Cooking with a wood insert any suggestions?

[burningmyhardwood]

I have a wood insert and I am thinking about cooking with it. However I am looking for the right tools and have been googling fireplace cooking etc but nothing really seems to come up. I was wonder if anyone had any suggestions. This is what I am working with. I do have a bit of a tiny shelf that I do use to make candles time to time. What I was wondering is there any wall mount of some sort or maybe a pan that could slide under the crack of the top and extend it further so then I could place a cast iron pan? This is OSburn

 

[buc74]

I took my surround off on both my inserts to give me more room for warming/cooking. The Kuma top was ~450 the one time I checked it. It's a little different look without the surround but we like it. Our cooking is for fun and being prepared if the power goes out. You can bake potatoes in the firebox and even a pizza if your creative. As you can see more surface with the surround off.

 

[burningmyhardwood]

thank you thats a great idea I never thought of that.

 

[EbS-P]

I’ve been wondering the same thing. Making a way for a Dutch /finding the right size of if Dutch oven to sit/fit seems like an option but then just shovel out some coals and use it outside the firebox (outside the house) may make more sense.
Cooking inside the firebox lends itself to high heat versus low and slow. Thinking rare steak not pot roast. Bread in a Dutch oven?? Could work. Need a way to monitor temps inside. Rotisserie?? Yeah that could work. Need away to spin it from outside the firebox. Iron pizza stone?? Cast iron grill pan or griddle?
All this seems kinda hokey but possible. Fine cuisine may not be. But I have seen some pretty amazing meals come out of a Dutch oven on YouTube. Not so much in person. More burned bottoms and cold/middles than anything else.
Evan

 

[begreen]

I have found that a dutch oven on top of a convection top can be a very effective slow cooker. I cooked last year's Thanksgiving turkey breast this way. It came out great. The direct heat of the stovetop would have been too hot,

 

[burningmyhardwood]

I have found that a dutch oven on top of a convection top can be a very effective slow cooker. I cooked last year's Thanksgiving turkey breast this way. It came out great. The direct heat of the stovetop would have been too hot,

do you have any photos? I am new to this.

 

[begreen]

This is when it went on to the stove.

• #56

 

[RockyMtnGriz]

I frequently toss foil wrapped potatoes, carrots, or whatnot, in my "fireplace"/inefficient stove when I have it going. Why not? It burn like a campfire, and I prefer the uneven skin cook of this method to the oven. That said, an efficient woodstove with the secondary burn over the top of the firebox, is going to get hotter than the hubs o' hell in there when that's going on, so I would think you would have to avoid that stage of burning. I also wouldn't put foil in anything that has a catalyst.
If you can't find a dutch oven that's oval, and I can't recall seeing one, you might find a good oval crock that will fit on the top.
The most valuable thing I've probably ever found for woodstove cooking are heavy duty old trivets used for the "low" and "medium" heat settings.

 

[begreen]

The best results will be putting in the potatoes during the coaling stage, after the fire has gone out.

 

[RockyMtnGriz]

I don't have to wait for coals if I just shovel some ash over them, but every "cooker" is going to be different!

 

[burningmyhardwood]

This is when it went on to the stove.

• #56

Slick I love it. Is the grate part of your insert/stove? Or is it something you bought somewhere?

 

[burningmyhardwood]

I don't have to wait for coals if I just shovel some ash over them, but every "cooker" is going to be different!

I never thought about the coals really. I didn't think about that being food safe. But now that you mention it its really not much different.

 

[RockyMtnGriz]

I never thought about the coals really. I didn't think about that being food safe. But now that you mention it its really not much different.

Well, if you're someone who burns painted/treated wood, pallets, trash, and the like, you should definitely avoid the in-fire cooking techniques, But if you use only good, old-fashioned wood, no problem!

