Pellet stoves are a great heating option. They heat spaces comparable to a traditional cordwood stove while utilizing convenient, clean-burning pellet fuel. They tend to be less expensive than wood stoves, too, all while delivering heat at a higher rate of efficiency. All of these factors make deciding to buy a pellet stove an easy choice. But deciding which one to buy is a little more difficult. With so many options around with different price points, functions, and specifications, how do you know which one you should get? Well, at HY-C, we know pellet stoves. In fact, we manufacture our own wood pellet fuel. And in this guide, we want to help you narrow your options by walking you through five of the best wood pellet stoves on the market today. We’ll take a look at how much each stove costs, their average review scores, their specifications, and much more. By the time you’re finished here, you’ll be ready to decide which top-of-the-line pellet stove is right for you. Table of contents (click to jump to a pellet stove model): Model comparison: PelPro PP60-B Castle Serenity ComfortBilt HP22 Grand Teton Collection Jackson™ Cleveland Iron Works Bay Front Price $1,200.00 $1,199.99 $2,299.00 $899.99 $2,100.00 Reviews 4.2 / 5 4.3 / 5 4.3 / 5 4.1 / 5 4.0 / 5 Heating Area Up to 1,500 sq ft Up to 1,500 sq ft Up to 2,800 sq ft 800 to 1,200 sq ft 1,800 - 2,500 sq ft Burn Time Up to 40 hours Up to 24 hours Up to 20 hours Up to 12 hours Up to 40 hours Heat Output (Minimum) 6,815 BTUs 12,807 BTUs 12,820 BTUs 10,796 BTUs 10,151 BTUs Heat Output (Maximum) 26,020 BTUs 26,493 BTUs 40,689 BTUs 23,945 BTUs 31,107 BTUs Hopper Capacity 60 lbs 40 lbs 55 lbs 18 lbs 66 lbs Efficiency 75% 78% 81% 76% 81% Emissions 0.74 g/hr 1.0 g/hr 1.0 g/hr 1.2 g/hr 1.2 g/hr Dimensions 22" x 33" x 22" 18.25" x 34" x 23.75" 24" x 25" x 32.5" 20" x 18.25" x 28.5" 26" x 28" x 37" Before we dive in, we want to disclose just how we chose each stove to include on this list. For one, each appliance (obviously) needs to utilize wood pellet fuel as its sole heating source. Each stove is also EPA-certified, meeting proper emissions thresholds for residential use. From there, each appliance has to meet two additional criteria: Finally (and to prevent the list from being completely dominated by ComfortBilt), we decided only to include one pellet stove per brand. Note that all the specifications listed for each of the stoves on this list come directly from EPA testing data (and may vary a bit from the marketed specifications provided by the brands themselves). To see these specifications for yourself, just search any model on the EPA’s wood stove database. With that all out of the way — and in no particular order — let’s take a look at five of the best wood pellet stoves of the year. Overview: Price $1,200.00 Heat Output (Maximum) 26,020 BTUs Reviews 4.2 / 5 (166 reviews) Hopper Capacity 60 lbs Heating Area Up to 1,500 sq ft Efficiency 75% Burn Time Up to 40 hours Emissions 0.74 g/hr Heat Output (Minimum) 6,815 BTUs Dimensions 22" x 33" x 22" From the parent company that owns Vermont Castings and Harman wood stoves, PelPro comes from an undeniable wood heating pedigree. For this list, we’re highlighting their PP60-B pellet stove. One of the standout features of this unit is its mammoth fuel hopper, which is capable of accommodating 60 pounds of pellet fuel to provide burn times up to 40 hours. Adding to the set-it-and-forget-it nature of this stove is its 300-watt automatic igniter that facilitates fire with ease.Pellet Stove Selection Methodology
PelPro PP60-B
It’s capable of heating up to 1,500 square feet of space and delivers a maximum of 26,020 BTUs of heat per hour. Adjusting the heat output is easy with a simple dial that offers 10 heating settings, and the unit’s variable-speed blower ensures that heat is spread quickly and evenly.
