cooking on wood stove

[badbowtie]

I would like to do allot of cooking thru out this winter on top of my Drolet savannah stove. I have several different size black iron skillets for camping. I also am going to buy a dutch oven this week. I am just not sure that I want to set the skillets right on top of stove. I am thinking I need something to set ontop and raise the pans just a tad and thinking the dutch oven I am going to buy will be the one with the three little legs. What does everyone use to set under the pans while cooking?

 

[pen]

I have used chunks of porcelain tile, chunks of soapstone I salvaged from a junk hearthstone stove, and a metal trivet.

I also recommend placing aluminum foil over the stove top to preserve it while cooking.

pen

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We have a soapstone stove and also purchased some soapstone blocks to use under the pots and pans.

These soapstone blocks are listed at boot warmers. They are indeed excellent for drying the inside of boots in the winter time and they also work great for drying gloves. I also wrap up an extra pair of gloves with these soapstone block inside when I'm cutting wood in winter. Feels great to put on a dry warm pair of gloves after cutting.

Here is a link: http://store.woodstove.com/product.php?productid=16285&cat=298&page=1

 

[Jclout]

I want to do more cooking on mine this year as well. The trick is finding books with insruction specifically for the airtight wood stoves instead of the wood cook stoves. I have an excellant recommendation: Look for a book called " The Country Journal Wood Burners Cookbook " how to cook and bake - and save energy - on an airtight wood stove, by Janet Bachand Chadwick. This will give you instruction on how to use a dutch oven on your stove and also how to build your own agatetware roaster oven along with recipes. I think you will find this very interesting and helpful. This is a book from the 80's but you can probably find it online like I did.

 

[Adkjake]

Second the thoughts on having several different materials to keep the cookware off the stove. I use several differnt types of different thickness, from 1/4 inch tiles to a 1 inch iron trivet, to fire bricks. Use of heavy cast iron cookware is also a must. Oven and cooking thermometers come in real handy too. First few times you cook on the woodstove, you really need to pay close attention to it, the temps and timing and how close the pot is to the top of the stove need to be monitored. Have fun with it.

I have a pretty good book, titled WOODSTOVE COOKERY-AT HOME ON THE RANGE. Has some good tips on getting started and some really good recipes. Believe I bought it from Amazon.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Second the thoughts on having several different materials to keep the cookware off the stove. I use several differnt types of different thickness, from 1/4 inch tiles to a 1 inch iron trivet, to fire bricks. Use of heavy cast iron cookware is also a must. Oven and cooking thermometers come in real handy too. First few times you cook on the woodstove, you really need to pay close attention to it, the temps and timing and how close the pot is to the top of the stove need to be monitored. Have fun with it.

I have a pretty good book, titled WOODSTOVE COOKERY-AT HOME ON THE RANGE. Has some good tips on getting started and some really good recipes. Believe I bought it from Amazon.

Noticed you have the Shelburne, I'm afraid to cook on mine with the nice finish... is yours porcelain?

 

[firecracker_77]

There may be cheaper ones. I don't know why you couldn't rake the coals to one side and put the dutch oven in the stove with the front door open.

https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/product1_new.asp?menu=prologic&idProduct=3969

 

[rideau]

So, I cook on my PH, both on the soapstone and on the cast iron cooktop. The cast iron cooktop is right above the catalytic converter. Woodstock has left the center of the cooktop even, and placed raised ridges on the areas to the left and right to make two elements of different temps by making the ridges different heights, but they are tiny ridges...I think 1/8 and 1/4 inch high. The center element is large enough to take my smaller magnalite roaster if I put it on a slight slant across the stove. A few days ago I roasted pumpkins by simply placing them in the roaster, no water in the roaster, on a flat meat rack that has a few about 1/2 inch high bubbles on it to keep a bit of air under the contents, tight cover on the roaster. Roasted beautifully over a small fire, soapstone about 300 degrees, so presume cooktop close to 500....pumpkin came out well cooked, but not soggy at all.

