Wood stove or pellet stove: which should you choose?
Before deciding how to heat your home, it's worth understanding the real differences between the available systems: cost, type of heat, maintenance, independence from mains electricity, and access to government incentives. Here's an honest comparison, with industry data and sources.
There are really three options, not two
People comparing “wood versus pellet” often end up comparing things that are not alike. A pellet stove and a steel wood stove actually heat in much the same way: warm air, straight away, for as long as the appliance is running. A heat-storage majolica wood stove works differently: its mass of refractory and ceramic stores the heat of the fire and gives it back as radiant warmth for hours after the flames have died down. So before choosing a fuel, it is worth deciding which of the three behaviours you are actually looking for.
Heat-storage wood, in majolica
The fire heats a mass of refractory and ceramic; that mass then heats the house for hours after the flames have gone out. Four loads a day, more on the coldest days; radiant heat, no fan, no noise, no mains electricity. This is the category we have worked in since 1973.
Conventional wood, steel or cast iron
Heats up quickly and cools down just as quickly: the warmth lasts as long as the fire does. It costs less to buy, but asks for more loads and more attention through the day. Like every wood stove, it still works without electricity.
Pellet
A motor feeds the fuel by itself and a fan pushes warm air into the room: you can schedule ignition and set the temperature much like a boiler. In exchange it needs mains electricity, and there are mechanical and electronic parts that require servicing.
Point by point, with nothing left out
The entries below are the ones that genuinely change day-to-day life. The figures are indicative and refer to correctly sized and correctly installed domestic appliances: real performance always depends on the house, the flue and the fuel.
| Aspect | Heat-storage woodmajolica | Conventional woodsteel or cast iron | Pellet |
|---|---|---|---|
| How the heat reaches you | Radiated from the ceramic, without moving air | Natural convection and radiation | Warm air pushed by a fan |
| How long the heat lasts | Carries on for hours after the fire is out | Ends shortly after the fire | Lasts as long as the appliance runs |
| Works without electricity | Yes | Yes | No: without power it will not light, and it shuts down |
| Noise | None | None | Fan and feed motor are audible |
| Loads per day | Four, more on the coldest days | Many more: the fire has to be fed continuously | None: you fill the hopper every one to three days |
| Control | Manual, via the combustion air | Manual, via the combustion air | Electronic, programmable by time of day |
| Moving parts | None | None | Auger, fans, igniter, control board |
| Fuel | Split logs, seasoned below 20% moisture | Split logs, seasoned | Certified pellet, moisture below 10% |
| Storage | Covered, ventilated woodshed: it takes room | Covered, ventilated woodshed: it takes room | Bags in a dry place: very little room |
| Ash to dispose of | More | More | Less |
| Flue sweeping | At least once a year | At least once a year | At least once a year |
| Technical servicing | Minimal: there is no electronics | Minimal | Yearly is advisable, on parts subject to wear |
| Expected lifetime | Decades: ceramic does not age | Long, limited by firebox wear | Tied to the life of the electronics and mechanics |
| Italian state incentives | Conto Termico 3.0 and tax deduction | Conto Termico 3.0 and tax deduction | Conto Termico 3.0 and tax deduction |
On incentives the fuel makes no difference: what counts is the emission class, the efficiency and the fact that you are replacing an existing system. Our stoves are certified 5 stars to UNI EN 16510-2-1:2023 and declare 85.4% efficiency, above the required threshold. See the incentives page.
What an hour of heat actually costs
The honest way to compare different fuels is the cost per thermal kilowatt-hour — per unit of heat produced, not per kilo or per litre. The values below are orders of magnitude for the Italian market: they move with the season, the region and the quality of the fuel, and should always be checked against current prices.
