TOP 8 best cast iron stoves for baths: 2021 rating and which one to choose with a heat exchanger

A cast iron stove for a bath or sauna is the most reliable and practical option that will provide the softest steam.
In general, this choice is classic. Modern cast iron alloys have excellent corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity, resistance to damage and temperature changes.

Proper installation and operation of a cast iron stove will allow it to be used for more than 25 years. However, how to choose the right cast iron stove?

What to consider? What is the current range, and which stoves are the best?

To answer these questions, we have compiled for you a rating of the best models of cast iron sauna stoves.

We took into account not only user reviews and Rosstat statistics, but also the opinions of experts and builders.

Here you will find only the leaders in the ratings for 2021 in terms of price/quality ratio.

Rating of the TOP 8 best cast iron stoves for baths in 2021

Advantages of the product line

• Standards. Furnaces from domestic manufacturers differ from analogues in their excellent technical characteristics, European certificates and long service life.
• Power. Heaters of this series attract consumers with heating power, which is designed for the use of stoves in steam rooms with an area of ​​14-30 square meters.
• Reliability. Vesuvius Russian steam stoves are made of steel alloys, the thickness of which reaches 8 millimeters. Strong seams and a heavy cast-iron firebox with a grate add stability to the structure, eliminating deformation of individual parts from an open fire source and premature failure of the stove equipment.

How to choose a cast iron stove for a bath?

When choosing a cast iron stove, there are a number of specific points that need to be taken into account. This is not only the temperature, heating rate and steam properties, but also the equipment, operating principle, and material of manufacture.

Let's take a closer look at some points:

• design - there are models on the market with a ventilation casing, with an open or double heater, and an offset chimney. For more intensive heating of the room, it is recommended to choose models with an additional casing - it not only reduces the warm-up time, but also reduces the severity of thermal radiation;
• power - thermal performance depends on the material, chimney cross-section, shape and volume of the firebox. When choosing a stove for a bath, you should proceed from a power of 1 kW per 1 cubic meter of room, but this option is the simplest to calculate and does not take into account the thermal insulation and features of the room. Exceeding the specifications will lead to fuel costs, and lack of power will not allow you to achieve the required temperature;
• material – cast iron is one of the best materials, but modern methods of metal processing expand the choice. When choosing a model, you should pay attention to the wall thickness and material. The best options are considered to be high-alloy, high-carbon alloys, which, in addition to overall strength and efficiency, are resistant to corrosion. It is also worth taking into account paint and varnish coatings, which during operation can burn out and give off a very unpleasant odor;
• equipment - the usual equipment is a classic stove with a closed door, firebox and ash pan. There are models with the ability to change the door to a glass one, through which you can monitor the degree of fuel combustion. The equipment also includes the capacity of the heater - the larger it is, the longer the heat stays in the steam room, but the longer the stones themselves heat up;
• additional characteristics - combustion chamber size, fuel consumption and efficiency should not be discounted.

The main advantages of a cast iron stove include good thermal conductivity compared to steel or brick, ease of maintenance, which only requires regular cleaning of the ash pan.

Unlike steel stoves, which require regular renewal of heat-resistant paint, cast iron models do not require additional coating.

In addition, compared to steel stoves, cast iron options have a longer service life - up to 30 years.

Also, such models have increased safety and are less likely to cause fire when installed correctly. Their only drawback is their fairly high cost.

Review of the most popular brands

It should be warned that there are many more steel products on the market, and few people deal with cast iron.

Note! You need to understand that manufacturers are not interested in disclosing the grade of cast iron. Therefore, unless something better is stated, we will assume that the stoves were made using ordinary (and not particularly suitable for stoves) gray cast iron , which is labeled SCh.

"Vesuvius"

Whether it is PR or the natural love of the people - our rating will show, for now we simply state that the majority of requests for stoves made of this metal are associated with this manufacturer. I would like to see in the comments the reviews of those who happened to become owners of Vesuvius products - share your experience with everyone else!

In the Vesuvius catalog you will find only four cast iron sauna stoves with power modifications for different steam room volumes. This:

• "Legend";
• "Sensation";
• "Hurricane";
• "Premium".

In this review of cast iron sauna stoves, we will pay attention only to “Legend” and “Hurricane”. “Premium” is lined with soapstone, “Sensation” is a regular stove with an open heater.

"Legend"

A stove with a fashionable mesh for stones , which surround the firebox on all sides except the bottom. It looks attractive, and the free convection of air between the openly laid stones leads to rapid heating of the steam room. The firebox is remote.