I cook directly on the iron cooktop, with any heavy bottomed pot: stainless, cast aluminum (Magnalite), caphalon non-stick, or cast iron. They all cook just fine. And they are al fine directly on the cast iron cooktop, center element, which is about 200 degrees warmer than the regular soapstone top remperaure. I haven't yet done so, but see no reason why one couldn't cook directly on any cooktop with any cast iron or heavy griddle, also.

I also frequently have one of the three-section soapstone top plates down while cooking, so I can easily move a (not too large) pot off an element onto the soapstone to keep the contents warm while I cook other things on the cooktop.

I also cook directly on the soapstone top, for slow roasting, or slow cooking. If the stovetop if 450 or higher and I want a slow cook, I put soapstone slabs half the size of the stovetop on top of the stove and put the pots or roasting pans on them.

Basically, there is tremendous range in temperature available on the PH, and I can and do cook anything...even stuff one usually needs to cook in a double boiler.

I also do some baking on the stove, but that is trickier, because one basically has to make an oven for the stovetop, and then put the item to be baked in a container in the "oven". That is basically what I did when I roasted the pumpkin...used the roaster as an oven, instead of putting water in the roaster and steaming. The pumpkin came out uch better...just like roasted inte oven. Did not have too much luck baking breads, buns, muffins and cakes, although potatoes were successful (very) , last year on the PH soapstone top. I expect the cooktop to work better for roasting, because it is easier to get a roasting pan hot enough to function as an oven when one can place it directly on the cast iron....

Maybe I'll write a cookbook....there is just too much info to give. I've learned a lot, and come up with many recipes since I started cooking on my Fireview years ago. The PH opens up even more possibilities.

 

[MarkinNC]

I have cooked on mine and find that I have to place cookware right on the stove. I suppose if I had a CAT stove I would have steady temps. But I experience high temps when adding new wood and then might have several hours of cooler temps during the coaling stage if I do not need to add wood. Naturally I ran out and bought a trivet to "protect" the paint on my black steel workhorse stove. I needed more heat and removed the trivet. If I want less heat I'll add the trivet or put the cookware on the upper aspect of the stove. If I scratch the paint, I'll repaint it.

I suspect my wood stove, if properly cared for, will be serviceable longer than me, whether it gets a couple of scratches or not.

 

[Adkjake]

Noticed you have the Shelburne, I'm afraid to cook on mine with the nice finish... is yours porcelain?

No it isn't. Only cooked on it a couple of times during power outages. So have used the porcelain tiles and iron trivet. No problems or marks on the stove from them

 

[badbowtie]

Okay I am going to look into a couple different cooking books this week but seems like a couple people have placed pots directly on top of stove. I may buy a trivet to even try I also have some extra new firebricks. I could set on top of stove and cook on them. I may try some of this otherwise look into some soapstone also.

 

[geoxman]

I cook on mine all the time and I cook only with cast whether on the wood stove or the range. The cast will hold the heat so if it is getting too hot I just move it to a cooler part of the stove. My stoves have the cat on top so it is optimal for cooking as the heat plate is usually around 1200 degrees and the rest of the top between 4-600. I have cast stoves and I don't have to worry about grease or spilling, what ever grease pops on top just seasons it. good luck

 

[SteveKG]

We cook on our stoves all winter. And not just the big cookstove, which is designed for it. No special cookware needed. A stovetop is just a source of heat to heat pans and pots like any other source. I use mostly cast iron because I prefer it. But any pan will work. A thin metal pan will need care, just as it would cooking on any stove, gas or electric or whatever. Get a trivet or something to cool down the pan when needed. You will quickly learn where the hotter and cooler spots are on the stovetop and they will always be the same place.

 

[woodchip]

Funny this thread came on, I was thinking about posting this link at the start of the burn season to enthuse people to the delights of cooking on the stove!

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/myers127.html

I love cooking on our stove, and my wife loves it even more as I get to do the cooking whilst she gets to do the tasting!

Below is a picture of a blueberry pie cooked yesterday in the firebox as the fire had died down. 15 minutes only, flue pipe temp just 220f, and the vents closed completely.....

I'll dig out some of the pictures from my previous cooking experiments.

