KINDEN Wood Stove Fan

**Updated to reflect changes made by the vendor**I was looking for a large stove to complement my arsenal of wood gasifier stoves and provide a larger, more stable cooking platform while at a base camp. Enter the Kinden wood stove.It compacts fairly well but is a bit awkward as to how best to stack it in the included storage bag and not scratch the non-stick components. I will be resorting to making some heavy canvas sleeves to place the non-stick plates into. From the second picture, you can see all of the parts and it is a substantial kit. When you stack the smaller stove inside the larger stove, there is space to store fire starter and other accessories (you'll want to protect them from subsequent ash and soot) inside. I like having everything there I need to get started minus the main fuel.I tested it out at home first just to get a feel for it. The first picture is just some pine scraps from the shop while on my back deck. Not evident in the picture but it basically had a cyclonic effect and was quite an impressive tower of fire. As the wood burns down, it comes under control but if you just want a fire in a fire ring or pit, this is great for that. The surface underneath the bottom of the stove got quite hot so don't think this is like other stoves that have double walls...it will get very hot below.However, the 3rd and 4th pictures shows what happens after just one use. The stove is made of galvanized steel and will resist rust...until heated and the zinc coating is burned off. Everything about the stove and core components are either galvanized steel or chrome covered steel. The only piece that is stainless steel are the tongs which is nice. Notice the discoloration between the upper stove (burn chamber, got very hot) and the lower stove (just acting as a stand, did not get so hot) in the third picture. You can see a bit of surface rust in the 4th, 5th and 6th pictures. The rust formed overnight while sitting under a covered deck.If you buy this stove, build a couple of fires in it to burn off the galvanization in a very open area where you will not be inhaling the toxic smoke, nor should you cook on it until the galvanization is gone from the main combustion chambers. No one needs toxic zinc fumes in their lungs or in their food.The last three pictures are me using the stove while camping to brown some meat. I had to let the fire die down to just a few bits of wood at the bottom of the stove before it was not too hot to cook with. If you put enough wood to even cover the bottom, it will likely be too much. It is not a problem with the stove - just learning how to regulate the heat to get the desired cooking temperature. I intend on trying charcoal the next time around for a longer, more even heat source.Another point that I had to deal with was that the five pot stand arms (see picture 4) were not all set at the same height so that two arms mostly opposite of each other caused a pan to rock back and forth. I used a rubber mallet to make adjustments until I had all five arms reasonably level with each other. The problem is that when you get the inside points to be level, some of the outsides were too high for large pans and caused the pans to rock. I basically adjusted it to fit the specific pan(s) that would fit down on the arms, and not use any that had to rest of on the outside raised tabs, if that makes sense.The included gloves are really not up to the task of what they say in the description. I quote the product description: "...the gloves are made of split natural cowhide leather provides a soft keeps open flames and sparks from touching your skin, ideal for heavy welding gear, barbecues, woodstoves, fireplaces, campfires, or even an unhappy cat." I weld, have welding gloves and know what to expect from lined, insulated leather gloves. These did not deliver at all and should be removed from the kit. They are very thin leather with a very thin lining. In my opinion, they will allow you to A) pass your hand through an open flame quickly without singeing your hair, B) possibly grasp the lower stove base to move the stove to a different location but do it very quickly and C) have something to throw at the cat.The included tongs are stainless steel and seem to work great.I have yet to test any of the non-stick plates for meat as I generally just use cast iron regardless so I won't comment on them.In summary, I really do like the stove and want to like it. Once I get a better grasp of how to manage the heat, I think I will really like the stove for cooking. It makes a great fire pit and can easily produce tall, visible flames for roasting marshmallows, providing atmosphere and does well at producing heat.The core design is pretty good and the various rings are mostly sized to do their jobs well. But how it all stacks together could have been better thought out to protect the various parts during storage and transportation. This is not a backpacking stove and should not be judged in that context. This is a base camp stove and is more than adequate to give a solid, wide platform for my 12" and smaller cast iron pans.The only major improvement and my one true wish was that it was made of stainless steel like all of my other biomass burning stoves.Pros:-Easy to set up-Produces vast amounts of heat and light-With mastery and much less fuel than you might expect, it is easy to cook with when using pans-Fits into the included bag, except the tongsCons:-Not stainless steel-Toxic fumes until the galvanization burns off. Then the rust comes.-Does not stack all parts very well and requires the user provide something to protect parts that will be scratched up-Pot ring not stable until manually adjusted by user-Gloves do not provide adequate heat protection even though they are leather and lined-Tongs will not fit inside the bag - truly just thrown in the kitI will say that the vendor worked with me to provide a more accurate description of the product. I am pleased with how responsive they are and willing to work to improve their product and its representation.

What's great?- Includes two sizes of stoves for smaller or larger fires, depending on your need- One of the stoves can be used upside down as a stand, to raise the other one off the ground- Carrying case that easily accommodates all components- High quality, rigid tongs - they aren't cheap or flimsy- Heat-retardant gloves to handle hot items- The two included cooking plates (fish, bacon, potatoes etc.) are coated with non-stick material- In addition to cooking plates, also includes a grate for BBQ'ing meats (ie. chicken, burgers)- Also contains a drip pan and stovetop to hold a pot for boiling waterWhat's not?- If you're going back country camping, this might be a little too large for you to carry- Directions could be a little clearer about how to use the stove in different configurations

The media could not be loaded.  This camp stove sets up quickly, lights easily, and burns efficiently. Be sure to prepare plenty of wood to fuel the stove, as it burns hot and fast. In the photos above and the video, we used a few sheets of newspaper, cotton and Vaseline, wet twigs, and an exotic striker, and the whole thing went up in flames the very first strike. The design of the camp stove allows plenty of air circulation and creates a vortex, drawing oxygen and burning everything down to ashes in a hurry. We split a bunch of one inch diameter branches and some larger pieces and they burn in minutes. While the large size prevents this from use as a backpacking stove, for around camp this stove rocks.

I got this because it had big space and i was not disappointed. the product is mostly made out of solid steel and components do fit well and is designed well so they dont move unattended. it has grilling, fish and meat options so you can play around and plan ahead for next camping trip

Was awesome to have this handy. Although was small enough to fit in my 90L hiking pack. And was light. Wish you had an another size smaller and lighter for the very long hikes for longer camping nights. Then it would be perfect!

We have fallen in love with this convenient camp stove. It packs away nice and neat in it's own carrier and comes with everything. We were able to grill steaks, burgers and even put a Dutch oven on it. Highly recommend!

This is a Christmas gift for my son, so it has not been put to use at this time. It appears to have arrived in good shape and seems a quality product. He is in his survivalist mode, so hope it pleases him.

I love this Kinden Wood stove.Is really great because with small pieces of wood you will cook perfectlyI really love this product