Wood burning stove is a cost-effective way to stay warm and cozy, especially during cold winters. They are suitable for small to average-sized modern homes. Apart from being affordable, they are powerful (with high-efficiency BTU), energy-efficient (CFM), and have cleaner burning rate (low emissions). If you want to grab the best wood burning stove, we recommend to check out the below factors while analyzing the models.
Heat Output: It represents how much heat can a wood burning stove produce. It is usually represented in BTU. For instance, a 60,000 BTU is used to heat 2000 square feet of home. So, based on your home size or area to heat, you have to select the model. Heating Area: The heat output and the heating area are interconnected. This factor lets you know how much area it can heat up. For example, entry-level models are suitable for heating up around 1000 square feet while powerful models can heat up 2000 square feet (or higher). You have to choose the model based on the area of your home or office. Log Size: We know that a wood-burning stove uses wooden logs as fuel for burning. So, you should purchase wooden logs that fit properly inside the stove. For this, you have to check out the supported log size as some models support about 18-inch logs, while others might use a 22-inch wood log.
For further clarification on how to choose a wood burning stove, we recommend reading our “Buying Guide” thoroughly. It has all the information necessary to pick the right one as per your needs. Scroll down to know the Best Wood Burning Stoves carefully picked after several hours of analysis and testing. A detail description of each product is also available.
5 Best Wood Burning Stoves
5 Best Wood Burning Stoves Reviews
1. Pleasant Hearth Wood Burning Stove
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Pleasant Hearth wood burning stove uses actual wood that makes it highly durable and reliable because of its simpler and straight forward functional design. Pleasant Hearth’s Medium size wood burning stove is the most durable and reliable option present in this article. It offer an excellent build quality to the user. Hence, you can expect to keep using this wood burning stove for a long time without any issues. Since it uses wood as a fuel, you get a heat output of 30000 BTU/hour that is decent for most users despite being slightly lower than others. As for the heating area rating, it can easily heat up a space of up to 1000 square feet that should be more than enough for its users. Just like the previous wood-burning stove, this one also comes with a glass window on the front that adds to the aesthetics as well as allowing you to easily view the wood logs and check whether you need to replace them. Speaking of wood logs, it can expect up to 32-inch log wood logs quite easily Best Features:
Heating capacity of 30000 BTU/hour Heating area of up to 1000 square feet
Pros:
Highly durable and reliable Comes with a glass window on the front Decent performance numbers
Cons:
Not the most compact wood burning stove
2. Fltom Wood Burning Stove
Although being a small brand, Fltom has gained a reputation of developing powerful wood burning stoves with a robust built quality. The brand’s products are known for their durability and value for money. This is a multipurpose stove that you can use for warming your living space as well as cooking. The flat top surface is the cooking area using which you can cook about anything. It is ideal for outdoor use when you are going camping or organizing outdoor parties. The wood burning stove features a sliding intake control using which you can adjust the airflow and control the wood burning intensity. Based on whether you want to cook or just warm yourself, you can create the ideal heat output. Fltom has designed this wood burning stove by giving special importance to portability. The stove is compact and lightweight with 24.2 pounds. It comes with 6 pieces of pipe that have a maximum height of 4.69 feet and 2.36 inches. You can adjust its height to make it suitable for different spaces like tiny houses, camps, and tipi-tents. Furthermore, the whole wood burning stove features a detachable design. When not in use, you can remove the collapsable legs and chimney pipes for carrying it easily and storing it in compact spaces. Best Features
Detachable design Sliding intake control Collapsible legs
Pros
Versatile wood burning stove Easy to carry and use Ideal for outdoor use
Cons
No heat output rating No information about warranty
3. Goture Wood Burning Stove
Goture is a reputable brand that specializes in developing fishing and other outdoor gear. The brand is known for developing high quality products along with a reliable pre-sale and after-sale service. Goture’s wood burning stove is equipped with a chimney damper and a heat-resistant window that regulates the heat and burn time. Besides, the stove is airtight without any leakage that keeps the hot air inside. Whether you want to cook food or keep your tent warm, this wood burning stove generates heat within a short time. The wood burning stove comes with two racks that you can use for placing tableware and drying items. There are also three collapsible legs that make your stove stand stable on the ground. Goture has designed this wood burning stove with multiple durable features to make it last for a long time. The stove is coated with a heat-resistant paint that can withstand temperatures of up to 12020 F without any color fading or awful smell. Besides, the slide glass can resist higher temperatures of up to 21920 F. When it comes to safety, there is a spark arrestor that prevents the emission of flammable debris to prevent fire incidents. You also get a pair of gloves to protect yourself from skin burning when you are using the stove. As it is intended for outdoor use, it features detachable components and foldable legs for maximum portability. Besides, the complete setup only weighs 24 lbs so that you can carry it easily. Best Features
Lightweight with only 24 lbs Spark arrestor for safety Detachable components and foldable design
Pros
Lasts for a long time Easy and safe to use Comes with storage space
Cons
No heat output rating No mention of warranty period
4. Ashley Hearth Wood Burning Stove
