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Vermont Castings Encore 2040-CAT-C: is it worth buying?

Wood stove by Hearth and Home Technologies.

A middle-of-the-road wood stove: no standout strengths in the EPA tests.

Compare it with the better-matched picks below before you buy.

How it compares

Against all 156 new wood stoves, from the EPA's lab tests. Longer bar = better.

HeatBetter than 70%
up to 37,102 BTU an hour
Clean burningBetter than 67%
1.1 grams of smoke an hour (legal limit 2)
Heat from each logBetter than 63%
77% efficient
Burn time (firebox size)Better than 53%
2 cubic feet

Source: EPA certification record 4834, checked Nov 1, 2026. Smoke compared as a share of each stove's legal limit, since stoves tested on real cordwood get a higher limit.

Better-matched picks with similar heat

If one of these matters more to you, start here.

Want less smoke? Woodstock Soapstone Progress Hybrid 209b Cleaner than 99% of new wood stoves, with similar heat.
Want to burn less wood? Blaze King Sirocco 30.2 Gets more heat from each log than 99% of new wood stoves.
Want longer burns? Blaze King King KE40 Bigger firebox than 99% of new wood stoves.

Other questions

What size chimney liner does it need?

Match the liner to the flue collar size in the Vermont Castings Encore 2040-CAT-C owner's manual, and have a certified installer confirm it fits your chimney.

It's catalytic. What does that mean?

It has a catalytic combustor, a honeycomb part that helps burn off smoke. It wears out over time and needs replacing, so ask the dealer what a new one costs.

What do these numbers mean?

The EPA tests every new stove before it can be sold. "Heat" is the most heat it put out in the test. "Clean burning" is smoke per hour. "Heat from each log" is the share of the wood's energy that reaches your room. Firebox size tells you how much wood it holds, which drives how long it burns.

Check today's price: Vermont Castings Encore 2040-CAT-C