Winter is coming and what better way to keep your home warm than a stove that uses pellet fuel. These small furnaces are great at providing warmth throughout the year, while being relatively easy to maintain. Many homeowners would love to experience these benefits for themselves, but there’s a problem-stoves are expensive! They are rarely discounted or for sale, so you need to focus your search on current models/prices. What we tried to do in this article was highlight some of the cheapest options for the money. Hopefully we save you time and energy in your search for the best pellet stove!
| Heat Radius | Our Rating | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Castle 12327 Serenity | 1,500 Square ft. |  | $ |
 | US Stove R5824 with Igniter Furnace | ~1,200 Square ft. |  | $$ |
 | Pleasant Hearth | 2,200 Square ft. | | $$ |
Our Top 3 Value Picks: Inexpensive yet Reliable!
Below we review some of our favorite stoves for bang for your buck all the while keeping an eye on quality. These are all for sale on Amazon, and are relatively attractive.
#1 Castle 12327 Serenity
Quick Facts:
- 78% + thermal efficiency
- 1,5000 sq. ft. heating capability
- Auto ignite
- 40lb Hopper
- 1 year warranty (limited)
- EPA Certification
- RV Home Approved
This is one of the most highly loved and sought after products in the category. Reviewers love the easy installation, high efficiency, and programmable controller. This unit even looks great, and it’s design mean that it fits well in small spaces. Let’s take a closer look!
- Design: The Serenity’s small size and compact design makes it easy to install within a few hours. It is approved for use in mobile homes, and can be directly vented, so no chimney is required. These features make the Serenity great for first time buyers who may be intimidated by the installation process.
- Efficiency: In regards to efficiency, the Castle Serenity is one of the most efficient stoves on the market. It uses an innovative heat exchange system which maximizes the internal surface area to promote the highest amount of heat exchange. Not only do these features contribute to EPA certification, but they also save you money.
- Programmable: The final standout feature is the inclusion of a programmable controller. You can have your pellet heater operate in manual, thermostat, or weekly operational (set it for different times/days of the week) mode. The benefit of the automatic scheduling is that if you want your house to be warm when you get home from a hard day of work, but don’t want to waste loads of pellets throughout the day, you’re in luck. The one downside is that while in thermostat mode, there is no automatic shutoff if the target temperature is reached-the stove just continues to operate on the lowest setting.
IMPORTANT: One important thing to realize before wrapping up is that this product only heats 1,500 square feet, which is on the lower end-especially when compared to the stove below The quality and other features elevate this pick, but the heating area brings it’s score down a bit.
Final Thoughts: This item is backed by a great company, which offers quick customer support for all of your questions. Castle has earned their strong reputation by delivering a great customer experience. Overall, between the attractively compact design, ease of use, efficiency, and features- the Castle Serenity 12327 is a great pick.
#2 Pleasant Hearth Cabinet Style
Quick Facts:
- Heats 2,200 sq. ft.
- 50,000 BTU
- 120lb Hopper
- Epa certification
- 85% fuel efficiency
- Auto Ignition
- Mobile Home Approved
- Heat control system
Pleasant Hearth is a familiar name on the site, and we have reviewed one of their wood burning models. This one follows suite with it’s siblings, and provides a generous heating area for an affordable price.
This particular unit has extremely high efficiency at approximately 85% and is EPA certified, so you will be getting the max possible burn from your pellets. Other than that, this is a very no-frills product, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s well designed, efficient, and has easy temperature controls. The cast iron construction and solid ceramic glass viewing window lend a rugged feel to this simple burner. Don’t forget to look into purchasing the best pellet stove pipe.
Final Thoughts: Reviewers love raw power and reliability. It is not uncommon for this product to be referred to as a “beast,”because its heat output is impressive for its size, and not to mention price. This is one appliance that is the truly in the best value for the money category. If you need the extra heat, and don’t mind not having some of the niftier features like programmability then this stove is for you!
#3 US (United States) Stove R5824
Quick Facts:
- Can heat up to 1,200 sq. ft.
- Compact design
- Up to 20hr burn time
- Ceramic viewing window
- 48,000 BTU
- EPA Certification
The pellet heater landscape is heavily populated by low quality cheap offerings, and we wanted to cover this unit to make sure people stay away. This USA manufactured product (unlike others) lacks a robust feature set, and does not come with installation materials, and reviewers claim is prone to breakdown/requiring fixing.
Final Thoughts: Reviewers reported that online chat support and phone support were not that good, and that the product sometimes came damaged. There were also multiple reports of breakdowns relatively early into the stove’s life cycle. We don’t like to put down a model, but in this case there are better options like the Pleasant Hearth (above) that will fit the bill and cost the same.
Final Thoughts
Selecting an inexpensive yet reliable product can be difficult, but with the right guidance it doesn’t have to be. Hopefully our reviews have given you some insight onto what to select. We hope you find a unit that adds warmth, ambiance, and value to your home!