9 Best Pellet Stoves For 500-3,000 sq ft Homes & Garage

The rest of this page includes overviews with bullet points and then full reviews that detail the pros, cons, features, and “bottom line” for all of the units.

The reviews are followed by a brief buying guide that will assist you in making a purchase decision that you will be satisfied with.

The Best Pellet Stoves – Overviews

Here are brief overviews of the 2021 best pellet stoves with an opportunity to purchase those available on Amazon. We don’t only include models available on Amazon. We chose the best pellet stoves for this page regardless of what is to our advantage. Our success is built on putting the reader first.

Best Pellet Stove Reviews

Alright, you’ve kept reading because you want deeper research into the electric or non electric pellet stove you are considering.

Following is a detailed look at 9 of the top Pellet Stoves available in a variety of categories including small, medium, large, and gravity fed, non-electric stoves.  These stoves can be used in various environments, from cabins to tiny homes to large homes.

#1 Comfortbilt HP22 Pellet Stove

Best Overall

This attractive, well-made stove is easy to use and is EPA certified.

Features: The pellet stove is loaded with features providing everything that you’ll need to keep your home comfortable.

• Full hopper will provide 20 hours of burn time
• EPA Certified – Emissions –  1.5 grams per hour
• 50,000 BTU’s
• Front bay design provides a large viewing window
• Easy to use and read keypad with programmable thermostat
• Includes 142 CFM Blower for forceful airflow

Ratings: Most customers gave this pellet stove excellent ratings including for ease of installation, cleaning ease and for providing a good value for the money spent.

Pros: This hard-working, reliable pellet stove provides features that make it very user friendly. One customer indicated that he had burned 10 tons of pellets over 3 years and the stove has performed flawlessly. This stove operates at a 73.2% efficiency rate. You can select the color of the stove border. Choices include black, apricot, green, burgundy and brown. The Comfortbilt website provides a comprehensive manual that can be downloaded.

Cons: A small number of these stoves have had control panel issues, but Comfortbilt stands behind its products and will replace defective stoves quickly. And issues are rare.

Bottom Line: This stove functions well, is reliable, and provides good value for the money, making it our choice for Best Overall pellet stove.

Available Accessories: Hearth pads, ash vacuum and piping kits.

This video provides a good overview of the Comfortbilt HP22.

#2 PelPro PP130-B

Best Value

This attractive and compact stove provides high efficiency and long burn times.

Features: This unit includes a huge 120 lb. capacity hopper and everything else you’ll want in a pellet stove.

• Operates at 81.6% efficiency
• Full hopper will provide up to 96 hours of burn time
• EPA Certified – Emissions – .53 grams per hour
• Mobile home approved with included fresh air intake kit
• 40,600 BTU’s
• Easy to use, intuitive, dial thermostat

Ratings: About 80% of customer reviews are positive including for ease of use, accurate temperature control and long burn time.

Pros: This pellet stove provides the best fuel economy in its class and saves you money by getting the most heat with the least amount of fuel.  The built in dial thermostat allows for quick and easy adjustments. Includes a 265 CFM Blower, a self-emptying fire pot, and auto ignite. The PelPro is EPA Certified providing a very low emission rate of .53 grams per hour.

Cons: Depending on the pellets you choose, your burn time might vary by up to 3 or 4 hours. Here is a list of the Best Wood Pellets available.

Bottom Line: This pellet stove is large, highly efficient, and well-priced, making it our choice for Best Value.

Available Accessories: Stove Burn Pot and a 200 lb. Hopper Extension.

#3 Comfortbilt HP22-SS Pellet Stove

Best Efficient Pellet Stove

This highly rated, efficient, pellet stove is the most popular model of ComfortBilt company .

Features: Well-made and easy to use, this Comfortbilt pellet stove has all the features you’re looking for.

