Is there any reason that anyone out there can see that I can't just have the top plate of my existing oslo ground flat as opposed to forking over for a cook plate? I wouldn't be using it as a griddle just pans and lettles and it would look better than the scratched up enamel.
Jotul Oslo cooktop
- Thread starter little river
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Hanko
Minister of Fire
When you live in a rural area with regular and long power outages the stove is about a lot more than looks. A week or two of cooking on a stovetop every winter has left its scars. Not looking to grind the whoe surface, just the oval. Sometimes the need to set aside asthetic for function is difficult for some to understand. You know, just like I've never understood those folks who buy big fancy new pickup trucks but won't haul anything in them because it might scrath the bed...
eightpilot
New Member
Hanko
Minister of Fire
well your right on the pick up truck issue. I have an enamel F500 like you. If I was in your situation as you state, before Id modify a nice stove like the jotul Oslo, Id be getting a propane grill and burner, as i have and use in a power outage
Yeah, a propane or white gas cookstove is an option, but even just using the top for hot water on a regular basis mars the enamel. I really hate to fire up any secondar heat source (gas or electric) when I have the large hot object sitting in my house. It seems ridiculous. The real question is if anyone can see a good reason why the oval cannot simple be ground, like brake linings to produce an option very similar to the cook top that Jotul offers(ed) and while we are at it there seems to be a discrepancy as to whether the ground cook plate option is even still available? anyone able to confirm or deny?
ansehnlich1
Retired Hearth.com Member
the manual on their website indicates a 28 351104 soapstone top cover, that'd be nice if they have such a thing.
I too always thought a nice polished top there would be very useful, my enamel oval gets marred up too simply by putting my steam kettle on there.
Even a stainless oval would be nice.
I too always thought a nice polished top there would be very useful, my enamel oval gets marred up too simply by putting my steam kettle on there.
Even a stainless oval would be nice.
johnnywarm
Minister of Fire
The Dali Lima
New Member
Trivets leave marks and you also lose a lot of that cooking heat inserting that air space. The whole idea here folks is how to not fire up a fossil fuel based secondary heat source, geez its not like I can't figure out any number of ways to do that myself, lets see, how about the propane fire crab pot or the hiking primus or the charcoal barbeque or the clay bread oven... Heck I could even head out to the summer cook kitchen and fire up the old little Northern or out to the machine shed to fire up the trash burner....all of which we could cook on and do when it is appropriate. The question is how can we modifythe existing top oval piece to act like the prefab version. I have only seen the prefab once a number of years ago. If I could get a good look at one I would make the call myself. It just seems more efficient on all fronts (eco and $) to capture the heat from an already operating heat source thatn to fire up another one.
Hanko
Minister of Fire
well if your hell bent on scaring up thr top of your stove Id head on down to the local home depot and get a big honking disc sander and have at er. I mean common guy how long are your power outages last anyway? Im trying very hard not to be a smart ass here. You know hyou could take the little lady out to dinner if you cant cook at home.
Sorry dude, but I AM the little lady and I cook a lot. I also weld and own and use grinder. It is too large a plate for my little milling machine bed, but if I did it myself I would possibly customize a router based set up-grid based travel and then after I took off all of the enamel I would either used metal based sandpapers and/or an old fashined weighted hand grinder with grit and water...or maybe the sand blaster? ...that is if I can't get the boys down at the brake shop to get involved. As I recall the cook plate that Jotul sold didn't look too bad. Since the oval is removable I don't see why you seem to think it would end up looking so terrible. I am very patient and not a hacker. I don't get call backs on my work. Someone recently told me that what we think of others is most often a projection of ourselves. Pretty touchy feely but food for thought.
johnnywarm
Minister of Fire
does your house smell like an RV?? you are able to cook more, faster with the gas grill. i can see boiling water but cooking a steak on the stove with no vent to the outside??
More appropriate top of woodstove cookery are things like long simmmering soups or stews. Our house smells fine. In fact at the moment it smells like fresh baked bread. If I wanted to do a lot of frying I would fire up something else. Top of woodstove cooking is a lot like using a crock pot. A small metal box on top actually allows one to bake small bread products.
