6 Best Wood Burning Stoves – Why They Are Necessary

Last Updated on October 13, 2021 by Boniface Muriuki

Did you know that room heaters increase your household budget by more than 40%? Well, if you’ve used electrical power to heat your house during winter, then you’ll opine that your energy bill was a shocker!

While heating your house is crucial and you cannot negate it, you can always look for more affordable alternatives. One such option is purchasing the best wood burning stove. 

These well-designed stoves can be static or portable and you’ll have the liberty to choose where to place them in your house. This way, you’ll surely save your visitors from cluttering in your kitchen as they look for warmth.

Additionally, the best wood burning stoves are eco-friendly. As such, you’ll enjoy seeing the logs of wood burn as you entertain your guests in smoke and emission-free environment. 

If you want to alleviate the pain of paying humongous power bills, then you shouldn’t hesitate from buying the best wood burning stove. Here’s a comprehensive buying guide as well as a list of the best wood burning stoves to consider. 

Best Wood Burning Stoves – Comparison

Image	Name	Features
	Pleasant Hearth SES-41-10 20" Electric Stove-Matte Black Finish	-Easy to install - assemble legs and plug it in -Compact size is perfect for smaller spaces -1350 watt heater warms a room up to a 400 sq. ft. area -No venting, no plumbing, hidden control panel easily operates flame, heat and power
	CLIFTON Wood Burning Stove	-Made of High quality Stainless Steel -Lightweight & Portable
	Comfort Glow The Claremont Electric Stove	-Built-in thermostat -Safety thermal shut-off; easy access controls; real working door; cool touch cabinet -180-Degree flame view can be seen from almost anywhere in the room
	Guide Gear Outdoor Wood Stove	-Galvanized steel with high-temperature heat-resistant black finish -Pipes nest and entire stove fits inside itself for easy storage and transport -Front hinged cast iron door with adjustable air vent
	Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace Stove with Remote Control - Portable Indoor Space Heater - DFI-5010 (Cream)	-5,200 BTU heater provides supplemental zone heating for up to 1,000 square feet -infrared quartz heat helps to maintain the natural humidity in the air

Why You Should Buy the Best Wood Burning Stove

There is nothing as fulfilling as having a warmth guarantee amid a chilly environment. It eliminates the fear of cold-borne diseases and offers unmatched comfort.

Owning the best wood burning stove becomes even more convenient when you have guests at your place. In such cases, your best gas and charcoal grill combos will only offer the best meals but not adequate external warmth to keep them warm. 

As such, you should never hesitate from buying the best wood burning stove if you want to guarantee your visitors warmth and comfort. 

Here are other reasons as to why you should consider the best wood burning stove for your house:

1. Cheap to Operate 

The best wood burning stove uses wood as the sole source of energy. As such, you can be sure that there are no hidden charges. All you require are a few logs/pieces of wood and you’ll be good to go!

2. Superb Designs that Help in Saving Fuel

Unlike the traditional stoves, these modern wood burning stoves have been modified to use the least amount of wood possible without compromising on the quantity and quality of warmth produced. 

Some of the models have efficiency ratings of more than 80%, which is a hallmark of excellence by all standards. They use little fuel to produce a lot of heat enough to warm a large area. 

3. Saves You Money

The best wood burning stoves use wood as fuel; which is not only environmentally friendly but also cheaper. It’ll slash your electricity budget significantly while still producing the same amount of BTUs. 

4. Guaranteed Safety

The best wood burning stoves are designed in such a way that flames are contained inside the firebox. As such, the risk of burning is eliminated, thus making it safe to use from any part of your home.

5. Highly Aesthetic

If you buy your best wood burning stove, you’ll not only have solved the cold menace but also improve your house aesthetics. Watching the fire emanating from the firebox is refreshing for your family and guests!

How the Best Wood Burning Stoves Works

Like earlier indicated, the best wood burning stoves are meant to generate heat to keep your family warm. To achieve this, these stoves combust/burn wood. 

You could be worried that burning wood will bring smoke into your house, right? Well, the best wood burning stoves are designed to achieve optimum combustion, thus eliminating smoke. 

However, you must consider having a chimney to channel the little smoke produced outside your house. You can either have a straight or vertical chimney that’s UL-approved. It should extend about 2 feet above all the things that fall within its 10 feet peak. 

Also, modern wood burning stoves have been modified to be more energy efficient than the traditional model. They use different combustion techniques, which affects their efficacy significantly as described below:

Different Combustion Methods in a Wood Stove and their Effects on Efficiency

Unlike traditional wood stoves, the best wood burning stoves are highly energy efficient. Here are some of the combustion methods applied:

• Catalytic Converters

When purchasing your best wood burning stove, your primary goal should be to get a stove that will yield the most heat energy while using the least wood. 

Well, the use of catalytic converters in a wood burning stove will certainly offer you this! The modification ensures that the gasses produced when the wood is burning are not lost.

Instead, the gasses go into a chamber where they are heated at high temperatures leading to ignition, thus producing more heat. This ensures that you get the most heat out of the least amount of fuel possible.

