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Best Overall
Best Budget
Castle Serenity Pellet Stove
Best Small
Cleveland Iron Works PS20W-CIW Mini Pellet Stove
Pellet stoves are becoming more and more popular—and I understand why. Sure, I’ll be the first to admit that sitting near a crackling fire, cuddled up with my wife, is a great way to pass the time while a blustery winter storm rages outside. But, if we’re being honest, most fireplaces don’t really give off a whole lot of heat. And while wood stoves are more efficient when it comes to heating a space, pellet stoves take that energy efficiency to a whole new level.
Another advantage of a pellet stove is the hopper. Depending on the model, it could hold enough pellets to keep your stove going for a few days at a time, so you don’t have to get up every few hours to stoke a fire and add logs to it. This makes it a particularly good choice for cabins or for basements and other rooms that aren’t connected to a central heating system. If you’re considering an alternative heat source, we’ve rounded up the best pellet stoves available right now, from brands like ComfortBilt, Castle, and Cleveland Iron Works.
Best Overall: ComfortBilt HP22-N Pellet Stove
Best Budget: Castle Serenity Pellet Stove
Best Small: Cleveland Iron Works PS20W-CIW Mini Pellet Stove
Best Non-Electric: US Stove Company GW1949 Wiseway Non-Electric Pellet Stove
How We Picked the Best Pellet Stoves
This is a very research-heavy topic. We consulted a range of sources, from manufacturer websites to home remodeling and efficiency experts. As we went along, we reviewed dozens of pellet stoves, checking their ratings in various areas. We paid close attention to the stoves that cropped up again and again.
We chose pellet stoves that have proven to be effective and efficient heat producers while also incorporating large hoppers so you won’t have to spend all night long refueling the stove.
Best Pellet Stoves: Reviews and Recommendations
Best Overall: ComfortBilt HP22-N Pellet Stove
Best Overall
Specs
Heating Capacity: 2,800 square feet
Hopper Capacity: 80 pounds
Weight: 283 pounds
Pros
Powerful heat output
Extra large hopper, so less time spent pouring pellets
Very quiet fan
Cons
Hopper doesn’t empty completely before needing to be refilled
This is ComfortBilt’s best-selling stove, and for good reason. It’s able to heat up to 2,800 square feet and has a burn time of upwards of 30 hours before it needs more pellets. It has five power settings and a programmable thermostat, which provide for a constant temperature so you stay warm and toasty all night long.
Maintenance is a piece of cake, too. The pellets burn so completely that you only need to empty the ash drawer once a week. This stove is efficient, powerful, and ready to handle the harshest winter weather.
Best Budget: Castle Serenity Pellet Stove
Best Budget
Specs
Heating Capacity: 1,500 square feet
Hopper Capacity: 40 pounds
Weight: 186 pounds
Pros
Five different heating levels
Easy to clean, with no hidden nooks or crannies
Greater than 75% efficiency
Cons
Can be difficult to fine-tune the burn operation
The Castle Serenity pellet stove has a programmable thermostat, which is very convenient. You set the temperature and the stove kicks into high gear to warm the space. Once it reaches the target temperature, the stove reverts to a low setting to conserve energy and fuel while maintaining the comfort level. The 40-pound hopper will keep the stove fueled for almost 24 hours.
There is a manual mode if you’d prefer, where you can switch between five different power levels. Alternately, there is an Eco mode, where the stove will turn itself on and off as needed to maintain a specific temperature.
Best Small: Cleveland Iron Works PS20W-CIW Mini Pellet Stove
Best Small
Specs
Heating Capacity: 800-1,200 square feet
Hopper Capacity: 18 pounds
Weight: 143 pounds
Pros
Equipped with smart home technology
Whisper-quiet blower
Programmable digital thermostat
Cons
Not suitable for large spaces
This Cleveland Iron Works pellet stove has a compact design that’s perfect if you just need to heat a small room or cabin. The stove is just 20 inches across and 18 inches deep, so it takes up very little space. While the hopper can only fit about 18 pounds, that’s more than enough for this model to operate effectively.