It has many variations in the volume of the steam room (from 6 to 30 cubic meters), the model for rooms from 12 to 24 m3 is considered separately, according to the type of doors - from blind to fireplace portals with large glass. However, all of them are suitable only for a dry-air bath, that is, a sauna . Stoves with nets for stones are not suitable for Russian baths. A closed heater is required here.

You will find separate material about steam room stoves here.

"Legend Standard"

The mesh is made of strips and rods, without design frills. That's why it's "standard".

"Legend Cast Iron Forging"

It differs from the “Standard” only in that the design uses strips of forged metal.

"Hurricane"

A brother of the Legend, but taller and holds more stones . The minimum volume of the steam room is 8 cubic meters, the maximum is 30. The differences are the same as in the “Legend” - in the doors, in the design of the grid, in the power of the stove.

By the way, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the material about the optimal sizes of sauna stoves.

Reviews on the stove

We found a video report from a user of the cast iron “Legend”, in which he shows how he uses the stove, at the same time measures the temperature and humidity in the steam room, the temperature in the stove, talks about all the problems he has encountered since the purchase and about everything he was satisfied with. Check out his review for yourself:

"Techno Lit"

On the manufacturer’s official website you will find over a hundred modifications of the Techno Lit cast iron stove (Hephaestus) - with or without a stone lining, with different doors. The search for closed heaters was unsuccessful.

Interesting! Instead of heating the stones in a closed volume, the creators of the Techno Lit stove decided that it was much easier to heat the top plate to 450 degrees - this temperature is quite enough to produce light, fine steam. That is, there is no heater, but there is Russian steam.

Of all the models that are presented on the site, we have chosen the most popular among customers - GEPHAESTUS PB-04 M.

Do you know? You can achieve an effect similar to a Russian bath without a heater - with a steam generator!

This is what she looks like. With a rather modest size: it is about half a meter high, about 40 cm wide and about 70 cm long, it is capable of heating a steam room with a volume of up to 15 cubic meters. The tiny stove weighs 125 kg and, according to the manufacturer, has an efficiency of 87% . As for the brand of cast iron, the manufacturer does not lie: everything except the firebox is made of ordinary gray, but the firebox uses chrome-alloyed, heat-resistant metal .

Such a stove is taken in order to later be lined with bricks and improve its thermal characteristics, bringing them closer to the parameters of a brick stove.

Reviews of Hephaestus products

From the reviews of the Hephaestus sauna stoves on the forums, we understood that the stoves generally satisfy buyers, although they are faced with the need for some modifications (for example, a starting chimney). However, otherwise the parts fit together, which makes buyers assume that Hephaestus pre-assembles its products and corrects casting errors, but this is a common practice not only for this

Having started by trading in other people's stoves, Magnum quickly came to the conclusion that its own production was more profitable. Taking into account the shortcomings of competitors, the company developed its own design - ChT-1, which stands for “cast iron firebox”. It has become the basis for many stoves, but the firebox itself can be purchased separately, to be covered with brick, for example. The company purchased equipment for working with stone and began producing stoves lined with soapstone and other stones.

Cast iron firebox ChT-1

With a power of 15 kW, it can heat a room up to 35 cubic meters in volume. The combustion tunnel allows you to heat the stove from the adjacent room. The design is equipped with a door with heat-resistant glass and a self-cleaning system. There is an open heater that can hold up to 80 kg of stones.
The weight of the stove itself is 190 kg. ChT-1 is used as a basis for furnaces from the same manufacturer. Including those who have a closed heater .

Magnum places a special emphasis on the fact that during the production process it complies with all technological requirements for annealing and tempering of metal, and also mentions that it uses only heat-resistant cast iron .

As far as we know, Magnum products are truly in demand and are in great demand.

Keddy

The Swedish manufacturer really offers consumers high-quality “Caddy” stoves made of cast iron, but it was not possible to find equipment for baths in any of its catalogs . There are excellent fireplace stoves for the home, there are light stoves, masonry stoves, tiled stoves, there are even fireplace inserts, but there is not a single sauna stove.

Therefore, the only option for those who would like to see the products of this company in their bathhouse is to supply something from the Swedish catalog as an additional heat source . After all, for a large bathhouse one stove is usually not enough.

"Sudarushka"

produces not only “Sudarushka”, but also other families of cast iron stoves. In particular, these are “Kalita” and “Sorceress”.

