The FB1’s most noticeable feature is the large square glass window. While not landscape in orientation, it still offers a generous flame view for a stove of this size—a feature you’ll quickly come to appreciate on dark winter evenings.
Where traditional stoves often limit glass size in favour of solid metal doors, the Firebelly FB1 flips that thinking on its head. Its airwash system is robust enough to keep the glass clean, and the tall firebox means the flame picture never feels cramped or overly “engineered.”
But let’s be honest—the real headline here is the custom colour options. At a time when most stoves were still stuck in a shade of black, Firebelly’s decision to offer finishes like pewter, sky blue, and surf sand is downright rebellious. And the fact it’s all done in-house in the UK adds a layer of quality assurance many import brands can’t match.
There’s no autopilot or wizardry here—just manual air control sliders that give you full control over the primary and secondary air feeds. The air sliders are smooth and responsive, and the burn pattern feels incredibly stable once up to temperature.
It’s not the sort of stove where you “set and forget,” but that’s not the point. This is a stove for people who enjoy the process—who want to dial in the airflow, adjust the logs, and watch the flame response. The Firebelly FB1 rewards that kind of attention with a rolling flame pattern that’s as mesmerising as it is warm.
With well-seasoned wood, you can expect reliable refuelling intervals of 60–90 minutes, depending on how hard you’re running it.
Multifuel Kit: Premium Price, Clunky Execution
If you’re considering the multifuel kit for the Firebelly FB1, here’s where things get a little more complicated. Unlike other brands where multifuel operation is built-in or offers a more seamless conversion, Firebelly’s approach is… well, unique.
The optional multifuel kit—one of the most expensive on the market at the time—includes a heavy-duty cradle system that drops into the firebox. It’s solid, with thick steel bars that certainly won’t burn out anytime soon. The cradle is well-engineered and, to Firebelly’s credit, looks like it was made to last forever.
But here’s the catch: ash falls straight through the bars and lands directly on the vermiculite base of the stove. So, when it comes time to clean out the firebox, you need to remove the entire cradle and then manually shovel the ash out using the supplied ash shovel.
The included ashpan isn’t located inside the firebox like you’d expect—instead, it slides beneath the stove, functioning more as an ash storage tray than a traditional collection pan. You’re still required to move the ash yourself with the shovel—no riddling grate, no built-in draw.
It’s a tidy solution in one sense—the pan is invisible when the door is closed, and it’s fully compatible with the optional logstore base—but it’s also fiddly and inconvenient compared to other multifuel systems of the time. For example, Stovax’s Stockton range offered integrated riddling grates, internal ashpans, and front-access doors that made daily cleaning far less of a chore.
In short: if you burn wood exclusively, this won’t matter. But if you’re expecting regular multifuel use with the ease of a purpose-built solution, you’ll likely find the FB1’s kit a bit of a faff—especially considering the price tag.
