One of several reasons steel stoves are superior to cast iron stoves is the addition of a convective jacket. This jacket circulates air around the stove and forward into the room. All of the heated air in the firebox enters the house, as there is no other way out. The firebox and chimney flue are blocked off, except of course for the pipe venting the stove that typically goes up to the top of the chimney.

In fact, the opposite is true. In the past, all inserts were installed without vent pipe going from the insert up the chimney. Now that all installations require a vent pipe called a liner, the chimney pathway is blocked off up inside the chimney. By going without the optional surround plate, you save about $100, trap less heat in the firebox, and free up the stove to be pushed several more inches further into the firebox. A nice finishing touch is to first clean the firebox and paint if flat black before inserting the stove. This way, the gap around the stove is more of a black shadow. When over half of the front surface area of the stove is glass such as the Country stove line, and the front is flush with the opening, you have preserved the charm of the fireplace. This is the preference of virtually everyone. It looks great.