Cook Stove for This Unique Shelter?

[seedy]

I am new on here, and new to wood stoves. I have no experience and am a girl so I don't understand all the technical stuff. I do, however, want to buy a wood stove that can heat this kind of structure:

(broken link removed)

It would be a geodesic shelter like this, 24' or 26' in diameter (not necessarily the one from this website), which equals 452 or 531 square feet. I would like to be able to heat in a range of a mild to extremely cold environment. Also, it will be the main source of cooking for a family.

So basically I need something that is easy to transport that can cook and heat this kind of space!

I don't even know if I should do steel or cast iron, although it seems like cast iron doesn't get as dangerously hot to the touch and radiates heat better?

What about this one?: http://www.ruralking.com/box-stove.html

Or this?: (broken link removed to http://houston.craigslist.org/for/2634687705.html) (can you cook on that?)

If I use steel, would something like this stand up to long term daily use?: http://www.outfitterssupply.com/Kni-Co-Alaskan-Deluxe-Sheepherder-Stove-Package/productinfo/WCS225/

I appreciate any advice or suggestions on which stove to choose. I would like to spend less than $800, and MUCH less if possible. I don't know anything about efficiency or btu's needed, and I don't know how to determine if it is well constructed and well sealed.

Thank you for any and all help

 

[joecool85]

Sounds like a decent fit for the True North 19: (broken link removed to http://www.pacificenergy.net/truenorth/tn19.php)

They sell for about $1,000. A used Jotul 602 would be an even better fit as long as you don't mind cutting your wood short (14" or so). New they cost $950 around here, but used you can get them for half of that. They are a cast iron stove.

As for cast iron vs steel: safety wise they are the same. All stoves are going to get up in the 500-600F range regardless of material. Plate steel stoves actually frequently have better shielding and consequently lower outside "shell" temps making them safer. So in that regard, plate steel is better than cast iron. I also like that plate steel is cheaper and is also able to be repaired later on down the road. Unfortunately for you I can't think of a plate steel stove in your price range that is good for cooking. The 17-VL I just got (http://englanderstoves.com/17-vl.html) is the perfect size for you and sells for $700 new but there isn't a lot of cook space on top. You can fit two pots of water though.

 

[jimbom]

If the inside to outside temperature difference is 70 °F , the heat resistance value of your structure is R=2, and the surface area of your hemisphere is 900 ft ² , you would need a stove that could heat 31,500 BTU/hour. Q = U*A* Δ T = (1/2)*900*70 = 31,500 You need to adjust for your actual surface area, heat resistance value, and temperature difference.

If there is no floor and the wind leaks through in a lot of places, you could add 20,000 BTU/hour to accommodate. So a stove that will put out 50,000 BTU/hour when it is zero outside, R=2, and surface area = 900 ft ² .

If children are involved, you would want to be on the warmer side. If young adults, you could go on the cooler side.

There are a lot of life safety implications with a safe chimney install and sleeping in a room with a stove on a permanent basis.

A lightweight stove like a used Jotul 602 may be useful for you. It likely will not be a great cook stove, but looks to have some capability to cook. Have someone knowledgeable help you examine any used stove you might buy. A lot of things can be wrong.

 

[gpcollen1]

I don't think anything is going to be in the easy to transport category, depending on what that is exactly. If you are talking about using a hand truck to load into a trailer with a landscape ramp then maybe but anything else will not be 'easy'.

As for cooking, you can cook on most stoves but whether or not they are officially cooking stoves can make a difference. There are some pretty cool cook stoves out there that have come up in past threads for sure...

Curious, what is this for? Emergency escape and survival or for spending some time on your property building a house?

 

[RNLA]

The decision is going to come down to how portable you are going to be. Most small wood stoves are going to be considered a permanent install. The weight alone is an indicator, about 300 - 450 for most smaller stoves. Some times you can get them in the high 200's. If you expect to stay for more than a few weeks you could go towards a small home stove, if not you could look towards the camp stoves that are made of heavy sheet metal and you put them together when you get set up. These can be effective at heating and cooking a small space... Not exactly convenient though.

 

[tfdchief]

I think you will find that most on here will highly recommend an EPA certified stove. The box stove and the camp stove are not, and are not something you would want in your home. The choices are endless. Price, looks, location, clearances, etc are all aspects that you need to consider. First, though, is EPA certified. Go from there.

 

[joecool85]

Most small wood stoves are going to be considered a permanent install. The weight alone is an indicator, about 300 - 450 for most smaller stoves. Some times you can get them in the high 200's.though.

The 17-VL is only 230lbs and the Jotul 602 is only 160lbs.

 

[jimbom]

Most small wood stoves are going to be considered a permanent install. The weight alone is an indicator, about 300 - 450 for most smaller stoves. Some times you can get them in the high 200's.though.

The 17-VL is only 230lbs and the Jotul 602 is only 160lbs.

I am rebuilding a 602. Because of the cooking griddle hole, it is easy to get a grasp, keep my back straight and stay blocked. I can carry that thing around by myself.

 

[seedy]

Thank you for all the useful information so far. The dome will be used for leisure, but we are keeping in mind that we could use it in an emergency situation. Is the 602 large enough to cook 2 pots or pans, or just one at a time? The TN19 looks like it would...

Also is freight extremely expensive or how do most of you purchase your stoves--locally? Should I expect to be able to find a retailer in Houston?

 

[joecool85]

Thank you for all the useful information so far. The dome will be used for leisure, but we are keeping in mind that we could use it in an emergency situation. Is the 602 large enough to cook 2 pots or pans, or just one at a time? The TN19 looks like it would...

Also is freight extremely expensive or how do most of you purchase your stoves--locally? Should I expect to be able to find a retailer in Houston?

The 602 is good for one pot or pan. I suppose if you used the rear vent option you might be able to mash 2 things on top, but it is a small stove. Normally you would buy stoves locally although you can have them freighted to you. You can buy Englander stoves from overstockstoves.com with free freight to a local terminal for instance.

 

[jimbom]

There is one 9" diameter opening on the 602. We buy locally from Craigslist and similar sites. Free ad-tracker type newspapers are good sources in the country, as many don't have or use internet.