So what is the best wood burning stove? For most Irish living rooms, our recommendation of the best wood burning stove is a 5kW Ecodesign model with an efficiency rating of around 78% or higher, sized correctly for your room and suited to your chimney. The biggest or most expensive stove is rarely ever the right one.

Below, we cover what to look for, how to work out the size you need, the Irish rules to check first, and our top three picks from our Drogheda showroom.

What makes a wood burning stove the best?

The best wood burning stove scores well on four things: energy efficiency, the right heat output for your room, strong reviews, and a price that fits your full budget.

1. Energy efficiency rating: A modern stove turns around 70 to 80% of the heat from the wood burnt into warmth for the room, compared with roughly 30% for an open fire. Look for an A rating. We explain more in our guide on how efficient a wood burning stove really is.
2. Heat output: Measured in kW and matched to your room size. Bigger is not better. A stove that is too big will overheat the space, so you end up turning it down. A stove running low burns less efficiently and leaves more soot on the glass and in the chimney. Too small and it will struggle to heat the room on colder nights.
3. Customer reviews and recommendations: Read reviews from people who have used the stove through many winters, ask your installer what they rate, and see it lit in person if you can.
4. Your budget: Allow room in your budget for the flue, hearth and a quote for the fitting as well as the stove itself.

What size wood burning stove do I need?

To find the right size wood burning stove, measure your room in cubic metres (length x width x height) and divide by 14. That gives you roughly the kW output you need. For an older house that tends to be draughtier, divide by 10 instead.

For example, a 5m x 4m living room with a 2.4m ceiling needs around 3.4kW, or closer to 5kW in an older home. That’s why a 5kW stove suits most Irish living rooms, with a bit of extra heat for older or draughtier homes. Open plan spaces and high ceilings will push that number up.

Irish rules to check before you buy a stove

Before you buy a wood burning stove in Ireland, check your chimney condition, flue, ventilation, safe clearances and Building Regulations. Get any of these wrong and even the best stove out there will not work properly.

1. Chimney condition: Older Irish chimneys are often too wide or cracked inside and may need a liner.
2. A suitable flue: No chimney? A twin wall flue can run up an outside wall or through the roof. We stock chimney flues for both.
3. Ventilation: Newer, airtight homes often need a dedicated air supply or a stove with an external air connection.
4. Safe clearances: Every stove lists minimum distances to timber, plasterboard and furniture on its spec sheet.
5. Irish Building Regulations: Installation should follow Technical Guidance Document J.

Every new stove must also meet Ecodesign standards. Since 1 September 2026, wood sold in smaller quantities (2 cubic metres or less) must have a moisture content under 20% under the Solid Fuel Regulations. Our recommended fitters can check your chimney before you choose.

Our top 3 best wood burning stoves

All three are Ecodesign compliant and A rated.

Best value: Mi-Fire Firepod Medium 5kW

The Mi-Fire Firepod Medium is full cast iron, 78.8% efficient and A rated, with a rounded retro look that makes a real focal point. At €779 it is one of our most affordable wood burners, and it sits on a 12mm hearth, keeping the install simple. Ideal for a small sitting room or snug.

Best all-rounder: Henley Geneva Logstore 5kW

The Henley Geneva Logstore is our pick for most Irish living rooms. It has a large viewing window, 78% efficiency and a log store that lifts the fire to a nicer viewing height. Its external air intake draws air from outside, which makes it a strong choice for newer, well sealed homes.

Best for larger rooms: Henley Elite G4 7.7kW

The Henley Elite G4 suits bigger spaces, older homes and open plan areas. With 7.7kW output and 77.8% efficiency, it heats a large room comfortably, and the steel body warms up fast. It also has external air, clean burn and airwash to keep the glass clear.

Compare the full range on our wood burning stoves page.

Wood burning stove or pellet stove?

A modern wood burning stove is around 80% efficient, while a pellet stove typically reaches around 90%. A pellet stove feeds its own fuel at a steady rate and holds a set temperature, so less heat is wasted. 

Pellet stoves light at the press of a button and run on a timer, which suits busy households. Read our guide on what a pellet stove is and how it works, or browse our pellet stoves from 4kW to 11kW.

Not sure which stove is right for your home? As a family run business with 14 years of experience, we’ve helped homeowners across Ireland find the right stove for their space. Visit our Drogheda showroom to see our wood burning stoves in person, or contact us and our team will help you choose the right one, with delivery nationwide. 

The post What is the Best Wood Burning Stove appeared first on Stone & Stoves.

What is a pellet stove?

A pellet stove is a heating appliance that burns small, compressed wood pellets instead of logs, coal or turf. You pour the pellets into a hopper, which is a storage container built into the stove. A motorised screw called an auger then moves them a few at a time into the burn pot, where they’re burned. This steady supply gives you consistent heat without having to tend the fire.

An electric igniter lights the pellets, a thermostat or timer controls the output, and a fan circulates warm air around the room. Because all of this runs on electricity, you’ll need a plug socket close to the stove.

What is a flue?

A flue is the sealed passage that carries smoke and gases from a stove safely out of your home. A chimney is one type of flue, built into the structure of the house. A flue can also be a factory-made metal pipe connected to the back or top of the stove.

A twin wall flue has an insulated layer between an inner and outer pipe, which keeps the outside cool enough to pass safely through walls, ceilings and roofs.

How pellet stove venting works

Pellet stove venting works differently from a chimney on an open fire. Inside the stove, a combustion fan draws air into the burn pot to keep the pellets burning, then pushes the exhaust gases out into the flue. Because the fan does the work rather than natural draught, the flue can be much narrower than a chimney, often just 3 to 4 inches (around 75 to 100mm) wide, and can run sideways for a short distance before turning upwards.

