Cooking with an insert?

[James02]

I've heard and seen people cook with a wood stove, is it at all possible to do cooking with an insert?

 

[robertmcw]

Do a search for 'cook' or 'cooking' here.

Depends if the insert is away from to the top so you put an pan, Dutch oven, etc on it.

You should use some foil to keep the food away from the top and some type trivit.

We love cooking with ours.

Robert

 

[James02]

Do a search for 'cook' or 'cooking' here.

Depends if the insert is away from to the top so you put an pan, Dutch oven, etc on it.

You should use some foil to keep the food away from the top and some type trivit.

We love cooking with ours.

Robert

I did do a search... But everything if memory serves was for stoves and not inserts. It will have a blower (will be installed Frida, I hope) so I was thinking the radiant heat might at least warm up water.

 

[pen]

obviously you are limited to cooking externally because of the samll amount of top surface exposed.

However, everything that you find applying to cooking inside a stove would work just the same for an insert.

The big thing last year was cooking pizza in the stove / insert. Others have baked bread.

pen

 

[James02]

obviously you are limited to cooking externally because of the samll amount of top surface exposed.

However, everything that you find applying to cooking inside a stove would work just the same for an insert.

The big thing last year was cooking pizza in the stove / insert. Others have baked bread.

pen

Never thought of cooking inside the insert....Guess it would function like a regular oven would...

 

[pen]

obviously you are limited to cooking externally because of the samll amount of top surface exposed.

However, everything that you find applying to cooking inside a stove would work just the same for an insert.

The big thing last year was cooking pizza in the stove / insert. Others have baked bread.

pen

Never thought of cooking inside the insert....Guess it would function like a regular oven would...

A bit more art to it than using an oven, but yea, it's a box that's hot!

pen

 

[joefrompa]

My Lopi has a 10" extension from the face of the insert/fireplace. I can fit an 8" pan on it, or a dutch oven, etc.

However, I ruined a dutch oven once when I filled it with water and left it there over night to humidify. Ran dry on me

 

[curdy]

I've done a couple of meals in my insert. The steak was amazing. I've done it a couple of times and found that burning wood that produces bigger coals (like in the pic...maple and pear if memory serves me well) works much better.

 

[James02]

I've done a couple of meals in my insert. The steak was amazing. I've done it a couple of times and found that burning wood that produces bigger coals (like in the pic...maple and pear if memory serves me well) works much better.

Would the grease or whatever hitting the firebricks have and negative effect?

 

[curdy]

The meat we have is not fatty, so there's really not much grease to begin with. I keep the door open when cooking a steak because that keeps the airflow even and doesn't blow hard over the coals. I might get a very minimal splatter on the front ledge, but that's easier to clean off than the glass (we burn 24/7, so the glass doesn't get cleaned unless we get a warm day or I miss a load). The ledge is cool enough I can take a little soapy water and just give it a quick wipe and we're good to go. The other thing about cooking right on the coals is that anything dripping off the meat isn't falling from any height. That greatly reduces splattering. In fact, we did cook several steaks on a grate raised up on some bricks one time and that did splatter more. So for me, I see very little splatter in general, but even if it got on the brick more, its just going to get burned off next time around anyway.

Now, one thing I do make sure of is that I'm only burning natural stuff in the stove. No stained/painted wood, glue, plywood, MDF, etc. I'd rather be on the safe side of not having to worry about what's left over in some ashes that may have gotten on the food a little.

If you've never had a steak cooked caveman style, you really have to try it...you may never want a steak any other way...its that good. Big coals and a pile big enough for you to have a fresh spot to turn the steak to and you're good to go!

 

[James02]

The meat we have is not fatty, so there's really not much grease to begin with. I keep the door open when cooking a steak because that keeps the airflow even and doesn't blow hard over the coals. I might get a very minimal splatter on the front ledge, but that's easier to clean off than the glass (we burn 24/7, so the glass doesn't get cleaned unless we get a warm day or I miss a load). The ledge is cool enough I can take a little soapy water and just give it a quick wipe and we're good to go. The other thing about cooking right on the coals is that anything dripping off the meat isn't falling from any height. That greatly reduces splattering. In fact, we did cook several steaks on a grate raised up on some bricks one time and that did splatter more. So for me, I see very little splatter in general, but even if it got on the brick more, its just going to get burned off next time around anyway.

Now, one thing I do make sure of is that I'm only burning natural stuff in the stove. No stained/painted wood, glue, plywood, MDF, etc. I'd rather be on the safe side of not having to worry about what's left over in some ashes that may have gotten on the food a little.

If you've never had a steak cooked caveman style, you really have to try it...you may never want a steak any other way...its that good. Big coals and a pile big enough for you to have a fresh spot to turn the steak to and you're good to go!

That's great! I moved a few years ago to a town with electric and no gas...So I have a glass top electric stove. My skillets are in the closet mad at me.

 

[curdy]

We had a glass top at the last place we lived and used the cast iron on there. Just had to be REAL careful when putting them down. We have something similar now at our new place, but its not nearly as fragile. Not sure what its called, but I do know my wife would much rather have a gas range.

One other thing I forgot to mention about the 2 meals I posted pictures about. From my experience with my stove, its basically a one shot deal and then I need to build a new fire. So depending on your stove, what you're making, and for how many people, you may have to cook some sides with a different source.

 

[btuser]

I can do it, but its going to take a while. I'm never patient enough to cook open-door on the coals (oak pops too much) so its pretty much eggs and boiling water when the power goes out. I'd love a nice cast iron dutch over for experiments.

 

[Dix]

The PE really doesn't get hot enough on the top ledge for cooking. I can see tossing some tater's/yams in there ( in foil) and getting it done as you cool down. Corn (ears).


The Dixette has mastered cooking on top of the 13. Made some wicked burritos many a time last winter (broken image removed)

 

[tickbitty]

My Lopi has a 10" extension from the face of the insert/fireplace. I can fit an 8" pan on it, or a dutch oven, etc.

However, I ruined a dutch oven once when I filled it with water and left it there over night to humidify. Ran dry on me

Joe, how did that ruin the dutch oven? Was it enameled?

To anyone interested, Lopi has a good page on woodstove cooking, with recipes and links to other resources.
(broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/stovecooking/)

 

[kettensäge]

Can't really cook on them, but they make great defrosters and food reheaters, just not as quick as a microwave.