They have a modern aesthetic, are ecological and make any room cosy. We are talking about bioethanol cookers, also known as biostoves or bioethanol fireplaces. In fact, most of the models sold are described as fireplaces.
But despite their name, they do not look much like classic wood-burning fireplaces. In contrast to these, they give a modern look to the room and offer clean heat without ash and smoke.
To generate heat, these cookers use bioethanol, a liquid fuel obtained from the fermentation of plants rich in sugar or starch, such as sugar cane, sugar beet, corn, wheat or potatoes. The raw alcohol obtained is distilled and dehydrated to obtain bioethanol.
When you are going to start them up, you only have to make sure that the tank contains enough bioethanol (they consume between a quarter of a litre and half a litre per hour). As soon as the fuel starts to burn, the bioethanol cooker begins to generate heat evenly.
Types of bioethanol cookersBecause they do not require a flue, you can place them wherever you want. Depending on the location you choose, you can opt for one type of cooker or another. You can even buy the combustion blocks separately and design your own bio ethanol cooker.
Below, you can see the different types you can find on the market along with their most suitable use:
Tabletop bio ethanol cookers. They are the smallest and their consumption is very low. The good thing is that you can use them outdoors, as long as you keep them inside once they have been switched off so that the cotton wool they come with does not get wet. Their use is rather decorative.Wall-mounted bioethanol cookers. Thanks to the fact that they are hung, they do not take up much space. They are available in different sizes and designs, so you can adapt them to your home. Wall-mounted bio-stoves can heat rooms of around 20 square metres.Floor-standing bioethanol cookers. They are larger than the previous ones, so they also provide more heat. However, you must make sure that the model you choose fits well in the room where you want to place it. They cost a little more.Built-in bioethanol cookers. They can be installed in houses where there is already a fireplace opening. They are quite powerful, so they can heat large rooms.You can add accessories to all of them to make them more realistic and help the heat to last longer. We are talking about heating logs or leaves.
freestanding fireplace
Advantages of freestanding fireplace To sum up, bioethanol cookers have a series of advantages that make them a good alternative to wood-burning or electric cookers.
They are environmentally friendly.They give off clean heat.They are decorative.They give off real flames.They give a modern look to the house, but also very warm and cosy.To counteract the possible smell they give off, you can add aromatic oils with the smell you like best (cinnamon, vanilla, pine, jasmine, orange, fir, citronella...).You don't need to do any building work to install them.You can choose the design, coating or colour that best suits the decoration of your home.They do not require a smoke outlet. They emit the same level of CO2 as if you were lighting two candles.The maintenance they require is minimal. Simply refill the bioethanol tank and change the fibreglass when necessary. This element is sold separately and lasts between one and three years, depending on how long you have the cooker lit.Its efficiency is one hundred per cent, as all the fuel is converted into energy.The downside is that they don't heat very much, so you will probably need a supplementary heating system. To heat well, the cooker has to be big. And the bigger it is, the more fuel it will consume.
Don't forget that bioethanol is a highly flammable liquid. That's why you should keep the flame away from any object or garment that could burn. And to light or extinguish the flame, always use the specific tool indicated by the manufacturer.
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