Installing a wood burning insert and leaving the top uncovered for cooking

[Krystal]

Hi everyone,
I am just hoping to figure out if it is safe to install a wood burning stove insert with the top left uncovered for cooking? We have a wood burning insert we really want to use, but will miss being able to boil water and cook on the surface of a freestanding. Any thoughts? I know you can cook inside a wood insert, but just hoping to find a way to cook on one. Hoping to just leave the top bare and have the chimney pipe to up through the roof uncovered.
Thanks for any opinions,
Krystal

***THIS IS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, NOT GOING IN TO AN EXISTING FIREPLACE***

 

[Grisu]

What kind of insert do you have?

For most you will not only need to leave the faceplate off that covers the fireplace opening but also remove the top-plate from the airchannel that goes around the insert. The blower will have much less of an effect then and the look may not be that great but you should be able to cook on it.

 

[begreen]

By top, do you mean the surround? Usually the top of the insert is an integral part of the insert. If it's a convection top the insert would not be the best for cooking anything but slow cooker type meals.

 

[Krystal]

By top, do you mean the surround? Usually the top of the insert is an integral part of the insert. If it's a convection top the insert would not be the best for cooking anything but slow cooker type meals.

I'm not sure what it is called, but this is an older wood burning insert. Here is a picture.

 

[Krystal]

What kind of insert do you have?

For most you will not only need to leave the faceplate off that covers the fireplace opening but also remove the top-plate from the airchannel that goes around the insert. The blower will have much less of an effect then and the look may not be that great but you should be able to cook on it.

Not sure what kind of stove it is but I've posted photos of it below. This is for construction of a whole new hearth and stove surround, it is not going into an existing fireplace.

 

[mellow]

Insert needs to be in a masonry or approved zero clearance fireplace, it can not be free standing unless it was designed to do that with legs.

Now a cooking surface would be like this Napoleon's top, but the insert as you see is inside the fireplace.

Most go with a free standing stove if they want to cook on it regularly.

(broken image removed)

 

[Krystal]

Insert needs to be in a masonry or approved zero clearance fireplace, it can not be free standing unless it was designed to do that with legs.

Now a cooking surface would be like this Napoleon's top, but the insert as you see is inside the fireplace.

Most go with a free standing stove if they want to cook on it regularly.

(broken image removed)

Darn it! Wish we could buy the one in the photo you posted but we are on a pretty tight budget. We may just have to come up with the money to buy a used free standing because cooking on it would be a huge plus! Is there a way to add a ledge on the front?My husband has a welder and some experience welding.
Thank you for your advice.

 

[Grisu]

Darn it! Wish we could buy the one in the photo you posted but we are on a pretty tight budget. We may just have to come up with the money to buy a used free standing because cooking on it would be a huge plus

The insert in mellow's picture won't help you much either because it sounds like you don't have a fireplace yet and that is needed to install an insert. I really think you should go for a freestanding stove which will make cooking on top of it much easier. A new Englander or Drolet stove can be found for ~$900 and when you do the install and the chimney yourself you can get away with about $2000 for a new stove and a save installation. If you cut your own wood, your fuel savings will pay for the stove and pipe within 2 to 3 years most likely.