Our family is designing lives in a super-efficient 400sq’ Off-Grid Tiny House. For four years, we lived, traveled, and worked from our little house on wheels—a 1966 26’ Airstream Overlander. The space was sufficient (176sq’) and served its purpose (cheap living so we could spend time as a family + mobile so we could travel and see loved ones) but we wanted a bit more space & efficiency to start a little off-grid homestead.
Cookstoves are the heart of an off-grid home. With homesteading and off-grid goals in mind we started shopping for cookstoves that would sufficiently heat our future Tiny House plus provide cooking, baking, and hot water. Traditionally cookstoves are mammoth—very large and heavy and overwhelming for our meager 400sq’. So I started looking into different small wood Cookstove options currently on the market.
This is what I found:
SMALL COOKSTOVE WITH AN OVEN
There are a handful of companies making micro cookstoves for marine applications. These are cute but for an off-grid homestead not very practical. The firebox is small and overnight burns are not probable. The oven on these little cookers is not large enough for serious baking plus they are very expensive.
Besides the marine cookstoves, the smallest cookstoves available look to be decent options for small spaces. They have relatively small footprints, good-sized fireboxes for long burn times, and they can cook and bake. The downside of these options is they are way oversized for spaces less than 500sqft and they are SPENDY!
The Dwarf Cookstove
When we started tinywoodstove.com and started making our own line of stoves, I knew I wanted a cookstove! We took our largest model, the 5kw, and added an optional baking oven to the top. The oven box can be retrofitted to the stove and bolts to the top flue exit. Hot flue gases travel around the oven chamber heating the oven and top plate for cooking. The gases are then vented out of the top of the stove. I'm super excited about the Dwarf Cookstove! Here are the specs:
DWARF COOKSTOVE FEATURES
- Cast Iron Door & Firebox for Durability & Heat Retention
- Large Window for Monitoring & Enjoying the Fire
- Top Cooking Surface
- Riddling Grate & Ash Pan for Easy Cleanup
- Full Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Air-Control
- Add-on features: Tall Legs, Wood Storage Stand & Direct-Air
THE DWARF SPECS
| Dimensions: | H22” x W14” x D11” |
|---|---|
| Heat Output: | 25-30k btu (5kw) How many BTU’s do you need? |
| Weight: | Stove 150lbs + Oven 75lbs |
| Flue Diameter: | 5” |
| Material: | Steel & Cast Iron |
| Fuels: | Wood & Coal |
| EPA Cert? | None |
The Navigator Halibut
Price: $4250
Dimensions: H: 18.5” W: 20.75” D: 16”
Oven Dimensions: 9” x 9” x 8”
Weight: 175lbs
Output: 25-35k btu’s
Flue Size: 4”
Cooktop: Yes
Hot Water: No
Find it Here
Shipmate Model 211
Price: $4015
Dimensions: H: 20 5/8” W: 22” D: 15.5”
Oven Dimensions: 9” x 9” x 7”
Weight: 175lbs
Output: 24-36k btu’s
Flue Size: 4”
Cooktop: Yes
Hot Water: No
Find it Here
Vermont Bun Baker
Woody from http://woodstoves.net/cookstoves.htm contacted me and shared his experience using his Vermont bun baker in his 36’ Avion travel trailer. You can see a video of his setup Vermont Bun Baker.
The Bun Baker is basically a standard woodstove with the addition of a baking oven. The top can be used as a cooking surface. Due to its vertical design, the Bun Baker’s footprint is MUCH smaller than traditional cookstoves.
Price: $2850
Dimensions: W: 21.75” x D: 21.25” x H: 32.5”
Oven Dimensions: 14.5” x 13.5” x 11”
Weight: 400lbs
Output: 30k btu’s
Efficiency: 78%
Flue Size: 6”
Cooktop: Yes
Hot Water: Optional Add-on ($350)
Find it Here
De Manicore Cookstove
This is another vertically designed cookstove with a manageable footprint for a small space like our off-grid tiny house.
Price: $5100
Dimensions: W: 24” x D: 24” x H: 34”
Oven Dimensions: 13” x 19” x 10”
Weight: 430lbs
Output: 25k btu’s
Efficiency: 76%
Flue Size: 6”
Cooktop: Yes
Hot Water: No
Find it Here
Mr. Peterson, Wish you all the luck in the world. My wife and myself are retired and we are doing the same. Have 5 acres in Idaho County Idaho. We had Steel Master buildings in the past and purchased an S Model 300 sq.ft. to live in. Wood heat is the way to go especially small logs,pallets and drift wood on river banks. I like your stoves and will contact you @ a later time. Respectfully, Harry and Barbara Riener
Hello I’m interested in wood burning cook stove that can heat up to 720sq/ft, what do you recommend
Hi Dominique-
Check out our article on sizing a small stove to your space here:
https://www.tinywoodstove.com/stove-size/
The right stove is going to depend a lot on your local climate and how well insulated your space is. The post above links to a helpful BTU calculator, and has some more info about how to choose the right small stove for your space.