8 Best Wood Pellet Stoves: Reviewed, Rated & Compared

How Does a Pellet Stove Work?

What exactly are wood pellets?

Pellet stoves are like wood-burning ovens in that they transfer heat to your home using wood. Unlike large pieces of wood that usually require cutting with a handheld chainsaw, pellet stoves use wooden pellets, or biomass fuel.

These pellets are usually sold in bags that are comparable to mulch bags. Unlike mulch or other wood chips, though, wood pellets are very densely compressed – a process that takes out nearly all of the wood’s moisture. Very dry wood will burn more cleanly than regular wood, and for that reason wooden pellets will release fewer pollutants that your traditional wood fireplace.

Are they basically the same as wood burning stoves with different fuel?

Even though your pellet stove will resemble the old wood-burning stove that your grandparents may have had, the two are not as similar as you would think. Wood pellet stoves rely on electricity to work properly. They are complicated machines that have truly brought wood-burning into the 21st century, and therefore are much more than a backup heat.

The pellet fuel is put into the unit’s “hopper,” or fuel storage. Depending on how large your unit is you may need to load your hopper as little as once a day. From the hopper, the electric auger will release pellets into the burn pot, consistent with what you would like the external temperature to be. The pellets burn here, and their heat moves through a heat exchanger to bring warmth to your home!

The gasses that are created are vented out through your roof, and the ash from the wood moves down to an ash pot, which you will need to clean from time to time.

Also check our fireplaces as an alternative option to pellet stoves for heating:

Best Electric Fireplaces
Best Gas Fireplaces

Considerations Before Buying a Wood Pellet Stove

BTU’s

BTUs are British Thermal Units, and it is how heat output is measured in most pellet stoves. In general, the larger the BTU, the most heat output the unit will have. We’ve included a helpful chart below to help you determine the right BTU output for your desired heating area.

A standard rule of thumb is that areas of up to 1,000 square feet will require about 24,000 BTUs, and larger areas will require more, based on that and the other factors listed below. This guide from the US Energy Information Association is also a helpful tool in understand BTUs.

Maximum Heating Area

When purchasing a pellet stove, you will want to consider the maximum heating area. For example, say that you want a pellet stove to be the focal point of your large family room. If your family room is closed off from other rooms, you will want to purchase a pellet stove sized suitably for the area of that room alone. If your family room is open to other areas of the house, you will want to include the area of those spaces as well, as inevitably the heat will travel.

Do check our space heater options that is a good alternative for different area sizes:

Best Space Heaters for Apartment
Best Space Heaters for Large Room
Most Eneregy Efficient Space Heater

Venting Options

In general pellet stoves must be vented to the outdoors. The emissions from the burning fuel would otherwise be very harmful to your health. Look carefully at the venting options of each pellet stove that you look at. Some come with outdoor air kits included, and others will leave you with a little more research in order to find the right hook-up.

All options will require that you create a hole in an exterior wall and seal it up tightly for proper efficiency. While this can be done by the average Joe at home, we recommend having a professional install your vent so that you can rest assured that your warranty is completely covered.

A question that mostly ask is, “Do pellet stove need a chimney?” and we answer and explain this in a separate post.

Top or Bottom Hopper Feed

Most pellet stoves on the market today have top-feed hoppers. This is a compartment that usually opens on top of the unit and that can be filled with the wood pellet fuel. And though less common, bottom feed hoppers are also popular. Though a little harder to load, some people say that bottom feed hoppers are more efficient because they tightly pack in the wood pellets and push them into the fire chamber, creating a much more compressed mass that will burn more fully.

Hopper Size

The hopper size on a pellet stove will indicate how often you will need to refuel your pellet stove. The smaller the hopper, the more often you will need to reload. The average pellet stove will hold one bag of fuel, or 40 lbs. Some of the units that we look at in this article will hold up to 120 lbs of fuel.

Ignition Options

Pellet stoves can have either auto-ignition or manual ignition, and it really just depends on your preference. Auto-ignition will use electricity to start your pellet stove, and manual ignition will require a match or lighter and about 3-5 minutes of your time.

Thermostat Options

Nearly all pellet stoves have built-in thermostats on the units that will give you a temperature read and allow you to adjust accordingly. Some pellet stoves can be hard-wired to a wall thermostat and used just as you would a regular furnace thermostat. We recommend professional installation for this step.

Energy Efficiency

Pellet stoves are pretty energy efficient in general. The stoves that we look at in this article range from 63%-85% energy efficient. The more energy efficient an appliance is, the less energy it needs to use to run properly.

If you need more comparison on unit efficiency, you can also see some examples in our guide on the most efficient heating systems.

