Woodburner or Multifuel stove?

A woodburner or multifuel stove is largely down to personal choice. The main differences are:

• Wood needs a top-down draught and coal needs a bottom up draught. Consider a bonfire in your garden - wood burns well as a bonfire, coal doesn't - it just congeals into an unpleasant mass.
• A woodburner, therefore does not have a grate, the fuel is burnt on a solid floor and the stove will only have top air controls. When you want to 'do the grate' the ash needs to be scooped out of the firebox manually, leaving a layer in the bottom as wood likes to sit in an ashbed.
• A multifuel stove will have a grate and a separate ashpan and sometimes an external riddler. It will also have top and bottom air controls. When you want to 'do the grate' you agitate the riddler and ask your partner or a particularly obedient child to take the ashpan away and empty it outside! 

We have 2 stoves at home and only ever burn wood - but have still opted for multifuel stoves for the sheer convenience of having the separate ashpan. Once the fire is lit, we close the bottom air control completely and then regulate our 'top down' draught using the top air controls so that the stove acts as a woodburner and the glass stays nice and clean. It is probably not quite as economical as using a dedicated woodburner - but I am happy to sacrifice that for the convenience of emptying.