Fireplaces & Stoves

Wood stoves and inserts give the most heat and the real-fire experience (and are our specialty). Gas gives instant, thermostat-controlled warmth with no wood pile, and new gas fireplaces can be installed almost anywhere. Pellet stoves are efficient, cleaner-burning and convenient for everyday supplemental heat. Tell us about your space, your chimney and how you want to use it and we'll point you to the right unit — several are burning live in the showroom so you can compare.

We will help you find a local licensed installer from a list of reputable contractors we have worked with for years. We do not do the installation ourselves, but these are people we know and trust — they take care of the hearth pad, venting and chimney work through the final inspection, and they know what each town requires for a permit. Already have an installer you like? We are glad to work with them, and we will supply the specs they need.

We support the brands we carry. Email info@pondsidekitchens.com with your contact information, the make, model and serial number, the date and place of purchase, and a photo of the part you need, and we'll take it from there.

Late spring through summer. Stove season in Connecticut starts earlier than you think — the best selection and installation slots go by early fall. Visit in the off-season and your stove will be ready for the first cold snap.

A fireplace insert slides into an existing masonry fireplace and turns a drafty open fireplace into an efficient heater, using a liner up the existing chimney. A freestanding stove stands on its own hearth pad anywhere you can run venting, and radiates heat from all sides. Both come in wood, gas and pellet — we have both types burning in the showroom.

It varies widely with the stove itself, the venting or chimney work needed and the hearth pad — so we quote every job individually, and the quote is free. Bring photos of the room and the chimney, and fill in our measurement sheet beforehand, and we can give you a realistic installed price.

Usually, yes — that is exactly what a wood or gas insert is for. It fits inside the masonry opening, vents through a liner in the existing chimney, and heats far better than an open fireplace. Bring the opening measurements (width, height and depth — our measurement sheet walks you through it) and we will tell you which units fit.

A catalytic stove (Blaze King is the best-known) uses a catalytic combustor to burn smoke a second time at low temperatures, which means very long, steady burns — some models run more than a day on a single load — and low emissions. It's ideal for people who want overnight heat without reloading. Watch the "How a Blaze King Works" video on this page, or come see one run.

Blaze King, Regency, Hearthstone (soapstone), Mendota, Pacific Energy and Majestic — wood, gas and pellet stoves, inserts and fireplaces, with many units on display in Deep River.

Most Connecticut towns require a permit and inspection for a new stove, insert or gas fireplace. The licensed local installers we recommend know their town requirements and do the work to code — ask us and we will walk you through it.

The usual guidance is at least once a year — more if you burn a lot or burn wood that isn't fully seasoned. Burning dry, seasoned wood keeps the flue cleaner and the stove more efficient. Ask us for a recommended local chimney sweep.