While burning stoves that use this combustion method are effective, you’ll require to change the catalytic converter frequently. This makes it more expensive to maintain. 

• Baffle Combustion Technique

This combustion uses the same technique as the catalytic converter. However, the gasses are recycled by letting them pass over the fire as opposed to an enclosed chamber. 

Best Wood Burning Stoves for Your Consideration

1. Pleasant Hearth SES-41-10 20″ Electric Stove-Matte Black Finish

This classy wood burning stove comes with a 1350 watt heater that has the potential to warm a house of 400 square feet. It is easy to install and you do not require any previous experience using it. 

Additionally, this wood burning stove is compact, thus making it ideal for use in small houses. It does not require venting or plumbing to control the heating process.

Pros 

• Easy installation 
• Small for ease of handling
• Operates with or without heater

Cons

• May require electricity to operate optimally

2. CLIFTON Wood Burning Stove

If you’re looking for a wood burning stove that’s ideal for outdoor activities, then you should settle for the CLIFTON model. It has a durable construction since it is made out of top-notch stainless steel material.

Besides offering warmth, this burner is designed to also allow cooking. As such, you can be sure that you’ll get a complete camping package! Get warmth as you cook your meals. 

Even better, the lightweight stove only weighs 340 grams, thus making it highly portable. It has a wide opening to allow you to add your wood conveniently and improve air circulation. 

This increases the chances of complete combustion which produces more heat energy while eliminating smoke for good. More importantly, this wood stove comes with 1-year protection from the initial date of purchase.

Pros

• Come with storage bag
• Lightweight for guaranteed portability
• Easy to use
• Allows cooking

Cons

• The heat produced is less especially when cooking

3. Comfort Glow The Claremont Electric Stove

This is a classy wood burning stove that comes in with an in-built thermostat to control the heat production. It has a 180-degree flame view which makes it attractive in the house. 

Also, this stove has a realistic log set, 3D color LED flame, and a unique real-wood burning effect. Even more exciting, the stove provides instant warmth and warmth!

To top it up, the magnificent stove has a safety thermal shut-off, a highly functional door, a state-of-the-art cool touch cabinet, and easy access controls. 

Pros

• Easy to use
• Instant heating
• Safety thermal shut-off

Cons

•  May take some time before turning the heat off

4. Winnerwell Nomad View Large Tent Stove | Portable Wood Burning Stove for Tents, Shelters, and Camping

This is a durable stove built from galvanized 304 stainless steel and classy finish that can withstand high temperatures. Additionally, it comes with a hinged door made out of tough case iron and dotted by easy control vent holes. 

Even more important, this wood burning stove is highly portable. You can use it during your outdoor escapades without a hassle. It not only allows you to keep warm but also allows you to cook your meals. 

Pros

• Portable
• Can warm/cook food
• Highly durable
• Easy to use

Cons

• Lacks the aesthetic element

5. Dura Heat Portable Indoor Home Compact Electric Panoramic Quartz Infrared Heater 5000 BTU, 4600, Bronze

If you’re looking for a highly efficient stove for your house, then you shouldn’t hesitate to buy this Duraflame model. Its 5,000 BTU heater supplements its wood heating, thus ensuring that you get sufficient heating regardless of the house size. 

This stove has the potential to heat an area of up to 1000 square feet! Additionally, it has a 3D flame effect technology that provides a sight to behold as the flames dance meticulously above the logs. Even better, you’ll be able to adjust the color, brightness, and speed of the flame. 

The construction of this stove incorporates infrared quartz that’s ideal in maintaining natural air humidity, thus guaranteeing comfort. For better heating experience, the stove comes with a shut-off feature that prevents overheating. The adjustable thermostat gives you the power to decide the ideal temperature for your house. 

Pros

• Comes with an adjustable thermostat for easy temperature control
• Highly aesthetic with its infrared 3D flame technology
• Easy to maintain surrounding humidity for guaranteed comfort 
• Durable construction 

Cons

• Relatively brightly colored which may require topnotch cleaning sessions to keep stains at bay (you can also choose different colors)

6. Ohuhu Stainless Steel Backpacking Stove Potable Wood Burning Stoves 

This is an exceptionally powerful stove that yields  enough to heat up your room. It is EPA-certified and it meets all the required safety standards.

Additionally, the stove is made out of heavy-duty and durable cast iron. This sturdy construction makes it ideal for log cabins, shops, garages, among other diverse locations. Also, you can be assured of its longevity.

The US stove accepts logs of up to 10 inches in length. Even better, it includes a cooktop surface which ensures that you not only get the warmth but utilize it in your cooking escapades. It measures 5.3 x 5.3 x 5.3 inches and weighs approximately 0.8 pounds.

Pros

• EPA-certified for safety
• Has a flexible cooktop
• Easy to use
• Easy to maintain

Cons

• May take some time before adequate heating starts

Best Wood Burning Stoves – Buyers Guide 

While purchasing the best wood burning stove is a worthwhile investment, the process can be tiresome. The shopping complexities originate from the many variables available and their features diversity.