• Ash drawer only need to be cleaned every two weeks as pellets burn completely
• Large bay viewing window
• 55 lb. hopper provides up to 20 hours burn time
• Easy to clean, heavy gauge exterior
• Covering shroud measures 24” wide, 25” deep, and 32.5” high
• Programmable thermostat with 5 heat settings

Ratings: Most of the customers on Amazon gave this stove positive ratings for function, efficiency, and customer service. Other on-line sites also show positive reviews for this stove.

Pros: This unit provides 50,000 BTU’s and is able to keep a 2,800 sq. ft. home warm for up to 20 hours on the lower settings. Includes ash vacuum, powerful blower fan, and automatic igniter. This stove operates at 82% efficiency and is EPA and CPA Certified.

Cons: The only negative review indicated that the switch quit working but Comfortbilt replaced it at no charge.

Bottom Line: This is a quality-built, high-performance pellet stove. The airflow is powerful, and the burn is efficient, making it our choice for Best efficient pellet stove.

#4 Harman Allure50

Best Large Pellet Stove

This large, attractive, pellet stove is available in a variety of colors and will work well in a contemporary home.

Features: This stove comes with all of the features you’ll need and want to keep a large space comfortable in the coldest months.

• Operates at 79.9% efficiency
• EPA Certified – Emissions – 1.48 grams per hour
• Includes Wireless Room Sensor  thermostat
• Pellet Pro System allows for 24 hour burn time maintaining accurate temperature
• Extra-large ash pan
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

Ratings: Most on-line customer reviews for the Harmon Allure50 are very positive including for clean burning and maintaining the set temperature.

Pros: The stove features a modern appearance and is available in satin and gloss black, gloss white or red, and brushed stainless steel. The Allure is very clean burning, producing very little ash, and keeps accurate temperature. The large 92 lb. hopper will keep a 2,800 sq. ft. home warm for at least 24 hours.

Cons: Harman pellet stoves tend to be priced on the high end of the market.

You may also like:Harman Pellet Stove Reviews and Buying Guide

Bottom Line: This reliable, efficient, attractive, pellet stove, has the capability to heat 2,800 sq. ft., making it our choice for Best Large Pellet Stove.

Available Accessories: Cast Iron Hearth Pad, Outside Temperature Kit.

#5 Cleveland PSBF66W-CIW Bayfront Pellet Stove

Best Midsize Stove

This easy to use, Cleveland pellet stove is well made and has a clean, modern appearance.

Features: You’ll get all of the features you’re looking for in this mid-size pellet stove.

• EPA Certified – Emissions – .96 grams per hour
• 66 lb. hopper provides 51 hours of burn time
• 52,000 BTU’s
• Large viewing window with air wash glass
• Operates at 82% efficiency，you may get 26% Tax credit for 75% efficiency or higher stoves but it depends on you local policy.
• Built-in WiFi with Digital control panel and remote
• Comes with fresh air supply kit.

Ratings: This stove receives very positive on-line reviews for reliability. It starts dependably and burns efficiently according to verified users.

Pros: This stove will heat up to 2,500 square feet at an efficiency rate of 82%. The stove features a built in programmable thermostat but can be run on manual, if desired, and includes a 250 CFM blower fan. This stove is very well made and the warranty policy is 8 year steel parts (excluding fire pot), 1 year electrical.

Cons: Some customers felt that the fan was too loud and the stove is somewhat difficult to clean.

Bottom Line: This solidly built stove has a lot to offer including, an affordable price, making it our choice for Best Mid-Size Pellet Stove.

#6 Castle 12327 “Serenity” Pellet Stove

Best Small Pellet Stove

The Serenity is a space-saving pellet stove which will compliment any style of home.

Features: This well designed unit includes all of the features you’re looking for in a small pellet stove.

• Full hopper will provide 16-18 hours of burn time
• EPA Certified – Emissions – 1.1 grams per hour
• 31,960 BTU’s
• Built in fan and ash pan
• Smart Control – 24 hour programmable thermostat, programs for each day of the week
• Easy clean with no tubes, corrugations, or hidden chambers

Ratings: This stove turns up on many top 10 lists and about 70% of Amazon customers rate this stove as excellent and a good buy.