Garnering an average review score of 4.2 out of 5 from 166 total reviews, the PelPro PP60-B is well-liked by those who use it. It’s a solid pellet stove, and its $1,200 asking price is more than fair for the kind of premium performance it delivers.
Castle Pellet Stoves Serenity
Overview:
Price | $1,199.99 | Heat Output (Maximum) | 26,493 BTUs |
Reviews | 4.3 / 5 (220 reviews) | Hopper Capacity | 40 lbs |
Heating Area | Up to 1,500 sq ft | Efficiency | 78% |
Burn Time | Up to 24 hours | Emissions | 1.0 g/hr |
Heat Output (Minimum) | 12,807 BTUs | Dimensions | 18.25" x 34" x 23.75" |
With a name that invokes the calm bliss of enjoying a warm, crackling fire as outside temperatures fall below freezing, the Serenity from Castle Pellet Stoves certainly lives up to its zen-related moniker.
Those who have purchased one for themselves seem to agree, too: the Serenity notches a 4.3 out of 5 average review score from 220 total reviews. But what exactly makes using one of these well-lauded pellet stoves so serene?
For one, the thermostatically controlled unit burns at just the level the thermostat calls for — no overheating, and no burning excess pellets. It heats just right.
At the same time, the unit features programmable thermostat settings for each of the seven days of the week. You can set it to burn hot overnight when outside temperatures reach their lowest point, and you can dial it back during the day to conserve fuel.
Finally, the Serenity is punctuated by an easy-clean design with no tubes, no corrugations, and no hidden chambers from which to vacuum ash.
Castle Pellet Stoves seems to have mastered two of the ills of owning a pellet stove: delivering the right amount of heat without wasting fuel and designing the unit to be easy to clean. The best part is that all of this warmth and convenience will only set you back $1,199.99.
Discover the Castle Pellet Stoves Serenity
ComfortBilt HP22
Overview:
Price | $2,299.00 | Heat Output (Maximum) | 40,689 BTUs |
Reviews | 4.3 / 5 (408 reviews) | Hopper Capacity | 55 lbs |
Heating Area | Up to 2,800 sq ft | Efficiency | 81% |
Burn Time | Up to 20 hours | Emissions | 1.0 g/hr |
Heat Output (Minimum) | 12,820 BTUs | Dimensions | 24" x 25" x 32.5" |
We alluded to it earlier — ComfortBilt simply makes some of the best pellet stoves available today. Each line they make from their Alpine series to their HP50S series is beloved by those who use them. But for this list, we’re giving the nod to the HP22.
This unit leads this list in so many categories: it’s tied for highest review score, it boasts the largest heating area, it delivers the most heat per hour, and it’s tied for the highest efficiency rating. The HP22 simply excels in nearly every measurable category among its peers.
The unit is available in black, burgundy, and golden-brown to accentuate any room in which it’s installed. Like the Castle Serenity, it features a programmable thermostat to help dial in the perfect balance of delivered heat and fuel preservation.
Assisting its heat delivery capabilities is its heat exchanger and blower system, designed to produce the maximum amount of heat per pellet. In fact, the unit burns so efficiently and completely that its ash drawer only needs to be cleaned once per week.
Its electronic controls offer 5 power settings, and the unit is even available with an optional remote control to adjust the stove from the comfort of your couch.
All of these leading specs and incredible features command a $2,299 price tag — the highest on this list. But if you do decide to get a ComfortBilt HP22, you’ll undoubtedly be investing in one of the best pellet stoves that money can buy.
Grand Teton Collection Jackson™
Overview:
Price | $899.99 | Heat Output (Maximum) | 23,945 BTUs |
Reviews | 4.1 / 5 (51 reviews) | Hopper Capacity | 18 lbs |
Heating Area | 800 to 1,200 sq ft | Efficiency | 76% |
Burn Time | Up to 12 hours | Emissions | 1.2 g/hr |
Heat Output (Minimum) | 10,796 BTUs | Dimensions | 20" x 18.25" x 28.5" |
Named for the world-famous Grand Teton National Park and the adjacent Jackson Hole, Grand Teton Collection’s Jackson™ pellet stove alludes to the very wood heat that warmed the Western settlers — the same kind of heat that still warms inhabitants and visitors to the great state of Wyoming to this day.
