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Incense Stoves

Incense Stoves offer perhaps the most sublime method of heating natural incense. An incense stove gently heats rather than burns the incense. This allows for a slower release of the fragrance and reveals all the many layers of fragrance within an ingredient or mixture.

The common method of placing incense directly on top of a hot charcoal quickly burns the incense and then chars it at the end, leaving the space filled with an unpleasant burnt aroma.

An Incense Stove puts distance between the heat source and the incense. It's this distance that allows for lower heat and therefore the slow, gentle heating of the incense materials instead of burning them.

A well designed Incense Stove will achieve a heat that does not produce any smoke from your incense. Some advanced devices allow for the adjustment of the heat either through adjusting the distance away from a candle flame or if electric, through electronically controlled heat intensity via a switch or dial. 

An incense stove enables you to heat and enjoy incense with people visiting without any concern that the smoke may bother some people. In fact, since we all love spaces that are filled with wonderful fragrances, you're sure to find your visitors asking where those delicious aromas are coming from.

For those who wish to study incense ingredients seriously, the incense stove is virtually a requirement. It offers an excellent opportunity for the careful examination of the many subtle aromas within each single ingredient. Because the incense is gently heated without burning, all of the layers and aromatic notes of a single ingredient are slowly revealed, permitting each to be studied, identified, classified, and noted.

Incense Stove Examples

		A candle-powered incense stove from Japan see diagram below
		the candle is placed in the bottom base on its holder and lit incense, usually sandalwood or aloeswood, is placed in the ceramic "Wood Chip Bowl" the cover is set in place... ahhh if you're handy, you can use this diagram to help create your own incense stove
This is an electric incense stove from Shoyeido Incense Company of Japan. It allows for temperature control; a distinct advantage over the candle stove. Mica plates are used for woods only. Incense mixes use the small pan provided.
A Quick, Homemade Incense Stove
Need: Coat Hangar Wire Cutter pliers Tea light Candle Aluminum Foil Fireproof Stone Base
1- cut off and retain only the hangar bottom with the wire cutter	2- bend a 2" loop at one end	3- measure 3" away, bend a second 2" loop	4- cut off any excess
5- cut a 3" square piece of tin foil	6- use your thumb to form a bowl	7- stand hangar up on one loop	8- place foil in top loop
9- light candle in bottom loop	10- sprinkle incense in bowl	enjoy!	ahh...
Alternative: Using Charcoal as a Makeshift Stove You can achieve stove-like results by employing the Japanese Kodo style of heating your incense.
Caution: Can cause severe burns. Always keep fire, incense, and incense burners away from children. Never leave burning candles or incense unattended. Before handling, it's best to wait overnight to make sure the incense stove and base are completely cooled.

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