Abstract: A solid fuel burning stove of the present invention includes an internal combustion chamber, a primary air feed to the combustion chamber and a heat exchanger above and providing a secondary heated air feed to the combustion chamber. This secondary air feed raises burning temperatures and reduces pollutants from the exhaust of the stove. The heat exchanger itself has a horizontally layered substantially closed box-like construction including a heated gas outflow layer fed by the hot exhaust gases from the combustion chamber, at least one secondary air inflow layer into which secondary air is drawn from outside of the stove, a heat exchange wall between and isolating the gas outflow layer from the secondary air inflow layer and an air feed from the secondary air flow layer to the combustion chamber. The heat exchanger further includes an exhaust stack receiving opening for fitting an exhaust stack with the gas outflow layer without penetrating the secondary air inflow layer.