Pros: This stove shows excellent craftsmanship and operates at a 69.8% efficiency rate. It comes with an auto ignition and a heat shield. The innovative heating system provides 2.5 sq. ft. of internal heating surface area for maximum thermal exchange in a small space. The Smart Control allows for manual or programmable 24- 7 thermostat operation.

Cons: While rare, a few stoves arrive with an igniter not working. Castle is always prompt to replace the igniter in these few instances.

Bottom Line: This is a reliable, efficient, small pellet stove, and one of the more affordable on the market, making it our choice for Best Small Pellet Stove.

Available Accessories: The stove comes with everything you need. There are no additional accessories necessary.

You may also like:Top 7 Small Pellet Stoves Reviews and Buying Guide

#7 Breckwell Traverse SP 2047 Non-Electric Pellet Stove

Best Large Non-electric Pellet Stove

The Traverse is Breckwell Hearth’s newest addition to their line of hearth products and features a contemporary appearance.

Features: This gravity fed, non electric pellet stove, can keep a space of up to 2,000 sq. ft. comfortable during the coldest months.

• Operates at 75% efficiency
• EPA Certified – Emissions – .41 grams per hours
• Very quiet
• 35,000 BTU’s
• Full hopper will provide at least a 24 hour burn time on low and 10 hours on high
• Modern design with large fire viewing window

Ratings: Breckwell Hearth products get excellent ratings and reviews including for dependability, function, and ease of use.

Pros: This quality, efficient,  pellet stove provides a reliable heat source without having to depend on electricity. The stove is large enough to keep a 2,000 sq. ft. home warm for at least 24 hours without refilling the hopper. Customers report that the stove is quiet and burns very clean with little ash.

Cons: You may need to use a draft regulator or damper to help maintain temperature control.

Bottom Line: This well-functioning, efficient, attractive stove is our choice for Best Large Non-Electric Pellet Stove.

Available Accessories: There are no accessories available for this stove.

#8 Wiseway GW1949 Pellet Stove – Non Electric

Best Midsize Non-electric

This non-electric, gravity fed, pellet stove will provide a consistent heat source all winter.

Features: The Wiseway is a highly rated, mid-sized non electric pellet stove that can heat a space of up to 2,000 sq. ft.

• Operates at 75% efficiency
• A full hopper provides a 31 hour burn time on low and 12 hours on high
• Extremely quiet, operates without a blower or auger
• 40,000 BTU’s
• EPA Certified – Emissions – 1.9 grams per hour
• Weight is 131 lbs.- lightweight and portable

Ratings: The Wiseway appears on many top 10 pellet stove lists with customer reviews being mostly positive for function and ease of use. One noted that the stove operates somewhat like a wood burning stove.

Pros: This stove will provide a reliable heat source if you need to heat a space without electricity. It can also be used to provide heat in the event of a power outage. The stove is light enough to be portable and can be used in mobile homes, cabins, greenhouses, barns, and on patios and decks.

Cons: Customers noted there is a learning curve with this stove including getting the correct adjustments for your space. The stove may need frequent cleanings if poor-quality pellets are used.

Bottom Line: This light weight, mid-size, non electric pellet stove is available at an affordable price, and is our choice for Best Overall non electric pellet stove.

Available Accessories: Warming Shelf, Clean-Out Tool, Water Jacket for heating water, Eco Fan, 175CFM Blower.

Here is a video demonstrating the Wiseway.

#9 Clarry Pellet Stove CST – Non Electric

Best Portable Pellet Stove

The Clarry CST is a sturdy, portable, gravity fed pellet stove for use in a small space.

Features: This is a great choice for heating a small area like a cottage, cabin, tent, where electricity is unavailable.