Hanko
Minister of Fire
little river said:
Dude
! IM wondering what the slang term to refer to a woman that you dont know? ILL bet you wouldnt like it mam.'Dude' was in response to the 'little lady' line as well as the totally inappropriate advice to run down to the local hardware and buy a grinder and have at it.....If anyone on a forum that was toatally ignorant of tools and metal working, with advice like that they WOULD end up with a crappy looking uneven cookplate. I heard and appreciated your comments the first time, you wouldn't do it and you think it would ruin the looks of my stove. Perfectly acceptable opinion. Don't give bad advice just because you have a different opinion. Sarcasm gets the Dude remark.
johnnywarm
Minister of Fire
little river said:
I can see where that would work out nice.it does sound like you will do a good job what ever you do.
Good luck.
Is the enamel piece easily removable like the plate over a cat? Any reason you can't cut a piece of metal plate to use during power outages and keep the enamel for when you don't plan on cooking?
Matt
Matt
That is the good idea I wish that i had before I started heating thing s on top of my woodstove. It it still a good option. We bought the stove with the enamel finish because over the years most of the stoves we have had have been painted black or stove black and are tough to keep looking nice. I love the enamel everywhere else on the stove but it definitely mars and discolors on the top when you place an object on top. Years ago we lived for a while wtht a big brown enameled behemoth and we cooked on its top extensively and it never marred. I have no idea why.
I like Matts idea of cutting a new oval. Now for the rest of the top.....
Not knowing your setup, decor, stove color....would it be possible to sand the enamel, not down to steel, just scoring it, and then repainting it with hi-temp stove paint? Maybe just the top?? Dunno, just thinking out loud.
I guess this is more of a question than an answer.
Not knowing your setup, decor, stove color....would it be possible to sand the enamel, not down to steel, just scoring it, and then repainting it with hi-temp stove paint? Maybe just the top?? Dunno, just thinking out loud.
I guess this is more of a question than an answer.
What you suggest may be possible. I have done a pretty good job of keeping cooking utensils confined to the removeable oval piece, so it is what has suffered from the abuse. The rest of the top is still in good shape. Jotul originally offered this stove with a cooktop option but by the time we bought the pipe & stove we had spent our wad. When we went back to ask about the cooktop the dealer said they had been discontinued. Recently I have noticed some sales info showing and mentioning the top so am unsure about the status of that.
I also just want to note that I think it will be relatively easy to get rid of most of the enamel from the oval piece, but since the nature of cast iron products is that they are somewhat rough and pitted from the molds, there would almost certainly be bits of enamel unevenly trapped there as well. If you compare the flat interior surface of a Griswold frying pan to some of the modern versions you will see the difference. I would want go the extra mile and smooth off the rough cast surface.
johnnywarm
Minister of Fire
Hey, an interesting question here. Honestly, it's your stove, and if you don't mind the look of the ground top (and it doesn't hurt the stove's functioning to do it?) then why not?
I'm cooking on the new Alderlea for the first time today... had to pick all the last of the season tomatoes and now they are becoming soup. Got a beautiful simmer going... with all that cast iron comes a nice even heat! But cooking up on the trivet would not work nearly as well. Just those couple inches of space make a huge difference in temps... the dutch oven needs to be sitting right down on the surface for optimum heat.
I think you should do whatever you like, to make your stove as functional as possible for YOU.
I know out where I live, a week-long power outage is considered to be "normal"...
I'm cooking on the new Alderlea for the first time today... had to pick all the last of the season tomatoes and now they are becoming soup. Got a beautiful simmer going... with all that cast iron comes a nice even heat! But cooking up on the trivet would not work nearly as well. Just those couple inches of space make a huge difference in temps... the dutch oven needs to be sitting right down on the surface for optimum heat.
I think you should do whatever you like, to make your stove as functional as possible for YOU.
I know out where I live, a week-long power outage is considered to be "normal"...
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