What is this Aitokiuas really? The big black barrel, that has been around since 1950’s and is nowadays one of the many sauna stoves produced by Narvi. We often hear comments like “oh, that one! We have one at our summer house” or “Our neighbors got this. They’ve now reached freak-level and it’s all the talk about”.
Those are kind comments, but what makes one specific sauna stove stay iconic for decades, and what’s the reason sauna people, among them Finnish Presidents, praise it that much?
The Aitokiuas Advantages
First thing to understand is, that it works differently from most of the other sauna stoves. Aitokiuas is a single-fired wood-burning sauna stove. That means, it is first heated up, and after the fire is gone and the ash has been removed, it is ready to be used. When bathing, nothing is burning inside but the heat is there. This is quite close to the way traditional smoke sauna stoves work, except for the fact that smoke escapes through the chimney.
During the heating, fire is in direct contact with the sauna stones. This obviously heats them extremely hot. After some wood reloads, the stones are supposed to glow red. This the point when hot enough temperatures are reached, to burn the small particles and ash away. After that, it is better to let the beast settle for a moment, before some serious sauna bathing can start.
The construction of Aitokiuas is also unique. The fire chamber and inner body of the stove is not made steel, but a certain type of stone mass. Steel wouldn’t last the heat and the stove is actually a huge stone pile, surrounded by a round steel casing. The area between this hot stone load and the outside casing is well insulated. In the end, Aitokiuas is like a huge coffee thermos can filled stones. It has a löyly-hatch on the top, which can be closed to maintain the heat where it belongs.
Understanding Limitations
Sounds like this is the one and only flawless option, right? Let’s keep in mind that sauna physics is quite simple in the end. Big stone mass needs lots of energy and time to get hot. And you cannot add more wood if the heat has, or is about to run out. In the case of Aitokiuas, those facts are not completely valid as flaws. The thermal energy produced by the combustion is transferred extremely efficiently to the sauna stoves thanks to the direct contact of fire and stone. As the stove is insulated, heat will stay inside the stove for a remarkably long time. With a single heating, the stove is ready to serve for several hours. The legend says that you can get some soft löyly even the next morning.
Everything that sauna is about.
- Silence – nothing is burning, the energy is already there.
- Relaxation – all you need to do is to pour some water into the stove, or not to.
- Löyly – you need to try it. An attempt to describe it would be soft but powerful, long-lasting and exceptional.
- Heritage – pure sauna heritage
