I plan on acquiring one of these style stoves soon. Waiting for the price to drop a little. I might be waiting a long time, the way things are going! Thanks for sharing your review!
They work great. You will want to get one bigger than this one, as micro-managing the wood will certainly sour you on the experience. Carolina Chris has one, and I am pretty sure he likes his.
The reason the hole is there is so that you can feel the heat from the fire. If it sits up higher you cannot feel the warmth on your legs. I have been using a solo stove up there for nine years. Believe me on this.