# Wood Cook Stove



## firecracker_77 (Jul 29, 2012)

Anyone have one of these?  They look pretty nice if not a little expensive as a heat source.  Would make a great addition to any kitchen.


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## begreen (Jul 29, 2012)

A few lucky members here have them in their kitchens. I had an old timer when living in CT and loved it. This stove is a lot fancier. Not sure what brand this one is, Margin? Aga, Esse, Heartland are a some of the makers out there.

Good to hear that he is really careful where he deposits those hot coals.

The how to start a wood cook stove video is helpful.



Here's a video of laundry drying around the stove. There are several more including one on




For more videos documenting their lifestyle here is their youtube home page:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtisanAcre


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## begreen (Jul 29, 2012)

Here's some info on the Margin wood cook stove:
http://marginstoves.com/


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## firecracker_77 (Jul 29, 2012)

That is a really fancy stove.  I love it.  Thanks for all those videos.  I'll check them out.  It's a little hard to justify the $4,000+ price tag for the new cook stoves.  A woodstove cooktop can do half of the tasks as one of these and not nearly the price.  Fun to think about though.


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## begreen (Jul 29, 2012)

There's something elegant and special about a nice cookstove in the kitchen. It warms the body, food and soul.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 29, 2012)

And it also brings back some very pleasant memories for some of us.


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## charly (Jul 29, 2012)

Wouldn't be without our Esse. What a pleasant stove to run and cook with. The heat output is great! Such a nice soothing heat, and then you remember it's cooking your dinner too. Best of both worlds. Power goes out,  your dinner is still cooking. We did the same exact brownie mix in our electric oven and the Esse. Esse hands down won! After having the stove, you get what you paid for. I can tell this stove will out last me and without a doubt the next owners as well.


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## Ashful (Jul 29, 2012)

Tough sell for most wives, I imagine.  Would sure be fun as a second cookstove, but it's not likely to replace a gas or electric range in most households.

Now if that Margin Flame View Heater was a cat stove with long burn times... I'd be measuring to see if I could shoehorn one in my fireplace!


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## Prof (Jul 29, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> And it also brings back some very pleasant memories for some of us.


 Something just seems right about a cookstove.


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## firecracker_77 (Jul 29, 2012)

I would love to have one, and I would use it.


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## Ashful (Jul 30, 2012)

firecracker_77 said:


> I would love to have one, and I would use it.



You may change your tune after firing it 500 times a year, every time you want to heat something on the stove top!  Looks fun, until it's your only stove on hot days in late July.


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## begreen (Jul 30, 2012)

When I had one and fired it up, twice a day during the heating season. It becomes a rhythm of life, not too different from other small firebox woodstoves. In the summer I used the electric stove, though it was not uncommon before electricity and piped gas to have a second stove outside in the summer kitchen.


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## eclecticcottage (Jul 30, 2012)

If we had the space, I would love a wood stove as well as our propane stove-or one of the combo units.  There is no where NEAR enough clearance in our kitchen though, and no place for a summer kitchen.


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## firecracker_77 (Jul 30, 2012)

I like it, but that price is high for me right now.  I could have another stove with pipe installed for that much


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 30, 2012)

Joful said:


> You may change your tune after firing it 500 times a year, every time you want to heat something on the stove top! Looks fun, until it's your only stove on hot days in late July.


 
When I was a little boy my mother did her cooking on the wood stove....except for the hot summer months; usually Memorial Day until Labor Day. In those times she used a small propane stove top. It was actually more like something one would use for camping. She was happy to get the wood stove going again though until her health somewhat deteriorated. She finally got a decent gas stove and I do not have the memory of what happened to the wood cook stove. Later in life, they also ended up getting fuel oil for heating. I think that was about the time I got married and the price of fuel oil at that time was $.12 per gallon. Most folks bragged that they could heat their home for less than a dollar a day back then.


