In this paper, we describe the application of two experimental methods on the determination of the heat release rate during the combustion of wood in stoves. The experimental methods are the oxygen consumption method and the carbon dioxide generation method and are adopted from the field of fire safety science. After outlining the basic ideas, we show the necessary equations and analyze the results from an actual experiment. We conclude that both methods appear to be very useful in this application. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.