• Can easily heat a 250 sq. ft  or larger, tent or cabin all day or overnight comfort.
• Portable – weighs 110 lbs.
• Hopper holds a 40 lb. bag of pellets
• Unique air induction system
• Ash dispenser drawer functions as an air damper
• Burns clean and efficient

Ratings: On-line reviews and ratings for the Clarry CST stove are very positive. Both off-grid living and survivalist sites give this stove good reviews.

Pros: This sturdy stove is easy to use, provides almost immediate heat, and burns clean with very little ash by-product. Easily portable, this stove can be used in a variety of locations from your home or cabin, to your tent, and ice fishing shelter.

Cons: You might find that sawdust fire starting nuggets or a similar option are helpful for starter fuel if your pellets don’t ignite easily. Here’s our choice for a fire starting nugget. The nuggets are pine and manufactured in the US. 

Bottom Line: This is a great choice for heating a small space without using electricity or as a backup heat source in the event of a power outage making it our choice for Best Small non electric pellet Stove.

Available Accessories: There are no additional accessories needed.

What to Look For When Purchasing a Pellet Stove

This Wood Pellet Stove Buying Guide will help you decide on a stove you are happy with in the years to come.

Pellet Stove Pros and Cons

Here’s what you might like or dislike about owning a pellet stove:

Pros

• Total cost of the equipment and installation can be lower than for many other heating systems such as a furnace or boiler when all the “works” are considered.
• Operating costs are lower than oil and propane furnaces
• They’re an ideal fit for space without existing ductwork
• DIY installation can be easier than for other equipment – as long as you know what you’re doing
• Ambience – Watching a gas furnace operate isn’t fun for most folks; watching a pellet fire burn through the view window is quite enjoyable
• Pellets generally burn cleaner than wood, especially pine

Cons

• Operating costs are higher than for folks with access to free or cheap hardwood
• While weekly maintenances isn’t too much of a pain, there is still more to do than if you own a furnace or heat pump, and the pellet stove isn’t making heat when it’s cooling off and being cleaned
• Repair costs can be higher than with other types of equipment

What Is a Pellet Stove? What are Pellets?

That question gets plenty of search traffic, so it’s worth a brief answer.

A pellet stove is a stove designed to burn small ovals of burnable material. Most are made of compressed wood shavings and/or sawdust. You’ll find pellets made primarily from softwood materials and those that are strictly hardwood and are often called or considered premium pellet stove pellets.

We mentioned it above, but in case you missed it, here is our guide to the top wood pellets produced today.

Most pellet stoves require electricity for fan operation and to power the auger motor. An auger is a screw-type chunk of metal that transfers the pellets into the burn box where the action is. There’s more in the next section.

Did you know? Some wood pellet stoves burn other materials too including firewood, cherry pits (big in areas like northern Michigan and Oregon with large cherry industries), corn – available just about everywhere – and recycled paper pellets.

Caution on pellets: Learn what your stove’s manufacturer recommends – and if any cheap pellets like those made from recycled paper will damage the stove and/or void its warranty.

Electric or Non Electric Pellet Stove?

Most homeowners choose an electric pellet stove for their home because they want to distribute the heat around the room, zone or house. For indoor use, an electric model, especially in a space over a couple hundred square feet makes the most sense.

As noted, electric pellet stoves require electricity to run the auger, which feeds the pellets into the fire.

But what if you don’t have electricity at your disposal?

If you will be living in or heating a space without access to electricity, you will need a non electric pellet stove, ,aka non-electric pellet stove. Non electric pellet stoves use gravity to feed the pellets in the fire box. Non electric pellet stoves can also be a good choice, either as a primary heat source, or as a backup heat source, in areas where there are frequent power outages.

Non electric pellet stoves heat radiantly – the heat simply emanates out of the stove. Heat within the room or zone will eventually even itself out, but it takes a while, even in well-insulated areas.

