“Today you can choose between a new generation of wood-burning appliancesburn cleaner,more efficient, mipowerfulenough to heat many medium sized modern homes.” (DONATION to Wood Stoves)
This is a direct quote about wood stoves fromUS Department of Energy🇧🇷 It perfectly sums up why the best wood stoves are so popular these days. Below is a list ofThe 4 best wood stoves currently on the market.
In fact, according to Statista, it was 28% of fireplace products sold in the US in 2017'wooden tools'🇧🇷 Sincegreat popularity of wood stoves, that figure is likely to exceed 30% by 2022.
As the DOE says, today's wood stoves are amazing. These aren't your old-fashioned wood-burning stoves that burn a lot of wood and dump most of the energy (and pollution) up the chimney.

According to the DOE, the 4 factors that make a wood stove a good choice are:
- "Brandreiniger".Older wood-burning stoves emitted up to 30 g of smoke per hour (30 g/h). Modern EPA-certified wood stoves produce less than 4.5 grams of smoke per hour. The best emission rate for wood stoves is only 1.26 g/h.
- "More efficient"🇧🇷 Older traditional fireplaces draw up to 300 CFM and send it straight up the chimney. Today's wood stoves can even achieve an efficiency of over 70%. For example, the best wood-burning stoves can achieve a maximum efficiency of 75% overall.
- "Powerful or Enough"🇧🇷 The problem with older wood stoves was that the heating capacity was under 50,000 BTU. With increased efficiency and more advanced engineering going into the design of wood stoves, today's units can easily exceed 50,000 BTU.
- "Heating of many medium-sized modern houses"🇧🇷 Traditional fireplaces would warm a room or even a small cabin. Today, a family can heat an entire house with a wood stove.
An added bonus is that modern wood stoves are aesthetically pleasing. They are also designed for efficiency as they work well as an interior design piece.

In 2022 we will see 4 models of wood stoves with the best specifications. You will find a comparison table of all the top rated wood stoves, followed by an individual analysis of each model. You can find the list and comparison of the best stoves here:
Jump to the list of the 4 best wood stoves of 2022
But first, let's take a look at the key points to consider when choosing the best wood-burning stove for your home. Here’s how you should read the wood stove spec sheet:
4 things to consider when buying a fireplace
When you look at wood stoves, looks matter. Design and price are often the first thing that strikes us. However, the important parts are in the data sheet.
Heat output, efficiency, emission rates, and long burn times and maximum durations are the key factors to consider.
Example: Nobody really wants to buy a low-efficiency wood stove that is 50% efficient and has a maximum of 3 hours. long burning time and more than 10 g/h smoke load.
Let's first look at the performance data of the stove.
BTU output (by selecting an appropriately sized wood stove)
The first thing to check is the BTU/hr output. This is simply a measure of how much heat a particular wood stove can produce. The units used here are BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour.
Wood stove manufacturers typically provide the maximum heating capacity in BTUs as well as the heating area.
Example: The Osborn 2000 #1 wood stove has a heating capacity of 75,000 BTU/hr. The manufacturer recommends this series be used to heat rooms up to 2,100 square feet.
The BTU/hr output is measured. However, the recommended heating surface can vary depending on the manufacturer. To properly calculate the size of wood stove you need, remember this general rule:
60,000 BTUs = up to 2,000 square feet in home
If you live in colder areas (e.g. outside of Texas), you should use a higher BTU rating (e.g. up to 100,000 BTU) for a 2,000 square foot house.
In general, you can use a rough sizing of small, medium, and large wood stoves. Here is the ranking:
- Small Home Wood Burning Stove: 30,000 BTU to 60,000 BTU.
- Medium wood stove for medium sized homes: 60,000 BTU to 120,000 BTU.
- Big wood stove for a big house: 120,000+ BTUs.
For the best performance, look for high-efficiency wood stoves:
Efficiency of a wood-burning stove (look for an efficiency greater than 70%)
The efficiency of a wood stove is a percentage of the amount of input energy (wood) that a stove can convert into useful heating energy.
Example: 14.31 pounds of red oak contains 100,000 BTUs of heating power. Using a 50% efficient wood stove gives you 50,000 BTUs of heat. If you put the same wood in a 70% high efficiency wood stove, you get 70,000 BTU.

Wood stoves have different efficiencies. In the short term, low-efficiency wood stoves appear to be a cheaper option. The unit price of a 50% efficient furnace can be $1,000 less than the unit price of a 70% efficient furnace.
