Can coal or corn pellets be used in a small potbelly stove?
You would have to check with the manufacturer. The corn would burn but depending on the specific stove it probably wouldn’t get the right oxygen mix to burn properly but there should be little risk if you wanted to try some if it looks like its burning smokey, not burning well stop. The coal on the other hand could become a problem if the stove was not designed for it coal burns hotter than wood and using too much coal can overheat the metal I have even seen the outside of some wood stoves get red from the heat. Generally the thicker the metal the safer it is to use coal and in a pinch you can use coal but just use a little at a time. Many times potbelly stoves were made with the ability to use coal but I would first check the manufacturer if you can first.
