Jotul F50 drop in grill function experiences/input

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dvellone

Feeling the Heat
Hearth Supporter
Sep 21, 2006
489
I'd been planning installing the Jotul F500 in my home but noticed that the F50 has a drop in the top grill that looks interesting. My question is, when the top is open and the grill being used are the fumes and the grease resulting from the grilling exhausting into the room? The grill surface looks to be above the stove vent. For that matter, is the advantage to the top grill just the height of the cooking surface, and why not - other than the inconvenience of squatting down to cook- just grill inside the stove where the cooking odors and fumes would vent to the chimney?
I'd appreciate anyone with experience with this cooking feature in the F50 clarifying this for me. Thanks, Daniel
 
I think the grill is cool.

I think you normally use it with the top closed and prob on a coaling/low flame situation. I bet the idea is with decent draft you don’t get any venting into the room. Just spitballing here tho. I think there are a few folks on here who use a similar feature on their VC stove, maybe they’ll chime in...
 
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I just foresee all kinds of grease/soot clinging to the ss liners all the way up if this is done no matter the stove. But just my thoughts.
 
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Don't own one, but seems like a terrible idea.
Unless I'm missing something it seems like a terrible idea to me as well, and I'm hoping that someone with experience with this heater might offer some insight. Short of a very strong draft that might draw cooking fumes down (as well as the heat necessary to grill) it's tough to imagine that a majority of the cooking fumes wouldn't exhaust into the living space
 
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Ok, got it! Thanks for this. I thought I could be missing something considering that Jotul's engineering is solid. I was thinking that it was meant for open grilling. My mistake entirely.
 
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Folks that have them like them. Some Harman stoves have this option too. I haven't read any negatives from those users, just the opposite actually. @branchburner had one for a while.
 
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Ill weigh in when i try mine but my intention was to cook with the stove lid down. Or oven style. I think to leave it up the stove would draw too much air in past the food and keep it from getting hot enough. Plus i would have to cook when most of the wood is burned down to coaling stage so i dont burn everything.
 
Lid open is for grilling. Flip the meat or veggies when nicely browned on one side. I've found that the coaling stage is the best for a lot of cooking. The heat is less peaky and more even.
 
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I know this is an old thread but my 50 tl cooks food great. Made some good dear roast wrapped in thick cut bacon, burgers, even some pizza. The key is have a good bed of coals. If you try and add wood. The flames from the reburn can come up and char the food. Also I have never noticed any smoke coming from the door when it's opened. I never use the TL option to fill the stove with wood. It's more of a pain in the you know what. But the other thing is when I'm flipping the burgers and have the top door open I notice the fire dies down. Assuming the draft is sucking the air from there instead of the primary and secondary air inlets as much.

My final thoughts are it's nice when you want grilled food and it's cold outside but you also can't cook much at one time.
 
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