I have a Hearthstone Soapstone stove. I like the stove but it is trickier to run than some others I have used. This has nothing to do with the soapstone and everything to do with the design. As far as the soapstone, it does as advertised, it's a little slow to start throwing heat when first started as the stones take a lot of energy to get hot. Once hot, they do stay warm a long time. Overall I do like it. I will say my Hearthstone hates to be "raced." It likes a nice slow even burn. If you overload it, it will burn too quickly and run the flame up the chimney. I've owned others you can load right to the top with no problems. I believe it has to do with the chamber design. The other feature is how it feeds air. On the back there is a "flapper" over a hole maybe two inches in diameter. The flapper is on a wire connected to a control handle at the top. As the stove gets hotter, the metal wire expands from the heat, gradually closing the flapper over the air source to help slow the fire. The problem is that in order to not allow too much air when starting the stove, you need to keep it open only a little. Then once it gets going, the flapper wire expands and the flapper closes off the vent hole, choking the fire. It requires pretty regular adjusting as you go. I'm thinking of changing the wire to a thicker one that may have less variation.
My stove has no catalyst. I miss my stoves that had one. I like the way they run. I've found that in order to run one right, you need a thermometer on the top of the stove. At 500 degrees, close off the damper and let the catalyst burn the smoke. I have found it works really well.
