Thermolux Gourmet Cooker - experiences?

Discussion in 'Designing, building, making and powering your life' started by Brewer, Aug 25, 2011.

  1. Brewer

    Brewer Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2011
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Hello everyone, new member here, just wondering if anyone has any experience with this stove - or others to recommend? I'm looking to get one for heating, cooking and winter hot water.

    The house is 1.5 storey mudbrick (little mezzanine bedroom above kitchen/bathroom) and the open kitchen/dining/lounge area probably accounts for about 50sqm. The other rooms would add about the same again.

    Space heating is currently provided by a medium-sized conara-style woodheater in the corner of the lounge, it does just fine and the house retains heat pretty well. I'm looking to replace it with a 'feature' fireplace and get the kitchen stove doing all the work in the winter. It would be a bit more centrally located (ie not in the corner) and right below the HWS. Hot water is solar most of the year, currently electric boost in winter.

    I live alone and don't do much baking (especially in summer) so I'm leaning towards something that functions primarily as a room heater like the Thermolux model mentioned. The Esse Ironheart looks lovely but is double the price and probably more stove than I need.

    Any comments would be appreciated, especially regarding the size and quality of the firebox as a primary wood heater. Wood will all be river red gum, maybe a little box wood.

    Many thanks,
    Brewer
     
  2. Brewer

    Brewer Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2011
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Really? Nobody with this stove? Should that tell me something?!

    What about the Scandia Cuisine, or any other dual-purpose heating & cooking models?
     
  3. frosty

    frosty Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2005
    Messages:
    852
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    we looked at Thermolux and found the firebox too small .......... we stayed with our old Everhot

    but unless you are somewhere very warm a cooking stove will not heat your house, they are too insulated
     
  4. Brewer

    Brewer Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2011
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Thanks Frosty. These models are designed as dual-purpose heating and cooking stoves, so they have things like glass doors and I imagine less insulation than a traditional range. I'm sure they burn a lot more wood too.

    The contenders I have found are:

    Esse Ironheart
    Thermalux Gourmet
    Nectre Baker's Oven
    Scandia Cuisine
    Jindara Cottage

    The Esse seems to get very positive reviews, and it seems to have the best fire box, but it is by far the most costly. Most of the other models seem to be locally built and there's not much owner feedback to be found.
     
  5. nchattaway

    nchattaway Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2011
    Messages:
    50
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    A friend of mine purchased a Nectre Baker's Oven and found the build quality very poor. A shame for a local Adelaide product (I live in SA). But, the warranty support was OK and they got it going with another unit and are happy now.

    I want a masonry heater for my place, but unless you know what you are doing with masonry and masonry heaters and can build one yourself, there's almost no way to get one installed for under $15k in Australia. We're considering a Thermalux Grand Cuisine, which is a much bigger 4 oven stove that also heats radiantly and boils water. But there are 7 in our family, so the models you've listed just wouldn't be big enough.
     
  6. Brewer

    Brewer Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2011
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I think the Nectre is probably the smallest (and cheapest) on the list, and was the least likely contender for me - but it may suit some. Good to hear they sorted your friend out, even if they didn't get off to a great start.

    Another stove that could be added to the above list for any readers across the Tasman is the Homewood Heritage - which looks like another double-width option like the Esse Ironheart, but is not yet available outside of NZ. Perhaps in another year or two we'll see them available here, so I thought I'd mention it.

    For now I'm beginning to question whether the single-width, over-under configuration is really the right choice for an open plan layout like mine. As Frosty points out the fireboxes on these models are generally a lot smaller than a regular wood heater, and I think that may prove frustrating if using the thing as primary space heating for the whole house.

    The Esse, on the other hand, does have a decent-sized firebox (not enormous, but it will take 50cm logs) and I imagine that it should comfortably heat a smallish house like mine. If I split the cost over the number of years I plan on using it I guess I can justify it... can't I...?

    :think:
     

Share This Page

-->