NDL Hearth Blog

Here is an article from the Republican Journal in Maine written by one of our retailers, Mazzeo’s Chimney and Stoves in Rockland, ME.

When it comes to wood stoves, new is definitely better. An approved stove that meets or preferably exceeds EPA standards is a must. The internal design of wood stoves has changed entirely since EPA regulation established in the late 1980's. The EPA's mandatory smoke emission limit for wood stoves is currently 7.5 grams of smoke per hour however many newer wood stoves have certified emissions in the 1 to 4 grams of smoke per hour range.

Investing in a new wood burning stove has other benefits as well. Burning far less wood for the same amount of heat saves money, fuel, time and resources. These new stoves are 50% energy more efficient than non EPA stoves and produce 70% less outdoor particle pollution.

Clean burning EPA wood stoves cuts creosote build-up in chimneys that helps reduce the risk of fire and reduces indoor and outdoor wood smoke pollution.

Are you interested in buying a new wood burning stove for your home before next fall's chill sets in? Contact Northeast Distribtion LTD and we will connect you with the finest retailers in your area.

Mazzeo's Chimney & Stoves / Republican Journal

When grilling on fun, high-end and easy to use grills, you can become a backyard gourmet. No longer does grilling out need to mean hot dogs and hamburgers. However, when it does, they will be the best tasting hot dogs and hamburgers you have had in a while.

Some people are intimidated by grilling, but the best part about using a ceramic charcoal grill, high quality gas grill or a pellet grill is that you don’t have to work hard. Your options of what to cook and how to cook it are only limited by your imagination. And the better the grill, the easier it is to use and the harder it is to burn or overcook your food.

So in keeping with the idea of gourmet grilling, and with Cinco de Mayo around the corner, here is the perfect grill recipe for either a gas, charcoal or pellet grill. All your friends will enjoy. Have a great Fiesta!

Carne Asada

• 2 pounds skirt steak
• 12 flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup tequila
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup guacamole
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco

Mix juices, garlic, onion, tequila, Tabasco, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add meat and marinate both sides. Cover and refrigerate, turning meat over occasionally. Let steak marinade for 6 to 8 hours. Preheat grill. Place a few drops of water on each tortilla, stack and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on grill. Remove meat from marinade, reserving marinade. Place on grill. Turn steak and tortillas once during cooking. Brush steak with remaining marinade. Cook to your liking. Cut into thin slices. Place a few slices of steak on each tortilla with salsa and guacamole and serve.

Interested in purchasing a Green Mountain Pellet Grill or a ceramic Charcoal Grill or Gas Grill by Kamado Joe? Contact Northeast Distribution for a dealer in your area.

Are you interested in smoking ribs, brisket or pork shoulder? Backyard smoking is becoming all the rage these days. But there is no need to go out and buy yourself a smoker. The Kamado Joe Charcoal Grill is universal. You con't only grill with a Kamado Joe, you can smoke, bake, roast, sear, grill, and smoke.

How? Watch the video, and become a pro. For information on Kamado Joe Charcoal Grills, contact Northeast Distribution LTD. 

Outdoor living and outdoor kitchens remain one of the fastest-growing segments of residential construction. As homeowners look to extend living and entertainment spaces and increase their home values, more are choosing to build out their outdoor spaces. Increasingly, buyers and homeowners demand more sophisticated living that can serve their needs year-round. This trend is evidenced by the growing popularity of outdoor gas grills with accessories, covered patios and decks, and fire pits. These are just some of the trends we discovered in our 2012 Outdoor Living Survey.

Here are some examples of the single biggest trends in outdoor living design today.