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## firecracker_77 (Jul 30, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> When I was a little boy my mother did her cooking on the wood stove....except for the hot summer months; usually Memorial Day until Labor Day. In those times she used a small propane stove top. It was actually more like something one would use for camping. She was happy to get the wood stove going again though until her health somewhat deteriorated. She finally got a decent gas stove and I do not have the memory of what happened to the wood cook stove. Later in life, they also ended up getting fuel oil for heating. I think that was about the time I got married and the price of fuel oil at that time was $.12 per gallon. Most folks bragged that they could heat their home for less than a dollar a day back then.


 
Interesting story.


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## charly (Jul 31, 2012)

The Esse takes up to a 19 inch log. I cut everything 16-18 so the wood fits in both of my stoves. The Esse does over night burns , even has a secondary air wash on the top. You get those wispy secondary flames over the wood once you damp it down. Once going I shut off the bottom draft and just run the secondary upper draft. Easy stove to run. I usually keep it going 24/7. For that matter you could burn coal as well as it has some monster grates inside.Bet they're an inch thick and cast iron. Nice big slide out ash drawer too. I save all my ugly wood pieces for the cook stove. There was a picture window in the room with stove, we took that out and put two new double hung windows , so we can  now open the windows and let air in or heat out if need be. I figure we could always throw a fan in the window and use the stove when it's still a little warm out.


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## SteveKG (Jul 31, 2012)

A well-designed wood cookstove is quite easy to use, and I do all our baking on ours. Well, except for the very hottest summer days, when I bake on the Weber gas grill outdoors. I've been baking in cookstove ovens for decades and love them. Contrary to some opinion, they are not difficult to get to or keep at a desired temperature. You do not come home from a long day at work and light them up, expecting to cook in ten minutes. But the better-designed ones will hold temperature for hours with minimal attention to the fire. 

However, good cookstoves are pricey, very heavy, and take up some room. Though not any more room than a gas range. Many people have the gas range as well as the cookstove, so there is much more room taken up in the kitchen, which can be a factor for many kitchens. We don't have a gas range in the kitchen, just a countertop propane burner set I cut off the top of a propane range someone gave me. 

Getting a wood cookstove is, therefore, something about which to think carefully. I am 100% for them, but if you plan to move in a little while, that cookstove is gonna be a bear to take along. Ours weighs around 900 lb. And, as they cost a lot of money, if you later decide you don't really like it, you have a ton of cash locked up in it until such time as you can find a buyer. 

But you couldn't pry mine away from me. My wife agrees, says it's about the best thing we ever did, buying it.


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## charly (Jul 31, 2012)

SteveKG said:


> A well-designed wood cookstove is quite easy to use, and I do all our baking on ours. Well, except for the very hottest summer days, when I bake on the Weber gas grill outdoors. I've been baking in cookstove ovens for decades and love them. Contrary to some opinion, they are not difficult to get to or keep at a desired temperature. You do not come home from a long day at work and light them up, expecting to cook in ten minutes. But the better-designed ones will hold temperature for hours with minimal attention to the fire.
> 
> However, good cookstoves are pricey, very heavy, and take up some room. Though not any more room than a gas range. Many people have the gas range as well as the cookstove, so there is much more room taken up in the kitchen, which can be a factor for many kitchens. We don't have a gas range in the kitchen, just a countertop propane burner set I cut off the top of a propane range someone gave me.
> 
> ...


I agree on the oven temps being easy to maintain. That's one of the benefits I think you get with a heavy built stove. Mass gives you nice even cooking temps. We're fortunate that there was an open room right off our kitchen with a 6 inch step down to that room. It worked out perfect. Cooking food that will come out great and heating your place at the same time is no doubt a very wonderful feeling and environment to be in. Self sufficiency at it's best! Yup can almost feel the old days!


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## BrianK (Jul 31, 2012)

There is a modern Knox Mealmaster wood or coal cook stove for sale near here at a very reasonable price. Is anyone familiar with them? I'm very tempted to just buy it and store it in my basement for a rainy day. 

