Review of the MAC MetalCraft Symphony Solo 5

The Symphony Solo 5 is an all new, all British stove that will attempt, (with its all customisable design, optional free standing logstore version, and coming soon range of sizes) to be all things to, all Woodburning stove users. And for starters it's actually true, this stove was drawn, designed, prototyped, tested, certified and now build all in Britain. This should be obvious when you say "British Made", but unfortunately, it's not always as simple as that.

This stove is very much focused on wood burning, a big glass and a simple design with a slight traditional edge with the decorative cast iron door and the rolled over top edge to the stove.

Lighting: 7/10

Lighting this stove is simple, and standard. This on the one hand means it doesn't stand out, but in the particular question not standing out is mostly a good thing. 

Cleanness: 9/10

This stove runs at nearly 84% efficiency, which is incredibly high. Obviously it has the approvals from DEFRA and Eco-Design, but most importantly when put through its paces it responds well. I always use dry fuel, but it managed to run overnight and stay clean, I have strangled all the air and made it run black, but cleaning it off is as simple as a hot burn. There were no struggles here and actually it performed at a very high level.

Controls: 5/10

It comes with some gloves, which you will need as the handles and controls get hot. The main door handle is customisable which is great fun, and has a nice clunk when you close it, but is a bit wobbly when un latched. The whole stove is a bit lighter than some, which is no bad thing when you're moving them around, but does indicate that perhaps it's not for very serious use despite its competent controls, which slowed the burn down and enabled long burn times (even overnight) without a struggle. The stove is wood focused, so although there is lower and upper air, there is no grate or ash pan for coal based fuel use. 

Economy: 7/10

The fuel economy on this stove does vary depending on whether you've got a good bed of ash. The stoves weight does speed up the changes in temperature, so although serious use is possible, it didn't feel as though that was its focus.

It ran from between 9-14 hours depending on how much ash was in the stove and how well you were on your game. As always to achieve these figures the stove had to be clean on the glass the whole time, so that we can ensure not only a long burn, but a clean/efficient one too.

What I thought:

Its handles and controls get hot and are a little more basic, and the whole stove is a little more pared back and simple. However that's not all bad. The Controls are hugely effective, the handle has a nice feel and ease of use, the stove is simple to light, quick to heat up and in every way responsive to what you want.

I like the stoves look, and the ease of use coupled with the ScanTag feature really makes this an ideal stove for AirBnB or let properties, where all the history is kept with the stove and you can also benefit from "How To" videos stored on that link too, so rather than getting a phone call, you can simply solve the problem with a quick QR code scan. If you like the big glass, you're burning wood and you want ease of use and occasionally to achieve longer and more serious burns then the Symphony Solo 5 is a great thing to look at, particularly when you consider the price.