Safety Features

The safety features of pellet stoves usually include mechanisms that will stop the unit from working if it becomes too hot. To ensure that you are receiving the safest operation of your wood pellet stove, make sure to check out our safety checklist below, which will cover all factors of your stove including how to check for carbon monoxide emissions, how to protect your children and young pets, and how to ensure the safest quality burn.

We also discussed on a separate post a more in-depth guide regarding the safety of pellet stoves.

EPA & Mobile Home Approval

All of the pellet stove units we look at in this article are certified by the United States EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), which hold these appliances to high standards to ensure the safest outcomes. If you live in a mobile home, you will want to make sure that the pellet stove you purchase is also approved for mobile home use.

You can also go with an electric rv heater route as an alternative fuel source.

Price Vs Warranty

When taking into consideration any pellet stove, it is wise to compare both the price and warranty. For example, you may find similar pellet stoves vary greatly in price. If you look closely, one might have a warranty of 1 year whereas the other has a warranty of 5 years or more. Yes – you can expect to pay a little more for an extended warranty, but we have found that having an extended warranty will be more cost-saving overall when covering general wear-and-tear and replacement parts.

8 Best Wood Pellet Stoves Reviewed

We have tested and compared these popular models. Read our reviews below or watch our YouTube video to find the best model for your home.

1. Comfortbilt HP50 Pellet Stove

The HP50 by Comfortbilt is a pellet stove that’s hard to beat. It’s powerful and long-lasting, heating a maximum of 2,200 square feet for a continuous burn time of 22 hours. The hopper capacity is 47 pounds, and that paired with the 42,000 BTUs make this one of the most powerful pellet stoves on the market today.

Even with its large capacity and strong heating power, the HP50 features a compact European design that’s nice to look at and easy to use. It’s just over 20 inches wide, 27 inches deep, and 38 inches high, which is a relatively small footprint considering its large room heating size. The room blower, which moves air at 142 cubic feet per minute, only contributes more to this stove’s power, pushing warm air into every nook and cranny of the space.

Did we mention that the Comfortbilt is ultra-easy to use? It’s built with an adjustable thermostat that can be set anywhere between 61° to 82° F, so just choose your temperature sweet spot after pushing the one-touch ignition button to start enjoying a warm, cozy climate. You can also adjust the feed rate and blower speed on the LED control panel (or use the included remote control).

Everything about this pellet stove is durable. The manufacturer did an excellent job of balancing aesthetics, functionality, and durability by creating a tough charcoal exterior that’s easy to keep clean but also blends nicely with all interior designs. The only flaw is that there have been a few complaints that the 81% burn efficiency is fairly average, but overall, Comfortbilt HP50 scores massive points for design, performance, and ease of use.

2. Comfortbilt HP22-SS Pellet Stove

Another great product from Comfortbilt is the HP22-SS. This pellet stove is even more powerful than the last, featuring 50,000 BTUs that can handle square footage of 2,800. The hopper can hold up to 50 pounds of pellets, so you only have to refill the chamber once every 24 hours (depending on the heat setting).

This Comfortbilt stove is very similar to the HP50 in terms of design, but it does have a slightly larger footprint due to the higher heating capacity. The good news is that it comes with the same adjustable thermostat that gives you complete control over the exact room temperature based on individual comfort preferences.

The energy efficiency of this stove is slightly better than the last. It has a burn rate of 82% (rather than 81%), so even though it’s still not the most stellar when it comes to efficiency, there’s not a lot of room to complain on that front. The only major complaint comes down to cost; the stunning design of the HP-22 doesn’t come cheap, so you need to be willing to dish out some cash for your heating needs if you opt for this one.

The high-end price is a reflection of the high-end performance, so as long as you’re not on a tight budget, try not to let that deter you too much. All in all, the HP-22 is extremely dependable, and it doesn’t hurt that the design is focal-point worthy of any space.

3. PelPro Pellet Stove

The PelPro is another solid choice (literally, it’s got an extremely solid steel firebox) for anyone in the market for a high-efficiency stove. It’s one of the most pellet-efficient options, with a burn rate of about 87.5% and a claim of 58% more heat output than its competitors. What’s even more impressive is the 96-hour continuous runtime when the stove is set to a low setting.

While the PelPro has a heat input of 50,000 BTU, the heat output is more like 40,000, and it can be used in a space of up to 2,500 square feet. Depending on the room’s size and your heating needs, you can use the stove’s easy to use panel – automatic ignition and intuitive dial thermostat – for easy, comfortable heat control.