Is there any way to line an interior chimney that is currently used to vent a gas furnace so that it can vent both the gas furnace and the kitchen cook stove? If so I could install this Knox in a rear room or in the basement. (I installed an exterior flue for the Fireview in our living room.)


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## Ashful (Aug 1, 2012)

Does your gas furnace really need a chimney?  Maybe repurpose that chimney to the cookstove, and go direct vent with the gas furnace?


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## TX-L (Aug 1, 2012)

Although no longer hooked up, I still have this one, and am somewhat attached to it:


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## tfdchief (Aug 1, 2012)

charly said:


> I agree on the oven temps being easy to maintain. That's one of the benefits I think you get with a heavy built stove. Mass gives you nice even cooking temps. We're fortunate that there was an open room right off our kitchen with a 6 inch step down to that room. It worked out perfect. Cooking food that will come out great and heating your place at the same time is no doubt a very wonderful feeling and environment to be in. Self sufficiency at it's best! Yup can almost feel the old days!


Charly, That is absolutely beautiful!  We put a little stove in our kitchen winter before last.  We really wanted a cook stove but just didn't have the room and really didn't want to spend the money.  We love our little stove in the kitchen, but yours makes a part of me wish I had gone with the cook stove.  Gorgeous!


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## BrianK (Aug 1, 2012)

Joful said:


> Does your gas furnace really need a chimney? Maybe repurpose that chimney to the cookstove, and go direct vent with the gas furnace?


 
The gas furnace is more than 20 years old. I have no idea what the requirements are to vent a gas furnace (natural gas, hot water furnace with old fashioned radiators). Anyone have any ideas? I'd love to be able to use the interior chimney with a liner for this kitchen cook stove.


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## charly (Aug 1, 2012)

tfdchief said:


> Charly, That is absolutely beautiful! We put a little stove in our kitchen winter before last. We really wanted a cook stove but just didn't have the room and really didn't want to spend the money. We love our little stove in the kitchen, but yours makes a part of me wish I had gone with the cook stove. Gorgeous!


Thank you for the nice complement. We are extremely happy with the whole thing. If we have a lot to cook, we have two kitchen stoves, one definitely cooks food a lot better and also heats the house


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## Ashful (Aug 2, 2012)

BrianK said:


> The gas furnace is more than 20 years old. I have no idea what the requirements are to vent a gas furnace (natural gas, hot water furnace with old fashioned radiators). Anyone have any ideas? I'd love to be able to use the interior chimney with a liner for this kitchen cook stove.


 
Maybe call the original installer?  His sticker should be on the side of the furnace.  20 years is not that long, chances are he's still in business.  Most installers only carry / install a few furnace models, and so he probably knows the requirements for your model inside and out.


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## tfdchief (Aug 2, 2012)

BrianK said:


> The gas furnace is more than 20 years old. I have no idea what the requirements are to vent a gas furnace (natural gas, hot water furnace with old fashioned radiators). Anyone have any ideas? I'd love to be able to use the interior chimney with a liner for this kitchen cook stove.


Your old furnace probably requires the vent/chimney it is on now.  Newer furnaces in the 90+ range are vented with PVC directly to the outside, and take combustion air directly from the outside through PVC as well.  If you put in a new furnace like that, you could then utilize existing chimney if it is adequate for relining and wood burning.


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## begreen (Aug 3, 2012)

Do a Google search for Condensing Gas Furnace. The latest models are 2 stage, variable blower with an AFUE of 96.6%! If you have natural gas, that is the way to go.