“Sudarushkas” are very diverse in design - there are stone surrounds, there are with a net for stones, with an open and closed heater, with a water tank included in the kit... There are plenty to choose from.

Here you can learn some subtleties about stoves with a water tank.

ATTENTION! It is worth clarifying that not all stoves can be made of cast iron. A mandatory element will be a cast-iron firebox (by the way, Magnum boasts that it supplied CT-1 to Inzhkomtsentr for several years), and an optional cast-iron door. But the body may well be made of steel.

"Svarozhich"

The Svarozhich company offers many stone-clad stoves with a cast-iron firebox. However, the buyer is given the opportunity to purchase an unlined stove, which can be lined with either stone or brick. The power of such a unit is 15 kW, the manufacturer promises that it will be enough to heat 35 cubic meters of steam room, but in reality, with a lining, no more than 20. The stove is about 80 cm in height, with an external firebox. If desired, you can install a fireplace portal. The oven's own weight is 270 kg.

"Feringer"

Fehringer does not manufacture cast iron stoves. However, its products are suitable for Russian baths - these are grateless top-burning stoves with a closed heater, which do a good job of generating light, fine steam.

"Olympus"

Trading went the way of Magnum and released its own cast iron stove. Those who are familiar with the design of other companies engaged in similar production will understand that FireCom decided not to develop its own ideas, simply stealing those they liked from competitors.

But what’s really funny is the pathos with which the company’s website talks about the fact that the material for their furnaces is the SCh-20 brand. You must understand that this is the most common, much cheaper than alloyed, type of cast iron, which most stove manufacturers secretly or openly use.

"Tornado"

produces Tornado stoves with cast iron fireboxes . The catalog contains models for self-cladding with brick or stone, models with mesh (many), as well as models with a steel casing. Prices are two times lower than competitors. The only thing that confuses me is that the weight is not too heavy and the dimensions are quite large (compared to some competitors), which indicates a small thickness of the metal.
The manufacturer claims to use heat-resistant cast iron, but does not name the brand. Among the models there are those that have both an open and closed heater. The product is also equipped with glass doors. Optionally, heat exchangers can be purchased. (Nuances about the use of heat exchangers here).

"Karelia" ATB

You cannot pass by the products of PetrozavodskMash. The prototype for these round stoves was the Finnish Aito stoves. The manufacturer claims that its stoves will work for at least 30 years and accompanies their sale with a certificate with the self-explanatory title “Eternal Guarantee.” It would be worth asking those who own such a stove - what are their impressions?

Cast iron stove with heat exchanger for a bath. Photo source

The price of Karelian units is moderate, and they are suitable for those owners of bathhouses who have to solve the problem with hot water - all stoves are designed for the installation of a water heating tank, but you will have to purchase it as an addition, judging by the characteristics.

Which company should you choose?

In Russia there are a number of companies specializing in the production of cast iron and steel heating devices not only for residential or industrial premises, but also for baths and saunas.

Among them, experts highlight the following:

• Teplodar is a company with original patented technologies and its own development of materials that ensure the reliability and durability of furnaces, resistance to temperature changes and damage. A high-quality production process control system reduces the risk of burnout or damage to walls and parts to almost zero;
• Vesuvius - unusual stoves with original design. The brand offers a wide range of models in various styles: from classic to avant-garde. The second advantage of their furnaces is their affordable price, ease of installation (with rare exceptions) and high efficiency rates due to the design features of the walls;
• ETNA are productive and highly thought-out stoves with precise calculations of the thermal load on all elements. This approach allowed the manufacturer to reduce the wall thickness without loss of efficiency, and accordingly reduce weight, metal costs and product costs;
• Termofor - the main feature of their products is the smooth heating of the room and soft steam, which is achieved due to the special shape of the elements, which, in turn, provide the necessary density and power of heat flows. The models are easy to install and affordable; there are options of different power for different areas.

Wood burning

Installation "Stromboli" 360 degrees turnkey with original chimney

Here is a specific example of the installation of a Romotop Stromboli fireplace stove, which is planned to be installed in the middle of the room - the central location of the model with a 360-degree view is very convenient, so in this case the fireplace is very suitable (see photo). Due to the fact that the stove rotates around its axis, it is recommended to install an original chimney five meters long with a passage through the “second light”. The roof will be covered with a standard sandwich.

FAQ

Which stoves are better - steel or cast iron? Cast iron ones give off heat better and last longer, and in the baths with them there is “light steam”. But they also cost more.

