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Vermont Castings Montpelier II: is it worth buying?

Wood stove by Hearth and Home Technologies. Also sold as Quadra-Fire Expedition II.

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

The catch: more smoke than most new stoves.

How it compares

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

HeatBetter than 30%
up to 26,785 BTU an hour
Clean burningBetter than 10%
1.8 grams of smoke an hour (legal limit 2)
Heat from each logBetter than 28%
71% efficient
Burn time (firebox size)Better than 72%
2.37 cubic feet

Source: EPA certification record 4869, 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? Hearthstone Green Mountain 80-1 Cleaner than 96% of new wood stoves, with similar heat.
Want to burn less wood? Hearthstone Green Mountain 80 8680 Gets more heat from each log than 96% of new wood stoves.
Want longer burns? Supreme Astra 38 Bigger firebox than 95% 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 Montpelier II owner's manual, and have a certified installer confirm it fits your chimney.

It's non-catalytic. What does that mean?

There's no catalytic combustor, so no combustor part to replace down the road.

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 Montpelier II