Bonjour Xylobenzen,
Complete combustion has actually little to do with the the amount of ashes. Good and bad stoves can both end up with the same amount of ashes.
Complete combustion rather points to the complete combustion of the gasified components of wood.
Stoves that don't burn complete have visible smoke, caused by carbon, tar and creosote particles and with high levels of CO and other unburned gases. Stoves with complete combustion have invisible smoke with no carbon, tar or creosote particles and with very low levels of CO.
Dirk
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