Is there a difference between stoves for baths and saunas? Electric saunas are usually used because they do not require steam.

Why is a sauna stove not suitable for heating a living space? It is designed to heat up quickly and cools down relatively quickly - you will have to use more fuel to maintain heat.

What is better: making a stove yourself or buying it? Depends on whether you know how to make them, or whether you have the opportunity to turn to trusted craftsmen, as well as the funds for this (most likely, it will cost more than buying a ready-made one). If yes, then it is quite possible to make your own stove.

The best fuel for Romotop Stromboli

According to reviews, it is convenient to heat such a stove-fireplace with RUF briquettes. It is not recommended to immediately load 5-6 briquettes into the firebox, since the fireplace gets too hot, there is a fear that the metal will be damaged (float), so it is better not to overload with fuel. Due to the compact size of the briquettes, it is quite convenient to load them inside the firebox; they immediately have a dry appearance and burn at a higher temperature. Another advantage of using briquettes is that virtually no soot is formed in the chimney. There is also no hint of black smoke from the chimney - the smoke when burning with briquettes is always light and does not cause concern.

It should be noted that when the metal is strongly heated, it becomes softer, changing its qualities. Under such a load it can become deformed.

As for other types of fuel, there are also interesting observations. For example, common firewood grids that can be bought in the Obi or Metro hypermarkets are quite suitable, dry and inexpensive. The Pini Kay type of firewood is also quite good for the price; they are sold in packs of 10 pieces in plastic packaging. Such firewood is very dry, easy to heat up, just one large fireplace match is enough. Among the advantages of this type of firewood are the absence of smoking, they do not smoke, leave very little ash, burn for a very long time, and also provide a lot of heat. Appearance - quite compact.

Turkish hammam

Wet steam and low temperature.
Reflection of eastern traditions and culture. Humidity is 100%, the temperature created by the oven is 50 °C. Suitable even for those who find it difficult to stay in a Finnish sauna.

Anti-cellulite wrap procedures are common, and massages with peach or olive oil are performed. They are performed with woolen mittens; this massage increases blood flow, makes the skin soft and smooth, and most importantly restores flexibility to the joints.

Hammam is contraindicated in case of varicose veins, acute stage of bronchitis or bronchial asthma.

People prefer those baths in which they feel relief and improvement in their condition - where they relieve stress, tension after a working day, and improve their mood . It's worth remembering that the above numbers are not an endurance test. Always focus on your well-being first.

No matter what kind of sauna you prefer, its heart remains unchanged - the sauna stove. A heater is a stove designed to heat a steam room or washing room, bathing water and stones that create steam. As is clear from the context, a sauna stove is nothing more than a heater. For the manufacture of the body and firebox of a sauna stove, cast iron and heat-resistant steel are mainly used. The advantage of cast iron stoves is that their body does not deform under the influence of high temperatures.

Based on the design features, there are open, closed and combined models. Closed stoves retain heat better, but many choose open-type options, as they are better associated with the traditions of the Russian bath. There are also combined units that can be converted from an open structure to a closed one.

When choosing the best stove for a Russian bath, it is necessary to take into account the volume of the steam room, the weight of the equipment, dimensions, chimney diameter and other factors. A competent selection of characteristics when purchasing will ensure full compliance of the model with the specific steam room and your needs.

Top 3. Zharstal Sinara Meteorite

Rating (2021): 4.63

Large mass of loaded stones The container holds 55 kilograms of natural stones, which is 15% more than similar models from other manufacturers.

• Characteristics

  Average price: 28,200 rub.

• Heated volume (cub.m): 18
• Dimensions (D/W/H): 75/52/77 cm
• Design: wall
• Weight (kg): 80

The best Russian bathhouse is the one with a lot of steam, and to achieve it, you need a lot of stones. This heater will fill a room with a volume of up to 20 cubic meters with soft steam, and all thanks to its large capacity. It fits as much as 55 kilograms of stones. The design is closed, that is, the heat exchange is very high, and after complete heating, the stones cool down very slowly. True, it takes a long time to heat the stove, but thanks to the installation of almost any type of gas burners, this issue is easily resolved. The oven itself is entirely steel. The thickness of the walls of the firebox is 6 millimeters, that is, you don’t have to worry about burnout, as well as thermal deformation. And a water tank is easily mounted on top.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Large stone capacity
• Possibility of installing an expansion tank
• Heats a large volume

• Heavy weight
• Difficult to clean off carbon deposits