Impressive stove. Learning curve was easy with this stove. As with any stove, seasoned wood gives the best results, although we had good success with wood that was only seasoned a few months. One thing that was very important to us and I’ve never seen anyone comment about, is the heat shields that allow stove to be placed relatively close to combustible walls. I’ve done research and Drolet has the market on close clearances feature. Stove is easy to start. No smoke when door is opened. No peeling paint. Drafts great. Any negative reviews about slow starting, poor draft, ext.,most likely are due to installation issues or unseasoned wood.