Certainly one of the most tech-forward pellet stoves on this list, the Jackson™ actually comes with built-in wifi, a touchscreen control panel, and an iOS- and Android-compatible app that lets you control the stove from anywhere.
But don’t let its techy veneer fool you — the Jackson™ still works like the wood and pellet stoves of old. It comes with an ultra-quiet 250 CFM fan to blow out heat, and it even includes a fresh air supply kit to fan the flames and boost the unit’s efficiency.
It’s important to understand that this stove is built for smaller spaces. With a hopper capacity of just 18 pounds, a maximum output of around 24,000 BTUs, and a heating area between 800 and 1,200 square feet, the Jackson™ is better suited to a comfy cabin or a garage than a large home.
With a footprint of just over 2.5 square feet, this stove can fit just about anywhere you need it to. Its price tag is small, too — at $899.99, it’s the only pellet stove on this list with a price point under $1,000.
Discover the Grand Teton Collection Jackson™
Cleveland Iron Works Bay Front
Overview:
Price | $2,100.00 | Heat Output (Maximum) | 31,107 BTUs |
Reviews | 4.0 / 5 (22 reviews) | Hopper Capacity | 66 lbs |
Heating Area | 1,800 - 2,500 sq ft | Efficiency | 81% |
Burn Time | Up to 40 hours | Emissions | 1.2 g/hr |
Heat Output (Minimum) | 10,151 BTUs | Dimensions | 26" x 28" x 37" |
One of our rules for this list was “one stove per brand.” We’re in a bit of a gray area here, though, as Grand Teton Collection and Cleveland Iron Works are both owned by the same parent company: Enerco. As a result, the Jackson™ and the Bay Front are similar in a lot of ways.
A dead giveaway in the crossover between these two units is that they utilize the same iOS and Android app to facilitate wireless control. They also both come with the same fresh air supply kit, and the same “Whisper Quiet” 250 CFM blower.
So, what makes the units different from one another? That would be their specs.
The Bay Front comes with a massive 66-pound hopper to the Jackson’s™ 18-pound hopper. The Bay Front can heat up to 2,500 square feet to the Jackson’s™ 1,200 square feet.
The Bay Front delivers up to 31,107 BTUs per hour to the Jackson’s™ 23,945 BTUs per hour.
Also, there’s quite a difference in price. While the Jackson™ will set you back $900, a Bay Front costs more than double that at $2,100.
Cleveland Iron Works’ Bay Front is simply Grand Teton Collection’s Jackson™ rolled into a different package with beefier specs. And we don’t mean that in a bad way at all.
If the high-tech features of the Jackson™ sounded great to you but you wished it delivered more heat to a larger area, then a Bay Front is exactly what you’re looking for.
Discover the Cleveland Iron Works Bay Front
Which Pellet Stove Should You Get?
This has been a close look at five leading wood pellet stoves. This wide spectrum of options should provide a choice for nearly any homeowner looking to heat their home with pellet fuel. If you’re still having trouble, though, consider the following.
If you’re buying on price, you have plenty of choices. From the $900 Grand Teton Collection Jackson™ to the $2300 ComfortBilt HP22, this list contains a bevy of options to fit nearly any budget.
If you’re worried about heating area, the pellet stoves here cover small, medium, and large areas alike. Between units designed for smaller, 800-square-feet spaces to units that can heat 2,800-square-feet homes, it’s simple to find a stove that matches your living space.
The key to finding the right pellet stove is comparing and contrasting the units themselves and finding the one that best fits your needs. And once you do, you’ll be able to enjoy clean, convenient, pellet-driven heat for years to come.
Louis Greubel
Louis earned a bachelor's degree in English with a focus in rhetoric and composition from St. Louis University in 2017. He has worked in marketing as a content writer for over 5 years. Currently, he oversees the HY-C Learning Center, helping HY-C subject matter experts to share their decades of home solution products experience with homeowners and sales partners across the country.