Jøtul has been casting iron stoves since 1853, making it one of the oldest stove manufacturers in the world. The company started as Kværner Jernstøberi, a foundry on the outskirts of Christiania (now Oslo), founded by Oluf Onsum.
Stoves were the main product, but the foundry also produced turbines and lumber equipment as Norway industrialised. In 1916 the stove production was spun off and sold to Herman Anker, one of Kværner's managers. He founded Jøtul AS in 1920 as a dedicated sales company, and the brand got its current name in 1935.
The name comes from Norse mythology, where jøtul means giant. Production moved to Kråkerøy, an island in the Glomma river delta at Fredrikstad, where the factory still operates. The plant uses 100% recyclable steel from local scrap metal recycling. Over 170 years of casting experience means Jøtul stoves are found in cabins, homes, and lodges across Norway and in over 40 countries worldwide.
The classic Jøtul No. 602, a small black cast iron wood stove, is probably Norway's most recognisable piece of industrial design after the paper clip. If you have stayed in a Norwegian cabin, you have almost certainly warmed your hands on one.