Another unique feature of the PelPro is its massive hopper capacity. While many other stoves only hold 40 to 50 pounds of pellets, this one can handle a whopping 130 pounds. That’s what gives it such a long runtime, so if you fill it to max capacity, you could be enjoying 4 straight days of heat without once ever turning the stove off.

Nothing’s perfect, and there are a few minor flaws to the PelPro. The first is that it’s designed with an optional hopper extension, and although this is a handy tool, it’s positioned too high for comfort and easy loading. Second, the warranty coverage offered by PelPro isn’t as competitive as some other brands (instead of a 7-year policy on the firebox, you’re only covered for 5).

4. ComfortBilt HP21 Pellet Stove

For larger areas, especially insulated basements and recreational bonus rooms, I highly recommend this pellet stove by Comfort Bilt that can efficiently heat an area of 2,400 square feet. For a pellet stove, I feel like the design is pretty sleek and modern, and it’s relatively easy to clean as well.

Perhaps the most raved about feature of this particular stove is how extremely quiet it is during use. You will honestly not be bothered at all by this unit as it consistently keeps you warm. I also love the fact that the controls are built-in with an LED screen, and can also be accessed by remote control.

Unlike some of the other models we’ve looked at, this one comes with a built-in pedestal base, which will likely save you a few hundred dollars, but – it doesn’t come with an exhaust kit so that will need to be purchased separately. The hopper on this unit is also only about 40 lbs, so plan on refilling daily for consistent use.

5. US Stove GW1949 Wiseway Gravity Fed

The vast majority of pellet stoves are run with electricity, yes, but there is one unique model that is run primarily on gravity – the Wiseway Gravity Fed Pellet Stove. It runs a lot like any other pellet stove, but instead of a mechanical auger pushing the pellets through, you have to literally depend on gravity to feed them down a zig-zagged shoot. I personally think that the design alone will create a major talking point at gatherings, but your friends will be amazed overall that this pellet stove works without the help of electricity. In fact, it’s the only EPA certified pellet stove that does not require electricity!

This Wiseway Gravity Fed Pellet Stove would probably be the ideal choice for a hunting or ski cabin that is only used seasonally and does not have an electric heat hook-up. When used on a low setting, the stove can keep an insulated room cozy and warm for about 36 hours.

6. US Stove 5040

Even though the 5040 model by US Stove isn’t as powerful as a few of the other pellet stoves covered here, it’s still a convenient heating option. It has a 34,000 BTU rating and a room heating size of 1,800 square feet with a hopper capacity of 40 pounds. All of these numbers are smaller than stoves like the Comfortbilts and the PelPro, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you don’t need a stove to heat 2,000+ square feet of space.

The main draw of the 5040 is its digital control board. The panel has 4 heat settings and a few other automatic options that make using this pellet stove easier than many similar models. All of your heating needs are right at your fingertips with this one, and it’s got sleek lines and refined features that make it an aesthetically-pleasing choice for any home.

When burning on the lowest setting, the 5040 stove can run for as long as 40 hours. To start heating, you’ll just hit the fuel feed switch that activates the wood pellet movement into the burn pot. You can then choose from multiple speeds, ranging from 1 to 4, to control how quickly the heat enters the room. When you select a higher setting, the blower will increase in speed.

There are a lot of additional features that justify the high price tag of this US Stove model, like the air wash glass, the convenient on/off switch, a removable firebox, a large viewing window, and a temperature thermodisc that recognizes an overheat situation and shuts down when needed.

So although the 5040 isn’t quite as powerful as some other top-rated pellet stoves listed here, it’s a worthy competitor, especially considering all the additional features. Unfortunately, it’s not available for use in California or Washington, but residents of any other state can go for it.

7. LANGGER Serenity Wood Pellet Stove

The most budget-friendly option out of all the pellet stove reviews is the stove by Langger Serenity. While other models are $2,000+, this one is about half that, so it’s a great choice if affordability is a top priority for your heating needs. It will add charm and warmth to your home with efficient and effective indoor zone heating, all without breaking the bank.

The Langger stove is made of a combination of cast-iron and steel metals and painted with a black finish. It has a top-loading hopper with a 22-pound capacity for wood pellet fuel, which is relatively small compared to others, but if you’re only heating a small home or large single room, it can certainly get the job done.

Even for the fair price, you get to enjoy adjustable smart heating control with the Serenity. The smart digital controller placement is a bit odd (it’s fixed to the top-pack instead of the top-front), but the controller itself is enough of a reason to opt for this model. It features four levels to adjust heating, so just choose P1, P2, P3, or P4 to warm your home on demand.

