The best stoves for comfort and style

Fireplace stoves have been around for centuries, but over the past few years their popularity has surged, adding a certain comfort and warmth to your home. There are plenty of factors to consider when choosing a new stove - fuel, size, emissions, style - so we've made it easy by giving you our top pick of the market's best.

Updating your stove

Older stoves, especially those over 10 years old, do not feature up-to-date technology and burn with much lower efficiency, releasing particulate matter and other harmful into the air in your home. Upgrading to an Ecodesign-compliant stove or fire will positively improve the air quality and use around 70 per cent less wood than an open fire and 20 per cent less than a standard stove to heat your home. It is important that the stove is installed by an installer registered with a scheme such as HETAS or OFTEC. The stove should then be professionally serviced on at least an annual basis.

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Choosing between wood-fired and multi fuel

If you’re trying to choose between a wood-burning stove and a multi-fuel stove, remember that wood-burners are designed to only burn real wood (not briquettes etc) and will feature a fixed grate for burning logs on, allowing the firewood to sit on a bed of ash. Multi-fuel stoves on the other hand incorporate a raised grate system and are primarily designed to burn smokeless fuels, but can be used occasionally for burning logs.

Wood-fired stoves offer the timeless appeal and flickering warmth of a real fire.

Ironheart wood-fired cook stove with six-pan hotplate in Anthracite, £4,725, Esse - Buy it now

Alpine 4 Series wood-burning stove in Atlantic Blue and Devonshire fireplace surround in carved limestone, £1,799, Chesneys - Buy the stove or Buy the mantlepiece

F 500 Eco cast-iron wood-burning stove in Brown Majolica, £2,835, Jøtul - Buy it now

Elmdale contemporary cast-iron and steel wood-burning stove in Black, £1,895, ACR Stoves - Buy it now

Whychwood wood-burning stove, £1,299, ACR Stoves - Buy it now

Cranmore 5 wood-burning stove in Black, £1,530, Charnwood - Buy it now

Multi-fuel stoves are a versatile choice, burning either wood or a smokeless fuel.

Rowandale multi-fuel stove in Matt Black, £1,260, ACR Stoves - Buy it now

Shoreditch 8 Series multi-fuel stove in Black and Kent Bolection surround, £2,189 and £3,280, Chesneys - Buy the stove or Buy the mantle

Huntingdon 30 multi-fuel Ecodesign stove with Tracery Door and Claremont mantel in Antique White Marble, £1,295 and £1,435, Stovax - Buy the stove or Buy the mantle

Panther 2110 cleanheat cast-iron multi-fuel stove, £1,799, Morsø - Buy it now

Fat Penguin Eco multi-fuel stove in Charred Red, £1,926.50, Chilli Penguin Stoves - Buy it now

Reinstate period grandeur with an antique fireplace.

Antique Gothic cast-iron arched fireplace, approx mid 19th-century, £1,280, Haes Antiques at The Hoarde - Buy it now

Original antique Georgian polished cast-iron freestanding basket with fireback, £2,000 (+VAT), Renaissance London - Buy it now

Tudor Revival Horton stone chimneypiece, £5,800 (+VAT), Westland London - Buy it now

19th-century large English carved oak fireplace surround, £2,675, UK Heritage at Decorative Collective - Buy it now

French Pompadour dark marble fireplace surround, Louis XVI style, £2,250, English Salvage - Buy it now