Chubby Cruising Speed

I love it that the Chubby with its air open a sliver, MPD closed, and a full load of coal always settles into its sweet spot at around 350 degrees. And stays there. Got to love the Chubby.

That is why coal is such a beautiful fuel. With the same draft and primary/secondary air settings you get the same predictable heat output. Every time. Love it.

Agreed, what I just described is a characteristic of coal, not the stove. But the simplicity of the Chubby still amazes me. Having a great draft in my windy location, the steady state of my MPD is always fully closed. The secondary air is closed. This means it is a 1-lever stove for heat adjustment. The primary air consists of a total of 4 square inches. Close it up and you can hold the fire for a very long time, 16-24 hours. Open it up and the stove will hit 800-900 degrees; won't burn the house down but way too hot for steady operation. About 1/8 open is my "sweet spot" for steady running, increased perhaps to 1/4 open for extremely cold days.

At some point in the future when I have a Stoker unit in the basement, I'd like to have a small stove in the living room. A chubby is a fair contender for that position.