And now for the downsides. The only big drawback of the Serenity stove is the small room heating size. The recommended heating area is between 431 and 646 square feet, which is only a fraction of the area covered by other models. So if you’re trying to heat a larger space, you might need to spend more on a more powerful pellet stove with a higher hopper capacity and BTU rating.

8. Castle 12327 Serenity

We have chosen the Castle Serenity stove as our most efficient pellet stove, mostly in part for its smart controller, which allows users to completely customize their product use including manually, with thermostat, and with weekly calendar options all set to one of five different burn levels. There simply is not another product on the market that will let you customize your run-time so efficiently without constantly changing the settings manually.

The design of this model is the perfect mix between classic and modern, and the side panel makes maintenance and cleaning very easy. The hopper only holds one bag of fuel (40 lbs.), but on a low setting will heat your small home for a full 24 hours.

Some users have complained that the auger never reaches all the wood pellets, and that the stove is saying it is “empty” when there are still some pellets left, but for the average person who is loading it everyday regardless, this isn’t a big deal.

Types of Pellets Explained

As with other types of fuel, pellets come in different types and grades. Each type will affect how the pellet stove works, how efficient it is, and how many pellets you will require/cost during a typical season. It is best to use only the pellets recommended in the manufacturer’s guide of your pellet stove. Doing so will ensure that your stove continues to work properly and that you don’t break your warranty.

In general, pellets for a pellet stove are sold in 40 lb bags, and the typical user will require 100-150 bags during the winter season. The main type of pellet source is wood pellets, of which there are three varieties:

Premium Wood Pellets

Premium wood pellets are often from maple or oak trees and will contain less than .5% of organic ash material. Hence their premium name, they are usually more expensive than the other grades. You can expect these pellets to meet the highest industry standards and to burn relatively cleanly.

Standard Wood Pellets

Standard Wood Pellets are those that have an organic ash material rate of over .5%. These wood pellets often come from the waste of the forestry industry, or sawdust. Sometimes these pellets have a higher moisture rate than their premium counterparts. When purchasing pellets, look for a moisture rate lower than 8% for the most efficient burn rate.

Food-Grade Wood Pellets

Food-Grade wood pellets are those which are safe to cook with. These are generally used in BBQ smokers, and sometimes offer an extra “flavor” to the meat.

Other Pellets

Some wood-pellet stoves also allow you to mix in other types of pellets, made from either corn, grass, or recycled paper materials. These pellets do not burn as cleanly but can help you save money throughout a long winter.

Factors Affecting Home Heating

Size of the Room

When using a wood pellet stove to heat a room, you will want to first consider the size. Pellet stoves often heat much more ground than a typical space heater, and that is why they are often used as the main source of heat in small houses and mobile homes. When using a pellet stove to heat an entire home, you will want to make sure that air flow is available to circulate the heat to each room. Unlike full furnaces, pellet stoves do not usually hook up to the HVAC vents of a home.

Insulation, Ceiling Height & Flooring

A pellet stove will be most suitable in an area that is well insulated. Having insulation prevents heat from leaking out and will be less taxing to your pellet stove over time. Because heat rises, higher ceilings will make any room more difficult to fully heat up. If your home has very high ceilings, you may want to consider a pellet stove recommended for a room larger than your intent to make up for the lost space. Flooring can also make a difference.

Carpeting provides an extra layer of insulation for a room and will help an area stay warmer longer, however it is recommended that a pellet stove be placed on a large, hard surface like ceramic tile. If you’d like to place a wood pellet stove in a carpeted room, there are pellet stove bases that you can purchase to make this a safe option.

Location of the Stove

Pellet stoves always need to be placed in a room where there is an exterior wall for proper ventilation, but building code restricts them from being placed in bedrooms. Many people choose to place pellet stoves in insulated basements, or near the bottom of an open stairwell. Doing so will help take advantage of the natural tendency for heat to rise to the floors above. In general, place the pellet stove where you will be spending the majority of your time and would like to be toasty warm. Living rooms are a great option.

Types of Stoves Compared

Pellet Stove Vs Wood Fireplace

Wood burning fireplaces are still beloved by many for their classic cozy ambiance and the warmth they give off from those sitting nearby. Some would say that there is nothing compared to the crackling of a real wood fireplace!

You might be surprised to learn though that wood fireplaces are energy thieves compared to their counterparts in pellet stoves. A fireplace, on average, only converts about 15% of the wood’s energy into what can be used as efficient heat.

The pellet heaters we looked at in this article have an average energy efficiency rating of 75%, sometimes much higher. Using a pellet stove doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to lose the ambiance though. Some pellet stoves have beautiful windows in which you can watch a glowing fire inside.

