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    Best Pellet Stoves, Tested and Reviewed

    A modern, efficient pellet stove can look good and may help you save on heating costs. And many of them qualify for tax credits.

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    From left: ComfortBilt Pellet Stove, Harman Stove Absolute43 Pellet Stove, and United States Stove Modern Wood Pellet Stove on orange flame graphic background
    CR tested 11 pellet stoves, including (left to right) the ComfortBilt Pellet Stove, Harman Stove Absolute43 Pellet Stove, and United States Stove Modern Wood Pellet Stove.
    Graphic: Consumer Reports, Manufacturers

    Pellet stoves are a cozy way to add some extra heat (and ambience) to your home. These popular units, which burn compressed wood pellets, can be more convenient and efficient than conventional wood-burning stoves.

    With pellet stoves, there’s no need to split logs or continuously fuss over the fire. Instead, you pour ready-to-use pellets into the stove’s hopper, which automatically feeds them into the stove to maintain a steady temperature throughout the day. 

    Pellet stoves offer many homeowners an opportunity to save on their heating bills. But burning any kind of wood in your home, even in a modern and efficient stove, poses some health risks from airborne particulate matter. 

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    More on Heating, Cooling, and Air

    If you decide a pellet stove is right for you and want some help navigating your purchase, check out our in-depth pellet stove buying guide

    Below, we’ve highlighted the highest-performing pellet stoves in testing we conducted at Consumer Reports. They heat up quickly when first turned on, can run for at least 24 hours without needing to be refilled, are easy to clean and reload with pellets, and have useful and versatile controls.

    CR didn’t measure energy efficiency or emissions, and those important factors are not weighted in our scoring. But we include both data points, as reported by the manufacturers, on pages devoted to individual models. Keep in mind that a pellet stove must have an energy-efficiency rating of 75 percent or higher to qualify for the 30 percent (or $2,000 max) federal tax credit, which includes installation costs. All of the models featured below qualify, and you can double-check through an Environmental Protection Agency database as well.

    Best Pellet Stoves With a Large Hopper

    These are the highest-performing stoves with a hopper that can fit more than 50 pounds of pellets, according to the manufacturers.

    Best Pellet Stoves With a Small Hopper

    These lower-capacity stoves (with a hopper that holds 50 pounds of pellets or less) would be a better fit for a small living space or if you don’t plan to run your heater all day.


    Courtney Lindwall

    Courtney Lindwall is a writer at Consumer Reports. Since joining CR in 2023, she’s covered the latest on cell phones, smartwatches, and fitness trackers as part of the tech team. Previously, Courtney reported on environmental and climate issues for the Natural Resources Defense Council. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.