A crackling fire creates a unique atmosphere and is both beautiful and useful. In the kitchen environment, wood and pellets can be used in products that are not only use for heating but also for cooking. There are various solutions available on the market (stoves and cookers) offering different aesthetic variations, combined with modern technologies that guarantee practicality, safety and sustainability.

Bake on the stove
Heating and cooking with a wood stove has the flavor of the past, however the most recent models feature technologies that allow to obtain high efficiency and, at the same time, low emissions. The appliances equipped with an oven are available in different colours, to satisfy all style needs. Nova Forno by La Nordica-Extraflame, for example, has a design characterized by a majolica cladding with matt white or bordeaux finishes. Furthermore, the hearth is covered with refractory Nordiker to enhance the beauty of the fire. The stove combines effectiveness and sustainability: it has in fact obtained the 5-star Clean Air classification, certifying the attention to the environment without having to sacrifice performance. This product, equipped with a 37 liter oven, is capable of heating up to 338 m³. Eva by Palazzetti is also a wood stove that integrates an oven (26x36x23 cm) with supplied thermometer and grill. It has a steel structure with satin nickel finishes and a ceramic, steel or soapstone covering. Furthermore, the door is equipped with automatic return and closing. The stove has a nominal power of 7 kW and is in A energy class, with a 4-star environmental performance level.
A further example of the combination of tradition and technology is Decor C Evo, the wood-burning stove by EK63, an Edilkamin&Co brand. This product is characterized by a rustic style: it is equipped with a stainless steel oven (27x30x24 cm) and features ceramic sides and inserts decorated in dove grey, leather and bordeaux colours; furthermore, the door and feet are in cast iron, while the front and top are in enamelled cast iron. Respect for the environment is guaranteed by the 5 stars class and the A+ energy class.

The rings for heating food Some wood stoves can also be used to keep food warm. This is the case of Fancy Evo, made by EK63, which has an enamelled cast iron top with removable rings, just suitable for keeping food warm. The stove has a power of 10.8 kW, is capable of heating a volume of 280 m3 and is in a 5-star environmental class. Furthermore, the aesthetics is characterized by ceramic decorated in different colours.

Stove, hob and oven together A wood or pellet stove allows to reproduce the mood of kitchens from the past but with the comfort of a technologically modern product. The Alaska model, belonging to the Prestige Line by La Nordica- Extraflame, is an example of this. It is a wood-burning kitchen with a large plate for cooking multiple foods at the same time and with a 78-liter enamelled oven with anti-steam valve. The cast iron fire grid is height-adjustable and the Nordiker combustion chamber is easily inspected and replaced. Furthermore, the ash drawer and the wood drawer (which can also be used as an object holder) are both removable. Alaska has a shiny black chrome handrail, provides a nominal heat output of 12 kW and is capable of heating a volume of 344 m3. Instead, the Bella model by Palazzetti is a hydro pellet cooker which uses water for heating and works like a boiler while cooking. The structure is made of painted steel or mirrored ceramic glass, the oven (33x45x26 cm) is made of stainless steel with a ceramic glass door and the hob is made of steel. The product has a digital display with touch controls and the power can be modulated on 5 levels. Further features of the kitchen are the integrated hydraulic unit to facilitate installation, the anti-condensation valve also integrated, the self-cleaning brazier and the electronic thermometer to control the oven temperature. Furthermore, Bella is set up for Connection Box, which allows user to manage the main operating parameters via smartphone and thanks to a dedicated app. Further options may include the remote control, the glass or lava stone hob with handles or the lava stone cooking plate with fat collection system. The cooker is available in 15 kW or 20 kW versions, is in A+ energy class and has a 4-star environmental performance level.

For those who love comfort and wish design and sophisticated products in their home, the Italian company Bartolini has a perfect proposal: the Bella portable stoves, available in different colours. The new versions of Bella color meet a wide variety of furnishing needs and give the product a pleasant and youthful appearance. The radiant unit is composed of three ceramic plates with three different powers which can be used separately to quickly heat the room. This is the ideal infra-red heater for those who love the warmth of “fire”. The combustion is in fact clearly visible and ensures a high irradiation capacity. It is fed by 15-kg, LPG cylinders. The four reinforced casters rotate 360° and ensure an easy movement in every direction and on any floor.
Beautiful, functional but also safe: Bella, in fact, is equipped with Bartolini’s Analyser, a device that constantly controls and analyses the air and stops the gas supply if the carbon dioxide level in the room exceeds 1.5%. Bartolini autonomously produces it by precision drilling on hard stones (rubies) and guarantees its high quality and operation through continuous tests during manufacturing and in laboratory. The thermocouple Safety Device, moreover, automatically stops the gas supply in case of accidental shut-down (air stream, etc.)., while the certified gas pipe and pressure controller are high-quality components installed on all Bartolini products and ensure a suitable connection to the LPG cylinder.

Advanced technology and design of great appeal are the main characteristics of the Italian brand Cola, which produces and signs different range of heating appliances. Colored and with elegant shapes, they include many kind of products, such as pellet or wood stoves, in steel or ceramic, majolica and glass. They can be the ideal solution in Autumn and Winter, and can be perfectly integrated with the home and furniture style. Charme Ductable, for example, is a very efficient pellet stove available in white, ivory, bordeaux and black.

Philips and the SNV, Netherlands Development Organisation, will be working together to improve access to clean cooking solutions in Africa by introducing clean and efficient household cook stoves to rural communities across the continent. The partnership aims to improve the health and well-being and income of rural populations while having a direct positive impact on the environment and will include research, community education and access to financing for adopting clean cooking technologies. According to the  World Energy Outlook 2012, a staggering 2.6 billion people still depend on traditional cook stoves or open fires for cooking and heating their homes. The health and environmental risks of this are considerable. Every week, 75,000 people – mostly women and children – get sick or even die as a direct result of inhaling smoke. And each day, 3.9 million tons of fuel wood are burnt, contributing to the daily loss of 200 km2 of forest. There are cleaner and more efficient cooking solutions available. But communities in rural areas do not know the benefits of clean cooking alternates or cannot access or afford to invest in them. Philips and SNV are joining forces to address this issue.
For the last 3 years, Philips has invested in the design and manufacturing of an innovative fan driven cook stove that can improve the lives of those who rely on wood or biomass for their daily cooking. These specially designed cook stoves can reduce smoke and carbon monoxide emissions by more than 90% compared to an open fire thus reducing the health risks of indoor cooking.