With winter becoming more unpredictable than before, finding a cost-effective heating system is imperative. Among the plethora of heating options exists a splendid, yet convenient, apparatus for heating your home: a wood burning stove.
Most efficient wood stoves are ergonomically designed for various purposes and simultaneously offer exceptional heating. While aesthetically pleasing, they’re also carbon-neutral because wood, in its natural state as a tree, absorbs the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide.
We’ve reviewed the best wood stoves on the market. From these, our favorite is the Guide Gear Outdoor Wood Stove. It’s brilliantly designed and very versatile.
Our Picks for Best Wood Stoves
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Reviews of the Best Wood Burning Stoves
1. Guide Gear Outdoor Wood Stove—Best Overall
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If you are looking for an alternative way to cook and heat outdoor, this product does both these things.
The best thing about this wood stove is that it doesn’t look like you can cook on it, but the roomy top surface has plenty of capacity for this or you can place a wood stove fan on it. You could easily fry bacon in a pan while boiling water in a kettle.
It also comes with detachable legs, making it surprisingly portable. So if you have a camping trip planned, you can take this product along with you, although the Camp Chef option is better-suited for camping.
Finally, note that Guide Gear has made this product with galvanized steel, making it very sturdy and durable. All of these features make it one of the best wood burning stoves.
Pros:
- Portable with detachable parts.
- Relatively cheap.
- Made with galvanized steel for durability.
- Roomy for cooking.
Cons:
- Assembly and disassembly of the stove require effort.
- Could be taller—taller wood stoves are better for long warmth.
2. Drolet Escape 1500—Best Wood Burning Stove with Blower
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The Escape 1500 is a well-crafted piece of machinery. Being able to heat areas between 500 to 1,800 square feet, you’re guaranteed warmth in all corners of your room with this wood stove.
The black faceplate has a smooth, matte-black finish and hides the impressive secondary combustion system that ensures particulate emission rates are low. This combustion system is so impressive that you’d be eligible for a $300 biomass stove tax credit.
Drolet is a reputable manufacturer of the best wood stoves on the market and has two products on our list. We consider the Escape 1500 to be the better of the two. It has a lower emission rate and a high-performance blower, which you have to buy separately from the Escape 1800, but it’s standard on the Escape 1500.
There are two major drawbacks to this product that you should be aware of, though. The first is that it functions as an inset with a faceplate. This means it’s best used in rooms with a traditional fireplace. Wood stoves usually have placement flexibility, but the Escape 1500 doesn’t afford you this convenience.
The second drawback is the price. It’s a premium product, and you’ll have to spend considerably more than you would on the other products featured on our list. But with all the benefits this stove offers, we think it’s well worth the investment to obtain a product from one of the best wood stove brands.
Pros:
- Eligible for $300 biomass tax credit.
- Aesthetically pleasing.
- Very low particulate emissions.
- Blower included.
- Can heat an area of up to 1,800 square feet.
- Lifetime warranty.
Cons:
- Quite expensive.
- Only applicable in homes with a traditional fireplace.
3. Redcamp Camp Stove—Best Wood Stove for Backpacking
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Lightweight wood stoves are essential for backpacking, and this Redcamp one shouldn’t disappoint here.
The stove weighs just over 5.5 pounds, is completely foldable and comes with a carry bag, making it highly portable.
The materials used contribute to it being lightweight and durable. Although stainless steel isn’t the best steel on the market, it’s good enough to provide the convenience and reliability for backpacking.
Redcamp has clearly thought a great deal about this product’s functionality. Since campers are most likely to use it, this wood stove is compatible with leaves and twigs—you’re guaranteed warmth and a hearty meal when using this product.
Speaking of meals, you can actually cook with this stove, backing up its award as the best wood stove for backpacking. Most domestic wood stoves, especially premium ones, have only heating and decorative purposes.
Note that a 100 percent money-back guarantee is quite impressive for a product of this price range.
Pros:
- 360-day warranty.
- Weighs only 5.5 pounds.
- Completely foldable.
- Functions as a cooking stove.
- Works with various fuels.
- Affordable.
Cons:
- Material used could be better.
- For warmth, an open fire is better.
- Because it’s small, you can only cook two things at the same time.
4. Drolet Escape 1800—Best Free-Standing Wood Stove
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The Escape 1800 has a handy pedestal, meaning you can place it virtually anywhere in your room.
Unlike its contemporary—the Escape 1500—it can also radiate heat through all four sides, enabling a maximum heating range of up to 2,100 square feet!
Despite its stellar performance, there are some reasons why we thought the Escape 1500 was a better product.
The omission of a blower for such a premium-priced stove is a bit of a let-down. In addition, the Escape 1800 has a poorer particulate emissions rate, which results in the slightly lower price you can get this wood stove for.
Finishing on a positive note, though, this product is EPA-certified and can entitle you a $300 biomass tax credit.
Pros:
- Heats up to 2,100 square feet.
- Eligible for $300 tax credit.
