Help picking a small stove for the kitchen

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tfdchief

Minister of Fire
Nov 24, 2009
3,336
Tuscola, IL
myplace.frontier.com
To my surprise, my wife announced that she wants a stove in her kitchen (wish she hadn't waited until the tax rebate is about to expire). In the beginning, over 30 years ago, she was not impressed with wood burning, but she has grown fond of the old buck stove insert in the living room, and the area of the kitchen and den is the coolest part of the house. She spends a lot of time there and wants it warm like the living room. So I need a small stove (it will be going along with the buck in the living room). The house is 1500 square feet, single story, built in 1974, good insulation and windows. Her style is prairie country and mission/shaker and is looking for a stove that she thinks goes with that style. Here is the floor plan. The buck stove is in the corner of the living room and she wants the stove in the kitchen where the table and chairs are now. Both are marked by red squares. What do you all think?
 

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tfdchief said:
To my surprise, my wife announced that she wants a stove in her kitchen (wish she hadn't waited until the tax rebate is about to expire). In the beginning, over 30 years ago, she was not impressed with wood burning, but she has grown fond of the old buck stove insert in the living room, and the area of the kitchen and den is the coolest part of the house. She spends a lot of time there and wants it warm like the living room. So I need a small stove (it will be going along with the buck in the living room). The house is 1500 square feet, single story, built in 1974, good insulation and windows. Her style is prairie country and mission/shaker and is looking for a stove that she thinks goes with that style. Here is the floor plan. The buck stove is in the corner of the living room and she wants the stove in the kitchen where the table and chairs are now. Both are marked by red squares. What do you all think?

Hampton H200 or the Woodstock Keystone?
 
I couldn't make out the dimensions or available space in the kitchen. But for style, clearances, ability to move around close to the stove, cook on/in and the trivets work great for keeping large meals warm during prep. Look hard at the T4. Biased opinion. pics in sig link below of a t6 in a large kitchen/family/sunroom.
 
Wow, some great ideas. I have found some of these but not all. She really likes the T4. madison, The dimensions of the corner in the kitchen are 8.3 ft from the corner left to the door and 5.4 ft to the right of the corner to the cabinet. The h200 is really sharp as well. I thought the jotel 602 would be her style but she didn't like it. I will start looking a little closer to the specs on these and try to sway her to one she likes and one I like....(we have 2 different criteria...hers is looks ONLY) :kiss:
 
OK, I think we have settled on the Hampton H200. Anyone have any thoughts or comments on this stove?
 

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I've got the H300 in our kitchen. I bought it as our primary wood stove but it wasn't big enough. We now have the Quadrafire Isle Royale in our reading room and the H300 in the kitchen. It's still a small stove and won't make it through the night without a reload or two depending on temperatures. However, it does a wonderful job heating our kitchen (25 X 18) with 9' ceilings. Both stoves have done an impressive job with our cold temps here this winter.
 
If it was me, I would buy a real wood cookstove. Looks like a great spot for it! I would look at the Bakers Choice wood cookstoves. They are airtight and will heat and cook. Here is the link: http://www.woodstoves.net/newbaker.htm

IF money wasn't an option, I would go to Lehmans.com and check out what they have. They have some really pretty stoves with lots of "bling." Like the Elmira stoves.

Another thought is the sheepherder stove for the mission type look. I attached a picture the company emailed me in December 2010 when I was researching what to get.

That's my 2 cents!
 

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mtcox said:
I've got the H300 in our kitchen. I bought it as our primary wood stove but it wasn't big enough. We now have the Quadrafire Isle Royale in our reading room and the H300 in the kitchen. It's still a small stove and won't make it through the night without a reload or two depending on temperatures. However, it does a wonderful job heating our kitchen (25 X 18) with 9' ceilings. Both stoves have done an impressive job with our cold temps here this winter.
mtcox, I have looked at the H300 and it is nearly identical to the H200 just bigger. And we really want the smaller one. So you have said you like the H300. Any quirks or things you don't like about it other than the obvious size. They look like really solid built stoves.
 
Ann from KY and pen, thanks, we actually looked at some of your suggestions. However, my wife really doesn't want to cook on it, maybe warm a pot up. She just wants the warm, cozy wood heat in her kitchen where she spends a lot of time. She has really grown fond of wood heat over the years.
 
Well, your wife is blessed to be able to pick out what she wants!! :) They are calling for ice here, hopefully you won't have a bad experience to change your mind! God Bless!
 
Ann from KY said:
Well, your wife is blessed to be able to pick out what she wants!! :) They are calling for ice here, hopefully you won't have a bad experience to change your mind! God Bless!
Ann from KY, Thanks, We have been together a long time and I want her to get the one she wants. She really likes this one. You got me wondering though, about the "hopefully you won't have a bad experience to change your mind! " part. I am not sure what you mean :red:
 
about 2 years ago, here in KY we had an ice storm. My daughter and her husband were without power for 2 weeks. Yes, 2 weeks. There were young and dumb and no provisions for heat, light or anything. They ended up having to come up here about 2 1/2 hours from their home and stay with family members. They had to bring in the National Guard. It was not good.

