2022 Best 9 Wood Stoves For 500-4,000 Sq Ft Homes

How We Chose the Best Wood Stoves

Here is an overview of the criteria for selecting the top wood stoves.

Quality – The quality of the materials and workmanship are essential. There are a lot of stoves with impressive features and good looks, but they lack quality, so we don’t consider them.

Performance – These stoves do what they say they do. And they do it durably. They burn efficiently, heat evenly and those with fans have optimized airflow that distribute the air effectively in the space being heated.

Features – Good features enhance the performance of any wood burning stove. The blended primary/secondary burning on the Lopi and Cubic Mini stoves, Winnerwell’s stainless steel body, heavy-duty cast iron construction of the Drolet models and the EPA-certified catalytic combustor and adjustable leg length of the Woodstock Soapstone Hybrid stove are just a few of the wood stove features that put these models on our list.

Accessory Options – Accessorizing a stove to meet your lifestyle and the way you want to use it maximizes its value. Most of the stoves on our Top List offer accessories (some are standard equipment) that maximize their usefulness. Lopi’s Greenstart igniter, Drolet’s blower kit with variable speed and Cubic Mini’s tool kit and flue brush are just a few of the accessories that help you make the most of your stoves.

What Users Say – We’re just one set of eyes, one voice. There are thousands of ratings and reviews to consider as well. Of course we listen to what verified purchasers say about the stoves they have been using. If we like a stove, but the ratings are poor, we drop it from consideration. On the other hand, we’ve chosen a few stoves that we might have overlooked, but wow, stove owners love them. That gets our attention. This isn’t a top criteria, but we don’t consider it.

Good Looks – This is definitely not a top criteria, but hey, if it is good quality, performs well, has great features and options, then sure, an attractive appearance might put it over the top. We make it a minor criteria, as most consumers do too.

You May Also Like: Best Pellet Stove Reviews and Buying Guide

Following is a list of the best Wood Burning Stoves

There are 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 happy with.

Best Wood Burning Stove Reviews

Following is a detailed look the nine top wood burning stoves available in a variety of categories including small, medium, and large. These stoves can be used in various environments, from outdoors to tiny homes to large homes.

#1 Lopi Endeavor NexGen-Fyre

Best Overall

The Lopi Endeavor comes with everything you’ll want in a mid to large wood burning stove.

Features: Lopi’s NexGen-Fyre technology features a primary and secondary blended combustion system creating up to 50% greater heat output and longer burn times.

• Heavy duty steel plate construction
• Heating capacity of up to 2000 sq. ft. and 67,000 BTU’s
• Up to 10 hours burn time
• 2.5 cubic feet firebox and takes up to 18” logs
• Door features large ceramic glass viewing window
• Emissions: 1.4 grams per hour

Ratings: Users give high marks for the stove’s performance, efficiency and ease of use.

Pros: This high efficiency wood burning stove is Lopi’s best-selling stove. The NexGen-Fyre, non-catalytic, technology provides longer burn times, more heat output with less wood, and can keep a 1500 sq. ft. home warm overnight, even in very cold weather. The stove can be used for cooking, from boiling water to making a roast. This stove is 2020 EPA certified.

Cons: Some mind find that the stove can be hard to light until you get the hang of it. If you use overly dry wood, it might burn faster than you’d like – but that is true with any wood stove.

Bottom Line: This is an exceptional indoor, mid to large wood burning stove with excellent reviews, making it our Best Overall.

Available Accessories: You can purchase Lopi’s GreenStart Igniter for this stove which allows you to start or refresh the fire with the push of a button. Also available is their 400 CFM Convection Fan and their Outside Air Kit.

Here’s a video about the Lopi Wood burning stove.

#2 PMNY Portable Wood Stove

Best Compact & Affordable Stove

This portable wood stove from PMNY may surprise you at the first sight because of its size. It’s so compact that you can put it in a suitcase and carry it to your tent or shed without any effort. Moreover, its versatility may surprise you further. 

Features: This compact indoor wood burning stove is designed to meet your need of camping,  tent heating, hunting, fishing, cooking, boiler water, etc. and features a simple yet classical appearance.

• Only 22lb, very compact, easy to carry
• Includes a large cook top and drying racks
• Easy to clean
• Made by cold rolled steel, no fear of rust and high temperature
•  8.7” Height, 11.4” Width ,8” Depth

Ratings: This stove is also ranking in the top 5 for best-selling wood burning stoves. Almost all of the customers gave it 5-star rating, which is pretty rare.

Pros: This well-built stove can be used for baking and to cook a full meal. It will also effectively heat your living space. It features a firebox,six flue pipes, four legs, a ash tray, a pipe base, two side racks and handles, a top plate and a fire poker.

Cons: The value in this stove is in its size and weight, if you want a large stove to heat larger spaces then it’s not the best choice.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for small and affordable wood burning stove with good quality, this would be a good option.

