WIKING Mini 2: The compact woodburner that thinks for itself

The WIKING Mini 2 combines compact Scandinavian design with WIKING® Automatic™ air control, automatically regulating airflow for a clean, efficient burn. Ideal for smaller spaces, it offers 4.5 kW of heat, 83% efficiency and full DEFRA and Ecodesign compliance.

November 13, 2025
By Reece Toscani
Leave a Comment

Stove Spotlights

Automatic air control, without the gimmicks

If you’ve ever owned a woodburner that needed constant tweaking — air open, air closed, air half-open, whoops now it’s racing — the WIKING Mini 2 will feel refreshingly grown-up. This is a compact woodburning stove designed for small rooms, modern homes and holiday properties, but built around one very clever idea: WIKING® Automatic™, a mechanical air-control system that quietly manages combustion for you.

No electronics. No power. No “smart” app that needs updating. Just proper Scandinavian engineering doing exactly what it’s meant to do.

Design & installation: small stove, big flexibility

The Mini 2 is the smallest stove in the WIKING range, both physically and in output, but it doesn’t look like a compromise. The body is a clean rectangular shape with gently curved sides, giving it a softer, modern profile that works in contemporary interiors without feeling cold or clinical.

The large glass door dominates the front and gives a surprisingly generous flame view for a stove of this size — helped along by WIKING’s clean-burn air systems, which we’ll come onto shortly.

One of the Mini 2’s biggest strengths is how adaptable it is visually. The same firebox can be installed in four distinct ways:

On a 2 cm plinth – 60.8 cm tall
Almost floor-flush and ideal for very low installations or hearth-led designs.
On short legs – 65.2 cm tall
Traditional proportions, compact and unobtrusive.
On tall legs – 83.2 cm tall
Slimmer, lighter, and more contemporary in feel.
Wall mounted – 59.2 cm mounting height
A floating firebox look with no floor footprint at all.

It’s rare to see a stove that genuinely looks right in all four formats — but the Mini 2 pulls it off.

WIKING® Automatic™: why this stove behaves itself

This is the heart of the Mini 2, and the reason people buy it.

Inside the stove is a heat-sensitive bimetallic spring connected to the primary air damper. When the stove is cold, the spring allows maximum airflow, making lighting easy and fast. As temperatures rise, the spring gradually flexes and automatically reduces the air supply, keeping combustion stable, clean and efficient.

As the fire dies down or you reload, the system reacts again — reopening airflow as required. All of this happens mechanically, without electricity and without you having to think about it.

You do still have a secondary air control for minor fine-tuning, but you won’t get the same level of hands-on flame shaping as a fully manual stove. That’s not a flaw — it’s the point. If you enjoy micromanaging a fire, this isn’t your stove. If you want consistent heat, lower wood use and less faff, it absolutely is.

Feature, not a bug.

Not sure if the WIKING Mini 2 is the right fit?
Explore our other Stove Spotlights and buyer guides to compare compact woodburners, automatic air control systems and DEFRA-approved stoves for modern homes.

Performance: perfectly sized for modern spaces

On paper, the Mini 2 is very sensibly specced:

Nominal heat output: 4.5 kW
Efficiency: 83%
Energy rating: A+
Log length: up to 35 cm

That makes it ideal for small rooms, cabins, holiday homes and well-insulated modern properties, where oversized stoves would quickly overpower the space.

In real use, you can expect around 4–8 hours of usable heat per load, depending on fuel quality and burn rate. It’s not an overnight monster, but it’s more than capable of long, steady burns without constant intervention.

Clean burn, clear glass, low maintenance

The Mini 2 uses a triple airwash system, directing preheated air across the glass to keep it clean, while a tertiary air supply burns off remaining particles before they exit the firebox.

The result is:

Clearer glass for longer
Minimal soot build-up
Very little ash
Cleaner flue conditions over time

Combined with the Automatic™ air control, many owners report noticeable reductions in wood consumption, simply because the stove isn’t being over-fired.

Less chopping. Less stacking. More sitting down.

Hands-on experience: one thing to be aware of

During testing, we spent time with the short-leg version of the Mini 2, and there is one practical point worth flagging.

On the short-leg (and plinth) versions, the air control is located low down, beneath the door, very close to the floor. With the door closed, it can be difficult to see the slider, and if you’re not wearing a glove, it’s easy to catch your fingers on hot metal while trying to locate it by feel.

This is less likely to be an issue on the tall-leg or wall-mounted versions, where the control naturally sits higher and is easier to access. But on the short-leg and plinth options, it’s something to be aware of — especially if you’re used to frequent manual air adjustments.

That said, because the Automatic™ system does most of the work, you’ll interact with the air control far less than on a traditional stove. Still, it’s worth considering which base option suits not just your room, but your day-to-day use.

Installation, air supply & clearances

The Mini 2 offers good installer flexibility:

Top or rear flue exit
5” or 6” flue connection
Recommended chimney draught: 12 Pa

For airtight and modern homes, an external air kit (Ø 100 mm) can be connected from either the rear or the base, feeding combustion air directly into the stove.

Clearances to combustibles are sensible and compact-friendly, particularly with an insulated flue — making this stove well suited to tighter spaces.

Emissions & approvals: future-proof by design

The Mini 2 isn’t just tidy — it’s fully compliant across multiple standards:

DEFRA Exempt

Ecodesign compliant

BImSchV Stage 2

Flamme Verte

EN 13240

NS 3058 / 3059

HKI

Classificazione: 3 stelle

In short: legal, clean, and safe to install now and well into the future.

Final thoughts: who is the WIKING Mini 2 for?

The WIKING Mini 2 is not trying to be a statement stove or a fire-taming hobby. It’s a compact, intelligent woodburner designed for people who want reliable heat, clean burning and minimal intervention.

It’s a particularly strong choice for:

Small rooms and snug spaces
Holiday homes and cabins
Modern, well-insulated properties
Owners who want consistency over control

If you want to constantly play with air sliders, look elsewhere. If you want a stove that quietly does its job — and does it very well — the Mini 2 deserves serious consideration.

You can see the WIKING Mini 2 in person at Piping Hot Stoves, Stockton-on-Tees.

And if you’d like us to compare it against manual compact stoves or explore whether the tall-leg or wall-mounted version suits your space best, let us know — we’re always happy to get properly nerdy about stoves 🔥

See related stories to this one:

Hwam Stoves, Woodburner Technology

Reece Toscani

Reece has over two decades in the fireplace and stove world — testing, reviewing, and occasionally getting covered in soot, all in the name of wood-fired home heating. He cuts through the nonsense, busts the myths, and shares straight-talking advice to help you enjoy your stove without the confusion. From Fireplace Products to Redefining Woodburners, if it burns wood, he’s probably tested it, fixed it, or argued about it. Now, through Woodburner Insights, he shares that experience with the world — both here and on YouTube.