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## tjnamtiw (Aug 3, 2012)

firecracker_77 said:


> I like it, but that price is high for me right now. I could have another stove with pipe installed for that much


Take a real hard look at the Sopka wood/coal stoves at www.sopkainc.com.  I have the Royal 720 installed and ready to go.  I've baked bread in it a couple of times to get used to it. The owner of Sopka, Geno, is absolutely great in before and AFTER the sale.  You  can also work with him on the price a little too.  Shipping right to your door can be had at no charge too.  The stoves are made in Serbia where they are USED as the primary source of cooking and, in many cases, heating so they have to be good.  Mine is one of the lower priced models and it is still very well insulated and built.  
Don't  be scared off by the Serbia part.  It's one heck of a lot better than Made in China


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## firecracker_77 (Aug 5, 2012)

tjnamtiw said:


> Take a real hard look at the Sopka wood/coal stoves at www.sopkainc.com. I have the Royal 720 installed and ready to go. I've baked bread in it a couple of times to get used to it. The owner of Sopka, Geno, is absolutely great in before and AFTER the sale. You can also work with him on the price a little too. Shipping right to your door can be had at no charge too. The stoves are made in Serbia where they are USED as the primary source of cooking and, in many cases, heating so they have to be good. Mine is one of the lower priced models and it is still very well insulated and built.
> Don't be scared off by the Serbia part. It's one heck of a lot better than Made in China


 
Those are good prices!


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## tjnamtiw (Aug 5, 2012)

firecracker_77 said:


> Those are good prices!


Yea, they really are!  And they are a good supplier.


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## PassionForFire&Water (Jan 20, 2013)

Check out these hydronic wood burning cook stoves.
Lots of heat goes into the water: 45% to 65%
http://www.hydro-to-heat-convertor.com/cookstovesLacunza.html
http://www.hydro-to-heat-convertor.com/cookstovesPertinger.html


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## Ehouse (Jan 20, 2013)

I remember the Esse literature saying that you can run a couple of radiators off it's optional water jacket.  Has anyone done this?


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## PassionForFire&Water (Jan 20, 2013)

Yes, the Esse Iron Hearth can do 2.8 kW to the water, what is around 9,500 BTU/hr. It's optional tough.

The Vulcano 7E5 and Pertinger OkoAlpin models have the hydronic heater build-in. It's part of the appliance. 28,000 to 68,000 BTU/hr to the water is hugh.






You can easly heat a 2,500SF home with this and also Domestic Hot Water for kitchen and showers.

Just wondering what we gone cook all day


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## Flamestead (Jan 20, 2013)

TX-L said:


> Although no longer hooked up, I still have this one, and am somewhat attached to it:


 
The exact same Home Comfort cookstove came with our house, and we used it our first year in the house. When we decided to add a liner for safety the logical place was where we spent the most time, and we needed more heat than the cookstove would provide, so it is in retirement. My grandparents had the same stove, too. My grandmother had custom pans made for boiling syrup, and had the stove in a room that could be closed off from the rest of the house and that had cross-ventilation (door/window). Great memories. My dad says his father said they made a big deal of dumping the crated stove off the back of the delivery truck to advertise its durability.

I grew up using a cookstove - once Fall burning began we were banned from using the electric stove. I love using a cookstove, and perhaps one day I will have the right configuration to allow using it again.


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## rideau (Jan 20, 2013)

My grandmother had a huge beautiful Findlay that my Aunt GAVE AWAY to smeone across the lake.

Wish I had room in my kitchen, and a upper home layout that would allow for a flue, for a wood burning stove.   Love wood stoves, hate supporting Ontario Hydro (excuse me, Hydroone). 

Cook on my PH from Autumn til summer.  Then I pretty much switch to the microwave...especially last summer.  Too darn hot to eat hot meals...lots of luscious salads and stuffed vegetables. 

Late August I decided to fire up the PH and do some preserving, and some steaming prior to freezing.  BIG MISTAKE.  With our 90 + degree weather, no one was taking to me pretty soon.   

Wish I could figure a way to process some maple syrup in the house....any chance wet cheesecloth over a steel mesh would keep the sugar from destroying the house?  Would love to tap my trees and make a few gallons of syrup...or even one to start.  Wish I had a big cauldron so I could boil it down outside...


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## begreen (Jan 20, 2013)

It's the steam that comes off that would be a challenge in the house. The ratio is like 40 to one so you would be boiling off something like 10 gallons of water to get one quart of syrup. That would have water dripping from the walls and windows.


