Kettle, Humidifier, Trivet? Help!

[Kalinky]

Hi,
We got a new Pacific Energy Super 27 installed about 2 months ago. We are having several issues with it that I may post questions about seperately. To the point of this post: I bought a cheap cast iron kettle to serve as a humidifier. Keep in mind that I am a rookie here! My husband moved us to the country and the only way to stay warm in this house is with the stove going! I wasn't thinking about the fact that rust would be an issue with a non-coated kettle and do not want to deal with the rust. On our old stove, we just used an old stainless pot that sat directly on top...but it was ugly and all mineralized from the hard water. I know to use vinegar to deal with the minerals, but at the time we were using that system, I just didn't care. So now with the new stove, I was going to go get a stainless steel kettle to replace this rusting iron one, but after researching, I'm understanding that a kettle will not provide as much humidity as an open pot, or steamer/humidifier would, right? So what should I get that will look nice, not cost a lot, and provide a decent amount of humidity? Also, is using a trivet necessary to protect the stove top? I certainly do not want it rusting. Please educate/help me! Thanks!

 

[madison]

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/47446/

Unless that PE is enamel painted, I would not waste the time and effort and damage to the stove top for the small amount of moisture.

Depending on your home size, $50 - 150 will be well spent, no dry throats, colds, happy skin, no static shocks etc

 

[logger]

Is this a problem with only this stove?

 

[logger]

Maybe its more difficult with your stove, but I love my steamer. It looks nice, can be scented, and is the first place my hands warm up after coming in from the cold. An added humidifier does do much more than the steamer though

 

[madison]

Is the Oslo enamel painted? If so, I may tend to agree

IMHO, steel or cast iron co-mingling with water (especially softened well water) is asking for rust. And the small amount of water vapor is not worth it, IMHO. I do agree it looks nice, but my painted cast iron kettle got really nasty on the inside, after a weeks worth of use. If I were to do it again, I would not have wasted the money on the cast iron, and would go with an enameled kettle

but with our softened (salty) water, the cast iron and steel of the stove and kettle was not a great combination, i most likely will be brushing and painting the stove next yr.

 

[firefighterjake]

Hi,
We got a new Pacific Energy Super 27 installed about 2 months ago. We are having several issues with it that I may post questions about seperately. To the point of this post: I bought a cheap cast iron kettle to serve as a humidifier. Keep in mind that I am a rookie here! My husband moved us to the country and the only way to stay warm in this house is with the stove going! I wasn't thinking about the fact that rust would be an issue with a non-coated kettle and do not want to deal with the rust. On our old stove, we just used an old stainless pot that sat directly on top...but it was ugly and all mineralized from the hard water. I know to use vinegar to deal with the minerals, but at the time we were using that system, I just didn't care. So now with the new stove, I was going to go get a stainless steel kettle to replace this rusting iron one, but after researching, I'm understanding that a kettle will not provide as much humidity as an open pot, or steamer/humidifier would, right? So what should I get that will look nice, not cost a lot, and provide a decent amount of humidity? Also, is using a trivet necessary to protect the stove top? I certainly do not want it rusting. Please educate/help me! Thanks!

I have a cheap painted cast iron steamer on my matte black cast iron Oslo . . . other than a few paint flecks that have come off I like this steamer. Provides enough moisture in the air to keep the house humidified to the point where wood isn't cracking and my wife and I don't zap each other when we hug or slip into bed and kiss each other good night.

I haven't had any issue with rusting of the stove . . . I have had some build up due to hard water in the pot . . . but I clean it occasionally. I also use potpourri which crystalizes in the pot. The steamer itself doesn't actually steam since I always have had it on a trivet . . . and now on top of my soapstone topper. It gets hot enough to evaporate the water so I add more water morning and night, but it doesn't boil away or steam.

If I was to go out and buy a new steamer today I would go with one a little bit larger and make sure it was enameled cast iron.

 

[Skier76]

We just bougth one this weekend for our matte finish Castine. It's a black kettle that the hardware store had on sale for $15. So far, so good. I imagine if you're careful about placing it and don't drag it, the finish will be just fine.

 

[madison]

We just bougth one this weekend for our matte finish Castine. It's a black kettle that the hardware store had on sale for $15. So far, so good. I imagine if you're careful about placing it and don't drag it, the finish will be just fine.

Watch for boilovers if it is not on a trivet. I will predict, that by next weekend the inside of that thing looks literally like sh#$^&t

 

[Skier76]

We just bougth one this weekend for our matte finish Castine. It's a black kettle that the hardware store had on sale for $15. So far, so good. I imagine if you're careful about placing it and don't drag it, the finish will be just fine.

Watch for boilovers if it is not on a trivet. I will predict, that by next weekend the inside of that thing looks literally like sh#$^&t

:lol:

It very well may. For $15 though, it's worth a shot. We're certainly not purifying drinking water with it. Just something to add a little humidity to the air.

