A stove is an appliance that may be used for heating, cooking or both. Stoves differ from open fires in that they're easier to control, more efficient and may create less pollution. An open fire doesn't burn efficiently or remove the smoke. Modern stoves burn efficiently and pollute less because they vaporize the fuel thoroughly, mix it with an optimized amount of air, and burn it at optimal temperatures. When heat is extracted, modern stoves often include contraflow heat exchangers so efficien… (More on Stove)