I've found that if I let my cat stove burn to where it's driven most of the gasses from the wood, and shut it off, it produces a big load of charcoal for my BBQ, along with a lot of heat for my house from the cat before it finally goes out. Unlike Kingsford, it starts quicker, much easier (no fluid or chimney required), and burns hotter, but doesn't last as long. Works for me. I haven't had to haul home charcoal for many years. Obviously, great care must be exercised anytime you remove something that was once on fire from the firebox!

 

[kennyp2339]

I have a dedicated 10" cast iron frying pan w/ metal cast lid that is for going inside the stove during the coaling stage, I've made many of breakfast sausages, pan steaks, potatoes and other vegetables this way, many for fun and just to see what I could do, I've never really cooked on the outside of the stove, I suppose a dutch oven for soups and stuff would work.

 

[EbS-P]

This thread got me thinking there is no reason I can’t cook a pizza at over 600 degrees in my F400. For those of you with a square firebox and no ash grate is probably a simpler process. Back fireplate to doghouse is only 10”— not very deep. My solution Dutch oven with legs on pot and lid so dog house can circulate better and raise up items get get a bit of clearance from the doghouse. The legs on the lid raise the top of the lid above the doghouse. I got a cast iron griddle to go on top of the lid. I also found an old cast iron grill grate that I didn’t chuck when the grill rusted away. It fits nice so I might go get a couple fire bricks to rest it on if I want to grill. I ordered 12” pizza screens that just fit with the door closed. I like the pizza screens because the kids can “Help” make their own pizza and no matter how they build it I can get it to the oven.
I’m excited to try an cook naan bread too.

it’s been warm enough that I ran the AC last night, so nothing has been cooked yet. I will post pics of the first meal.

Lid resting on feet
Griddle on lid.
Dutch oven.

Evan

 

[RockyMtnGriz]

Pizza - yeah! I say go for it! Might have to work on that myself, so let us know how it goes.

Funny, and a a little sad and scary, how we have to relearn what our fairly recent ancestors knew. Have you seen a few hundred year old cookstove? I bet you haven't. The majority of those people had... fires and fireplaces to cook their food.

 

[Poindexter]

Got some budding Asadors here, internet search "open fire cooking" if you like. I do have a relatively compact oval shaped enamel thing I might cook in now that you have pointed it out, mine is to put a water in and set on thestove top to keep the house from getting to dry. It was a gift shipped to us from LL Bean I think.

Lattice Stovetop Steamer | Fireplace & Hearth at L.L.Bean

Find the best Lattice Stovetop Steamer at L.L.Bean. Our high quality home goods are designed to help turn any space into an outdoor-inspired retreat.

www.llbean.com

Dunno if it is food safe. Clicking noises inside brain.

 

[ispinwool]

Pizza - yeah! I say go for it! Might have to work on that myself, so let us know how it goes.

Funny, and a a little sad and scary, how we have to relearn what our fairly recent ancestors knew. Have you seen a few hundred year old cookstove? I bet you haven't. The majority of those people had... fires and fireplaces to cook their food.

Agreed.
I've been goofing around with cooking out on our fire ring...kinda scary results--but at least no one has died of food poisoning! LOL

I'm sure 'trial and error' was a big part of cooking life in those days. Plus the adults passed on their knowledge to the next
generation. Actually, it's the same with making yarn, knitting, hand sewing, log house building using hand hewn logs, weaving baskets,
coopering, etc...many of these things have virtually been lost to time.
I'm very happy to be one of the 'odd-balls' that demonstrate to the public and try to keep hand skills alive.

p.s.--I don't know if you 'you-tube' but the "Townsends" channel is loaded with 17th and 18th century cooking (among other things!). I'm really having fun watching their shows.

 

[begreen]

Slick I love it. Is the grate part of your insert/stove? Or is it something you bought somewhere?

It's the built in trivet top. Swings out of the way when you want to cook directly on the stovetop. This is how I heat up water for tea or coffee. It's also great for rising dough, etc. with the temp adjusted by how far out you swing it.