 

[iceman]

if you must have a kettle buy the one that has the enamel coating on the inside they are pricey ~35 bucks but dont fill up with the rust
i put mine right the stove in the corner (it is an insert) because i dont want boiling water .. but putting it on a trivet it takes days to empty a couple of qts.. so i like to fill up every day

 

[sandie]

my cast iron kettle puts out steam alright BUT it is all rusty inside and the water turns rusty immediately so I think the steam is putting out rusty steam which will become rusty dust. SO wondering if there is a way of treating the inside of the kettle to stop it from rusting further.

 

[pen]

If you look in my sig you'll see a steamer that is a clay pot w/ a clay lid that is dome shaped w/ an opening in the center. I've searched the net over and not been able to find another like it. It goes through about 2 qts of water a day for me. Until recently I had the original box which called it a "Maine Steamer" My humidifier does more in a day, but I certainly can't say that what it does on the stove hurts anything.

Point is, I've never had this hurt the stove as it doesn't boil over and doesn't shoot out spurts of hot water as kettles have been known too.

I also keep mine on a trivet.

If you have a friend into ceramics or pottery, they could make one like I have quite easily. How about a kid taking high school art? I get pottery work that I need made by my neighboring art teacher.

Here's a little bigger picture of it.

pen

 

[elmoleaf]

I use an old pyrex cooking pot with a handle. Very easy to refill, never truly boils or boils over...just steams away.
Looks like hell and all the mineral deposits are plainly visible through the glass. If company is coming over, I hide it behind the stove and put the fancy cast iron pot on instead.
When I need a significant change to the humidity in the house, I use a small electric humidifier.

 

[gyrfalcon]

my cast iron kettle puts out steam alright BUT it is all rusty inside and the water turns rusty immediately so I think the steam is putting out rusty steam which will become rusty dust. SO wondering if there is a way of treating the inside of the kettle to stop it from rusting further.

Rust does not evaporate into the air, nor does any other solid. Water is purified for distilled water and the like by boiling it and capturing the steam.

Rust is ugly, though, and eventually will eat through the metal. There are very nice, not to pricy (ie, about 35 bucks) enameled steamers out there. That's what I use. No rust, but lots of condensed whatevers from the tap water I haven't even bothered to clean out.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Hi,
We got a new Pacific Energy Super 27 installed about 2 months ago. We are having several issues with it that I may post questions about seperately. To the point of this post: I bought a cheap cast iron kettle to serve as a humidifier. Keep in mind that I am a rookie here! My husband moved us to the country and the only way to stay warm in this house is with the stove going! I wasn't thinking about the fact that rust would be an issue with a non-coated kettle and do not want to deal with the rust. On our old stove, we just used an old stainless pot that sat directly on top...but it was ugly and all mineralized from the hard water. I know to use vinegar to deal with the minerals, but at the time we were using that system, I just didn't care. So now with the new stove, I was going to go get a stainless steel kettle to replace this rusting iron one, but after researching, I'm understanding that a kettle will not provide as much humidity as an open pot, or steamer/humidifier would, right? So what should I get that will look nice, not cost a lot, and provide a decent amount of humidity? Also, is using a trivet necessary to protect the stove top? I certainly do not want it rusting. Please educate/help me! Thanks!

Get an enameled cast iron steamer, preferably the kind shaped like a pot with a lattice type lid for lots of evaporation. By all means put it on a trivet if your stove gets real hot just to slow it down. My stove is soapstone, so I put the steamer directly on the top and just never move it during the season so it doesn't scratch the surface. Unless you constantly spill water all over the top of the stove when it's cool and let it sit there, it will not rust the stove itself.

 

[tpikaart]

i have a cast/enameled steamer, and it boils away all day if I'm home--I just keep refilling it. At night I put it on the upper level of the stove's cooktop (Lopi Liberty) where it does not boil. I really have no problem with boiling--we need all the moisture we can get. Yes, the inside of the steamer gets ugly with accumulated salts, minerals, etc. I think the steamer is 3 qt. and I wish it were 5 or more--then I'd probably be able to leave it boiling all night.

 

[pen]

i have a cast/enameled steamer, and it boils away all day if I'm home--I just keep refilling it. At night I put it on the upper level of the stove's cooktop (Lopi Liberty) where it does not boil. I really have no problem with boiling--we need all the moisture we can get. Yes, the inside of the steamer gets ugly with accumulated salts, minerals, etc. I think the steamer is 3 qt. and I wish it were 5 or more--then I'd probably be able to leave it boiling all night.

I am willing to bet that your steamer sits directly on the stove? If so, then you can have it boil all night if you put it on a metal trivet. Or even try a few pieces of tile to keep it from being in direct contact w/ the stoves surface. That will slow the boil down for you.

pen

 

[nojo]

A remnant piece of soapstone would be nice to sit your kettle on right? You can get one from a granite counter top place probably for very cheap or free.