Empire Stove: St. Claire 4300

The larger St. Clair, for big family homes and long burns.

Quick Facts

• Heating Capacity: 1,000–2,800 sq ft (Empire’s recommended area).
• Efficiency: 63.9% (higher heating value)
• Maximum Log Size: 25″
• Burn Time: Up to 11 hours (Empire’s stated figure).
• Fuel: Wood.
• Fan: Included.

Who It’s For

A new wood fireplace should heat the house, not just decorate the wall. You want a real fire you can build into the room and rely on through the winter. The Empire St. Clair 4300 is made for that. Choose a decorative firebox and you get the look without the heat.

What Makes It Special

The St. Clair 4300 brings the ambiance of a wood fire to larger family homes, behind double glass doors with a cast iron frame, with a large firebox that takes logs up to 25 inches and a low particle emissions rate.

The standard blower circulates heated air back into the living space instead of up the chimney. Empire calls its stoves the simplest to use: a one-lever air control takes the fire from a roaring blaze to a slow burn, and the air wash system uses hot air to keep the glass clear.

It is built from thick steel, with high-density ceramic refractory lining the firebox, a high-heat ceramic baffle that won’t deteriorate, high-temperature ceramic glass, and a heavy-duty door latch that seals tight for an efficient burn.

Empire backs it with a limited lifetime warranty on the combustion chamber welds, cast iron door frame, ceramic glass, and plating, with shorter terms on other parts.

Possible Downsides

• It is a wood fire. You load it, tend it, and carry out the ash.

If you want a wood fireplace that heats as well as it looks, the Empire St. Clair 4300 is the right decision. On the coldest night, the house is warm and the fire is the reason.

The traditional faceplate is required and the refractory ceramic liner is optional; choose black or nickel door trim, and add the fire screen and fresh air kit.