Cast Iron Appeal

Hello everyone, my name is Chris and in today’s blog I will be taking a close look and offering an impartial review of the ACR Oakdale multifuel stove.

The ACR Oakdale multifuel stove first caught our eye when it was brought to the UK market in late 2014, by this time the stove market was saturated with appliances both new and old with manufacturers seemingly bringing out new models on an almost weekly basis. One point of view is that this swell in the amount of products on offer gave an excellent amount of choice for customers, but on the flip side it seemed that many of these new models did not offer any fresh ideas or styles, and in some cases some of the new products just did not appeal to the majority of customer needs or desires for a quality centerpiece within their home.

Fortunately the Oakdale came with a look that made it stand out from the crowd, with its traditional but clean style this elegant room heater had just enough character to capture your interest, without being too twee and ruling out all but the country cottage homes.

With bold lines into the cast iron front door, and a slightly “Mottled” top and side panels, the ACR Oakdale really stands out against other plainer alternatives on the market. This style can only be achieved with a full cast iron stove as steel bodied equivalents will always have a plain finish.

Another quirky yet functional addition to the stove styling that I really like is the large brushed steel handle. It seems strange to mix such a modern finished handle with the more traditional feel of the Oakdale, but in my opinion it just works beautifully. This handle is also very functional, and unlike the smaller cast iron handles that are the norm with many stoves it is easy to get a firm grip and use with minimal effort.

Another neat touch with this stove is the positioning of both the primary and secondary air controls. The usual setup for controlling the air entering the stove that in turn controls how intensely the fire burns, is that the stove will have a top and bottom air slider, however with the Oakdale both slider controls are situated at the bottom of the stove just under the ash lip. This setup keeps the stove front looking neat and tidy, and is a simple but effective feature.

Internally the stove does not disappoint with it’s larger than average (for a 5kW appliance) chamber size which will easily take a 300mm log length. The fire is also supplied with a two stage log retaining bar set, which allows the user to stack fuel without fear of it tumbling out into the room when opening the door. Also featured inside is a powerful Airwash system which helps to keep the large glass viewing window clear, and the latest Cleanburn technology to ensure a clean and efficient burn.

To the rear of the stove ACR Heat Products have included a useful “Direct Air” spigot which is designed to allow the use of a 100mm ducting to be taken directly from the stove and through an external wall to feed the fire with fresh air from the outside air source rather than solely from the room itself.

You will notice from the images of the Oakdale that as well as the standard Matt Black finish there are three additional enamel finishes to choose from. These glossy colours bring a whole new style to this already stylish stove, and have proven a popular choice for anyone looking for something a little different to the norm.

The enamelled colours include a Gloss Black, Majolica Brown and Buttermilk finish, all of which can be easily wiped clean with a damp cloth without the need for any other specialist cleaning products.

Finally to top off the ACR Oakdale’s impressive list of features, this stove is also smoke exempt for use within smoke controlled zones (such as London) as standard. Unlike other stoves where an optional smoke control or Defra approved kit must be purchased, the Oakdale meets the stringent requirements set out by Defra within the build design.

Thus ends my personal review of the ACR Oakdale multifuel stove, I hope that those of you reading this who are in the market for a 5kW stove will find the above information of use, and that the Oakdale may make it onto your list of potential stoves (I believe it is worthy of a place!).

If you have any questions and would prefer to speak to a human why not visit our Essex based showroom where we have the ACR Oakdale on display or alternatively call our sales helpline on 01621 772221 (Option 1).

If however you have decided to purchase this or any other ACR stove recently, or if you already own an Oakdale I would love to hear your impartial views in the comments section below.

That’s all for now folks, in the next blog I will be answering a question that we are asked on an almost daily basis in the showroom, “Should I line my chimney?”……..Let’s get that one answered!

Thanks for looking, any and all comments/likes/shares are gratefully received!

Chris