Here is a link to some pics of someone's home in KY:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZi7-g0uBbk

Now tonight here, they are predicting a big ice storm. Kinda worried about another ice storm that pulled all the power lines down for weeks. Lots of people existed with cooking on their wood stoves and heating with them. that was one reason we put a wood stove in our living room that doesn't take electric to run. My hubby's mom is elderly, and she has basically no anything without power. Felt responsible to keep her warm, fed, etc. as well as the children. So we have a small woodstove in the living room that at least we could cook on the top and stay warm. that's why I said I hope you don't have a bad experience that makes you wish you picked a wood cookstove in stead of just a wood stove! We would have a wood cook stove but don't really have the room. Our home is at 1300 sq feet, with 4 children still at home so space is a priority. Maybe someday!!

Happy stove shopping!
 
Good that you are prepared Ann. Ice storms are dangerous. Stay off the roads and keep the home fires burning.
 
Ann from KY said:
about 2 years ago, here in KY we had an ice storm. My daughter and her husband were without power for 2 weeks. Yes, 2 weeks. There were young and dumb and no provisions for heat, light or anything. They ended up having to come up here about 2 1/2 hours from their home and stay with family members. They had to bring in the National Guard. It was not good.

Here is a link to some pics of someone's home in KY:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZi7-g0uBbk

Now tonight here, they are predicting a big ice storm. Kinda worried about another ice storm that pulled all the power lines down for weeks. Lots of people existed with cooking on their wood stoves and heating with them. that was one reason we put a wood stove in our living room that doesn't take electric to run. My hubby's mom is elderly, and she has basically no anything without power. Felt responsible to keep her warm, fed, etc. as well as the children. So we have a small woodstove in the living room that at least we could cook on the top and stay warm. that's why I said I hope you don't have a bad experience that makes you wish you picked a wood cookstove in stead of just a wood stove! We would have a wood cook stove but don't really have the room. Our home is at 1300 sq feet, with 4 children still at home so space is a priority. Maybe someday!!

Happy stove shopping!
Ann, thanks, I do understand now. We really liked the bakers oven but we to don't have that much room and needed a really small stove with good clearances to combustibles. The Hampton H200 just seems a good fit. Thanks again and God Bless you too!
Edit: Oh the ice storm comith here! In fact it has already started. :ahhh:
 
BeGreen said:
If she wants it for a back up cook stove look at the Napoleon 1150, Pacific Energy Alderlea T4, or perhaps the Englander 50-SVL17.

http://www.napoleonfireplaces.com/Stoves/stoves_wood/1150P.html
http://www.pacificenergy.net/product_alderleaT4.php
http://www.englanderstoves.com/50-svl17.html
BeGreen, thanks for your input as well. We almost went with the Alderlea T4. Still haven't decided for sure, although I have a Hampton dealer 15 minutes from here which is probably going to be the deciding factor. No PE dealers anywhere around here. Thanks, Steve
 
We've had good reports about the larger HI300. I've stayed quiet on the smaller Hampton because I don't know anything about this model. If the HI200 is similarly made it should be a nice little kitchen stove. I'm looking forward to hearing more about it. Be sure to take some beauty pics and give us a review when you get a chance.
 
I looked hard at the Hampton, but the huge clearances required crossed that off my list.

ETA: I just saw what you said about good clearances for this, so I must be thinking of a different H___ cast iron stove that looks like that. I remember it had a grill inset you could use for cooking.

I'm super partial to that Australian-made Baker's Oven pictured above. I've seen them in the store, but not in action.

THose little Morso stoves sure are cute. For a great picture of one, check out the "You won't believe what just happened to me" post that was floating around here a few days ago. Someone ought to doctor that picture up with arrows and numbered diagrams to document the fall. Fortunately, the stove wasn't hurt.

Tiny clearances with the squirrel stoves, and the ones w/soapstone panels on the side are super-nice. Some friends of mine had the tiny little squirrel morso stoves, and they are cuter than a spotted puppy dog in a red wagon under a Christmas tree. No kidding; would really complement that style she likes, and they are unique.

And if price is *really* not an issue, an enameled marine stove is worth considering as well: http://www.marinestove.com/
 
TFDChief,

It's a great little stove. It's got an automatic blower (option) that kicks on and off depending on the temperature. We've got the brown enamel finish with the side shelves. We probably didn't need the side shelves but it adds to the character of the stove. Because it's situated prominently in the kitchen, it's important for it to look good year around. I can't think of any reason we wouldn't buy it again. It's been great. The front door is large and allows for full access to the firebox. Anything larger than a 16-18" log won't fit. That's the one "drawback" we come across. The Isle Royale will handle a larger log.
 
I looked hard at the Hampton, but the huge clearances required crossed that off my list.
Not sure about this. The H200 clearance is 13 in from the corners to the wall in a corner installation, which works for me.
 
Those Hampton look nice...none in my area. I really like my Morso...easy to run,great heater and decent burn times (3-4 hr easy light reloads...6-8hr coals). 9" rear clearances.
 
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