Any thoughts on the Jotul enamel verses Matte Black finish? I know people love the blue/black enamel, but it's an extra $400 dollars. The matte black looks good to me new. But how does it hold up over time, and is it worth the extra $400 upfront costs tot get the enamel instead?
I would be a little concerned about the enamel chipping. Don't have any first hand experience, just see it come up it threads. + I like black, easy to repaint. Wish my stove was black.
In my search of used stoves I have seen a LOT of chipped and busted up enamel stoves. VC enamel stoves are also very delicate. From what I remember, it is more durable. If you were to go with a glossy finish, this seems like the way to go. Matte black can be easily repainted and maintained. I like matte black cast iron. But, that's me. My feeling is, if you really want the enamel look, pay for the more durable finish.
It would be the blue/black enamel, if at all. How often would it need to be repainted if I went with the matte black?
Hard to say since I have never bought a new cast iron stove. I take stove polish to the Defiant to clean it up. Works fine. I did the same thing to the Heritage and the Vigilant. Took a few minutes and made the cast iron look like new.
I've had a blue blacked Oslo for about three years now. I really liked the look of it over the matte. The finish hasn't chipped a bit so far. It's incredibly easy to clean up with just a damp towel. I even made the unfortunate mistake of putting a hot kettle on the blazing hot plate once. One eruption of well water later my black stove was white. Cleaned up like a dream. If I had it to do over again I'd still get the blue black.
