Napolean or Flame insert owners, what should we get?

I cant tell you how much I appreciate your thoughts. Yes there will be times when we need lots of firepower. We will likely run it to gently heat that part of the house, but we could also have another record low winter, with power out, and the road drifted over, need to be prepared as that happened last year.

Initially it was 1952 600 sq/ft cabin, 3 additions over the decades, now 1800 sq ft ranch. No high ceilings. It was my husbands man-cave for a few years......We sold our long time home and I moved in.. To simplify, the home now is ~~in 1/3's . 1/3 has large pellet stove, other we don't need to heat. The last 1/3 is the orig 1952 600 sq ft where the new stove will go (the pic above before remodel) where the BK currently is. We turned it into a childs bed/bath/dining. No other heat except electric space heaters, useless when the power is out which is often.

MAJOR remodel this summer, so the insulation and windows, etc are pretty tight in most the home (100% better than last year), except the BK room, it has a drafty floor. I regret spending so much on new kitch cabinets, some of that money would have been better spent on a new stove, but I thought we could get a few more years out of the old BK.

I'd prefer a freestanding , but there is not enough space now since we remodeled (pic above), we put a second bath across from the BK, so we will likely do an insert. We just left our old Schrader (21 years with it in that home, loved it!) as we well as many cords of seasoned wood .

Either way the old chimney is worse than expected, so it will have to be cleaned, scrubbed, and relined. There was no adapter on the BK, I found the term "slammer" There is ONE section of pipe above the chimney, even the chimney sweep we hired last year didnt realize the chimney was not lined, we went though a record cold winter burning it hard with the creosote chunks laying on top of the insert, I feel foolish for not looking but grateful we did not have a fire.

From what I have learned, I am looking for big firebox and a strong variable speed blower(s). I can find one, or the other, in my price range, but both together is getting expensive. Why is it consumers always want the impossible? Ha Ha, I was on the other end for alot of years

I will look into PE, anything I buy will have to be shipped here anyway.

Have a good week