#3 Drolet HT 3000 High Efficiency

Best Large Wood Stove

This Drolet stove has a lot of heating capacity. It is efficient, attractive and aesthetically suitable for any style home.

Features: This Drolet High efficiency wood stove has all the features you need to heat your home and is approved for use in mobile homes.

• Steel construction with cast iron door featuring ceramic glass
• Can heat up to 2700 sq. ft.
• 3.5 cubic feet firebox can take up to 22” logs
• 110,000 BTU’s
• Up to 10 hour burn time
• Emissions: 1.32 grams per hour

Ratings: Over 85% of customers give this stove positive reviews for efficiency, heating ability, and ease of use.

Pros: This durable steel stove features a 78% efficiency rating and is 202 EPA Certified. Customers like the ease of use, the fact that, fully loaded, the stove can burn for over 10 hours, and the stoves appearance. The stove has a large viewing window, comes with a thermostat, and a blower fan. The stove can also be used for cooking.

Cons: One purchaser we are familiar with received his stove with a warped door which the manufacture replaced without hassle. Cold air may enter through the chimney when the stove is not in use.

Bottom Line: This is a high quality, reliable stove for use in any home, and is available at a reasonable price, making it our Best Large stove.

Available Accessories: Some of the available accessories include a fresh air intake kit, a fire screen, and a blower kit with variable speed control.

#4 Winnerwell Large Nomad Tent Stove

Best Outdoor/Camping/Tent Stove

This small, portable, outdoor wood burning stove is a great choice for heating and cooking in a tent, cabin, or other outdoor or temporary environment.

Features: This Winnerwell stove comes with just about everything you’ll need.

• Stainless steel construction
• Includes the stove body, 5 sections of flue piping, spark arrestor, 2 detachable side shelves, 4 legs, and a grate to hold the wood.
• Features a 1500 cubic inch firebox
• Assembled dimensions are 18” x 25” x 108” (with flue attached)
• Weighs 34lbs.
• Able to withstand high heat over an extended period

Ratings: Most customers give this stove exceptional reviews value and sturdiness. Winnerwell stoves are well-respected and highly rated on outdoor and camping sites.

Pros: This high quality wood burning stove can be used in multiple situations for heating and cooking. The stove burns efficiently, boils water, and cooks food quickly. All stove parts, including the flue, stow inside the body for easy transport. Shelves on each side of stove can be used with cooking or to dry items.

Cons: Two customers noted that when using the stove at high heat for extended periods caused the glass in the door to crack. Winnerwell promptly replaced the glass.

Bottom Line: This is an exceptional multi-purpose small outdoor wood stove at a very affordable price, making it our Best Outdoor Wood Stove.

Available Accessories: Winnerwell stainless steel 3.5 liter hot water tank and Winnerwell camp oven for baking.

#5 Woodstock Soapstone Progressive Hybrid Wood Stove

Most Efficient

This unique stove, made of cast iron and soapstone, provides some customizable features including choice of color.

Features: The Woodstock Progressive Hybrid is a well-made, attractive stove, loaded with features, and is ideal for a more traditional style home.

• Heavy duty cast iron and soapstone construction
• 78.5% efficiency
• Very low emissions – 0.63 grams per hour
• Heats up to 2200 sq. ft. with over a 14 hour burn time
• 3 burner cast iron cook top with a soapstone lid
• Customizable features include leg length, color, and right or left opening door

Ratings: This stove is highly recommended by users for all its features including performance and efficiency. This stove has huge heating potential, keeping a 4000 sq. ft home at 70 degrees overnight during the winter when temperatures remain above or near freezing.

Pros: The Progressive Hybrid features a catalytic combustor with a secondary combustion system to reduce emissions and increase efficiency providing a longer burn time. The soapstone holds and radiates the heat better than other materials. Cast iron color choices include black, charcoal, blue, brown, or gray. It is 2020 EPA Certified.

Cons: Not everyone is a fan of the soapstone appearance; But others think it gives it an upscale look. Be sure to see images of the stove before you make you decision.

Bottom Line: This is an efficient, durable, customizable heating and cooking stove that is well worth the money, making it our Most Efficient Stove.

Available Accessories: Outside Air Adapter, Heat and Pipe Shields, and a large size ash pan.

#6 Drolet Blackcomb ll Medium DB02811

Best Indoor Mid-Size Wood Stove

This Drolet model is perfect for mid-size homes and will fit any décor.

Features: This durable, efficient, mid-size wood burning stove offers plenty of features to keep you happy and warm throughout the cold season.

• Heavy steel construction
• Approved for alcove and mobile home installation.
• Can heat up to 1800 sq. ft. with a 6 hour burn time
• 1.9 cubic feet firebox can take 18” logs
• 65,000 BTU’s
• Emissions: 1.26 grams per hour

Ratings: This unit gets top ratings on Amazon, ranking in the top 5 for best-selling wood burning stoves.