This mini pellet stove is small but mighty. Cleveland Iron Works
It has built-in Wi-Fi and you can program the thermostat from anywhere via the downloadable app (available for iOS and Android platforms)to perform exactly as desired. Cleaning is easy with everything easy to access. Cast iron construction means it is built to last.
Best Non-Electric: US Stove Company GW1949 Wiseway Non-Electric Pellet Stove
Best Non-Electric
Specs
Heating Capacity: 2,000 square feet
Hopper Capacity: 60 pounds
Weight: 182 pounds
Pros
Stove will operate just fine during power outages
Works silently as there are no moving parts
Burns on one hopper load for nearly 36 hours
Cons
No blower so it is strictly radiant heat
If you want a pellet stove that will work no matter what, look no further. This US Stove Company model relies on a gravity feed system rather than electricity to operate. You just need a propane torch to heat the burn chamber and flue, then let the pellets start to flow. Gravity and physics take care of the rest.
This is an ideal option if you live in an area that’s prone to frequent power outages in the winter. Given that it heats up to a 2,000 square foot area and has a 60-pound hopper, it will keep you and your family nice and warm all day and night sans electricity.
What to Consider When Choosing a Pellet Stove
There are a few primary factors that should be kept in mind as you run through the options available for pellet stoves.
Heat Output
Given that this is a heating appliance, the amount of heat it gives off is important. This is measured in BTUs, or British Thermal Units. For the science-minded, 1 BTU is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. As a practical matter, the higher the BTU rating, the more heat the stove will produce.
Hopper Capacity
Next is the hopper capacity. The larger the capacity, the less often you’ll need to fill it. The capacity is measured in pounds, meaning how many pounds of pellets it will hold. Most stoves fall somewhere between 30 and 100 pounds.
Energy Efficiency
Related to both BTU rating and hopper capacity is the overall energy efficiency of the stove. Stoves that have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will receive an efficiency rating. This is the percentage of the overall heat energy produced that actually works to warm the space. Most pellet stoves fall between 70 and 83 percent. No stove can be 100 percent efficient as there is always some heat loss. Obviously, look for the best energy efficiency you can afford.
Sustainability
Made from recycled wood waste, pellets are carbon-neutral and thus very eco-friendly. According to the United States Department of Energy
, “Pellet fuel appliances are more convenient to operate than ordinary wood stoves or fireplaces, and some have much higher combustion and heating efficiencies. As a consequence of this, they produce very little air pollution. In fact, pellet stoves are the cleanest solid fuel, residential heating appliance.”
FAQs
Q: What are the disadvantages of a pellet stove?
The biggest disadvantage is that a pellet stove must have electricity to run properly. While the pellets burn the same way that a wood log would burn, the pellet stove has a fan that blows the heat out into the room. Without power, that heat will be wasted. There is also a higher cost to the fuel, as pellets are more expensive than firewood.
Q: Can a pellet stove heat a whole house?
There are pellet stoves designed to heat homes, rather than just a single room. These are more properly termed pellet furnaces. They are larger than the single room-sized pellet stoves and obviously require more fuel to operate.
Q: Can you run a pellet stove all night?
Absolutely! With the right size hopper, a pellet stove can run for several hours before you need to add more pellets. That’s one of the advantages these stoves have over a fireplace or wood stove.
Best Pellet Stoves: Final Thoughts
Best Overall: ComfortBilt HP22-N Pellet Stove
Best Budget: Castle Serenity Pellet Stove
Best Small: Cleveland Iron Works PS20W-CIW Mini Pellet Stove
Best Non-Electric: US Stove Company GW1949 Wiseway Non-Electric Pellet Stove
A pellet stove is a great option for those who want to explore alternative heating for their home, as well as for folks who have a space—like an unfinished basement or a three-season room—that needs to be heated in the winter but lacks connection to the home’s HVAC system. The stove just needs to be vented to the outside, which is something most average homeowners can handle after watching a few instructional videos. Once it is installed, just fill it with pellets and fire it up. Any one of these best pellet stoves will keep you and your family warm all season long.
Why Trust Us
For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.
