Esse Stoves - woodburning stoves from the UK.

Quality craftsman built woodburning stoves from the UK

Esse Stoves - woodburning and multi fuel stoves made in the UK

The Esse 700 above is a traditionally styled wood burning stove able to heat a large room. For more information about this stove click here

The longest-standing British stove company.

ESSE was established in 1854 but our story actually starts even earlier...

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The start of ESSE's unique heritage
During the late 1800s James introduced his stoves and cookers to the wealthy Victorian market in Edinburgh.
In 1854, on a return trip to America, James was dramatically shipwrecked in the Atlantic and survived by floating in a zinc-lined wicker basket until he was rescued three days later.
Soon after, James formed a business partnership with his old friend Stephen Wellstood, and the company became known as Smith and Wellstood. Later, with the addition of a third partner, George Ure, the group opened an iron foundry at Bonnybridge called 'The Columbian Stove Works'.
It was at this point the ESSE brand was created, with the French-sounding name reflecting the fashion at the time.

1890

A unique client list
Florence Nightingale was passionate about ESSE cookers and would use no other brand at her hospital in Balaclava. Famous British explorers, Shackleton and Scott, also relied on ESSE to provide hot food and warmth to their expedition team in some of the world's coldest and most inhospitable places. This tradition is followed by top British climber Alan Hinkes, who uses a specially adapted ESSE Solo to heat his base camp in the Himalayas.
Left: Scott's ESSE stove
Right: Florence Nightingales letter of appreciation

The best!

1910
Early ESSE stoves were primarily designed for the burning of different types of coal. Circa 1910 the ESSE Pioneer Stove was an innovative wood burning stove. The design allowed smoke re-burning to take pace above the firebox before the waste gases entered the flue. Many modern stoves claim to be the originator of this idea, but the ESSE Pioneer refutes these claims. The Pioneer was made in three sizes.
Today, wood burning has had something of a renascence and ESSE makes dedicated woodburning cookers and stoves, alongside multi-fuel appliances.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE ESSE RANGE OF STOVES

 

Warming hearts and homes

ESSE is the UK's longest-standing stove manufacturer, having been established way back in 1854.
This proud British company has a rich and interesting heritage which our onsite museum bears testament to; from a shipwreck in the Atlantic, to Florence Nightingale, James Bond and the famous range cookers and stoves we love so much today. The knowledge and skills gained over more than a century and a half go into everything we do, and ESSE range cookers and stoves are designed to last a lifetime.
Each one of our modern stoves can trace its ancestry back through the decades to ESSE's original models. The selling points in the very first brochure still hold true today: "Great economy in point of fuel, great economy in point of cleanliness."