Additionally, you should always consider installation difficulty, cost of maintenance, among other variables. This section highlights all the factors that you should consider when shopping. 

What You Should Consider When Shopping for the Best Wood Burning Stove

1. Surface Area/ Size

How big is your ideal wood stove? You definitely shouldn’t settle for an excessively large wood stove. However, this will largely be influenced by personal preferences and space availability.

If you believe that big is superb, and you have an adequate storage space, then you shouldn’t hesitate to buy that which satisfies all your needs holistically. 

2. Coverage

Besides the stove’s surface area, you should always consider the surface area of your sitting area/ house that you want to warm. 

Ideally, every manufacturer should recommend the ideal coverage (in terms of surface area). If you want optimum results, ensure that your best wood burning stove is designed to cover an area as big as your living area. 

3. Efficiency 

How well does a wood stove burn the fuel? Well, you’ll realize that these gadgets have different combustion methods, which will affect fuel consumption and the amount of heat they produce. 

Here are two common combustion methods available in the market (also discussed above)

• Catalytic. These are more expensive but efficient. However, you’ll be required to change the catalytic unit regularly, which makes it expensive to maintain. 
• Non-Catalytic. Relatively affordable but are not as efficient as the catalytic stoves. 

4. Method of Construction/ Design/ Aesthetics 

The best wood burning stoves come in different designs. You can opt for traditional or modern ones. Also, a key consideration when buying the best burning stove is to check on portability. Here’s a breakdown of the construction techniques to consider:

• Self-Standing Stoves. Most of the traditional stoves fall into this category. The fireboxes vary in size and do not use blowers. When using stoves with this design, you may require top ventilation. Their sturdy cast iron/steel construction makes them relatively heavy. 
• Modern Design. These stoves use blowers, which makes them more energy-efficient than the traditional self-standing ones. They allow for both a back and top ventilation system and have a clear front-face to allow you to watch the fire flames from the firebox. Even better, they are relatively light yet durable due to their construction using lightweight yet sturdy materials. 
• Portability-Friendly Construction. If you want your best wood burning stove to be portable, then you should choose one constructed using lightweight materials. Such stoves are easy to assemble and are specially designed for outdoor use. Additionally, it should have ergonomic handles for ease of carrying. 

5. Firebox Size

The size of your stove’s firebox will affect its fuel capacity and heat output. The larger it is, the more wood you’ll require to heat your house. While this may sound like a bad thing, it favors you if you’re using it for long since you’ll not be required to refill frequently. 

Additionally, a larger firebox will yield more heat. However, this may result in overheating, thus creating discomfort especially if you are heating a small room. 

If you want your best wood burning stove to have a large firebox, you’ll be required to pay more for it. As such, you should ensure that you only buy it when you need it, have a large surface area to heat, and the need to heat for long without adding fuel. 

6. Glass Vs Ceramic Door

The best wood burning stoves will either have a glass or ceramic door. The glass doors offer better aesthetics since they allow you to see the flame as the wood burns. 

On the other hand, the ceramic doors are good conductors of heat. Consequently, they will play a crucial role in heating your house. 

7. Safety

Before you settle for your best wood burning stove, you should ensure that it is certified. This is the only sure way to avoid counterfeit models, which may expose you to dangers. Always check the safety certificate from the manufacturer before you make a purchase!

Best Wood Burning Stoves – Installation Tips

Buying your best burning stove is just the initial phase of keeping your house warm. You’ll be required to proceed with the correct installation process to achieve optimum benefits. 

The first critical step in selecting the installation location. You should always ensure that it is as far away as possible from items that can easily catch fire. This is only a precautionary measure since most modern stoves are designed to contain the fire. 

Once you choose the location, you should install it yourself or seek the help of an expert. Your goal should be to ensure that you fix your chimney well, thus eliminating all pollutants and smoke from your house. 

Any error in fixing the chimney will create tremendous discomfort in your house, thus overriding the benefits that you’d have accrued from your best wood burning stove. 

Best Wood Burning Stoves – Bottom Line

If you’ve had difficulties surviving the cold winter seasons, then the solution lies in purchasing the best wood burning stoves. These modern stoves are designed with meticulous fashion that guarantees efficacy and comfort. 

Most of the best wood burning stoves have unique catalytic combustion systems that recycle the air produced during wood combustion. Consequently, you will get more heat from relatively few pieces of wood. Conversely, the non-catalytic models are cheaper but not as efficient as the catalytic ones. 

However, you can be sure that there is a myriad of wood burning stoves available in the market. As such, you’ll be required to be aware of what you need. Don’t rack your mind too hard since we’ve prepared a comprehensive buyers guide.

This guide gives you all the dynamics that you should consider before settling for your best wood burning stove. Additionally, we make well-researched recommendations for your consideration. We have reviewed 5 best wood burning stoves and also listed the top sellers that are currently out of stock at Amazon.