Pros: Drolet Stoves meet the highest standards in the industry and are EPA 2020 Certified. The Blackcomb features a non-catalytic combustion system with a 75% efficiency rating. Many verified purchasers say how much they like the stove’s attractive appearance. You can also cook on top of this stove.

Cons: Frankly, apart from a higher cost than most stoves, Drolet is hard to criticize. It has the fewest negative ratings of any brand on the market. Drolet is committed to the highest standards of quality, as its stoves show.

Bottom Line: Efficient and sturdy, this reliable stove is a great buy for medium sized homes, making it out Best Indoor Mid-Sized Stove.

Available Accessories: Fresh Air Intake Kit, Blower Assembly with Variable Speed Control, Heat Powered Fan, Rigid Fire Screen, and an Ash Vacuum Cleaner.

Here is a video on how to clean and light a Drolet wood burning stove.

#7 Cubic Mini CB-1210 Grizzly

Best Indoor Small Wood Stove

The Cubic Mini Grizzly is a small, indoor, wood burning stove with big capabilities, and is ideal for heating and cooking on in a small space, such as a tiny home, cabin, RV, or boat.

Features: This stove is well insulated and features a secondary combustion system causing the stove to generate more heat and burn extremely clean.

• Laser cut steel plate construction
• Removes humidity from the area
• Heats a 200-400 sq. ft. area
• 2 – 4 hour burn time
• 6,000-14,000 BTU’s
• Can burn seasoned wood, charcoal, or pressed fire logs

Ratings: On-line reviews give the Grizzly over a 90% positive rating including for ease of use, installation and, performance for its size. You can find a number of positive reviews at Tiny Life Supply (think tiny house – which this stove is a great fit for).

tinylifesupply.com

Pros: This small stove can produce a lot of heat and can also be used for cooking. You can purchase the Mini Roaster that sits on top the stove and acts like an oven. The top rail on the stove is removable to provide more cooking space. The Grizzly can be wall-mounted with proper shielding. The Cubic Mini website is very helpful with information and videos.

Cons: The flue pipes do not come with the stove and must be purchased separately. One customer felt that when the stove operated at a lower burn, there was potential for back-draft creating a safety issue.

Bottom Line: This is an excellent, small indoor stove for heating a small space, and you can often find it on sale, making it a great value and our Best Indoor Small wood burning stove.

Available Accessories: Wall mount, floor mount, flue pipes, various heat shields, stainless steel mini-roaster oven, blower fan, mini-tool kit, flue cleaning brush, and stainless steel fresh air intake vent.

#8 Stûv America – Stûv 30 Compact H

Best Contemporary Wood Stove

If you’re looking for a free-standing, wood burning stove, to compliment your contemporary interior, the Stûv 30 Compact H will be a perfect fit.

Features: This minimalistic stove offers features that make it a perfect addition to a modern home.

• Curved steel construction
• 360 degree rotating door providing a view of the fire from anywhere in the room
• Heats up to 900 sq. ft. with 31,000 BTU’s
• Includes heat accumulator that releases heat over several hours
• Uses dual combustion and convection circulation
• Emissions: 1.82 grams per hour

Ratings: The few online reviews for Stûv wood burning stoves are all positive.

Pros: This sleek wood burning stove provides 74% efficiency, features a 1.1 cubic feet firebox, and can accept 18” logs. The air intake, located at the base of the stove, brings the air directly into the combustion chamber, air injectors at the top of the chamber create a second combustion, reducing the amount of smoke and ash. The heat accumulators in the chamber absorb the heat, releasing it gradually into the environment making this stove very efficient. The stove also includes a removable ash pan. EPA 2020 Certified.

Cons: These are higher-priced wood burning stoves, and some homeowners wonder whether they are worth the cost. We recommend you get several wood stove cost estimates from local contractors before deciding on a wood burning stove versus a pellet stove or other heating option.

Bottom Line: The Stûv is an efficient, contemporary, indoor wood burning stove making it our Best Contemporary Stove.

Available Accessories: Fire screen, mobile log rack, and a BBQ grill which inserts below the firebox.

#9 Englander 2000

Best Value Wood Stove

This well-built wood burning stove offers a lot of value for the price and is capable of heating a 2000 sq. ft. area.

Features: This stove has all the features you’ll need to keep your home comfortable when it’s cold outside.

• Steel and cast iron construction
• 2.45 cubic feet firebox takes 18” logs
• Integrated wrap-around heat shields provide added safety
• Can burn 8-10 hours
• Includes a room air blower
• Mobile home approved

Ratings: Reviews indicate that most customers are happy with this stove giving it a 4 star rating.