• Year-round use in even the smallest of outdoor spaces
• Appliances and electronics that can remain in the outdoor area throughout the winter months
• Outdoor kitchens with higher end gas and charcoal grills
• Elimination of decks in favor of patios
• Screened-in porch with an attached grilling area
• Maintenance-free decks/pavers
• Covered patios
• Wiring for TV and sound
• Easy-to-convert screened porch into indoor living space
• Creation of an ‘environment,’ not just a few outdoor features
• Outdoor big-screen TV and sitting area
• Concrete color and design stamping
• Herb and vegetable gardens
• Brick pizza ovens

Year-round use, outdoor appliances, high end grills and screened or covered porches and patios are just a few of the new trends buyers are looking for in outdoor living areas. - housezone.com

Like the sounds of an outdoor firepit or a new gas grill or high end charcoal grills? Contact Northeast Distribution today for and check out what we have to offer you for your outdoor living space this season!

The Super Bowl is one of the most popular grilling days of the year. 32% of grill owners fire up their grills for the Super Bowl. But with two great playoff games this weekend, why wait? And if you need a grill for Super Sunday, Consumer Reports has some recommendations.

"Grilling and championships go hand in hand," says cookbook author Jamie Purviance in a Weber press release. His latest cookbook, Weber's Time to Grill, has shipped more than 180,000 copies since its release in April 2011. "Grilling for many people is a sport in itself—rather than settling for take-out, dedicated grillers see this game as an opportunity to win big with family and friends."

In Consumer Reports tests of gas grills we’ve found some champs—and some chumps. In the most popular size, the top-performing mid-sized gas grill is the Vermont Castings Signature Series, which scored an 85.

If you need a crowd-pleasing appetizer, try Cheesy Steak Nachos with Black Beans. The steak should be grilled over direct high heat, sliced put atop nacho chips with black beans and cheese and then baked in the grill to melt. After the cheese is melted, top with sour cream, salsa and green onions. 

This top rated gas grill aced our test. - Consumer News Jan 2012.

Looking to buy the top-performing, mid-sized gas grill? Contact Northeast Distribution LTD. And, if you have any favorite grill recipes for the Super Bowl, share them on our facebook page!

Every year at the holidays Northeast Distribution LTD collects generous donations from their retailers in New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania for Toys for Tots or different charities they have chosen for that year. Northeast Distribution LTD then matches the amount collected. This year the total amount of donations amounted to $3000.

In 2009 NDL bought $1,700 worth of toys for toys-for-tots, and in 2010 donated 220 hams and 800lbs of potatoes for the food pantry – all with the help of our generous retailers throughout the Northeast.

Last weekend, the Northeast Distribution crew took a morning ride to Walmart in New Hampshire and purchased $3000 worth of toys: bikes, Nerf guns, dolls, Legos and much more. The Marines were waiting for us – they were having their annual STUFF THE BUS TOY DRIVE. We arrived with blazing horn and a truck load of toys to a pile of smiles. WHEB & WERZ were broadcasting live and we were excited to have some fun with them and talk about the generosity of the Stove and Hearth retailers in the Northeast. ”They always answer the call for help and this year was no different. $3000 dollars worth of Toys is huge!” Dale said.

Happy Holidays from Northeast Distribution LTD. See more pictures on our Facebook page, like us while you are there.

(click images to enlarge)

 

Cold weather is fast approaching in the Northeast, this mild weather cannot hold out for long. Wood stoves and wood burning fireplace inserts bring relaxing warmth to your home and can help you reduce your home heating bills.

Wood is an excellent, efficient, and attractive way to heat your home. Wood inserts and wood burning stoves by Vermont Castings, Archgard, Pacific Energy, RSF and Vistaflame are a cost effective way to supplement or eliminate your heating bills.  But you not only save money with wood heat, you add ambience to your home and increase your home’s value.

Wood is a renewable resource. Wood burns efficiently and beautifully and a wood burning fire can add atmosphere to any room. Imagine coming home to a beautiful wood burning fire, nothing can help you relax more after a long day. No matter how your day went, a winter night calls for a beautiful fire.

Increase the efficiency of that open fireplace with a wood burning stove or fireplace insert. Discover what many have discovered, the warmth and beauty of a wood burning fire. Contact us at Northeast Distribution LTD today, and see how easy it can be to bring a fire to your life.

