Share This Guide
Whether you live in the countryside or a luxurious city condo, wood-burning stoves are life savers. Name the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, affordability, and even those dancing flames- they nail it in every aspect.
And Drolet is undoubtedly one of the first few brands you’ll stumble upon while searching for the best wood stove brands. This 195-year-old brand has its roots in Canada, but its wings are spread out in the USA(North and South) and Australia.
However, over time, they’ve launched 24 different wood stove models, each sporting unique sets of value and purpose. But what drove us to craft this content is to cherry-pick some of the best Drolet wood stoves and review them through a neutral lens.
Instead of randomly picking any model, I’ve set the top-rated Drolet stoves in order of capacity(firebox, BTU/hr, etc). This way, sorting the list up will be way more accessible for you.
Drolet ESCAPE Family (1200, 1500, 1800 & 2100): Best Value Stoves
| Models | ESCAPE 1200 | ESCAPE 1500 | ESCAPE 1800 | ESCAPE 2100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  | |
SIZE | 18 1/2″ x 28 7/8″ x 30 1/8″ | 29-7/8″ x 24-7/8″ x 24-1/2″ | 32-5/8″ x 25-5/8″ x 25-3/4″ | 28 1/8″ x 31 7/8″ 34 1/2″ |
Max Log Length | 16″ | 18″ | 20″ | 22″ |
Particulate Emission Rate | 1.8 g/h | 1.26 g/h | 1.29 g/h | 1.32 g/h |
Glass Surface | 15″ x 8 1/2″ | 15-3/4″ x 9-3/4″ | 16″ x 9-1/4″ | 18-3/8″ x 12-1/8″ |
Firebox Volume | 1.4 Cu. Ft. | 1.9 Cu. Ft. | 2.4 Cu. Ft. | 3.5 Cu. Ft. |
Price | ||||
Rating |
The Escape series with all three models is undoubtedly Drolet’s most exemplary wood stoves in 2022. In terms of combustion quality, heating efficiency, and structure, very few other Drolet stoves can outsmart them.
The Escape series contains these models: Escape 1200 (S), Escape 1500 (M), Escape 1800 (L), and Escape 2100 (XL). Although they share several standard features, the list goes in ascending order of size, capacity, and price.
However, while explaining them in depth below, I’ll segmentize them for you to compare better.
The Structure and Build Quality
All three Escape Fire Stoves come with a 3/16” thick, steel-made body and a 5/16” thick top made of steel. The front door is made of ceramic glass with a cast-iron frame around it.
Both chimney and flue outlet diameters are 6” for all three. Each of them also sports a top heat deflector, an ash lip, an ash drawer, side panels(to reduce clearances), air intake control, secondary air tubes, etc.
These aside, several structural specs don’t share 100%.
Coverage Area
The Escape 1500 is the most compact stove, with a minor coverage area. With a 65,000 BTU/h max heat output, it’s suitable for any room within 500 to 1800 square feet. Though, it’s recommended for any room/apartment of 700-1000 square feet of area.
The Escape 1800 comes with a 75,000 BTU/h max output, which can heat up to 2100 sq ft of space.
For heavy heating demands, go with the Escape 2100, which has an insanely high- 110,000 BTU/h heating output. With that, it can easily be in the job of warming up any area within 2,700 square feet. On the flip side, this will be overkill for less than 1000 square feet of space.
Heat/Fuel Efficiency & Emission
We, along with many of our readers, took efficiency measures very carefully while reviewing even the most popular Drolet stoves.
What we found is the Escape 1500 is the MOST efficient model out of the three. With a 78% optimal efficiency, it will take fewer logs to produce the same heat for you. The particulate and CO emission rates are 1.26 g/h and 58 g/h, which is also quite low.
Escape 1800 still has a decent optimal efficiency of 77%. But the particle emission rate is 1.54 g/h, which is higher than both escape stoves. The CO emission is 89/4 g/h, far more than the smallest Escape 1500.
However, from the perspective of CO emission, the Escape 2100 tops the list with 92 g/h, which is quite high. With 77% optimal energy efficiency, it’s just the same to it’s younger sibling Escape 1500. The particulate emission is 1.32 g/h, which is an impressively low emission for such a massive production capacity.
Drolet 3.3 Series (Austral III, Legend III, Myriad III & Black Stag II): Best For Large Spaces
Features That They Share
- Capacity: 900 – 2,300 sq ft.
- Firebox: 3.3 Cu. Ft.
- Log Size: up to 20”
- Output: 90,000 BTU/h
- Particulate Emission Rate: 0.95 g/h.
- Optimum efficiency: 78%
- CO Emission Rate: 61.3 g/h
The 3.3 series from Drolet has got this name by the same size of fireboxes that each of these stoves shares. Although these four models might not share the same nametag like the escape series, things are insanely identical when you’d get into details. But before we get into putting them on the same ground, here are the standout features of each of these 3.3 series stoves-
Got the initial impressions? Let’s roll into further break-down then-
The Structure and Built Quality
From what we can see in the picture, the dimensions of Austral III, Legend III, Myriad III & Black Stag II are pretty similar. And that’s strange, as they all have the same firebox size(3.3 cubic feet).
But with the legs, the stories are different.
The Austral III sports straight steel legs with a clean and simple design. The Legend III and Black Stag II have stylish and curvy cast iron legs. Myriad III has no legs, as it’s a pedestal stove.
The models of the 3.3 series, except the Black Stag II, come with ceramic glass doors of 14 5/8″ X 11 3/4″. Black Stag II has a heavy gauge steel plate door with an engraved deer image. Nature lovers might find it enticing, maybe.
Lastly, the clearances of combustibles bring a slight difference between Legend III and other group members. Legend III sports a 10” corner clearance and 12” sidewall clearance, whereas Myriad III, Austral III, and Black Stag II have 12” and 20”, respectively.