Pellet Stove Operation – The Basics

This gives you a quick idea of how a pellet stove safely heats without allowing carbon monoxide to invade your space:

1. Pellets are fed via the top (electric and non electric) or bottom (electric).
2. Electric pellet stoves have an auger that feeds the burn pot.
3. The burn pot of most stoves has an igniter to start the fire; a few are manual start.
4. The blower fan draws in cool air, and circulates out warmed air.
5. The heat exchanger is the key to heat transfer. The hot gases from the burn pot pass over the heat exchanger. Air is circulated through the heat exchanger by the blower. Air from inside and outside the heat exchanger is never mixed.
6. Combustion exhaust is vented safely, while warm air is pushed into your living area.

Get all the operation details in our FAQ Guide “How Does a Pellet Stove Work?”

How Much Space Are You Heating?

This chart best applies to how much space a pellet stove can heat when the space is insulated. Remove insulation from the equation, and all bets are off. The information is also more accurate for electric pellet stoves, since non-electric pellet stoves are radiant-heat equipment and it simply cannot heat the same size spaces.

Space in Square Feet	Insulated	Non-insulated
Up to 1,000	24K-30K BTUs	42K-50K BTUs
1,001 to 1,500	30K-36K	48K-60K
1,501 to 2,000	36K-48K	54K-60k+

It is impractical to consider heating more than 2,000 square feet of non-insulated space with a residential-size pellet stove. Even heating 1,500 square feet might be a stretch – You could do it in cool weather, but it would only take a little chill out of the air in freezing temperatures.

House type and design: Do you need to heat a small space like a tiny home, cabin, mobile home, or maybe just a single room? Figure out the square footage you want to heat and look for a stove that meets, or slightly exceeds, that requirement. Usually stove manufacturers provide a heating range, for instance, 800 to 1200 square feet, so if your square footage is 1000, a stove that can heat up to 1200 sq. ft. would be a good place to start.

The BTU’s provided by the stove also give you an idea of the stove’s heating capacity. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a general rule is that a stove rated at 40,000 BTU’s can heat an open-plan house of up to 1,200 square feet and a stove rated at 60,000 BTU’s can heat an open-plan home of up to 2,000 square feet.

More on insulation and other factors that affect heating ability: You also need to keep in mind how well your space is insulated, the height of your ceilings, your climate, and how cold it gets during your winter season, and whether this will be your only source of heat or will the stove supplement another heat source. Also, where you place the stove can make a difference on how the heat circulates through the space.

There are sites on-line like this one that provide information and formulas to help you determine the optimum stove size requirements for various situations. They differ slightly and might differ from our recommendations. However, we think getting opinions from several pros is a good idea. 

Do you Have a Fireplace – Free-standing and Inserts

If you have a fireplace, then an insert-type pellet stove is an ideal choice. It won’t take any more room and uses the existing venting and chimney!

If you don’t have a fireplace, then there are a lot of attractive free-standing pellet stove options to consider.

Consider Hopper Size and Burn Time on Each Heat Setting

The larger the hopper, the longer the stove will burn without needing to be refilled. The lower the heat setting the longer the stove will take to burn all of the pellets, so a 24 pound hopper could burn anywhere from 6 to 24 hours depending on how high the heat is set to. So, if you need the heat at a high temperature most of the time, you will need a large hopper or be willing to refill the hopper throughout the day. Hopper extensions are available on many stoves that can give you double the burn time or more.

Consider the Features You Will Need and Want

Some of these features include automatic ignition, which is generally standard on these stoves. Or you might like the convenience of a programmable thermostat which allows you to set different temperature levels for various periods throughout the day, for instance, setting a lower temperature while you’re at work or sleeping. A large viewing window might also be important if you like to watch the fire.

Consider How the Stove Will Fit Home Style

Stoves are available in various styles, from modern to more traditional. Some of the stoves give you the option of choosing from different finishes, colors, and trims.

If you like the beauty of a wood fire, consider a pellet stove with a glass viewing panel in the door. It adds a warm glow to the cozy heat output – and that can brighten a dreary December or January day.

Is the Stove Ecofriendly? EPA Certified or Approved?

