There are different types of wood-burning stoves. Finding the perfect one for you requires knowing what features the stove must have if it is to satisfy your needs. For example, if you need a stove for cooking and staying warm, buying one that only provides warmth will be an unsatisfactory investment.

To find the best wood burning stove for your needs, look out for the following features:

Eco-friendliness

High-quality woodstoves generate fewer pollutants and burn less fuel, which in turn makes them eco-friendly. To determine how environmentally friendly a wood stove is, consult its handbook to see its efficiency.

Ideally, the stove shouldn’t generate more than 40mg/m3 of emissions. It should also have at least 75% fuel efficiency.

Further proof of a wood stove’s eco-friendliness will be in its certification. Quality stoves from reputable brands have certifications that indicate they emit low emissions and are safe for use. An example of such a certification is an EPA certification.

Fuel Type

Some woodstoves work better when you use specific types of wood to fuel them. For example, some work better with hardwood.

A stove like the EcoZoom Versa can burn almost anything for fuel, which is what makes it so amazing. But regardless of the type of wood or other fuel you are using, make sure it’s dry to reduce the amount of smoke the flames produce.

Aside from hurting the environment, more smoke will generate more pollutants that spoil the components of your stove.

Size

Do you need a stove that’s big enough to warm a large room?

The bigger a stove is, the more wood it can take to burn, and the more heat it can generate. Another benefit of a bigger wood stove is it requires less frequent refueling since you can put in more wood at once.

If your priority is getting maximum heat, then you should go for a stove that’s as big as possible. But note that the bigger a stove is, the heavier and less portable it’ll be.

Also, you may have trouble finding a suitable space to store a large stove in your home. As such, confirm the size of where you’ll install a wood-burning stove so that you can get one with the perfect size to fit.

Heating capacity

Like we said, the bigger a stove is, the more heat it can generate. Depending on the size of your room, you may need a stove that can warm a 1000 to 3000 square feet space.

If you intend to use the stove outdoors, it must be portable enough to carry and yet, efficient enough to generate enough heat to keep you warm and cook your meals.

Combustion system

A wood-burning stove may feature a catalytic or non-catalytic combustion system.

Catalytic combustion systems are typically the favorite because they are more efficient at burning wood. They burn wood for longer, reducing how much fuel you need and deliver even heating.

Because of the intricate design of this stove type, they typically cost more. They also require more maintenance, which may include replacing the combustion component. If you don’t replace the part when necessary, the stove’s efficiency will reduce.

Non-catalytic systems may not be as fuel-efficient as catalytic systems or deliver longer-lasting heat, but they do produce more spectacular flames. They are also more wallet friendly. If maximum heating is not your priority, and you love a good flame show, a non-catalytic stove is a better and more affordable option.

Efficiency

Modern wood stoves are more efficient at burning wood. The best models can burn wood for longer and generate more heat. This ensures the optimal use of the wood to make as much heat as possible.

For a stove to be able to deliver such levels of efficiency, it must be well vented and insulated. The stove may also have blowers for evenly distributing heated air around the house.

Stoves with a catalytic combustion system are more efficient because they use exhaust gases to ignite fires and burn. As the gases come from a ceramic-coated catalyst into the stove, it generates a long and steady fire that will burn the wood for longer.

Design

Generally, you can get a wood-burning stove in one of three designs. These designs are:

• The traditional design: Stoves in this category are large and free-standing, well-vented, don’t have blowers, and have big fireboxes. Due to the size of the firebox, they generate a lot of flames. But on the downside, most of the heat gets lost due to the lack of blowers.
• Modern design: These may be free-standing or can fit into your home’s fireplace. Like the traditional design, they have large fireboxes, but they also have blowers for increasing the heat output. There’s typically a vent at the top and back, and a ceramic glass window on the front for watching the fire. Because they are made with lightweight materials, they are typically lighter than traditional models.
• Portable design: These are suitable for camping and other outdoor uses. Most of them are smaller and lighter than traditional and modern designs and are ideal for cooking. They burn less fuel and require minimal assembly. But because most of them release smoke and have open flames, they aren’t suitable for indoor use.

Construction

Top-quality wood-burning stoves are made with either steel or cast iron. Both are durable and great heat conductors, but cast-iron stoves are typically pricier. They also require more maintenance and can be more cumbersome.

Budget

How much are you willing to spend on a stove?

If you’re on a budget, go for an option that offers all the features you need without exceeding your budget.