Ashley Hearth has been developing heating solutions that provide warmth and comfort to American families since 1905. Ashley Hearth’s wood-burning stove generates a heat capacity of 68,000 BTUs using which you can heat up to 1,200 sq. ft area. The wood stove uses logs up to 18 inches in size to produce heat. The wood-burning stove is lined with firewood that makes it resistant to high temperatures. The ash pan comes with a nickel handle that makes it easier to clean. There is a ceramic glass window on the heavy cast iron door using which you can see the burning fire. Ashley Hearth provides a limited lifetime warranty on the firebox and 12 months warranty on the parts. Best Features
Generates heat capacity if 68,000 BTU Heats area of up to 1,200 sq. ft. Limited lifetime warranty on firebox and 12 months warranty on parts
Pros
Can use logs up to 18 inches in size Large heating area Easy to clean and maintain
Cons
Have to buy blower separately
5. Drolet Wood Stove
Most of the product offerings from Drolet are known for offering high-performance numbers that make them ideal for heavy-duty usage. Hence, its wood-burning stove is also highly powerful in comparison to other options out there. The Drolet HT3000 wood burning stove is present in this article as it is the most powerful option mentioned here. You get the highest heat output or heating rating of up to 110000 BTU/hour with this wood burning stove that is much higher than all other options in this article. Hence, it can be used to warm up your surroundings even during harsh winters. It also offers a pretty high heating area of up to 2700 square feet that is quite high. When you combine all these features and options, this wood-burning stove makes for a great heavy-duty option. Since you can fit up to 22 inch long wooden logs inside it, most logs should be able to fit without any issues. A great thing about this premium wood burning stove is that it offers a great build quality that easily lasts for a long time. In fact, it even offers a 3-year long warranty that is quite better than most other options out there. Best Features:
Heating capacity of 110000 BTU/hour Heating area of up to 2700 square feet Comes with a 3-year long warranty
Pros:
Supports large log size Highly powerful wood burning stove Ideal for large scale buildings
Cons:
A bit on the expensive side
Buying Guide for the Best Wood Burning Stove:
There are various stove options available to use for heating up your surroundings in cold climates. A wood-burning stove is one most popular and preferred by many users. Here we are providing detailed information about the wood burning stove, which guides you in picking the right wood-burning stove. Have a look at what you need to consider while buying a wood stove.
1. Heat Output Rating:
Since a wood-burning stove is mainly used to heat-up living spaces, their performance or heating rating is essential to check. You can easily find out the heat output of a wood-burning stove is given in British Thermal Units per hour (BTU) or BTU/hour. It measures how much heat a particular wood stove can produce. We notice the heat output rating for most wood-burning stoves includes options like 60000 BTU/hour or 100000 BTU/hour, in which higher BTU is considered better, as it quickly heats up the room. So, the higher the BTU number, the more area it can heat easily and quickly. Choosing a stove with enough BTUs will definitely help you to heat up your square footage of the space. For instance, a wood-burning stove with a capacity of 28000 – 30000 BTU/hour has to be used for every 800 – 1000 sq. ft. Note that the heat output of a wood stove won’t calculate the distribution of warm air throughout the room, it is the blowers in a stove, which is used to push air all over the rooms. However, you can change the heat output by changing certain things like types of wooden logs, the number of wooden logs used and other factors contributing to heat output rating. Here is a table that clarifies about how much BTU required for your home based on the size of your wood stove.
2. Supported Heating Area:
The supported heating area of a given wood burning stove will let you know about the largest space or area the stove can heat-up effectively. It is given in square feet, in which you have to check out the models before making its purchase. For instance, entry-level models offer a heating area of around 1000 square feet, whereas powerful models have a heating area of up to 2000 square feet (or even higher). Based on your needs, you have to choose this supported heating area. Prefer to use a stove with a lower rating for your house, while you need a stove with a high heating area rating for office and other industrial areas.
3. Compatible Wood Log Size:
As the name implies, a wood-burning stove uses wood/wooden logs as fuel to produce heat by burning effectively, and thereby keep your surroundings warm. To make this happen, the wooden logs should fit properly inside the stove for proper combustion and heat production. All wood-burning stoves offer a maximum compatible wood log size, as they have a limited size of burning compartment, which makes it not possible to place larger wooden logs inside the compartment. Most of these wood-burning stoves have a similar wood log size compatibility, that can easily take logs of 18 – 22 inches in length. In case, if your wood-burning stove offers a different supported length, then you have to cut the wood logs accordingly and use them.
4. Ideal Fuel Type:
Based on your choice, you can use any type of wood in these wood stoves as fuel. As different kinds of wooden logs offer different heat output and aroma in your room. So, the ideal fuel type is something you need to consider before buying a wood-burning stove. Most of these stoves use real wooden logs as their fuel, but this is not the case with all stove models. Instead, a few models might have artificial looks inside for aesthetics and these models use gases as their fuel for burning. Thus, the stove can function properly and keep you stay warm. Depending on the model you purchase, the fuel includes options like natural gas or propane gas. Since both of these works, in the same way, you can choose either of these as per your wish.
