Better 'n Ben's Fireplace Stoves: Models and Replacements

A Better 'n Ben's (often searched as "Better n Bens") is a familiar old fireplace stove across New England: a black box with a big front door, bolted to a steel plate that closes off the fireplace opening, smoke going straight up the old masonry flue. Most came with the house. The question owners ask is always the same — is it worth keeping, and if not, what goes in its place?

Short version: it was a good idea in 1979, but the way it vents is not accepted practice today. The fix is a modern wood insert with a full stainless liner, or a freestanding stove with a proper chimney. Here's what we could confirm about the brand, and what each replacement costs once the liner is included.

Who made Better 'n Ben's

The BETTER'N BEN'S trademark was filed in January 1977 by The Hayes-Te Equipment Corporation, covering wood and coal burning stoves and accessories. A 1979 print ad from Hayes Equipment sold it as the "Better 'n Ben's Fireplace Insert," claiming it would heat four to six rooms. Hudson River Stove Works, which started as a stove distributor in 1973, says the first brand it ever sold was Better 'n Ben's, "made in Unionville, CT." The name reads as a jab at Ben Franklin's fireplace stove, and owners date most of them to the late-1970s and early-1980s oil crunch. We couldn't find a surviving manufacturer, parts program or published manual.

The models

Model numbers come almost entirely from owners and forum moderators, so treat this as a field guide rather than a catalog.

Owners also report the stoves were safety listed, with a tag on the back. On a typical fireplace unit the stove rests on front feet on the hearth, and a faceplate with two long slotted cover plates clamps it to the fireplace opening using a knob on each side.

The real problem: how it vents

A Better 'n Ben's was designed to be bolted to that faceplate and fired straight into the fireplace's smoke chamber. In most original installs there's no pipe connecting the stove to the flue; the exhaust simply rises through the old damper into a masonry chimney sized for an open fire. Today that arrangement is called a "slammer," and forum veterans point out it hasn't been accepted practice for a long time.

Three things go wrong:

• Creosote you can't see. Slow, cool exhaust in an oversized flue condenses creosote on the smoke shelf and inside the tile, where a sweep can't easily reach without pulling the stove.
• Weak draft. A flue built for an open fireplace is far larger than a stove needs, so smoke rolls back on start-up.
• A loose seal. Owners describe single-door units with no door gasket and air controls that make the stove hard to hold at a steady temperature.

Every Better 'n Ben's also predates the 1988 EPA standard, so there's no certified efficiency or emissions figure. That matters most when you relocate it, sell the house, or your insurer asks about the wood stove. Our EPA certification guide explains the current rules.

If yours is an 801 burning coal

We don't sell coal stoves, and a modern wood insert isn't a substitute for one. If coal is the plan, keep looking. If you're ready to switch fuels, read coal stove vs wood stove first, then come back.

What replaces a Better 'n Ben's

There are two honest paths, and the chimney decides which one you take.

Path 1: a modern insert with a full liner

This is the closest match to what you have now: the heat still comes out of the fireplace, but the new stove sits in the firebox and a stainless liner runs from its collar to the top of the chimney. The Drolet Escape 1800-I ($1,799, Expected Jan 2027) is the fastest-shipping of our Drolet and Englander inserts. It covers up to 2,100 sq ft, takes 20" logs, burns up to 8 hours and includes a variable-speed blower.

For a smaller fireplace, the Drolet Escape 1500-I ($1,729, 500–1,800 sq ft, faceplate included, Ships in 2–4 weeks) and the USA-built Englander Blue Ridge 150-I ($1,589, 250–1,200 sq ft, 17" logs, faceplate included) suit tighter openings. The Englander Blue Ridge 300-I ($1,799, 500–2,100 sq ft, Ships in 4–9 weeks) is the full-size Englander option.

What the liner adds — be clear on this

The insert price is not the project price. Drolet and Englander insert manuals call for a full-height stainless liner, and that's the line item most Better 'n Ben's owners don't budget for, because the old stove never had one.

The simplest way to buy it is the Escape 1800-I + faceplate + 25 ft liner bundle at $2,199, which saves $238 against buying the three pieces separately. Taller chimney? The 35 ft version is $2,269. There are matching Escape 1500-I bundles from $1,969.

Installed by a pro, a stainless reline typically runs $900 to $3,800 on its own (HomeGuide's 2026 figures). A straight, accessible chimney is a realistic two-person DIY job. Our chimney liner guide covers sizing and installation, the faceplate guide covers measuring the opening, and fireplace insert cost puts the whole job in one number.

Path 2: a freestanding stove

If the fireplace chimney is in rough shape, or you'd rather have the stove out in the room, a freestanding stove on its own chimney sidesteps the reline entirely. The Drolet Escape 1200 N ($1,129, 250–1,200 sq ft, Ships in 4–9 weeks) and Englander Blue Ridge 100 N ($1,099, 250–1,200 sq ft, Ships in 1–3 days) cover the same ground as most Better 'n Ben's installs. For a bigger house, the Drolet Escape 1800 on legs ($1,549, 500–2,100 sq ft, Ships in 2–4 weeks).

Budget the chimney: a new Class A run, or a reline if the stove vents into the fireplace flue — the VOLKA-635 reline kit ($579) is built for that. See the chimney and stovepipe guide.

The honest comparison

A Better 'n Ben's has one advantage: it's paid for. If it's tight, uncracked and the flue has been inspected, some owners keep running it. But a slammer with a leaky door is the riskiest way to burn wood indoors, and an insert with a liner fixes the stove and the chimney in one job — on noticeably less wood, provided it's seasoned.

Before you swap

• Get the chimney swept and inspected first. See how often to clean a chimney.
• Removing the old stove. Owners report the faceplate clamps release with the side knobs. Support the back of the stove before sliding it out, because it rests on front feet.
• Measure the fireplace opening, depth and chimney height before choosing an insert or liner length.
• Clearances and hearth extension come from the new stove's manual, never from where the old one sat. See the hearth pad guide and installation guide.

Bottom line

If you're keeping the fireplace, get the Escape 1800-I liner bundle. If the fireplace is small, go with the Blue Ridge 150-I, and if you'd rather have the stove out in the room, the Escape 1200 N. Each one shows its live shipping status above. No Sales Tax in any state and free shipping. Browse wood inserts, compare wood stove vs fireplace insert, or email info@stovesource.com or text 1-888-866-8206 with your opening size and chimney height.

Replacing another vintage stove?

Same honest assessment for the other brands owners still run: Black Bart, Fisher, All Nighter, Sierra, Nashua, Timberline, Dutchwest and Federal Airtight, Warm Morning and Vermont Castings Vigilant and Resolute.