When purchasing a pellet stove make sure it is EPA Approved or Certified. This indicates that the stove meets the Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Act requirements guaranteeing the stove will produce very low emission levels and maintain safe, clean air in your home or space.

Wood is proven to be an ecofriendly source of heat – especially wood pellets. The reason is that wood pellets burn efficiently – there is little smoke – and smoke is combustible gases that didn’t get burned, i.e., pollution.

Some say that pellets are green because they are made from scrap wood and sawdust. While this is true, that material would likely be used in building products such as flooring, OSB or composite decking.

Are Pellet Stoves Safe?

Yes, pellet stoves are very safe, posing virtually no fire risk. They can be placed fairly close to walls, as they create minimal external heat, which also makes them a good choice if you have children or pets in the home.

It is even safe to leave a pellet stove burning unattended, as long as the stove has enough pellets to last until you return, or if your stove has an automatic shut off, in case it runs out of pellets.

Safety in the design: Most manufacturers include safety features in their stoves such as:

• Exhaust Temp Probe – If exhaust is abnormally hot, the probe will signal the auger to stop feeding the fire, and it will burn out shortly.
• Pressure Switch – When the door of a stove or the door of the ash pan is open, or even ajar, carbon monoxide will escape. To prevent an ongoing situation, the pressure switch will sense the improper pressure within the stove and shut down the auger, effectively shutting down the stove.

Tips for Safe Use of a Pellet Stove

These tips will keep you and your household safe:

• Have the pellet stove installed by a pro – unless you really know what you’re doing (See DIY vs Pro next)
• Make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector (CO detector) and that it has fresh batteries. Test it regularly, and change the batteries on time-change weekends whether they need changing or not.
• Keep toddlers and younger kids away from the stove – and teach older kids about stove safety.
• Stick to manufacturer guidelines for installation, use and cleaning. Empty and clean the ash pot per the owner’s manual.
• Have the stove’s venting cleaned annually to remove creosote, which easily catches on fire and is a leading cause of house fires.
• Safely dispose of ashes into a metal can that is not in contact with anything burnable. Ashes can be very hot!
• Use quality pellets and other burnable material suggested by the manufacturer.

Pellet Stove Installation: DIY or Pro?

We always recommend having a professional install something that can 1). Easily cause a house fire, and, 2). Emit deadly carbon monoxide. We have the same recommendation for gas furnaces, oil furnaces, boilers and other gas/oil-burning equipment.

However, that’s not to say that many or our readers have the skills to safely and correctly install their own pellet stove. We know you do. Check to see if your stove’s website has installation tutorials – written can be very useful, and video tutorials help put it all together.

If you DIY, follow instructions closely, and have a CO detector and fire extinguisher nearby, just to be safe.

Are Pellet Stoves a Good Value?

If you have access to cheap/free hardwood, then no, a pellet stove can’t compare.

However, if you want to compare a gas furnace with a pellet stove or an oil furnace with one, then sure, a pellet stove can be a good value. Consider that there are no ducts to install, and that will reduce total cost by $1,500 to $3,200 for most homes. Equipment and installation costs are typically lower too.

The best value comes when comparing pellet stoves to propane burning gas furnaces and to oil furnaces. Then you’ll find that combined equipment and operating costs for pellet stoves are quite competitive.

Where they aren’t as good a value is in older homes with smaller, segmented rooms fed by ductwork. If you install a pellet stove– or a wood stove – and then have cold areas you supplementally heat with space heaters, your operating costs will be very high.

Are Pellet Stoves Efficient and Clean?

Yes, but you will need to use good quality, dry pellets to achieve a hot, clean burn. Pellet stoves require less fuel to produce more heat than wood.  The efficiency rating of pellet stoves can go up to about 80% and they will produce very low particle emission rates, under  2.0 grams per hour. Pellet stoves also produce less creosote than wood, and are therefore easier to clean and maintain. Once again, here are the top wood pellets produced today.