If you are in the market for a new furnace or heating system, there are a plethora of options to match just about every decor and heating need. The Italians are recognized for their modern wood pellet stoves and energy efficient designs but there are many good options from other parts of Europe, the United States and Canada.

Wood pellet stoves burn small wood chips, called pellets, which are the byproduct and waste from sawmills. They have incredible energy power and are extremely eco-friendly using no fossil fuels, gas or electricity (well, except for the electricity to power the controls, but this is minimal). Even the smallest wood pellet furnace can run for upwards of 24 hours before requiring a refill of the hopper. They are also available in sleek designs to match your interior, so you don’t have to keep them in the basement or garage, which makes them great for small homes and apartments.

First, you need to decide what type of unit you need and for what purpose (what percentage of your total heating requirement the unit needs to supply). Some varieties are large enough to heat a large house whereas some smaller wood pellet stoves are meant to heat just one or two rooms. The large and industrial looking wood pellet furnaces are often installed out of sight in a basement where they can bee hooked up to an automatic wood pellet feeder (so you don’t have to manually refill the hopper) and are pretty much autonomous, requiring almost no attention for long periods of time. They are usually engineered to heat an entire home or building. In contrast, many of the European manufacturers’ most popular offerings are the modernly designed units. These are very sleek and are easily integrated into your interior decor. These units are generally used in apartments and smaller homes. Most manufacturers also sell the more industrial-style large capacity units.

Many people choose a modern wood pellet stove that matches their decor for a main living area. Italian companies like Nordica Extraflame and EdilKamin offer a number of beautiful stand alone furnaces in all types of designs and colors that can fit nicely into the living room of your home. These stand-alone wood pellet stoves are not particularly heavy or hard to install and can heat for nearly 24 hours without requiring a refill. In addition, they are designed to exhaust very little smoke and can be engineered to exhaust through a wall, making a chimney unnecessary. Certain models can heat more than one room by flowing heat into another room through ducts, usually installed in the walls or ceiling.

MCZ, an Italian manufacturer, sells a sleek box-style wood furnace called their Panorama model, which can run for 12 hours on medium power. MCZ also sells sleek design options for the box-style furnace so that it can be smoothly integrated into any interior. A popular design has a stainless steel frame, mimicking a modern fireplace. Similarly, some companies sell a firebox style, which is intended to look like a fireplace but use much less energy than your normal gas or wood burning fireplace. Wood pellet stoves, furnaces and fireplaces are a fantastic alternative to the classic gas, wood and electric units we’ve grown so accustomed to

Many manufacturers are making wood pellet stoves that can be used for cooking as well. These models include a classic stove top for cooking. Wood pellet stoves are also gaining in popularity for cooking providing that same fire-grilled taste while saving time and money by not using the electric range.

If you are in the market for a wood pellet furnace, you will be pleasantly surprised at the wide variety of designs, heat output, styles and uses.