- Suitable for homes without a traditional fireplace.
- Lifetime warranty.
Cons:
- Expensive compared to its competitors.
- Blower not included.
- Higher particulate emissions rate than the Escape 1500.
5. Camp Chef Cylinder Stove—Best Wood Burning Stove for Camping
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The Camp Chef Cylinder Stove is very popular among camping enthusiasts. It offers a practical means to cook, and, unlike the Redcamp camp stove, you can place two or three pots on the cooktop, making it better-suited for camping. This means you can fry eggs, boil water for tea and heat baked beans all at the same time.
Design features of this product include wide-drying and shelf racks on each side of the stove and adjustable legs that ensure you can balance the stove on uneven ground.
The chimney includes a 5-inch damper to allow smoke to pass effortlessly through the chimney, and the fire grate located at the base prevents it from overheating.
Pros:
- Roomy cooktop.
- Adjustable legs for balancing on uneven ground.
- Drying/shelf racks on each side of the wood stove.
Cons:
- Not very portable. More suitable for vehicle-assisted campers.
- Stove isn’t airtight or sealed to a great standard.
6. Ohuhu Camping Stove—Best Budget Camping Stove
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If you’re on a budget, this camping stove is well-suited for hikes and backpacking. On top of this, it’s made with durable and robust stainless steel and provides even radiant heat to all surrounding areas.
The three-arm base support allows you to place it on uneven and grassy fields. It also creates a sturdy base for cooking apparatus, ensuring your pots and pans don’t topple over.
Just like the Redcamp option, it’s collapsible, and you can use a variety of fuels found in the great outdoors.
This easy-to-set-up piece of kit only weighs 12.8 ounces, which is ridiculously lightweight—lighter than an iPad! It also comes with a mesh bag for an effortless carry.
Pros:
- Budget-friendly.
- Lightweight.
- Made from durable stainless steel.
- Collapsible and portable.
- You can use a variety of fuels.
Cons:
- You can only use one pot/kettle/pan at a time.
- The three-arm base support becomes slightly unstable after prolonged use.
Buying Guide: How to Choose A Good Wood Stoves
Fuel Type
Fuel source is the most important thing to consider when purchasing a wood stove. It must be easily accessible in the area you live in.
Modern domestic wood stoves can be very specific on the type of wood used. For example, the No products found. only uses dry cordwood as a fuel.
Compare this with a camping or backpacking wood stove, and both the No products found. and the Ohuhu Camping Stove use a variety of fuel sources—dry cordwood is unlikely to be conveniently placed in the wilderness.
Heating Range
For a product to be one of the high-efficiency wood stoves on the market, factoring in the amount of heat that’s needed is essential.
If the area you need to heat is small, then wood stoves with a much lower heating range are acceptable. But if you have a very large space, consider wood stoves like the No products found., which can heat rooms as large as 2,100 square feet.
Most wood stoves display heating information in kilowatts. To figure out how many kilowatts your room needs, use this handy calculator, which incorporates your room’s area and the desired temperature.
Configurations
There are three common types of wood stoves:
- Inset.
- Free-standing.
- Cassette.
Inset wood stoves, like the No products found., occupy a chimney breast or integrate into a wall. They’re great for homes with a traditional fireplace, and the ventilation is via the chimney.
Cassette stoves are similar to inset stoves but integrate into the wall at different heights. They source their oxygen from outside, preserving the warmth in your room.
Free-standing stoves, like the Guide Gear Outdoor Wood Stove, require no wall to function. They offer flexibility since you can place them anywhere in your home, as long as you have space.
Build Quality
Wood stoves will be exposed to extreme heat. Unless well-crafted to manage these conditions, heat can cause irreversible damage to appliances. Because of this, you must ensure that a great deal of attention has been directed to the durability of the product.
Not only should your wood stove be resistant to rust, but it must also be robust enough to prevent cracks from forming. These are common in lower quality products and, consequently, become unreliable.
To have a better perspective on the build quality of a product, especially when purchasing online, look at the manufacturer’s warranty—the longer, the better.
FAQs
Are Premium Wood Stoves Worth It?
Yes, premium wood stoves are worth it, but it depends entirely on you—some products are competitively priced that can do the same job. But, premium wood stoves have a better build quality and will last longer.
How Often Should I Use My Camping Wood Stove?
Camping wood stoves aren’t meant for daily use at home. To get more out of your stove, only use it during camping trips, where they’re suitable for everyday use.
Conclusion
This meticulous guide on the best wood stoves has hopefully shown you of why this form of heating is a great alternative to the standard systems.
From our wood stove reviews, we’ve found the Guide Gear Outdoor Wood Stove to be the best purchase since it’s durable and efficient enough to use outdoor.
But this shouldn’t imply that it’s the best purchase for everyone. More premium options, such as the No products found., or products that offer the portability needed when hiking or camping, such as the Ohuhu Camping Stove, are excellent choices.
Whichever you decide to buy, make the world a better place by using a carbon-neutral heating system.