The exhaust is pushed out under slight pressure, so it’s crucial that every joint in the flue is properly sealed to stop fumes leaking into the room. That’s why you should only use flue parts approved for your stove.

Why pellet stoves need a flue

Burning pellets produces carbon monoxide and other gases that have to be carried outside, so there’s no such thing as a flueless pellet stove. Even models sold as having “no visible flue” still have one. It’s just hidden in a wall, a false ceiling or an old chimney.

Your flue options

There are four common ways to vent a pellet stove:

• An existing chimney: If your chimney is sound, it can be swept and fitted with a liner suitable for pellet stoves.
• A twin wall flue on an external wall: The flue goes straight through the wall behind the stove, then runs up the outside of the house to above the roofline.
• A twin wall flue through the roof: The flue rises inside the house and out through the roof.
• A balanced flue: On compatible models, a pipe within a pipe draws fresh air in from outside and pushes exhaust out through the wall at the same time.

The right option depends on your house and what the manufacturer allows for your model.

The rules in Ireland

In Ireland, stove installations have to meet Part J of the Building Regulations, with guidance set out in Technical Guidance Document J. In short, that means:

• The flue must end away from windows and vents, so fumes can’t get back inside
• The stove and flue must be kept a safe distance from anything that can burn
• The room needs enough fresh air for the stove to burn properly
• A carbon monoxide alarm should be fitted in the room

A qualified installer will take care of all of this and make sure your stove is safe before you light it. After that, have your stove and flue serviced once a year to keep them running safely.

Find the right pellet stove at Stone & Stoves

Stone & Stoves is a family-run business with 14 years of experience helping homeowners across Ireland choose, fit and enjoy the right stove. We give honest, expert advice and only stock products we stand behind.

Browse our range of pellet stoves, or contact us and visit our Drogheda showroom. We’ll help you choose the right pellet stove and flue for your home.

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What is a pellet stove?

A pellet stove is a room heater that burns wood pellets instead of logs or coal. The pellets are made from compressed sawdust and wood shavings, about 6mm across, and sold in bags. Because the fuel is so uniform, the stove can burn it at a steady, controlled rate. For best results, use A1 grade pellets with a certification mark such as ENplus A1 on the bag.

Our pellet stoves range includes freestanding models and inserts from Henley and Stanley, from compact 4kW models up to 11kW for larger open plan spaces.

How does a pellet stove work?

A pellet stove feeds pellets from a hopper into a small burn pot, where an electric igniter lights them and a fan keeps the fire burning cleanly. A thermostat adjusts the feed rate to hold the temperature you set. In practice:

1. You pour a bag of pellets into the hopper.
2. An auger, a slow-turning screw, moves pellets into the burn pot.
3. An igniter lights them, with no kindling or firelighters.
4. A fan draws in air for the fire, and on most models pushes warm air into the room.
5. You set the temperature and on and off times on the control panel.

The Stanley Solis K50, for example, holds 11kg of pellets and can run for up to 10 hours on a single fill, with up to six on and off times a day.

Pellet stove vs wood burning stove: what is the difference?

The main difference is control. A pellet stove lights itself, holds a set temperature and runs on a timer, while a wood burning stove is lit and managed by hand and gives you the classic crackling log fire.

If a real log fire matters most to you, have a look at our wood burning stoves or multi fuel stoves instead.

What do you need to install a pellet stove?

To install a pellet stove, you need a suitable flue, an electrical socket nearby and somewhere dry to store the pellets, such as a shed, garage or utility room. Damp pellets swell and crumble, so keep them off the ground.

Do pellet stoves need a chimney?

Not always. A pellet stove can connect to an existing chimney using a flexible liner, or use a small twin wall flue, which in many cases can run out through an external wall and up the outside of the house. Your installer will confirm what building regulations allow for your home. We stock chimney flues to suit either route, and our recommended fitters can survey the job.

Do pellet stoves need electricity?

Yes. The igniter, auger, fan and controls all run on electricity, so the stove will stop running during a power cut.

How much does a pellet stove cost?

The pellet stoves in our range start at around €1,400 and go up to just over €4,000 for larger, higher output models, before installation. Running costs depend on how often you use the stove and the price of pellets.

For an independent view, SEAI publishes a quarterly domestic fuel cost comparison showing the cost per kWh of bagged wood pellets against oil, gas and electricity.

What size pellet stove do I need?

As a rough guide, you need about 1kW of heat for every 14 cubic metres of room space. Multiply the length, width and height of the room in metres, then divide by 14. A 5m by 4m room with a 2.4m ceiling works out at around 3.4kW, so a 4kW or 5kW model would suit. Our heat output calculator does the maths for you.

Is a pellet stove right for your home?

A pellet stove suits you if you want the warmth of a real flame without the work of lighting and tending a fire. It is a good fit for busy households and anyone who wants the house warm when they get home.

It is less suited to you if you want a crackling log fire, lose power often or mind a gentle fan hum. And if a flue is not an option in your home, our electric fires give you the look of a fire with no flue needed.

Pellet stove FAQs

How long does a bag of pellets last?

It depends on the stove and how hard it is working. Pellets usually come in 15kg bags, and the Stanley Solis K50 burns between 0.68kg and 1.36kg an hour, so one bag lasts roughly 11 to 22 hours of burning on that model.

How often does a pellet stove need cleaning?

Most pellet stoves need the burn pot and ash cleared every day or two in regular use, which takes a few minutes with a brush or ash vacuum. The stove and flue should also be serviced and swept once a year. Always check the manual for your model.

See a pellet stove in action

A pellet stove gives you a real flame with the convenience of a timer, as long as you have a socket, a flue route and somewhere dry for the pellets. The best way to decide is to see one running. Call in to our Drogheda showroom and our friendly team will show you how they work and help you pick the right size.

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