Where the numbers come from
US listings rarely state whether a BTU figure is a peak or a steady rate, or on what fuel. Peak output with dry softwood and an open air control is not what the stove delivers across a night. The EPA test report gives a heat output range, and it is often much narrower than the headline figure.
Square feet assumes a house you do not have
A claim such as “heats up to 2,000 sq ft” assumes an insulation level and climate the listing does not name. A tight house in Georgia and a drafty one in Maine ask very different things of the same stove. Open floor plans carry heat, and closed rooms do not.
A better figure: firebox size
Firebox volume in cubic feet and maximum log length tell you how much wood goes in, which sets how long the stove can burn between loads. Those are measurements, not estimates. Note that listings can disagree with themselves: the Ashley AW2020-P lists both 1.6 and 2.0 cubic feet on one page.
How we use these figures
We repeat BTU and square feet with the words “stated” or “listed”. We do not recommend a stove for a given house, because that depends on the building and not on the appliance.
Questions that keep arriving by post
How many BTU do I need?
This site does not answer that for a particular house. It depends on insulation, climate, layout and how the heat moves between rooms. A local stove dealer or a heating professional can do the calculation.
Is a bigger stove better?
Not automatically. A stove that is too large for the room tends to be run low, and a low, smoldering fire means dirtier glass and more creosote in the flue.
Last reviewed November 1, 2026