However, high-efficiency wood stoves are the real cost savers. They can cost a lot when you buy them, but they quickly reduce that extra cost and bring additional savings on wood burning.
In short, always choose a high-performance wood-burning stove. It's a much smarter investment than older models without high performance.
Emission rates (look for 4.5 g/h or less)
One of the effects of traditional open or half-open fireplaces was the appearance of a "black kitchen". The black kitchen is a kitchen with walls blackened by smoke. Smoke, of course, from a chimney.
Much has been done to reduce emission rates from wood stoves. From the "black kitchen" we came to models of 15-30 grams per hour.
Newer models of EPA-certified wood stoves produce less than 4.5 grams of smoke per hour. This is a very low emission rate. Top rated wood stoves from the top wood stove brands on the market such as Osborn, Drolet and Ashley Heart are all EPA certified.
In addition, you will find emission rates from wood stoves below 2.0 g/h.
It is advisable to choose a wood-burning stove that produces the EPA-certified amount of smoke (4.5 g/h) or less.
Burn time (fire longer than 5 hours)
Wood stoves need wood to burn. As you know, wood burns fairly quickly and you would expect to have to charge a wood stove quite often.
The purpose of finding durable wood stoves is:
- Reduce how often you need to refill wood.
- Possibility to run a wood stove overnight.
Wood stove builders can do three things to increase the burning time of wood:
- Increase the amount of firewood that the stove can be filled with.
- Increase the power of wood burning (high power wood stoves).
- Decrease the BTU/hr output.
Depending on how well the engineers did their job and how big/powerful the stove is, you can expect a maximum burn time of 2 to 10 hours.
For added convenience, look for wood-burning stoves with a maximum burn time of at least 5 hours.
Some secondary considerations when buying a wood stove are the length of the wood (more than 15 inches is ideal), weight (you will need to install a wood stove), quality (more weight is usually a sign of higher quality), and design. .
With that in mind, let's take a look at the best wood stoves currently available on the market:
The best stoves 2022 (comparison)
- Best Wood Stove: Ashley Hearth AW1820E
- Bester Standofen: Ashley Hearth AW1120E-P
- Most efficient wood stove insert: Drolet Escape 1500-I
- Best Small Wood Stove: US Stove US1269E
wood stove: | #1 Hogar Ashley AW1820E | #2 Hogar Ashley AW1120E-P | #3 Drolet Flucht 1500-I | Herd Nr. 4 US US1269E |
---|---|---|---|---|
Photo: | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Model: | insertion | base | high-efficiency pasting | Independently |
Heating capacity: | 69.000 BTU/h | 68.000 BTU/h | 65.000 BTU/h | 54.000 BTU/h |
Efficiency: | 75% (EPA certified) | 68,6% | 65.000 BTU/h | 54.000 BTU/h |
Heizzone: | Up to 1,800 square meters | Up to 1,200 square meters | Up to 1,800 square meters | Up to 900 square meters |
burn time: | up to 12 hours | up to 10 hours | up to 6 hours | N / D |
Emission rate: | N / D | N / D | 1.26 g/hour | N / D |
Record length: | up to 18 inches | up to 18 inches | up to 18 inches | up to 19 inches |
Weight: | 4275 pounds | 259 pounds | 360 pounds | 130 pounds |
Preis: | $$$$ | p.s$$$ | $$$$ | $$$$ |
Average score: | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Availability: | see price | see price | see price | see price |
1. Best Wood Stove: Ashley Hearth AW1820E
Model: | insertion |
Heating capacity: | 69.000 BTU/h |
Energy efficiency: | 75% |
Heizzone: | Up to 1,200 square meters |
burn time: | up to 12 hours |
Emission rate: | N / D |
Record length: | up to 18 inches |
Dimensions (W x D x H): | 20.2 x 27.2 x 22.4 inches |
Weight: | 275 pounds |
Preis: | $$$$ |
Evaluation: | ![]() |
The best stove is simply the one that performs well on all relevant specifications. No other wood stove is quite as fancy as the Ashley Hearth AW1820E. This is Ashley Hearth's main model; Ashley Hearth is considered one of the best wood stove manufacturers around.
Ashley Hearth AW1820E is extremely energy efficient. In fact, with an energy efficiency of over 75%, it is the stove that extracts heat most efficiently from the burning wood. It has a heating capacity of 69,000 BTU/hr, making it large enough to accommodate most homes. The total heating area extends up to 1,800 square feet (with nearly 30 BTUs of heating capacity per square foot).
