Wood Log Burning Stoves

• Traditional stoves use good old-fashioned genuine wood logs to generate heat. Hickory, oak and maple are the most popular log choices. Owners use kindling wood or charcoal to start the fire inside of the firebox. Once the logs are ignited, the door to the oven is left open so that the warm air can circulate into the room. Logs are purchased by the bundle or by the cord.
  
  

Pellet Stoves

• Pellet stoves use small, pebble-size pellets made of wood and agricultural byproducts such as chips, sawdust and corn hulls. If you don't want the hassle of high maintenance -- consider a pellet stove. They don't produce nearly as much ash and don't leave residual scraps of wood shavings and bark on your floors. Pellets are sold by the pound, with a 40-pound bag being the most popular quantity for residential use.
  
  

Batch Fed Stoves

• Batch fed stoves are manually operated, and used to burn wood logs or even charcoal. If you like the old school approach of tending the fire and feeding logs -- a batch stove is for you. Keep a supply of wood logs by the side of the stove to keep the fire burning. Buy in bulk and get a cord to save money and keep enough wood on hand to last for a heating season.
  
  

Hopper-Fed Stoves

• A hopper is a mechanical feature used with pellet stoves -- adding to their low maintenance advantages. You simply pour the pellets into the hopper, and an electrically powered auger pushes the pellets into the firebox chamber. The hopper detects when the stove is low on pellets and feeds them automatically.
  
  

Freestanding Stoves

• Freestanding wood stoves stand on their own four legs, just like an appliance or piece of furniture. These units require a heat-tolerant hearth or base underneath made of brick or concrete. Styles today have large see-through glass doors and bright colored enamel finishes to match modern tastes in style and décor.
  
  

Wood Stove Inserts

• A wood stove insert is essentially a prefabricated metal firebox that looks (and behaves) like a traditional fireplace. They require a chimney for ventilation; you stack the wood on grates and you adjust the flue and dampers -- just like a traditional fireplace. You can also opt for a gas starter to make it easier to start the logs. There are also zero-clearance stove inserts that can fit right inside a pre-existing fireplace or inside a newly constructed masonry surround. You'll have a bigger firebox so you can burn more wood than with other types of stoves. You'll also find them with all the traditional fireplace bells and whistles such as brass knobs, glass doors and cast iron grates for stacking and burning the wood logs.