Grate question

[Bonnie L]

My son asked me a question about air flow in the wood stove that got me wondering about grates.

When I was growing up all fireplaces had them. My first wood stove in the early 70s had a bottom plate with holes in it that worked like a grate. But now all the wood stoves have fire bricks.

Does making the fire on the bricks get the fire hotter than building it on a grate with air coming underneath?

Can you tell we're homeschoolers?

[Bearfootfarm]

The bricks serve two functions.
They help protect the stove metal from excess heat, and they add mass to retain heat.

Wood will burn faster on a grate because of the increased air flow.