Even more impressive is that the Ashley Hearth AW1820E can reach 69,000 BTU/hr at extremely high efficiency. Most often, wood-burning stoves can waste more than 40% of the heat generated by burning wood. +75% efficiency means the Ashley Hearth AW1820E is one of the most efficient wood stoves out there.
There are two main benefits of such high efficiency:
- Extremely low smoke emission rate.
- Very long maximum burn time of 12 hours (the average burn time of a wood stove is about 4 hours).
The 8 hour burn time is highly praised. That means you can charge the Ashley Hearth AW1820E at 12:00. p.m., go to bed, get up at 8 a.m. m. and continue to enjoy the warmth of the wood stove.
You can engrave stems up to 28 inches long. The volume of the firebox is 2.4 cubic feet and is 21″ wide.
In short, the Ashley Hearth AW1820E is the ultimate wood burning insert that hits all the right metrics. It's a high-efficiency, low-emission, long-life 69,000 BTU/hr wood stove at a very affordable price:
advantage
- The most balanced wood stoves
- Low consumption wood stove with 69,000 BTU/h and +75% efficiency
- Very low emission rates
- Very long burning time (12h); Possibility to leave it overnight
- Respected Brand Ashley Hearth; with an affordable price
In contrast
- Might be out of stock
2. Bester Standofen: Ashley Hearth AW1120E-P
Model: | base |
Heating capacity: | 68.000 BTU/h |
Heizzone: | Up to 1,200 square meters |
burn time: | up to 10 hours |
Emission rate: | N / D |
Record length: | up to 18 inches |
Dimensions: | 21 x 22.5 x 31.7 inches |
Weight: | 259 pounds |
Preis: | p.s$$$ |
Evaluation: | ![]() |
Homeowners often think that using a wood stove for heating is impossible. In the past, no wood stove could produce more than 50,000 BTU/hr of heat. Today we have the Ashley Hearth AW1120E-P, the medium sized home wood stove capable of delivering a total of 68,000 BTUs.
That means you can use it even if you have a 1,200 square foot home. The Ashley Hearth AW1120E-P is the perfect size for standard homes
To feed it, you can load up to 30 pounds of wood into the kiln. The Ashley Hearth AW1120E-P features a heavy-duty 3/16-inch steel sheet that extends its life and increases combustion efficiency. You can load longer logs up to 18 inches in length.
In addition, Ashley Hearth AW1120E-P has an adjustable speed fan. It can reach high speeds of up to 100 CFM. For this heat output, a powerful fan is essential to distribute the heat evenly throughout the home.
The real downside is that we have no information on emission rates and it has an efficiency of less than 70%.
All in all, the Ashley Hearth AW1120E-P is the best wood burning solution for standard homes:
advantage
- Medium heating capacity (68,000 BTU)
- Recommended coverage area of 1,200 square meters
- It's fairly light, weighing less than 300 pounds.
- Accessible price
In contrast
- No information on specific emission rates
- Less than 70% efficiency (68.6% to be exact)
3. Drolet Escape 1500-I Review (Most Efficient Wood Burner Insert)
Model: | high-efficiency pasting |
Heating capacity: | 65,000 BTU/hr (78% efficiency) |
Heizzone: | Up to 1,800 square meters |
burn time: | up to 6 hours |
Emission rate: | 1.26 g/hour |
Record length: | up to 18 inches |
Dimensions: | 26.5 x 36.25 x 32.25 inches |
Weight: | 360 pounds |
Preis: | $$$$ |
Evaluation: | ![]() |
Drolet Escape 1500-I is the most ecological and comfortable wood stove. It is the most efficient wood stove suitable for use in medium sized households.
For the most part, installing an insert is much easier than installing a pedestal wood stove. Drolet Escape 1500-I combines everything you want from a built-in wood stove.
It has a heating capacity of 65,000 BTU/h. This can heat a home up to 1800 square feet but is recommended for use in areas from 500 square feet to 1200 square feet.
With an efficiency of 78%, it is the most efficient wood stove. This means big savings on burning wood, but that's just the beginning.
The main benefits of using high-efficiency wood stoves are low emissions and longer burn times.
The Drolet Escape 1500-I has a record smoke emission rate of 1.26 g/h. This is much lower than the EPA certification level (4.5 g/h). The 6 hour burn time also gives you the option to leave it on overnight.
