Free standing wood stove to cook on??

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cboehm

New Member
Mar 20, 2024
17
North Dakota
I see black outs in our future. In our newly built home we will install a wood stove, I'm finding most don't get hot enough on top to boil water or use frying pan. Which non catalytic stoves can you cook on top please? Thanks
 
There are several that have straight steel tops. The stove size will depend on the size of the area that is being heated and house heat loss.
Water boils on our stove in about 15-20 minutes depending on how hot the fire is. Trivets or a trivet top extends cooking flexibility and cooking temperture regulation.
 
There are several that have straight steel tops. The stove size will depend on the size of the area that is being heated and house heat loss.
Water boils on our stove in about 15-20 minutes depending on how hot the fire is. Trivets or a trivet top extends cooking flexibility and cooking temperture regulation.
What brand and model do you have please?
 
Pacific Engery Alderlea T6
 
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PE Alderlea T5, a size smaller than above. We have cooked a complete holiday meal for 6 adults on ours with me helping the wife, and we also used a 1 burner butane stove. You have to adapt a bit, like cut the turkey down to fit into the available cast iron dutch oven, and change up the menu a bit, but it is doable. A few yrs back we lost power for 6 days, then had it for 24 hrs. & lost it again for 5 days. We used the wood stove top aplenty then.
 
There are many stoves that are easy to cook on, but it's important to note that there other specifics to consider besides cooking. Sizing and clearances are more important criteria.
Regardless of stove choice, having a good supply of fully seasoned, dry firewood is essential for easy burning in a modern stove. One can not trust most wood sellers to be accurate about the wood moisture content. If buying, get it now and stack it off the ground, top covered.
 
Get your stove up to temp and the top is probably pretty comparable to an electric burner. You run your stove 4-650 or so. That’s way over boiling temp and what you normally bake at.
 
I was going with the Vermont Castings, Defiant after reading the learning curve on starting a fire and all the moving parts, I'm looking at the Hearthstone- Mansfield, it seems less trouble starting a fire. What are your thought?
1800 sq foot house.
 
I was going with the Vermont Castings, Defiant after reading the learning curve on starting a fire and all the moving parts, I'm looking at the Hearthstone- Mansfield, it seems less trouble starting a fire. What are your thought?
1800 sq foot house.
Not the best stove for cooking on if that is still the priority.
 
I personally wouldn’t choose a soapstone stove for cooking. The stone transfers heat a bit slower and any grease splatters will not look good on the stone.
 
My little USSC wood burner is basically a cook top. Has two fake eyes on it. I can cook simple things on it.
 
I was going with the Vermont Castings, Defiant after reading the learning curve on starting a fire and all the moving parts, I'm looking at the Hearthstone- Mansfield, it seems less trouble starting a fire. What are your thought?
1800 sq foot house.
I made some amazing stews on my VC Intrepid II over the winter. You can disengage the catalytic if needed. 1200 sqf house. There is a learning curve to cooking stovetop, but its doable. Getting to understand the amount of heat a dutch oven or kettle will pull, and keeping the heat output consistent. I can make coffee, boil eggs, and make stews and casseroles in the event of a power outage. Peace of mind.
 
Pacific Engery Alderlea T6
I like how the Alderlea's top swings open for cooking.

I want to go with a BK Ashford and have read you can remove the top to cook on the firebox, but that seems to be an unofficial workaround and prob not supported by BK.
 
I have a Chinook (nonremovable top, afaik) - and a bbq with a side burner, and an extra propane tank.
Also a few cinder blocks and an old pan for a $10 rocket stove to boil things (when boiling less temperature control is needed).
 
If blackouts were very common I would have a gas stove and a generator to go with the wood stove. Cooking on the stove once in a while for the novelty of it is fun. Cooking in the family or living room isn't what you want to do day after day.
 
Still not sure which stove... Why is it when I google "Best 2024 wood stoves, almost on every list are the Ashley Hearth, which are more than half price of others I'm looking at
Quadra Fire 4300Step Top
Pacific Energy Summit Classic
 
Because buyer's guide are very often just paid advertisements or click bait designed for click-thrus to Amazon, etc.. The Summit Classic is not the best to cook on. The trivet opening is not that large. It will handle some kettles, but not a large pan. The Summit LE is a better choice if that is the primary goal/
 
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I've cooked several times on my Lopi Endeavor. Two levels for different temps. It's worth looking at.

[Hearth.com] Free standing wood stove to cook on??
 
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Yes, the Endeavor is a good choice in a medium-size stove. The lower surface is the hot stove top. The upper level is the convective deck with an air gap.
 
Drolet has a lot of cooking focused options. I don't know anything about them, but it's probably worth the google. You can even get an oven if you want.
 
Was going to just add step top stoves (Like Lopi, Quadrafire etc) are great choices to cook on, probably still need a trivet to temper the cooking on the hot top, but these are still stoves, won't mar finish much (like soapstone, even cast) and if you do, easy to touch up/paint over. Steel stoves warm up quick, easy to use etc..