For cooking on the top, I often put a penny or two on to keep the direct heat away from the any pots, particularly if I'm cooking joints of meat in wine etc.........

 

[badbowtie]

I have a cast iron skillet that I don't think is big enough to make dinner in tonight and I am going to just try a regular metal skillet for dinner tonight on the stove. Don't really want to run around town today to find black iron skillet big enough today for dinner. I never thought about setting a couple pennies on top for air spacing.

 

[HollowHill]

We cook on our stoves all winter. And not just the big cookstove, which is designed for it. No special cookware needed. A stovetop is just a source of heat to heat pans and pots like any other source. I use mostly cast iron because I prefer it. But any pan will work. A thin metal pan will need care, just as it would cooking on any stove, gas or electric or whatever. Get a trivet or something to cool down the pan when needed. You will quickly learn where the hotter and cooler spots are on the stovetop and they will always be the same place.

Oh, my, is that an Aga in your avatar pic? Love those...

 

[OhioBurner©]

No it isn't. Only cooked on it a couple of times during power outages. So have used the porcelain tiles and iron trivet. No problems or marks on the stove from them

Well I hadnt tried ours yet for cooking, dont want to scratch that finish. Guess I need to find some kind of tile to put on it so the heavy cast iron wont scratch it. But I worry about the stovetop not being hot enough to cook, but I guess we could fire it harder. Last year it never seemed like it got that hot on the stovetop, but my memory isnt the best I'll see what it does once we fire it up this year. Cooking inside the firebox might work, but then its a matter of timing and holding off on the reloads.

 

[badbowtie]

Well I made chicken alfredo, mashed potatoes and corn in cast iron and regular metal pans tonight setting pennies under the pans no marks left and dinner turned out great. Thanks for the help

 

[blwncrewchief]

Since you have a flat top you could get a piece of aluminum to slip over the top. I am having one made for mine that slips over the top with the sides bent down so it won't slide side to side. I am then going to have it hard anodized. Not sure how it will work but the aluminum should conduct the heat well. I cook allot on our stove and with the pans directly on the top it will get slight scratches. A quick wipe with some stove polish and it looks like new again. If it gets bad at all I will just repaint the top. The nice thing of having a steel stove that is painted. Scratch the top. $6 can of paint and a half hour it is good as new again. It is actually kind of fun as you get to now learn the control of the stove not only to heat your house but now how to get it to behave like you want for cooking.

Also, things that require less tending too seem to be better as standing next to the stove when it is 450-600* gets very toasty.

 

[woodchip]

Here's one of our dutch oven on the stove.

Cooking a chicken in white wine on the left, boiling potatoes on the right.

Also drying some apple rings under the stove.

I like making our wood work for us, after all that work getting it in..........

 

[OhioBurner©]

The nice thing of having a steel stove that is painted. Scratch the top. $6 can of paint and a half hour it is good as new again.

We got ours completely bass ackwards. Our insert which we can't cook on is just black but out freestanding stove is got the pretty enamel and I'm too afraid of ruining it. It not just that either, in the rooms to which they are installed, we also got the radiant/convection thing reversed too.
Maybe if I ever build a home, I'll finally get it right.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We got ours completely bass ackwards. Our insert which we can't cook on is just black but out freestanding stove is got the pretty enamel and I'm too afraid of ruining it. It not just that either, in the rooms to which they are installed, we also got the radiant/convection thing reversed too.
Maybe if I ever build a home, I'll finally get it right.

No problem cooking on that. Get thee some soapstone blocks to lay on that enamel. Woodstock sells some very low cost.

 

[Stubborn Dutchman]

I'm looking forward to doing a little cooking on the F600 this winter. The stove is brown enamel but I replaced the top insert with a plain black painted one. Thanks for the tip about the penny's. I bought a perculator coffee pot last year but it takes almost an hour for it to start perking! I think the penny trick should work out just right for making chilli and stews.

 

[Jclout]

I just saw an ad for a can cooker on Nextag for $69.98 if anyone is looking for one. Don't know how much shipping is however.