With or Without an Oven? Choosing a Cast-Iron Stove

Short answer: if you want to cook, bake bread or pastries in the stove, buy a cast-iron stove with an oven; if you only want heat and a flame view, buy one without. Of the 6 cast-iron models on our site, 3 have an oven: Natural 50h, Natural 60h and Ignova Impera V2. According to the manufacturers, these three are rated 8–14 kW and weigh 135–155 kg; the oven-less Natural 20h and 36h are 4–8 kW and 87–110 kg.

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What is the difference between a cast-iron stove with and without an oven?

An oven-less cast-iron stove is a firebox and the body around it; if the top plate is flat you can warm a kettle or a pot on it. A model with an oven has a closed oven box above the firebox. The hot flue gas from the fire travels around this box before leaving through the flue, and that is how the oven heats up. On cookstoves a damper (klape) usually opens and closes this path; how to heat the oven and control its temperature is in our guide how to use a cookstove oven.

"—": the manufacturer has not published output, heating area or weight for the Impera V1; the V2 figures are not assumed for the V1. Values are as stated by the manufacturers; m² figures are given by different methods from one manufacturer to another.

Who is a cast-iron stove with an oven for?

• People who cook on the stove: bread, pastries, casseroles, chestnuts; village, vineyard and highland houses that want to cook without electricity.
• Larger spaces: on our site all three oven models are the large-bodied models of their range (8–14 kW).
• Seeing the oven: Natural 50h and 60h have an oven window in addition to the 3 ceramic panes of the firebox; for the Impera V2 the manufacturer lists a top oven with a thermometer.

Who is a cast-iron stove without an oven for?

• Heating only: a living room or sitting room; if meals are cooked in the kitchen, no oven is needed.
• Small and medium spaces: per the manufacturer, Natural 20h heats 40–50 m² and 36h 50–60 m².
• Handling and space: at 87 kg and 110 kg they are lighter than the oven models; easier for narrow doors, stairs and floors.
• Flame view: on Natural 20h and 36h the manufacturer lists ceramic glass on both sides as well as the front (3 in total).

Does the oven reduce the heat that reaches the room?

Heat that goes into the oven is not lost: the oven box and the food in it warm up, and that heat passes into the room through the body and when the door is opened. What changes is where the heat collects; while cooking, the oven gets hotter. How much a stove heats the room is decided mainly by its output (kW) and the room's heat demand. Find the output your room needs with the stove sizing calculator and compare it with the model's kW.

Size, weight and space

Natural 50h and 60h are vertical cooker stoves: the oven sits above the firebox, so the body is tall; the manufacturer gives the size as 101 × 75 × 55 cm. On our site the oven models are heavier than the oven-less ones (135–155 kg). For a heavy body, think about floor strength, door width and stairs in advance, and put a non-combustible base under the stove: stove base and stove pipe guide. In front of an oven model, leave enough free space to open the oven door and take out a tray comfortably.

Is there a price difference?

Yes. In the prices on our product pages the oven model is the more expensive one in both ranges: in the Natural range the 50h and 60h cost more than the 20h and 36h, and in the Ignova Impera range the V2 costs more than the V1. Prices may change; the current price is on the product page and in the cards below.

Examples without and with an oven:

What does it depend on?

• Cooking habits: if you will use the oven often through the winter, choose an oven model; if you will cook only now and then, an oven-less stove may be enough.
• Space and output: our oven models are 8–14 kW, the oven-less ones 4–8 kW; a stove too big for a small room gets run low, and the glass and flue get dirty faster.
• Fuel: for the Natural models the manufacturer lists wood and coal; the manufacturer shows the Impera V2 burning wood. Burning wood: how to light a cast-iron fireplace stove with wood.
• Other options: cast-iron or sheet-steel stove, cookstove, cast-iron fireplace stove or pellet stove.

Safety note

No stove is smokeless; wood and coal can produce carbon monoxide as they burn. A stove with an oven also needs a chimney that draws properly and a sealed pipe connection. The oven door and the top plate get very hot; keep children away. Use a carbon monoxide detector; if you have a headache, dizziness or nausea, air the room, go outside and call 112: signs of stove fumes and carbon monoxide detectors.

Frequently asked questions

Does a cast-iron stove with an oven heat less?

No. Heat that goes into the oven ends up in the room too; heating is set by the stove's output. The oven models on our site are already the more powerful models of their range (8–14 kW).

Which cast-iron stoves on your site have an oven?

Natural 50h, Natural 60h and Ignova Impera V2. Natural 20h, Natural 36h and Impera V1 have no oven.

How big is a cast-iron stove oven?

Per the manufacturer, the oven interior is 19 × 34 × 32 cm on the Natural 50h and 19 × 44 × 32 cm on the 60h. The Impera V2 oven size is not given on the manufacturer's page.

Can you cook on top of a cast-iron stove without an oven?

On models with a flat top plate you can warm a kettle or a pot. For baking and long cooking, an oven model or a cookstove is better.

How heavy is a cast-iron stove with an oven?

Per the manufacturers, Natural 50h is 135 kg, Impera V2 140 kg and Natural 60h 155 kg.

Sources: manufacturer pages Natural 20h, Natural 36h, Natural 50h, Natural 60h, Ignova Impera V1, Ignova Impera V2. Output, area, weight and oven sizes are as stated by the manufacturers.