Best Wood Stove Insert Reviews in 2020- Top 6 Picks by Consumer Report

While there are lots of living rooms with built-in fireplaces, most homeowners do not use it as intended. Few homeowners are usually considered about purchasing coals or chopping wood, and also the hassle of lightning and setting up the fire. Plus, cleaning after is another prime concern.

But nothing beat down the fun and coziness of the fire’s ambience in your own home!

Fortunately, manufacturers introduce fireplace inserts to allow homeowners to make a roaring, crackling fire without lots of mess and more quickly. Without further ado, let’s consider what an insert is, the best wood stove inserts on the market and how to choose the right one for a fun and cozy experience.

Best Wood Stove Insert Reviews- Top 6 Picks of the Year

1. Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace Stove with Remote Control

The Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace Stove will complement any room interior decor, especially for small-sized living space, and provide just enough heat. It’s portable, convenient and safe to use around kids and pets.

As said earlier, it’s portable allowing you to move the insert to wherever it is needed. Thanks to its infrared heat, this unit will maintain your room’s natural humidity for comfortable heat without drying out the air. This product comes with a realistic 3D flame effect behind and on the log with up to 5 brightness modes to offer a real wood-burning experience.

The 5 adjustable brightness modes increase your chances of finding a flame effect that matches your room, mood and even the weather. The Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace Stove with Remote Control is equipped with infrared technology to offer heat for warming you and larger areas. This product heats slowly to ensure the air doesn’t dry out as well as your skin. Unlike traditional heaters, this unit minimizes static electricity.

Pros:

5,200 BTU heater

Cool to the touch design

Adjustable thermostat for more control of environment

More 3D realistic effect

Remote control

Cons:

Extra care for more durability

2. Ameriwood Home Farmington Electric Fireplace Console 50″, Black Oak TV Stand

Next on the list is Ameriwood Home Farmington Electric Fireplace built to bring the rustic outdoor look to your living room and holds 55lbs or 50-inch wide TV. This model is manufactured using laminated MDF and comes with weathered black woodgrain finish making your entertainment space or living room more appealing.

This 23-inch fireplace insert is plugged into your standard 120V power outlet and can be used with heat or without. Even better, it includes a touch panel or remote control to allow you control the flame to suit your preference.

What’s more? It sports two side cabinets and an open top-shelf offering extra shelving to provide you with enough storage space for your audio components, video, game collection and many more. Further, this product is equipped with Built-in reflectors, an AltraFlame Patented Tech, to create realistic effects using LED lights with long last hours of life.

Lastly, this unit is capable of warming up to 400 square feet room size with a temperature range of 64 degrees F to 82 degrees.

Pros:

Easy to use

Add rustic feel to any room

Realistic flame effects

More storage space

Cons:

Assembling can be time consuming.

3. Pleasant Hearth VFS2-PH30DT 30,000 BTU 32 in. Intermediate Gas Vent Free Stove

With a whopping 30,000 BTU’s, this cutting-edge vent-free technology has no need for a chimney or flue. This vent-free stove comes with more fuel options: liquid propane or natural gas. This model is an ideal choice for bringing warmth and style to your home.

On top of that, it’s easy to install just about anywhere in your home; thanks to its minimum clearance design. It’s capable of heating up to 1,000 square feet with its 30,000 BTU/hr. Pleasant Hearth VFS2-PH30DT 30,000 BTU 32 in. Intermediate Gas Vent Free Stove is equipped with a thermostat control knob allowing homeowners to maintain the ideal heat level. Besides, there’s a dual burner to offer two flame rooms to provide you with a fuller-looking fire.

Pros:

Up to 30,000 BTUs/hr

Thermostat control knob for easier control

Dual fuel technology for convenience

Dual burner for more full-looking fire

Cons:

Pilot Initiator could be better positioned

4. Pleasant Hearth VFS2-PH20DT 20,000 BTU 23.5 in. Compact Gas Vent Free Stove

Unlike the model above from Pleasant Hearth, this vent-free stove unit does not offer as much heat capacity, but it’s sufficient to warm up about 700 square feet. Similarly, it features Dual Fuel Technology: Natural Gas and Liquid Propane, which makes it more convenient to use.

Also, this model does not require chimney and flue; thanks to its cutting-edge vent-free technology and provides an amazing 20,000 BTU’s capacity. Further, its black finish complements any room’s decor and improves its aesthetic value.

