Cleaner Choice catch-up with Chilli Penguin Stoves
We are kicking off 2025 by catching up with some Cleaner Choice manufacturers we have shone the spotlight on in the past, learning about recent developments across their business. Since July 2023, Chilli Penguin have not slowed down, having a further four appliances certified on the HETAS Cleaner Choice scheme.
Reintroducing Chilli Penguin Stoves
Known across the industry for their playful appliance names and logo, incredible efficiency, and commitment to UK manufacturing, Chilli Penguin pride themselves on making their stoves as beautiful as they are functional.
Chilli Penguin have remained committed to the values that formed the company back in 2001, continuing to only design and manufacture in Wales, with all component sourcing done in the UK. This commitment means the journey of every Chilli Penguin is not only sustainable due to keeping all fabrication and painting work in-house in Pwllheli; local rural communities are able to benefit, too.
The team at Chilli Penguin believe that specially designed appliances should be sold by those who understand them inside and out. This is why you can only find a Chilli Penguin stove stocked by a retailer that knows their stuff. Whether you’re visiting the company’s showroom in the stunning Llŷn Peninsula or in one of over 100 other stockists across the UK, you can rest assured that you will be given the expert advice you need to purchase the perfect stove for your home.
Find out why company directors Stephen and Karen chose the name ‘Chilli Penguin Stoves’ over two decades ago in our original spotlight article.
What’s new?
The Cleaner Choice certified range of Chilli Penguin Stoves has only expanded since we last checked in with them. This comes as no surprise to anyone that knows the company; the team at Chilli Penguin have always championed efficiency and environmental responsibility – perfectly aligning with the ethos of Cleaner Choice.
The Chilli Billie Gentoo (generation two) is a redesign of a classic Chilli Penguin stove, staying true to traditional Chilli Penguin aesthetic. The redesign has created high efficiency and minimal emissions, all while maintaining enough room to warm up a coffee or cook up a stew.
The porthole viewing window makes the Chilli Billie Gentoo the centrepiece of wherever it sits, whether that is a home, camping pod, or even a yurt! Two air control knobs make the Chillie Billie Gentoo easily controllable, making it perfect for all the smaller spaces it can squeeze into. An optional food tube lets you cook some snacks as you relax and take in the warming ambience from the uniquely compact stove.
The Popty collection consists of the Popty Cube (Ciwb), Popty Stout, and the Popty Lofty, giving you the choice of three models of varying shapes and sizes.
The Popty Cube (Ciwb) is the core of the three Popty models and emanates inspiration from old bakehouses. The smell of raw dough, the feel of flour on your fingertips, the gentle warmth of the communal bakehouse oven, its heat radiating off the traditional brickwork as another hand-crafted loaf rises silently, overtaken by the chatter from the bakers of old – sitting back, relaxing, and baking some home-baked bread will elicit this comforting imagery each and every time in the Popty Cube.
The wider, stockier cousin of the Ciwb is the Popty Stout. The traditional image of baking bread on solid fuel is contrasted with the sleek, distinctly Chilli Penguin styling of this cooking stove, offering a highly efficient, sleek stove that will complement any room. The top oven box is perfect for making bread, firing up a pizza, or even baking a cake in – letting you use the heat from your fire to both keep warm and cook up a delicious meal.
Slimmer, taller, and with an integrated log store, the Popty Lofty is a true multitasker. The Popty Lofty’s functionality lets you keep warm, toast some homemade bread, and refuel your stove all while you barely lift a finger.
Calvin May, HETAS Head of Technical Services, commented on Chilli Penguin’s recent Cleaner Choice certified appliances:
The efficiency of Chilli Penguin appliances really speak for themselves. Their four most recent appliances once again show the dedication across our industry to reduce emissions and provide customers with the most heat for their homes.
Seeing so many manufacturers from across the UK committing to making the Cleaner Choice and showcasing their innovative appliances gives consumers the power to choose an appliance that suits their home and heating needs, all while keeping their emissions to a minimum.
Sustainability, efficiency, and quality
In addition to the well-documented innovations that make every Chilli Penguin stove a joy to heat your home with, boasting efficiencies of over 80%, every stove manufactured is made to last. With each stove being made to order, when you purchase your Chilli Penguin Stove you know that you will be getting a high-quality appliance that supports British manufacturing and will keep you warm for many winters to come.
The wider company are also committed to sustainability efforts. From the wide-reaching areas such as promoting the best fuels, responsible burning habits, and top tips through their social medias, all the way to their packaging and marketing materials. Compostable bags are used as stove covers; cardboard packaging, wood wool, and shredded wastepaper protect their stoves in transit; and even the minor details like the ink on their FSC-certified paper leaflets is vegetable ink.
The environmental ethos of Chilli Penguin Stoves goes beyond the incredible efficiency and minimal emissions from their stoves. Every step of the way, their products are carefully selected and monitored to make sure that, as a company, they are being as kind to their local environment as possible.
Karen Harris, joint Director of Chilli Penguin Stoves, spoke on what Cleaner Choice means to them:
We have a small and very dedicated engineering team who work on stove design, cleaner burning, reducing particulate emissions, Ecodesign compliance, and achieving high efficiencies in our stoves. We do this because we believe this is responsible designing.
Cleaner Choice certification recognises that not just the minimum standard is reached, but that it is exceeded. It recognises that the quiet and often frustrating work of simply making something better is worth doing. We hope that this helps to inform choices for the consumers.
Get cooking with Chilli Penguin
Chilli Penguin don’t just make stunning, highly efficient cooking stoves – they can equip your home with all the accessories you need to get a delicious meal cooking while you keep warm.
The Triongl triangular hot plate is essential for aspiring wood-burning stove chef, letting you heat up or cook an array of delicious meals or drinks.
Cooking up a pizza? Maybe you’re roasting some vegetables? Chilli Penguin’s Pizza Peel and oven trays are perfect for cooking up a hearty, healthy meal – all on high-quality, food-grade aluminium.
The team at Chilli Penguin even have a dedicated page full of mouth-watering recipes specifically to be made in a Chilli Penguin stove.
