This is the age-old question, bigger is never better. All hearth appliances need to operate in their entire heating range. Running a hearth appliance on low all the time so it is not going to heat you out of the room is a poor choice. Hearth appliances are made to be enjoyed while they are running, and the vast majority will run better when they run continuously when used. A smaller stove will run longer but the objective is to enjoy the ambiance of the appliance, the heat loss and size of the room comes into play when choosing the size right product for you