cooking on jotul f500

[johng]

I am pretty sure this is the stove I am going to go with. I would like the option of using it occationally to slow cook soups and crockpot type meals. Have any of you guys done this with this stove? I was wondering if it would be wroth getting the optional cook top that can be orderd with this stove. Or will the stove cook soups without the extra expense. Thanks, John

 

[kork]

I think if your looking to heat up soup or stew you could do so easiely, i would use a small cast irorn pot like a dutch oven. This is of course comming from one who has the black mat finish, if you go with the enameled finish you might consider the platejust for protection if nothing else.
Hank

 

[johng]

The sales man told me the problem with cooking on the standard top is that because it is not flat it will not heat the pot enough. It comes with a rough finish. As an option you can order it with a built in cooking spot. I was just wondering if it is wroth the extra expense?

 

[johng]

We are looking at the black mat finish also. That is kind of what I was thinking about using a cast iron dutch oven. Surely it would get hot enough to slow cook a stew or soup all day. But, this will be my first stove of any kind so I was not sure what to expect. The cook top does not look like something that could be added later.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I highly doubt that the rough surface would reduce the heat all that much. We cook almost every day on our soapstone stove and under the pots we have soapstone blocks which are 3/4" thick. We use two small blocks under each pot. (You can see those blocks on the Woodstock website. They are called boot warmers or dryers.)

 

[webby3650]

I would pass on the optional cooktop. I have no problem cooking on my top. Just don't drag cast iron accross it and you will be fine. I wouold also encourage you to get the Blue/black finish it is very durable.

 

[johng]

Thanks for the many replies. I was thinking you should be able to cook slow on one without the optional cook top. I guess if you wanted to get serious with cooking then it would probaly be better to get the cook top. I am sure we would just use it every now. Just wanted to get some ideas from someone that has actually done it. Thanks again. John

 

[firefighterjake]

I am pretty sure this is the stove I am going to go with. I would like the option of using it occationally to slow cook soups and crockpot type meals. Have any of you guys done this with this stove? I was wondering if it would be wroth getting the optional cook top that can be orderd with this stove. Or will the stove cook soups without the extra expense. Thanks, John

I use a trivet for my cast iron pot/steamer and in a day or two I have to refill it with water since it all evaporates . . . when I used the steamer without the trivet it would produce steam and need to be refilled more often . . . while I have never cooked on it I cannot imagine that you would have any problem using the regular old top to slow cook a soup or crockpot type meal based on my experience with the steamer.

 

[johng]

Thanks, Jake. That is what I was hoping to hear. I can not wait until I get my stove. Even though I will not be able to get it in time to use this year. I guess it will just be something to look at until next year. John

 

[cgeiger]

When I place a tea kettle steamer on top with no trivet the water boils (at 400+ surface temps) - that's without the optional cooktop and I do have the matte black finish. You should be fine putting a dutch oven or highly conductive bottom type pot on the top of the stove. In my experience with the 500, most of the heat comes off the top and front of the stove so there's plenty to work with up top. Not sure you could slap a griddle on there and be cooking bacon in 10 minutes but, you certainly could after you let it warm up a bit.

 

[jotul8e2]

I was wondering if it would be [worth] getting the optional cook top that can be orderd with this stove. Or will the stove cook soups without the extra expense.

Is that milled cast top actually available? Last I heard they had trouble with them warping and had pulled them from the market. I wanted one for ours, but at the time Jotul would not take an order for one.

As far as the top being hot enough, I usually run mine at 350 - 400 deg. f. measured at the back corner. We keep a copper tea kettle on during the day and it will boil about 1 1/2 quarts per load of wood - more than a gallon and a half from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm: more if I have to run the stove hotter to keep the temperature up.

Mark