Not your grandmother's wood stove. A new generation of wood stoves offers high fuel efficiency, high combustion temperatures, and lower emissions to be environmentally responsible powerful heaters for your home.
You can eschew burn bans, and avoid soaring gas and oil prices, with a wood stove that combines the best of the old (baking/warming shelves, wood storage) with new technologies that greatly reduce ash, carbon emissions and lost heat. Best of all, when there is a burn ban, EPA Certified Stoves can keep on burning.
N.B.: Different stoves generate varying levels heat output. Be sure to consider stoves with heat output appropriate to the size of room where they will be located.
Above: The black steel Wittus Shaker Wood Stove, designed by Antonio Citterio, is made in Germany of black steel. Offering the look of a fireplace with the efficiency of a wood stove, it is available with a short bench under the door (as shown) or with a long bench, so you can sit comfortably close to the fire; $4,860 and $5,430 respectively.
Above: From Denmark-based Rais, the Rondo Wood Stove is a modern classic. With the latest in air flow and combustion control technology, it offers the most heat output of the moderately sized Rais stoves. The Rondo has a convenient wood storage space at the bottom (with a door) and a baking shelf with a soapstone slab as standard equipment; $4,610. Contact Rais to locate a dealer near you. The Rais Rondo Wood Stove is available with a rotating base as an optional extra.
Above: The Rais Gabo Wood Stove has flat sides and a curved front with a totally sealed firebox that ensures optimal combustion control. It has a convection grate above the combustion chamber and wood storage space underneath. Available in black or gray steel; $3,890. Contact Rais to locate a dealer near you.
Above: Made of black steel with a top vent, the Rais X-Basic Wood Stove offers a large surface area, creating efficient and effective heating for oversized rooms. This powerful heater carries an equally powerful price of $10,900. Contact Rais to locate a dealer near you.
Above: We like the simplicity of the Stuv 16-H Wood Stove. This high-efficiency stove from Belgian-based Stuv is designed in such a way that the combustion gases provide the room with as much heat as possible. Unfortunately, this model is only available in Europe (not approved for US sale). Contact Stuv for retail locations in Europe.
Above: Another model by Belgian company Stuv is available in the US. The Stuv 30 Wood Stove has a unique multi-function glass and steel door that can operate in three positions: open glass, closed glass or closed steel to slow the burn; $5,495 through dealers in the US, including AJ Fireplaces.
Above: The highly efficient Wittus Cubic Wood Stoves were designed by the Danish architect Anders Nørgaard. All the models utilize the same highly efficient fire box and are EPA certified. They feature a thermal “air wash” system that constantly self-cleans the clear glass fire door to keep it free of soot. The “cool” door handle is nearly invisible, and has finger-tip control. The freestanding models are available in three sizes and range in price from $4,740 to $5,820.
Above: A slim pedestal option is the Norwegian designed Jotul F-370 Modern Wood Burning Stove with cast-iron construction, and three panel glass design; $3,800. Contact Jotul to locate retailers.
Above: Our UK-based readers can consider the Dovre Astroline 350CB, a clean burning, high-efficiency cast iron wood stove with a small footprint. Available with an anthracite finish; £1,125. Contact Dovre for retail locations.
Above: Here's a traditional Scandinavian-inspired look: the tiny Classic Forest Stove from Morso, which is based on a design from the 1930s, but incorporates the very latest in combustion technology for greatly reduced smoke emissions. At 28 inches high, 13 inches wide, and 28 inches deep, this stove is a good small-space choice; $1,700. Contact Morso to locate a dealer.
Above: An affordable option is the Englander 17-vl Wood Stove. Crafted of black steel, this freestanding top-vented stove will heat rooms up to 1,200 square feet. This high-efficiency stove meets EPA standards and is $549 at Home Depot.
N.B. This is an update of a post that originally published on December 19, 2012.
Want to warm your hands by an outdoor fire? Take a look at our earlier post Playing with Fire: Favorite Fire Pits and Bowls.