The 29″ x 44″ black backboard required for the installation is included in the scope of delivery. You also have the benefit of using a good quality fan which ensures the heat from the wood stove is evenly distributed.
In short, if you're looking for a wood-burning stove, you can't beat the Drolet Escape 1500-I. It has record emissions and an efficiency of 78% (environmentally friendly). It's also probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing wood stoves out there.
advantage
- The most energy efficient wood stove insert with 78% efficiency
- Record particle emission rates of 1.26 g/h
- aesthetic appeal; It is an interior design piece and comes with the black panel
- 65,000 BTU/hr heat output, suitable for most modern homes
In contrast
- Again problem with high quality Drolet materials with a higher unit weight (360 lbs)
- The trunk length can be a maximum of 18" instead of 22".
4. US Stove Rating US1269E (Best High Efficiency Wood Stove)
Model: | Independently |
Heating capacity: | 54.000 BTU/h |
Heizzone: | Up to 900 square meters |
burn time: | N / D |
Emission rate: | N / D |
Record length: | up to 19 inches |
Dimensions: | 33 x 22.2 x 25.8 inches |
Weight: | 130 pounds |
Preis: | $$$$ |
Evaluation: | ![]() |
US Stove is one of the best known manufacturers of fireplace products in the USA and also produces the US Stove US1269E Wood Burning Stove as part of their portfolio.
This is a smaller 130 pound freestanding stove. Nevertheless, it can deliver up to 54,000 BTU/h of heat output. US Stove recommends that your wood stove be used in areas of 900 square feet.
This is a big difference from a similar BTU output.droplet ejection, Nevertheless. The Drolet Escape's BTU rating is slightly higher, but it has a recommended use in two areas: 1,800 square feet.
The US1269E US stove can be loaded with logs up to 19 inches. You can tell from the shape of the stove (long horizontal dimension) that it can accommodate logs of this length.
All in all, the American stove US1269E really does not compare to the best of modern wood-burning stoves. It's small, it's not the most artistic of designs, but it's very cheap. If you need an inexpensive, underperforming wood stove, the US US1269E stove is both.
advantage
- Designed for smaller homes (up to 900 square feet)
- Can feed 19" logs
- It's very cheap
In contrast
- It is not a modern high-performance cooker.
- Unknown emission rates or focal range
- When compared to the best wood stoves, it falls short on almost every metric.
Frequently asked questions about the wood stove
Of course, there are some unanswered questions about wood stoves. We do our best to answer the most common ones here:
What is the best wood stove on the market?
As we have seen in the comparison of the best models of wood stoves, theDrolet Blackcomb IIIt is clearly the best cooker on the market.
The Drolet Blackcomb II looks spec for spec and outperforms all other top of the range wood stoves. It has an efficiency of +70%, a burn time of 6 hours and very low emissions.
The only downside is that it cannot be used to heat large homes over 2,000 square feet.
Which stove lasts longer?
The maximum burning time of the wood stove can vary between 2 and 6 hours.Drolet Blackcomb IIfor example, has the longest recording time of 6 hours.
Burn time depends on stove size, efficiency, BTU rating, etc. The best engineered wood stoves find the most balanced formula of these elements for the longest burn time.
Where is the best place to put a wood stove?
Wood-burning stoves with a plinth should be placed in the middle of the area to be heated. However, you should also think about the practicality.
In terms of energy and distribution, being in the middle of the room makes the most sense. However, if that space is already taken, you can't actually place it there.
For built-in wood stoves, choose a wall that has the easiest connection to the fireplace. For the most part, when it comes to insert ovens, we try to be practical. In theory, the best place to place a wood-burning stove would be against the center wall.
How long do wood stoves last?
Wood stoves from 10 to 20 years. That's quite a range, let's break it down into two categories:
- The cheapest wood stoves last about 10 years. They typically have a lower BTU to weight ratio.
- The most expensive wood stoves last around 20 years (even longer with proper maintenance).
When buying a 10-20 year old wood stove, remember that the main cost isn't the price of the units themselves; is the wood
Can a wood stove heat an entire house?
We're used to thinking that fireplaces only heat a kitchen. That's true, but modern wood stoves are different. Most of them are capable of heating an entire house, according to the EPA.
The largest wood stoves can produce in excess of 100,000 BTU/hr. That's more than enough to heat entire houses.
If you have any other questions, you can post them in the comments below.
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