the nice thing about our stove is that the hottest zone is where you load the wood, and that is on the side of the stove, so when I’m cooking I’m not usually standing in that area. 😊 Do you happen to have a good online source for skirts/dresses, or make your own?

[@lesliekendall2206]

@@awildernesscalling47 Thank you for asking! You're gonna LOVE this site. I buy my dresses and accessories at "recollections.biz" and got some bloomers at "historical emporium.com". Am currently waiting for my first pair of "button" shoes to arrive!!!! Almost bought a chemise last night, I think on Etsy.com. A great YT channel is "priorattire".....she also makes clothes but is in Britain and is so "period correct" that her clothes are like twice the price of "recollections". Happy Shopping!!

[@awildernesscalling47]

@@lesliekendall2206 aww thank you! I will take a look at those sites!

[@786otto]

Very nice.

[@tomr3074]

I need one of those.... (not the stove silly)

[@Tradetrade620]

She's beautiful

[@MargisonGODBEY]

I’d get an old hot water heater and heat the water with the stove and store in the water tank

[@MainBhiKhanHoon]

What is its price in uk?

[@awildernesscalling47]

I’m not sure it is sold in the U.K., This stove is built in Ontario, Canada. They do ship to the US, but I’m not sure if they ship overseas.

[@germanmonayo1074]

Que precio? Por favor

[@awildernesscalling47]

German Monayo, with shipping it was approximately $4500. It is a 10 year old stove.

[@عبدو.عبدوعبدو-ع6ن]

ماشاء.الله.

[@ivanpainter357]

they never have made a perfect just be happy with your stove your grandma had to build three fires a day their fire box was so small they was for small meals not heating the home another thing at least you can take apart one that is welded if ever warps you have to go to a welding shop ivan from illinois.

[@nikolic7418]

👌👌👌👏👏👏👏👏👋👋👋

[@ralph95]

Cook stoves are not intended to be air tight

[@gregwarner3753]

Please wear a dust mask when you clean the stove. Ash dust is NOT good for your lungs and the damage is cumulative. We had a stove like this when i was a child. It also had a grate so it could burn anthracite coal.

[@gordb4343]

You might know this by now but burning a fire with the water coils in ruins the coils

[@johnrode7109]

Coal

[@1137MOHAMEDKHOUELDI]

صباح الورد

[@protsaleks]

Жаль нет субтитров по русски.

[@thebebetelgeuse6957]

The ungodly cities of our world are to be swept away by the besom of destruction. In the calamities that are now befalling immense buildings and large portions of cities, God is showing us what will come upon the whole earth.-Testimonies for the Church 7:82, 83 (1902). CL 7.3 Find and read the National Sunday Law by JMarcussen

[@mikebulmer8625]

Seal the cracks with clay just like grouting tile

[@Stayoutofthewater522]

To me it’s stupid to live in the past

[@leowomaninlove]

FIX the sound PLEASE!!!!

[@daleyork1153]

It is a piece of junk cause you don't put a gasket on the fire door plus the grates don't last that long and air tight wood stoves just scarp metal .

[@Steppenwolf-Wanderer]

I love using the pages from the bible babble to start the fire.