That aside, the back wall clearance(14-½”) and top clearance are the same for all four models.
Here’s the nitty-gritty of all of the structural facts about all four of them-
The Coverage
From the viewpoint of coverage, all four of these models are identical. They all have a 90,000 BTU/h max output, making them able to keep any area within 900-2,300 sq. ft. warm enough.
Heat/Fuel Efficiency & Emission
The three emission and efficiency measurements are- Particulate emission rate, Optimum efficiency, and CO emission rate. And all three are the same for the four models we’re talking about here.
That means all of them to come with an Emission rate of 0.95 g/h, An average CO emission of 61.3 g/h, and optimum efficiency of 78%.
To wrap the whole comparison up, here’s a video on the 3.3 series that we’ve found on SBI’s youtube channel-
Drolet 1.9 Series (Blackcomb II, Deco II & Savannah II): Best For Small/Medium Spaces
Features That They Share
- Capacity: 500 – 1,800 sq ft.
- Firebox: 1.9 Cu. Ft.
- Log Size: up to 18”
- Output: 65,000 BTU/h
- Particulate Emission Rate: 1.26 g/h.
- Optimum efficiency: 78%
- CO Emission Rate: 58 g/h
- Cast iron frame with pedestal stand.
- Ceramic glass door.
This Drolet lineup is there as long as it’s about keeping the heat up in a small apartment or space. Honestly, they don’t share that many physical features anyway. But we’ve put them on the same row because of their heating capacity, efficiency, and overall performance.
However, here’s a comparative sneak peek-
This Drolet lineup is there as long as it’s about keeping the heat up in a small apartment or space. Honestly, they don’t share that many physical features anyway. But we’ve put them on the same row because of their heating capacity, efficiency, and overall performance.
We’re going to disclose more below-
The Structure and Built Quality
As you might know, these three(Blackcomb II, Deco II & Savannah II) have the exact size of the firebox- 1.9 cubic feet. They can house the exact size of logs(18”).
These pedestal models have cast iron frames with ceramic glass doors each. The glass door is 15-3/4″ x 9-3/4″ for all three of them.
Structurally, all three are pretty close, but the height of Deco II. It’s 36-5/8″ high stove, which provides more room for log storage than the 30-⅝” height of both Blackcomb II and Savannah II.
Also, Blackcomb II offers a 5-inch more clearance(15”) on the sidewall compared to the other two(Deco II and Savannah II have 10” sidewall clearance). It’s also the heaviest among the group.
The Coverage
All three of this lineup share the same heating output of 65,000 BTU/hour, which is good for keeping any area within 500-1800 square feet warm.
Heat/Fuel Efficiency & Emission
Blackcomb II, Deco II & Savannah II- all are non-catalytic combustion-based stoves. With an optimum efficiency of 78%, they’re good enough for any small to medium space.
The CO release and average particulate emission rates are 58 g/h and 1.26 g/h, respectively. In terms of CO release rate, this is a significant score, compared to the 60-90 g/h range that most of the other Drolet stoves lie within(except Escape 1500).
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
Is Drolet a good wood stove brand?
Yes, Drolet is one of the top-rated brands with a rich inventory of wood stoves in the USA and Canada. Their stoves are EPA certified(under 2.5 g/h particulate emission) and offer good efficiency.
Where are Drolet wood stoves made?
Drolet wood stoves are made and distributed by Stove Builder International, Inc. across Canada, North America, South America, and Australia. It’s a Canadian enterprise which has it’s USA distribution center at South Bend, Indiana.
Are Drolet wood stoves CSA-approved?
All of the Drolet wood stoves mentioned above, are CSA B415.1-10 standard approved, which is an emission rate of 4.5 g/h around all of the Canadian provinces. In Montreal, it’s 2.5 g/h and Drolet wood stoves also meet that.
Where to buy Drolet wood stoves?
On amazon, Drolet stoves are in the inventories of trusted sellers like My Fireplace Products, Northern Tool + Equipment. Also, it’s available on other e-commerces like My Fireplace Products, Home Depot, E Fireplace Store, Northern Tool + Equipment and a few more.
How to clean a Drolet wood stove?
Cleaning clogged up Drolet stoves usually means cleaning the creosote(tar, organic vapor, and expelled moisture) from the chimney. You can use a chimney brush or SootEater kit to clean it up with ease.
What Drolet wood stove accessories are there?
There are Drolet accessories like Cooking grate, fireplace grate, heat shield, rigid firescreen, air plenum kit, forced air blower kit(with speed control), air filter(with support), air intake pipe, cold air return housing, air intake kit, hopper extension, storage tank(self-feeding) with extension, log holder, discharge tank etc.
Bottom Line
Well, seems like we’ve made you read till the very end of these reviews on several top-rated Drolet wood stoves. Nonetheless, we hope that the discussion has set a comparative perspective in you, before you put your hands on the ‘right’ model for your need.
That said, let’s talk about some other brands of wood stoves in the next post. Leave your suggestions in the comment below and we’ll send it to our editorial team right away.
HVAC tech with over 30 years of experience. Retired and doing repair work on the side around Madison County, AL.
I got a Legend II a couple years ago. It is holding up very well and heats up the place well. However the instructions for the bypass damper are opposite to the actual action of damper handle on stove.
When putting in more wood to a fire, I have to be quick since stove smokes almost as soon as I open it, no matter position of the controls. As for keeping a fire all night, that is mostly a dream. I still have to often get up during night to add wood, even when I load up the firebox close to midnight. Have not used the fan on back of stove.
I have had better luck using small whole logs (not split) loading a small burning fire and have had wood still left in the morning with my Napoleon stove. If the wood is split it won’t last the night.