Fireplaces, Ovens, Masonry Stoves

There is no heat like wood heat. My grandmother cooked on a wood-fired cookstove, and I grew up around that. We still cook on a woodstove today, and I wouldn't trade it for any other kind of stove. We also built a masonry fireplace based on the principles of the "masonry stove" or "Russian fireplace."

Masonry heaters are characterized by lots of mass to absorb heat from the fire, plus a snakelike flue to extract heat from the exhaust before ventilating to the outside. The masonry warms up slowly, then radiates heat out for hours or days afterwards. Whether you are interested in masonry stoves, traditional fireplaces, or woodstoves, this selection of books will help you do the job right.