5. Cast Iron or Steel:
In general, the wood burners are made with either heavy-duty steel or cast iron. However, both of these materials work well, but cast-iron lasts forever than steel, which makes it a bit more costly. Steal seems to be inferior but they are a good and considered better option these days. Cast iron usually takes a longer time to heat up than steel, yet retains the heat for a longer time. When compared with aesthetic, the cast iron is more open to detailing, whereas steel is straight and flat, which makes it perfectly suited to streamlined, modern stoves.
6. Size and Form Factor:
Either you use the wood-burning stove indoors or outdoors, it is essential to check the size and form factor of a particular stove before its purchase. Looking for a wood-burning stove for indoor usage, then make sure that it fits perfectly inside the house (in a spot) where you want to install and use it. For instance, a few models have a tall chimney on the top, while other use your home’s chimney, which is integrated into the wall. Besides this, the burning area or stove should be small and compact, which makes it easily fit into most fireplace areas without any issues. While looking to buy a wood-burning stove for outdoor usage, then check out a small and compact option that let you move easily from one place to another whenever needed.
7. Airwash:
We generally notice most modern stoves are equipped with an airwash mechanism. This is clever engineering that pulls down the air over the glass door. Thus, it keeps off the smoke and thereby ensures it remains clean. Though a tad of dirt may buildup eventually, yet you can easily remove it by using non-scratch sponges.
8. Efficiency Rating & Emission Rates:
Based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certification, one has to check the efficiency rating of a given wood-burning stove before making its purchase. The efficiency of wood stoves will make the stove release less smoke into the air. So, its efficiency is not only eco-friendly but also make your home lively and more convenient. As it improves your breathing air with this efficiency (it won’t produce much smoke). Most people think that how purchasing an EPA certified stove will reduce the smoke in the home. The reason is that EPA certified models will definitely meet the line of emission limits. They emit less quantity of smoke per hour (4.5 grams/hour or less) and thereby running this stove will get less smoke, less ash, and require less firewood. You can get a list of EPA-certified wood stoves on the EPA site or check the package.
9. Burn Time:
Wood burns rapidly and thereby we have to refill the stove quite often. This makes it essential to look for a wood stove with a long burning time. It reduces the frequency to refill wood in the stove and can leave the stove working overnight to stay toasty. For better results, pick the wood stove that has at least a 5-hour maximum burn time.
10. Bottom Grate:
This grate is made mostly with cast iron, on which the fire burns to provide heat and keep you warm. They integrally have a longer lifespan of about 10 years, after which this bottom grate has to be replaced for better performance.
11. Fire Bricks:
The fire bricks are lining part inside of the furnace, which is made of ceramic. It can easily heat up to very high temperatures. Though they crack/break after using it for several years, yet some better models offer more durable bricks. So, you need to replace them whenever they fall apart.
12. Price:
The price of a particular product is based on its quality of material and the built construction. In general, the price of normal wood stoves will range from $500 – $1000, whereas the price range of efficient wood-burning stoves will be $1000 – $2500. Make sure to set the required features and budget range, and choose the product within this range.
13. Installation Cost:
Usually, a wood stove requires proper installation, or else you may introduce a fire risk. While purchasing, you have to consider the difficulty of fitting the stove for your home, as a few wood stoves are complicated to install. This installation cost should add to your total cost, which makes it essential to consider while selecting the stove. For instance, check out whether your room has a complicated placement for the wood stove (or) your place requires inspections while installing the woodstove. Then you have to hire a professional for the installation of this wood-burning stove, which would cost anywhere between $800 – $4000.
14. Warranty:
A wood-burning stove should be a simple, durable, reliable, and straight forward heating appliance. Also, check out the warranty offered by the wood-burning stove before its purchase. Most of these stove options out there come with a 1-year or a 2-year long warranty. While durable & reliable options offer a 3-year or 5-year long warranty. If you want a wood-burning stove to last for a longer time, then you can opt for a stove having a long warranty and great build quality.
Conclusion:
You can find a wide range of home appliances that still use a traditional and old design but still offer great functionality. One such device is a wood-burning stove that can be a great pick to keep your surroundings warm during winters. Therefore, we have mentioned some of the best wood-burning stoves up above in this article. Although, if you are still confused, then you can simply go with one of the following wood-burning stove recommendations:
The Drolet wood stove is the most powerful option present in this article that offers a heat output rating of 110000 BTU/hour that is much higher than other options. You also get the highest heating area rating of 2700 square feet with it. Apart from being highly powerful, its 3-year long warranty also makes it one of the most reliable options out there. But if you want the most durable and reliable wood burning stove, the Pleasant Hearth wood burning stove can also be a great pick. It offers an excellent build quality to the user. Its heating capacity of 30000 BTU/hour is quite decent when combined with its heating area of 1000 square feet. You should go with the Ashley Hearth Wood Burning Stove if you are on a budget. Even though it is not intended for indoor use, its lower price tag still makes it a great option for a lot of users. Despite being an outdoors model, you get a heating area rating of 1200 square feet. As it is a budget wood burning stove, you get just a decent build quality.
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