Cast Iron Wood Stoves: A Comprehensive Guide
Last Updated: Feb 26, 2025Colder winter temperatures generally mean that people spend more time inside. Each fall, we miss those late-night barbecues in July and long summer nights of playing outside with the kids. Luckily, one of the hidden joys of winter is curling up beside a crackling wood fire once the outdoor temperatures drop below freezing. The warmth offered by a wood fire is distinctly comforting. This comfort is one reason that 2.5 million households across the country rely on wood as their primary source of heating. An additional 9 million families use wood as a secondary or complementary heat source.
Table of Contents
- Can You Heat a House with a Wood Stove?
- How Do You Measure The Power Output of a Wood Stove?
- The Benefits (and a Few Drawbacks) of Wood Stoves
- Does Heating With Wood Save Money?
- How To Heat With a Cast Iron Wood Stove
- What to Look for in a Quality Cast Iron Wood Stove
- Our Favorite Cast Iron Wood Stoves on the Market
- Bottom Line
The traditional fireplace offers a nostalgic feel to any home. However, a cast iron wood burning stove is a much more efficient way to heat with wood. Cast iron wood stoves can also be added to almost any home while installing a fireplace usually requires expensive remodeling.
Below, we look at some of the benefits (and drawbacks) of cast iron wood stoves. Then, we offer some suggestions for what to look for in a quality wood stove for your home. Finally, we list our favorite manufacturers of residential cast iron wood stoves.
How Do You Measure The Power Output of a Wood Stove?
Wood stoves are usually measured in terms of the amount of BTUs they produce. In many cases, the stove manufacturer will label their stove based on the number of square feet it can heat. In general, you need about 3,000 BTUs of heat to warm every 100 square feet of interior living area. So, a 1,500 square foot home would want to source a cast iron wood stove that produced 45,000 BTUs of heat. With the proper sizing and energy-efficient home construction, cast iron wood stoves can effectively heat homes even in harsh winter climates.
Does Heating With Wood Save Money?
Cast iron wood stoves can significantly reduce your yearly heating costs. Even homes in colder regions such as the northern US or Canada can often heat their home with only 3-4 cords of firewood each year. If you purchase this much firewood, you can expect to pay around $120-$180 per year per cord. In contrast, average annual heating costs are anywhere between $360 and $720. In areas like Minnesota, the average monthly heating bill can easily be between $200 and $400.
How To Heat With a Cast Iron Wood Stove
On the downside, learning to operate a cast iron wood stove properly can be a challenge. Unlike homes with HVAC units, heating your home with firewood and a cast iron wood stove takes a bit of practice and knowledge. You can't simply turn up your thermostat on a cold morning or trusting your programmable thermostat to have your home at a comfortable temperature when you return from work. A cast iron wood stove requires a basic knowledge of the best practices for burning firewood and the dedication and responsibility to check your stove every 4-8 hours to ensure that it has enough fuel.
Waterford Stanley
Waterford Stanley, based out of the UK, has international distributors located in Kidron, Ohio. Waterford Stanley is one of the leaders in cast iron wood stoves. This company offers stoves for heating and cooking, and their Stove Chooser is a great resource to help you discover which type of stove is best for your household needs. The Solis F900 RIDGE Stove offered by Waterford Stanley has a 77.5% efficiency rating, three times more efficient than an open fire. This stove offers several innovative features, including a graphite steel frame with cast iron door, a removable ash-pan, primary, secondary & tertiary air management, and a top and rear flue exit. The Solis F900 also delivers a maximum of 9kW of heat to the rooms of your home. It received an "A" Energy rating from the European Union and meets European standard EN 13229.
JOTUL
Jotul is a Norwegian company that crafts some of the highest-performance wood stoves on the market. Since 1853, they have been producing wood stoves in various sizes for heating homes in one of the coldest countries in the world. They also have a wide range of stove designs with detailed cast iron artwork so that you can heat your home in style. This company has a vast US-based, and Canadian dealers network to help you find a model that suits your needs. The JOTUL F 602 V2 has an emission rating of 2.11 grams per hour and a heating capacity of up to 1300 square feet. This 265-pound stove can receive logs up to 18 inches in length and achieves an impressive efficiency rating of 78.71%, with a maximum output of 42,000 BTUs. The F-602 is an excellent stove for smaller to medium-sized homes who want to switch entirely to wood heating or use wood heat as a complementary heat source for larger houses.
Bottom Line
For cold winter days and nights, a cast iron wood stove might be a more sustainable option for your home—so it's worth checking out!
Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