Pros: The Englander 2000 is sturdy and efficient and is 2020 EPA Certified. The stove is made with integrated wrap around heat shields which provide safer operation and more placements options. The cast iron door includes a decorative removable mountain scene and a -large, self-cleaning glass viewing window. A room air blower is included at no additional charge.

Cons: We cannot find any negative reviews regarding this stove. It turns up in many top wood burning stove reviews.

Bottom Line: This is a well-designed, efficient indoor wood burning stove that is available at an unbeatable price.

Available Accessories: There are a couple of heat blower fan options available for this stove.

What to Look for When Purchasing a Wood Burning Stove

There are several key wood burning stove issues that will affect your buying decision. Here’s an objective analysis to assist you in choosing the right stove for your purposes.

Consider how much space you want to heat.

Do you need to heat a small space like a tiny home, cabin, RV, a tent, or maybe just a single room? Or are you looking for something to heat your whole house. Figure out the square footage you want to heat and look for a stove that meets, or slightly exceeds, that requirement. Usually stoves manufacturers provide a heating range, for instance, 1400 to 2000 square feet, so if your square footage is 1800, a stove that can heat up to 2000 sq. ft. would be a good place to start.

You also need to keep in mind how well your space is insulated, 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 flows through the home.

There are sites on-line that provide information and formulas for figuring out the stove size requirements for various situations.

If you want to heat a two-story home, you will probably need to place vents in the lower story ceiling to allow the warm air to reach the upper level.

Consider the size of the firebox and the length of burn time per load.

Generally, the larger the firebox, the larger the logs you can load and the more wood the stove will accommodate, therefore the longer the stove will burn. But there are other factors which affect burn time, such as the wood you use and whether you will need low or high heat during the burn time.

Here is a guideline that relates firebox size to home size:

Small Stove – 2 cubic feet firebox – suitable for heating a single room or a small cabin, RV, or tiny home. We have another post on best small wood stoves that discusses top mini wood stoves on the market.

Medium Stove – 2 to 3 cubic feet firebox – suitable for heating a medium home.

Large Stove – 3 or more cubic feet firebox – suitable for heating a large home, a two-story home, or a poorly insulated home.

Consider Firebox Orientation.

With some stoves, the length of the logs load side to side and with others, the length of the logs loads front to back. You can actually get more wood into a front to back loading firebox because the wood won’t fall against the glass viewing door, so provide a longer burn. But you might not like the look of seeing the ends of the logs through the glass.

A word about catalytic versus non-catalytic combustion.

Catalytic combustion, first introduced in the 1980’s to reduce stove emissions, developed a bad reputation. They were not designed well and had a variety of problems. New catalytic stoves don’t have these problems and can be just as clean and efficient as non-catalytic combustion stoves. Now there are also hybrid stove that use a combination of both combustion systems. The choice seems to be a personal preference, as both types of combustion, including the hybrids, are efficient and able to provide low emission rates and meet EPA Certification standards.

A word about BTU’s.

BTU’s are simply used as a measurement of how much heat output the stove can produce. Most wood burning stoves available today, for the average size home, will provide between 25,000 and 80,000 BTU’s but there are many other more important factors to consider, and BTU’s should not be on the top of your list.

Consider the Efficiency of the Stove.

Most stoves today are rated between 70% and 80% efficient. The higher the rating, up to about 80%, the better the stove performs at creating more heat with less wood.

Consider the emissions produced and whether the stove is 2020 EPA Certified.

As of the spring of 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency requires that wood burning stoves must produce below 2.0 grams of emissions per hour for environmental safety. Make sure the stove you choose is 2020 EPA Certified. Stoves that are made primarily for cooking and very small stoves are exempt from this requirement.

Consider the material that the stove is made of.

Most wood burning stoves are made of cast iron, steel, or a combination of the two. Some stoves have added material, such as soapstone. This is primarily a personal choice about the appearance of the stove and how it works with your home style, there are a few differences. A cast iron stove will usually weigh more than a steel stove. A steel stove will heat up and cool off quicker, where a cast iron stove will heat up slower but will retain heat longer. Some stoves include soapstone panels which will radiate heat for a long period of time. Cast ion stoves can eventually show rust if not properly cared for, while steel tends to be more corrosion free.

Is cooking on the stove important?

Most indoor wood burning stoves are primarily made for heating, but can be used for smaller cooking jobs. Some stoves have accessories available, such as ovens, roasters, and hot water tanks to create additional cooking ability. There are also wood burning stoves that are made to be used first, for cooking, and second, for heating.

Consider the available accessories.

Many of the stoves have accessories available which are either necessary for use, or can be added to enhance the stoves performance.

Do your research.

There is much to consider when purchasing a wood stove to heat your home so do your research first. There is an abundance of information online that will help you determine the size and type of wood burning stove that will best suit your needs.