Heta Scanline 8 review

Heta Scanline 8 review

The Heta ScanLine 8 is surprisingly competent stove. Generally these types of stoves tend to be more like super cars, practicality, function and fuel economy are all out the window. Generally "form over function" is a staple part of the recipe, this stove definitely has the looks covered, and that typical cylindrical shape for these freestanding stoves, but during testing it worked like a purpose built precision tool. 

They have a grate and an ash-pan, but are focused on burning wood. Speaking of the ash pan, it's superb. You can imagine in a very modern building or room, you don't really want things covered in ash every other day when you're clearing the stove. But the Scanline 8 has a patented deep ash pan with a handle and no easy way to spill it. It also seals to the base of the stove and is so big that users tend to empty it no more than once a month, if that. It's also very customisable:

Standard steel version in black or grey colour

Cast iron version in black or grey colour

Side glass version in black or grey colour

Optional turntable base, so the stove can spin to face different areas.

Optional soapstone top, or complete soap stone cladding.

Special coloured trims to add a splash of colour to the cast iron and soap stone versions:

 

Lighting the stove: 7/10

This stove is typical Heta, not the easiest to light, but perfectly fine once you've learned how to do it. You need dry fuel, kindling and a fire lighter, if you've got the kit no problem, but try and cut corners and you may regret it.

 

Cleanness: 10/10

This stove is actually technically the cleanest Heta have ever made and I believe at one point was the cleanest stove ever. This is obviously in terms of scientific figures NoS, particulates, etc. In terms of glass I tested the side glass version, which is obviously the hardest to keep clean. No side glass stoves run spotless on the sides, but this was very good. If you burned dry fuel and ran it at a good temperature it was always clean, but over time it was possible to haze the glass. It's no problem to wipe off though, and once you've learned the stove you can even keep it in overnight with a clean glass.

 

Controls & Controllability: 9/10

The main door handle is detachable which means that kids cannot get into the stove, but you can leave the door handle in place and even then it doesn't get hot, thanks to a silicone coating which looks and feels smart. If I'm being picky what lets it down very slightly is the way you riddle the grate, you have to attach a handle to a difficult to find bar, hidden behind the bottom door. It's hard to see under there and a little fiddly to operate, it also has a button that you can push in to hold the self closing door open (yes it also has a self closing door). This is really useful, but again a little tricky to find within the lower door compartment. The self closing door is very cool however, simply pull the door open, no lifting or twisting, just a pull. And you load your fire and simply let go and the door will pull itself to, without slamming or bumping and then click completely closed. 

Finally we get to the actual control, which is a turning disk just below the main door, like every Heta it works superbly. It is so accurate that getting the stove to run overnight with the glass staying clean is very possible, and closing the stove down immediately if things get too hot, is again easy.

 

Fuel economy & Burn time: 10/10

As I said at the start, to get a tall cylindrical show piece like this, to work as economically as it does is amazing. It's like finding a Ferrari that has 80mpg and decent luggage space. This stove can burn for hours on a net of logs, and because it is such a competent stove, the heat both radiating and convecting from the stove is not held back by frugal running. When trying to keep it in for long periods unattended it also out performs most, being capable of running for a full working day on 1 load and keeping the room warm and the glass clean until you return. 

 

Who's it for:

This stove is designed as a finishing touch to your modern house, barn conversion, extension or redecoration. You buy it for its looks typically, but this stove will also satisfy the keen stove user, someone who wants the look, but doesn't want to compromise on all the functions of a stove. To put it in perspective, Heta make all kinds of spectacular and hugely expensive appliances, but the owner has 1 of these at home, because if you can have anything, you probably pick the best.

 

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