Pellet Stove Vs Gas Fireplace

Gas fireplaces are in general about 70% energy efficient. They work differently than wood fireplaces in that they suck cool air in from outside and then force the warm air through a vent into the room the fireplace is in. If your home is already hooked up to a natural gas line it will be relatively inexpensive to have your fire running often and gas fireplaces can even be used during a power outage as back-up heat. You will notice though that most homes do not use gas fireplaces as their sole source of heat, and that it because they generally cannot cover as much area as a pellet stove can, so whereas they are close in energy efficiency, a gas fireplace will have to work harder overall to heat your desired space.

Pellet Stove Vs Electric Fireplace

Electric fireplaces are the newest type of fireplace to come on the market, and their label as “fireplace” is often contentious because they often have phony flames made with lights. Their ambiance still looks very real, and besides not being completely authentic, some of these models run at up to 100% energy efficient. Compared to pellet stoves, electric fireplaces are completely maintenance free, as they do not create ash or any type of clean-up. They also don’t create and carbon monoxide, so therefore they do not require a vent to the outside and can be a suitable option for those living in high-rise apartment buildings for condo associations where fireplaces are not allowed.

Choosing the Right Size Pellet Stove

Choosing the right size pellet stove will probably be the most important aspect or your overall purchase, as one size does not quite fit all. You will want to consider all of the factors we discussed above, including the size of the room, how high the ceilings are, how well insulated the room is, and the location in which you intend the stove to live. Once you have determined all of these factors, looking at the BTUs of each unit will be a helpful place to start. We’ve created this handy chart to show you the approximate BTU value you should look for in regards to different room types, and we’ve also included our favorite pellet stove in each of those categories.

Safety Tips for Your Home

There are many considerations for safety when it comes to having a pellet stove in your home. Please make sure that you consider all of the following before purchase and during use:

• Install a carbon monoxide detector in your home, to alert you of unsafe levels of CO2 that could be brought on from a poorly functioning or misused pellet stove.
• Avoid accidents and burns. If you have small children or pets, consider keeping your pellet stove gated off.
• Follow your manufacturer’s guide and make sure that you inspect your unit often to make sure that it is working properly.
• Clean out the ash pot regularly.
• Make sure that you safely dispose of ashes. Ashes should always be put in a metal container with a lid when there is any risk of them being hot or creating a fire. Never dump ashes in your trash can.
• To ensure your unit is burning as cleanly as possible, only use the pellets recommended by the manufacturer.
• Have your unit and exhaust cleaned professionally by a chimney sweep each fall before you begin use for the season.
• Keep all flammable materials away from your stove. Furniture should be no closer than three feet.

People Also Ask (FAQs)

How do you install a pellet stove?

Installing pellet stoves doesn’t necessarily take a lot of electrical work these days, as most stoves are able to plug into a standard outlet. The hard part of the installation will come with properly venting the pellet stove outside. We recommend hiring a professional, to ensure that you have the safest setup possible.

How much does pellet stove installation cost?

Professional installation of a pellet stove costs between a few hundred dollars and around a thousand dollars. The large variation in price will include how difficult the vent is to build/seal, whether or not additional parts will need to be purchased, and the amount of time spent. We suggest requesting a quote with your specific model of pellet stove.

Do you need electricity to run a pellet stove?

Yes, pellet stoves require electricity. This is how the auger, or small motor, releases the pellets into the burn pot at a consistent pace.

Will these heaters help me to save on my electrical bill?

Pellet stoves are costly to purchase and install and can also cost upwards of $1,000 to run annually, so they are not the most cost-effective supplemental heating. However, given the option of using a pellet stove or installing a home furnace, a home furnace would cost you much more upfront. The balance also changes with the prices of different fuels (gas, propane, etc) changes.

We have also made a comparison on how pellet stove compare with propane and it also goes deeper on electricity consumption and more.

Do these heaters break down regularly and are they easy to repair?

Pellet stoves do require frequent maintenance and cleaning, but when used as the manufacturer’s guide recommends can last a long time. Most of the pellet stoves we look at in this article also provide a 5-year warranty. There is a common issue where the pellet stove keeps on shutting down and we created a post to provide a troubleshooting and possible solutions to this problem.

What are some of the top-rated brands of pellet stoves?

Comfortbilt, PelPro, Napoleon and Englander are all top-rated brands of pellet stoves with many reviews.

Conclusion

Our overall favorite pellet stove is the Comfortbilt HP50 Pellet Stove. At 81% efficiency, this freestanding cast-iron pellet stove is as gorgeous as it is functional and will provide ambiance to any room.

A pellet stove can be a great heat option for your home if you do your research and find the best possible model for your current living situation. We certainly hope we’ve helped you break down all the options a little bit.