| Fuel | Indicative cost per kWh | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Seasoned split logs | €0.05 – 0.08 | The most variable entry of all: it changes with the species, the region and the distance from the supplier. Bought by the stère and seasoned yourself, it falls further. |
| Certified bagged pellet | €0.07 – 0.10 | More uniform across the country, but tied to a market that is largely supplied by imports. |
| Natural gas | €0.09 – 0.13 | Network charges and taxes are added to the commodity itself, and they weigh heavily on the bill. |
| Heating oil | €0.13 – 0.17 | Needs a tank, and follows the oil price closely. |
| LPG | €0.14 – 0.19 | The usual choice where mains gas does not reach; among the highest costs per kWh. |
| Heat pump | €0.07 – 0.12 | Depends heavily on seasonal performance and on the price of electricity; it delivers less in very cold weather. |
| Electric heaters and radiators | €0.25 – 0.35 | The most expensive way to heat a whole house: it only makes sense for short, local use. |
One warning that these comparisons often leave out: the cost of the fuel is not the cost of the heat in your house. It has to be divided by the efficiency of the appliance, and to that you must add the electricity drawn by appliances that need it, plus yearly servicing. An efficient appliance burning a dearer fuel can work out cheaper than a poor one burning a cheap fuel.
There is no single right answer
We build wood stoves and we believe in them, but it would be dishonest to claim they are the right choice in every house. There are situations where pellet is simply the better fit, and we would rather say so before the purchase than after it.
Choose pellet if…
- You do not come home at any point during the day and want the house warm by evening without anyone touching anything: pellet lights itself, at an hour you set.
- You have no room for a woodshed, and no wish to tend a fire.
- You need fine control of the temperature, room by room, run from a thermostat.
- The house is small or very well insulated and needs little heat at a time.
- The idea of loading logs by hand, every day, does not appeal to you.
Choose wood if…
- Your day has a break in the middle. Before leaving for work you put in one generous load, which carries the whole morning; at lunch, when you get back, you add another and the afternoon is covered. The majolica works in between: it keeps giving heat back long after the fire has gone out, so the house does not cool down between one load and the next the way it would with a steel stove.
- You want independence from the grid: when the power goes, the stove keeps heating.
- You have access to affordable wood, or you cut your own.
- You want warmth that does not move air and dust — a difference anyone with allergies notices at once.
- You want an appliance with no electronics, lasting decades on very little maintenance.
- Part of what you want from a fire is the fire itself: seeing it, hearing it, not just the extra degree.
If you are still unsure after reading this, do write to us — there is no obligation, and we answer people who tell us they went the other way in the end. Ask us a question.
If you've chosen wood, choose those who have worked it for a lifetime
Not all wood-burning stoves are the same. The difference shows in the care with which the ceramic is worked, it can be felt in the quality of the materials, and it's felt in the warmth they return, stove after stove, winter after winter.
100% handcrafted
Every stove is worked and glazed by hand, piece by piece, with the slip-casting technique of ancient Italian ceramic traditions.
Tailored to you
Customisable colours, shapes and decorations: not a fixed catalogue, but a stove you can make truly your own.
5-star certified
The highest emission class set out by the standard, with access to Conto Termico 3.0 (up to 65% as a non-repayable grant) and tax deductions. Source: GSE
We make the stove ourselves
Design and manufacturing are entirely our own. Sales are handled by technicians and retail points. For flue installation, which requires licensed technicians, we work with qualified external installers.
Sources and references
- GSE — Italian Energy Services Operator, Conto Termico 3.0 (Ministerial Decree 07/08/2025, in force from 25/12/2025): incentive rates and requirements
- AIEL — Italian Agroforestry Energy Association: survey of wood fuel prices and comparison of cost per kWh across fuels
- ARERA — Italian Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment: reference prices of natural gas and electricity for domestic customers
- UNI EN 16510-2-1:2023 — performance and emission requirements for domestic wood-burning appliances
- UNI EN 16510-2-6:2023 — requirements for domestic pellet-burning appliances (replaced UNI EN 14785:2006, withdrawn on 19 May 2023)
- UNI EN ISO 17225-2:2021 — quality classes for wood pellet (A1, A2, B)
- Decree of 7 November 2017, no. 186 — star classification of solid biomass heat generators
- UNI 10683:2022 — installation of biomass appliances and flue system requirements
Data current as of September 2026. The costs per kWh are orders of magnitude for the Italian market and change with the season, the region and the quality of the fuel: check them against current prices before deciding. Incentive rates depend on individual technical factors (output, climate zone, performance): for a precise assessment we recommend the official GSE portal or a qualified technician.
Pellets offer convenience and automation, gas offers instant ignition, bioethanol offers flueless design — but none of these gives back the same authentic warmth, the same efficiency over time, and the same energy independence as a real wood-burning accumulation stove.