For people who heat with wood

Choose and run a wood stove by the numbers

Firebox volume, heat output, efficiency, clearances and firewood heat values, taken from manufacturer spec sheets, installation manuals, the EPA and university extension services, with every figure linked to its source.

Start with the buyer’s guide Size your stove

Photo: a cozy living room corner with a plain black steel wood stove burning behind its glass door, neatly stacked split firewood beside it, winter light through a window

Installing a stove? Clearances on the stove’s certification label and in its manual always come first. Check your local permit rules and have the installation inspected.

Start here

Shopping for a stove, comparing two models, or getting your wood ready: pick your starting point.

Photo: a plain unbranded black steel wood stove on a slate hearth pad in a bright farmhouse living room, stovepipe rising to the ceilingChoosing a StoveWood Stove Buyer's Guide 2026How to choose a wood stove in 2026: sizing by firebox and heat output, catalytic vs non-catalytic, reading spec sheets, installation, and…Photo: an open-plan cabin interior with a small black wood stove in the center, warm glow, measuring tape lying on the wooden floor nearbyChoosing a StoveWhat Size Wood Stove Do I Need?How to size a wood stove using firebox volume, heat output and burn time, and why the manufacturer's square-footage range is only…Photo: close view through the glass door of a generic wood stove showing clean secondary flames dancing along the top of the fireboxChoosing a StoveCatalytic vs Non-Catalytic vs Hybrid Wood StovesHow catalytic, non-catalytic and hybrid wood stoves work, typical efficiency, maintenance, and which suits the way you burn, sourced to EPA.Photo: two plain unbranded black steel wood stoves of slightly different sizes side by side on a stone hearth, glass doors showing a small fireComparisonsDrolet Escape 1500 vs Escape 1800Drolet Escape 1500 vs 1800 compared from Drolet's own spec sheets: firebox and loading volume, output, efficiency, emissions, clearances and size.Photo: a plain black wood stove positioned in front of a painted wall with a stone heat shield, a tape measure stretched on the floor to the wallChimney & InstallWood Stove Clearances to CombustiblesHow wood stove clearances to combustibles work: listed stoves follow the label and manual, unlisted stoves fall back on NFPA 211, and…Photo: neatly stacked split hardwood firewood of different species with visible bark and grain, outdoors under a simple roofFirewoodFirewood BTU by Species Chart (and Cost per Million BTU)Heat per cord for common firewood species from university extension tables, plus how to work out what you pay per million BTU.

The short version

  1. Size to your house, not the boxCompare EPA loading volume and heat output range, not just the square-footage claim. How to size a stove
  2. Read the clearances before you buyThe label and manual decide how close the stove can sit to walls. Reading clearances
  3. Burn dry woodThe EPA’s target is under 20% moisture, checked with a meter. Seasoning and testing wood

Choosing a Stove

All choosing a stove

Sizing, stove types, inserts, costs and rebates.

Photo: a plain unbranded black steel wood stove on a slate hearth pad in a bright farmhouse living room, stovepipe rising to the ceilingChoosing a StoveWood Stove Buyer's Guide 2026Photo: an open-plan cabin interior with a small black wood stove in the center, warm glow, measuring tape lying on the wooden floor nearbyChoosing a StoveWhat Size Wood Stove Do I Need?Photo: close view through the glass door of a generic wood stove showing clean secondary flames dancing along the top of the fireboxChoosing a StoveCatalytic vs Non-Catalytic vs Hybrid Wood StovesPhoto: a wooden table with a calculator, a printed receipt with no readable text, and a pen, a wood stove softly out of focus in the backgroundChoosing a StoveWood Stove Tax Credit in 2026

Comparisons

All comparisons

Model-vs-model specs from manufacturer documents.

Photo: two plain unbranded black steel wood stoves of slightly different sizes side by side on a stone hearth, glass doors showing a small fireComparisonsDrolet Escape 1500 vs Escape 1800Photo: two identical-looking plain steel wood stove fireboxes viewed with doors open, bare firebrick interiors, workshop setting, neutral lightComparisonsSBI Firebox FamiliesPhoto: a compact plain black wood stove in a small rustic cabin with pine walls, a single chair and a window with snowy treesComparisonsSmall Wood Stoves for Cabins and Small Homes (Spec-Compared)

Chimney & Install

All chimney & install

Clearances, hearths, stovepipe and chimneys, read from the manual.

Photo: a plain black wood stove positioned in front of a painted wall with a stone heat shield, a tape measure stretched on the floor to the wallChimney & InstallWood Stove Clearances to CombustiblesPhoto: black single-wall stovepipe rising from a plain wood stove to a ceiling support box, clean white wood-paneled ceilingChimney & InstallStovepipe and Chimney BasicsPhoto: a plain wood stove standing on a large slate tile hearth pad over a wooden floor, ember protection extending in front of the doorChimney & InstallWood Stove Hearth Pad Requirements

Firewood

All firewood

Species heat values, seasoning and moisture.

Photo: neatly stacked split hardwood firewood of different species with visible bark and grain, outdoors under a simple roofFirewoodFirewood BTU by Species Chart (and Cost per Million BTU)Photo: split firewood stacked off the ground on pallets under a top cover, a generic handheld moisture meter resting on one logFirewoodHow to Season Firewood and Check MoisturePhoto: a slate hearth with a metal ash bucket with lid, a fireplace shovel, leather fire gloves and a small round stovepipe thermometer, no labelsFirewoodWood Stove Accessories Worth Having

Sourced, not guessed

Specs come from manufacturer documents; burning and efficiency guidance from the EPA and extension services. Every page links its sources.

Research, not test claims

We compile published specs and manuals. We don’t run our own stove tests, and we never claim we did.

Independent

Where we may earn a commission, we say so. Commissions never decide a recommendation.

Printed from https://cordandstove.com/ · Cord & Stove (cordandstove.com). Sources are listed on the page.