Wood stoves
A first stove is chosen twice: once for the room and once for the chimney. Most listings help only with the first. BTU and square feet are the numbers everyone reads and the ones least worth chasing.
The chimney is the fixed part of the job and the stove is the movable one, so the chimney decides first. Is it lined, sound, and the right size for a 6 inch outlet? Our draft page explains the 3-2-10 rule, and a CSIA-certified sweep can tell you what you have. If you have no chimney, price a listed Class A system before you choose a stove.
Square footage assumes an unnamed house. A firebox volume and a log length are measurements. The Ashley AW1120E-P states 1.3 cubic feet and 18 inches. The US Stove TH-100 takes only 11 inch logs, so your firewood has to be cut for it.
EPA certified means a sample met the federal smoke limit. A safety listing such as UL 1482 is what gives a stove tested clearances. Many listings mention the first and not the second, so ask for the certificate before you buy.
Plan for stove pipe, a hearth pad, a chimney or liner, delivery by freight, a CO alarm and a metal ash bucket. Installation often costs as much as the stove, and the federal 25C tax credit ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.
68,000 BTU stated · up to 1,200 sq ft · 1.3 cu ft firebox · 18 in logs · legs and pedestal · no catalyst
A plate steel stove with 224 Amazon ratings, a secondary burn with no catalyst, and both legs and a pedestal in the box.
Best for: A first-time buyer heating a small house or a large room who wants a stove with a real buyer record: 224 ratings.
≈ $1000
68,000 BTU stated · up to 1,200 sq ft · 1.3 cu ft firebox · 18 in logs · 258 lb · no catalyst
The same stated output and firebox as the Ashley AW1120E, from the same parent company, with 3 ratings instead of 224.
Best for: A buyer who finds the Ashley out of stock and wants the same size class.
≈ $1100
68,000 BTU stated · up to 1,200 sq ft · 18 in logs · 6 in flue collar · blower included
Vogelzang’s 68,000 BTU stove includes the blower that others charge extra for, but its listing is short and has no ratings at all.
Best for: A buyer who wants a blower in the box and will request the spec sheet.
≈ $1414
26,000 BTU in the table · up to 750 sq ft · 11 in logs · 75% efficiency stated · 139 lb · 8 hour burn stated
A small EPA certified stove for zone heating, with an 11 inch log limit and a weak 3.2 star rating from 33 buyers.
Best for: A tiny house, cabin or single room where floor space decides the choice.
≈ $613
This site does not rule on that, because the answer depends on the house. Use firebox size to compare stoves, and ask a local dealer to work out the heat loss.
The stove outlet in the manual. Most wood stoves use 6 inch pipe. Nothing on the connector side should be bought before you know that figure.
Often. Ask your local building department, and tell your home insurer before you install a stove.
For heating: A first-time buyer heating a small house or a large room who wants a stove with a real buyer record: 224 ratings.
Where it does best: 224 Amazon ratings
Where it does worst: Ships by freight only
For heating: A buyer who finds the Ashley out of stock and wants the same size class.
Where it does best: Firebrick-lined firebox
Where it does worst: The same stated figures as the Ashley AW1120E-P
For heating: A buyer who wants a blower in the box and will request the spec sheet.
Where it does best: Blower included
Where it does worst: Four bullets are nearly the whole listing
For heating: A tiny house, cabin or single room where floor space decides the choice.
Where it does best: Very small footprint: 13 by 16.4 in
Where it does worst: 3.2 out of 5 from 33 ratings
$499 – $719
4 models
$1 000 – $1 184
5 models
Stove against stove, where the comparison already exists on this site.
The stoves here are taken from the catalog of this site. Specifications are the ones the manufacturer states and the ones on the Amazon page; prices are readings from Amazon.com and move often, and both change. Ranking rests on declared specifications, on stated strengths weighed against stated limits, and on price. No stove here has been lit by us, and nothing on this page suggests it has.
Last checked on
The price beside each product is fetched as this page opens, and it is the only figure here that is current. Any amount written into the prose was read once, on the day that sentence was written, and nothing has refreshed it since.