What warms the hearth may not always be good for the environment – here’s a look at eco-friendly fireplace options.

It may look pretty, but according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average emissions of fine particles into the air from one of the 22 million fireplaces in the United States are as much as 20 times greater than those from a wood burning stove, pellet stove, or oil or gas.

Not only do those fine particles go up the chimney and into the air outside, but depending on your fireplace and your flue, they are also circulated in the air inside your home. And all that air pollution isn’t even really keeping your warm. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that a conventional open front-style fireplace is just 10-percent efficient at turning wood into warmth. But you can still have a beautiful fire and go green.

There are eco-friendly options in the fireplace market these days that look good, do the job, and minimize their impact on the environment. And, as more people are going green and burning wood, these options look more attractive.

Glass Fireplace Doors
One of the most striking alternatives to a wood-burning fire is using colored tempered glass fireplace doors. Colored squares or ovals of tempered glass chosen to fit your décor for you wood fires.

When the fire is ignited, the tempered glass can withstand heat, retain its color over time, yet does not emit any carbon toxins.  Fires in a fireplace with glass do not get quite as hot as an open wood fire. But they burn better and look beautiful, and the fire is still effective in warding off the winter chill.

Gas logs
Adding a gas log burner, and gas logs obviously reduces emissions. Not only are gas logs convenient they have very low emissions. And these are the fake gas logs of old. Our gas logs are gorgeous, hand-made and hand-painted ceramic log sets that exactly replicate the look of real wood both when they are burning and when they are not.

Interested in a greener solution to the open fireplace? Contact Northeast Distribution, LTD.

Original article Illinois Times

Empyre premier residential outdoor wood boiler passes stringent state regulations with flying colors.

Pro-Fab Industries, leader in clean burning alternative energy heating systems, announced the certification of the Empyre Outdoor Wood Boiler for sale in New York. Pro-Fab Industries is one of only a handful of outdoor wood boiler manufacturers approved under New York's stringent new wood burning regulations.

Clean burning indoor and outdoor wood boilers  are well known in the State of New York. They are one of the first hydronic heaters to meet EPA emission standards. With very low emission rates Empyre Wood Boilers are 90% cleaner than conventional outdoor wood boilers and use up to 50% less wood for the same heat output.

The wood boiler achieves this clean burning efficiency by burning the wood and the gases released from the wood in a fan controlled two stage downdraft gasification system. Hydronic wood heat offers a clean, local and cost effective alternative to fossil fuels for home and business owners in New York.

"We are excited to see more states promoting environmental responsibility and recognizing innovations in alternative energy," says Grant Cairns, VP and GM of Pro-Fab Industries Inc. “This is a cost-effective and user-friendly alternative to fossil fuels."

Pro-Fab Industries Inc is North America's leading designer and manufacturer of alternative energy biomass heating systems. These highly efficient biomass boilers incorporate state of the art engineering and technology with a commitment to protecting the environment.

If you are interested in more information about the Empyre wood boiler for your home or business, contact Northeast Distribution LTD.

Taking your summertime cooking to the backyard used to mean firing up the grill, dragging out a lawn chair and dumping a load of ice in a cooler.

No more.

Folks have been moving the amenities outdoors and stretching the season, with built-in gas or propane grills, sinks, storage drawers and cupboards, and mini refrigerators.

Now backyard cooks are beefing it up even more:

Adding appliances and accessories: Side burners, rotisseries, smokers, pullout garbage bins, ice makers and kegerators.

Installing hard surfaces: Granite may still be the rage in indoor kitchens, but for outdoor kitchens, polished concrete is the countertop of choice with pavers reigning underfoot.

Bars. Need I say more?

Maybe you've been equally smitten with the growing trend and have been wanting to add some spice to your backyard patio area.

We have loads of ideas, and so do our retailers. Let Northeast Distribution connect you to the finest charcoal and gas grill retailers in your area.

Original article – Oregon Live