 

[Prof]

I don't cook inside the stove much, but have done a little. In fact for lunch today, I tossed a couple of large onions (whole) into the coals. In 15-20 min they are beautifully cooked through. The outside looks like charcoal, but inside they are sweet and tender. I've also put a couple bricks in and cooked steaks in a 2-sided rack. I cook on top of the stove quite a bit, but I have a free standing stove. Recently I've been playing around with using an antique toast rack. It has a handle. With the fire ripping, I just open the door and expose the rack to the heat. I can toast 4 pieces of bread in about 10 sec. The bread has a really nice but slight char that reminds me of my grandparents cookstove when I was a kid--they would take a section of griddle out and they had a small rack that would fit over the opening--seemed to make toast instantly.

 

[begreen]

Potatoes are pretty easy too. I wait until there are just coals, then move them aside and put in some aluminum foil wrapped potatoes. They cook up nicely in about 30 minutes. Sweet potatoes, squash would also be interesting to cook this way.

 

[ispinwool]

I don't cook inside the stove much, but have done a little. In fact for lunch today, I tossed a couple of large onions (whole) into the coals. In 15-20 min they are beautifully cooked through. The outside looks like charcoal, but inside they are sweet and tender. I've also put a couple bricks in and cooked steaks in a 2-sided rack. I cook on top of the stove quite a bit, but I have a free standing stove. Recently I've been playing around with using an antique toast rack. It has a handle. With the fire ripping, I just open the door and expose the rack to the heat. I can toast 4 pieces of bread in about 10 sec. The bread has a really nice but slight char that reminds me of my grandparents cookstove when I was a kid--they would take a section of griddle out and they had a small rack that would fit over the opening--seemed to make toast instantly.

What a lovely memory of your visits with your Grandparents!

 

[EbS-P]

fired up the Castine pizza oven today. Cold stove to this pizza in 60 minutes. Loaded with a light load of poplar kindling. Raked it out and tossed the lid on. First pizza went on when the lid was 450F. Needed to be hotter. Second pizza Is pictured. cooked another but it was already slowing down at this point. 10 minute cook time on the last one. Definitely a repeat. Will do much better on a full bed of coals. I was rushing as the crew was hungry. My 4 year old ate 3/4 of a pizza himself. I’ve cooked them on a really hot grill before and I think this is easier. Cook on

evan

 

[burningmyhardwood]

Well, if you're someone who burns painted/treated wood, pallets, trash, and the like, you should definitely avoid the in-fire cooking techniques, But if you use only good, old-fashioned wood, no problem!

I've found that if I let my cat stove burn to where it's driven most of the gasses from the wood, and shut it off, it produces a big load of charcoal for my BBQ, along with a lot of heat for my house from the cat before it finally goes out. Unlike Kingsford, it starts quicker, much easier (no fluid or chimney required), and burns hotter, but doesn't last as long. Works for me. I haven't had to haul home charcoal for many years. Obviously, great care must be exercised anytime you remove something that was once on fire from the firebox!

No trash regular old hardwood. but I am going to do the top cook stove thing

 

[begreen]

fired up the Castine pizza oven today. Cold stove to this pizza in 60 minutes. Loaded with a light load of poplar kindling. Raked it out and tossed the lid on. First pizza went on when the lid was 450F. Needed to be hotter. Second pizza Is pictured. cooked another but it was already slowing down at this point. 10 minute cook time on the last one. Definitely a repeat. Will do much better on a full bed of coals. I was rushing as the crew was hungry. My 4 year old ate 3/4 of a pizza himself. I’ve cooked them on a really hot grill before and I think this is easier. Cook on

evan
View attachment 266839View attachment 266840

I partially burned the pizza when I tried this in our Castine with a full bed of coals. It was so hot that it only needed 2 minutes of cook time. I gave it 3, turning it once.