Pros:

Dual fuel Technology

20,000 BTU/hour

Warms up to 700 sq. Ft

Two-year manufacturer’s warranty

Cons:

The finish flakes off after a while

5. Comfortbilt Pellet Stove HP22

If you’re in the market for a fireplace for a product that offers more heat capacity, then this model is for you. The Comfortbilt Pellet Stove HP22 has an incredible 50,000 BTU heat capacity, which warms up to 2,800 square feet.

Not just that, its bay design offers a large viewing area, and the carbon black finish helps complement your living room style. This stove insert is EPA certified and has a 55lbs hopper capacity to ensure you’ve enough fuel to prevent having to refuel quickly.

Furthermore, this unit sports an ash pan for easy cleaning and a programmable thermostat for easy control. Besides, there’s a 1-year warranty to protect your investment.

Pros:

Equipped with powerful blower

55 lbs. Hopper Capacity

1 Year Parts Warranty

50,000 BTU heat capacity

Cons:

Might not work well with the standard 120V outlet

6. ProCom Ventless Dual Fuel Stove-25,000 BTU, Thermostatic Control Model QNSD250T

Last on the list is ProCom Ventless Dual Fuel Stove with 25,000 BTU and a dual fuel technology to allow you to use either LP or NG. This stove insert can heat up to 1,100 square feet.

More so, it comes with built-in thermostat control to let homeowners maintain the preferred room temperature. This went-free design is more efficient and requires no outside chimney or duct. Plus, it’s equipped with a battery-assisted piezo ignition system to light up the stove insert easily.

Pros:

Easy to use

Automatic shutdown

Built-in thermostat control

Cons:

Control valve gets faulty with time

What’s a Wood Stove Insert?

While fireplaces and inserts appear similar, they are quite different in more ways than you can imagine. Inserts are cheaper when it comes to installing or completely renovating the existing masonry fireplace.

More so, inserts are fashionable and versatile. Their ability to change your room’s ambience from rustic or traditional to contemporary without having to break the bank is one of many reasons to own a stove insert. Inserts are available in different designs and shapes, which means these products appear much like the real thing.

Fireplace inserts can burn pellets, wood, or gas. Also, they allow you to insert them into an existing masonry wood fireplace. However, when installing a wood stove insert needs to connect the flue leading outside and chimney.

Types of Fireplace Inserts

Fireplace inserts run on different kinds of fuels to produce heat. However, the wood stove inserts use wood as its source of heat.

Let’s dive into other common ones:

Natural Gas

This is a popular option due to the high level of convenience it offers. Most times the gas line to the fireplace gas nozzle and for lightening the flames. Natural gas eliminates the hassle offloading the wood fuel or cleaning up afterwards.

Most so, the gas type fireplace inserts are available in two options: vented and ventless. The vented options obtain oxygen from outside your home and expel toxic gas. However, the ventless model offers more heat, but you might have to deal with the potentially toxic fumes from the combustion vented back into your home.

Electric

Electric fireplace inserts are the go-to for people looking for a safe product. They appear similar to fake logs and radiate heat when plugged into a power outlet.

Another incredible benefit of owning electric fireplace inserts is the ease of operation, high efficiency, and hassle-free cleanup. The prime drawback of this model is its unrealistic flames and no attractive sound

Wood

Wood stove inserts provide you with a more traditional feel since you’ll be using wood obtained from the wood. This model requires a lot of cleaning, and starting a fire might not be that easy, except the product comes with an ignition system. Nevertheless, you still enjoy unrivalled experience watching the first.

Pellet

The last on this section is the pellet fireplace inserts with a similar flame appearance to the wood fire. More importantly, cleaning the pellet stoves is much easier compared to wood burners. But, you might also have to put up with the stress of refilling the pellets daily as well as cleaning the ashtray on a weekly basis.

Things to Consider Before Purchasing a Wood Stove Insert

When it comes to purchasing a wood stove insert. There are a couple of factors you need to consider before making a choice. A fireplace insert is not just about the heating; it improves your room’s aesthetic value. Most models are designed to fit into your existing fireplace, which is why it’s important to make proper measurement before placing an order.

Installing some fireplace models can be a bit complicated, which results in higher costs. Another feature of fireplace inserts is their ability to control them remotely. Thus, allowing you to adjust the size of the flame and offer more thermal control.

It’s important that you put the chamber size into consideration when considering investing in any wood stove insert on the market. Most models take the standard 16 inches long, but this might not be the best fit for you. Therefore, you need to consider your dimension before making a choice. Fortunately, most wood stove inserts feature standard arch doors, which means adding adornments helps improve its aesthetic value and functionality.

Conclusion

We’ve considered how to choose the best wood stove insert and reviewed the top 6 options for you. However, you should choose based on your preference and needs.