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## simple.serf (Jan 20, 2013)

We had some custom stainless pans made locally by the Amish for finishing syrup at our sugar house. The pans fit over the entire stovetop. This was alot cheaper than getting a finishing evaporator.

I wouldn't try doing this in the house though, On average, it takes 40-50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Unless you pass it through an RO unit, all of that moisture is going into the house.


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## begreen (Jan 20, 2013)

simple.serf said:


> We had some custom stainless pans made locally by the Amish for finishing syrup at our sugar house. The pans fit over the entire stovetop. This was alot cheaper than getting a finishing evaporator.
> 
> I wouldn't try doing this in the house though, On average, it takes 40-50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Unless you pass it through an RO unit, all of that moisture is going into the house.


 
What size to they make the RO units? Any small scale ones?


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## simple.serf (Jan 20, 2013)

begreen said:


> What size to they make the RO units? Any small scale ones?


 
Smallest one I have seen advertised is the Springtech Hero, But Leader doesn't seem to have a price listed.

http://www.leaderevaporator.com/p-322-the-hero-by-springtech.aspx

We built our RO out of spare industrial parts, commercial power washer parts and some junk steel that we had. From what I have heard, you can build the hero from off the shelf parts.


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## Flamestead (Jan 20, 2013)

rideau said:


> ...snip...
> Wish I could figure a way to process some maple syrup in the house....any chance wet cheesecloth over a steel mesh would keep the sugar from destroying the house? Would love to tap my trees and make a few gallons of syrup...or even one to start. Wish I had a big cauldron so I could boil it down outside...


 
I made a couple of quarts of syrup on the PH last spring. My biggest issue, with the original one-piece top, was any drops of sap that hit the soapstone stained it. Yes, I could sand it off, but only a finite number of times. I'm looking forward to using the cast iron cooktop this spring.


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## rideau (Jan 20, 2013)

Flamestead said:


> I made a couple of quarts of syrup on the PH last spring. My biggest issue, with the original one-piece top, was any drops of sap that hit the soapstone stained it. Yes, I could sand it off, but only a finite number of times. I'm looking forward to using the cast iron cooktop this spring.


 Did you do anything to keep from getting the house sticky?  I've always been told that if you boil the syrup down in the house, sticky sugar from the boiling gets all over everything?  No problem?  If none, I'm going for it!


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## Flamestead (Jan 20, 2013)

rideau said:


> Did you do anything to keep from getting the house sticky? I've always been told that if you boil the syrup down in the house, sticky sugar from the boiling gets all over everything? No problem? If none, I'm going for it!


 

It helps to have an airy old farmhouse with kitchen wall paper that I'd just as soon have peel off. We usually run an open-topped teapot all winter. The sugaring pans put a little more water out, but we were only processing sap from one tap. No, the house doesn't feel sticky. But the water does have to go somewhere - I would be careful in a tighter house. One option is to try one tap and not feel obligated to boil all the sap produced.

I think the PH cooktop is going to get the sap hotter (it simmered on the one-piece top, but I'd bet it will boil on the cooktop). There is a sugarhouse in my future, but probably only one tap again this spring.


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## rideau (Jan 20, 2013)

Flamestead said:


> It helps to have an airy old farmhouse with kitchen wall paper that I'd just as soon have peel off. We usually run an open-topped teapot all winter. The sugaring pans put a little more water out, but we were only processing sap from one tap. No, the house doesn't feel sticky. But the water does have to go somewhere - I would be careful in a tighter house. One option is to try one tap and not feel obligated to boil all the sap produced.
> 
> I think the PH cooktop is going to get the sap hotter (it simmered on the one-piece top, but I'd bet it will boil on the cooktop). There is a sugarhouse in my future, but probably only one tap again this spring.


 Thanks.  I'm going to give it a try.


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## tjnamtiw (Jan 20, 2013)

Here's my Sopkainc.com Royal cook stove merrily burning some coal.  After it got going, it held 375 in the oven for hours.  At the time of the picture, it was 300.


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