suggestions on smaller modern wood stoves that can cook?

[kitand]

I'm interested in getting a modern wood stove to exhaust into my fireplace chimney.
My goals are 1) fairly small, to fit my fireplace and extend a bit out onto my hearth, 2) able to supplement house heat, 3) provide heat "safety net" in case of power outage--meaning that it should not be dependent on electric blowers, and 4) something to cook with in power outage.

I did see the Lopi 1250 ((broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/product-detail.aspx?model=242)) which claims to be able to cook and might work well in my space if I could remove the legs and perhaps set it on bricks or smaller supports.
It's emissions seem to fit the WA state standards where I live (non-catalytic less than 4.5g/hr).

Is anyone aware of any other options that might be good for me?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I think you would need to provide the size of your fireplace for accurate answers. Generally speaking, choosing a stove or insert that sticks out into the room is going to heat better than one completely inside the fireplace. Any stove with a flat top or section larger than a pan can be cooked on.

 

[kitand]

Hi Eaten-- I don't want to be too specific on this because I'm generally looking for "small" models, and depending on how far they jut out, how they are vented, and if legs are detachable/modifiable, different dimensions might be possible. As far as cooking goes, do you have experience with it? I've been googling a bit about it and find mixed reviews on the efficacy of cooking on wood stoves. Some models also have flat tops but appear to have vents right under the flat tops, which I think would make cooking useless (maybe I'm wrong). Lopi specifically advertises its cooking ability, but I'm wondering if there are other good choices that people have experience with.

 

[begreen]

We'll need fireplace dimensions before being able to suggest what will fit or not. A picture would also be helpful.

 

[St. Coemgen]

Is anyone aware of any other options that might be good for me?

Regarding cooking, I have done a lot of cooking on and in wood stoves (I love cooking with wood so much, I bought a wood stove with an oven).

To help you with wood cooking information see, as one example:

http://www.ourtinyhomestead.com/wood-stove-cooking.html

In short, you can heat and slow cook food in a Dutch Oven (iron, glass or ceramic) on top of many different stoves, but you usually need an actual hot plate for enough heat to really "fry" food (and a hot plate is easier to remove, clean or even replace when it gets grimy with baked on food drippings than having to repaint the top part of a stove).

One small unit with a hot plate would be the Jotul F 602:

(broken link removed to http://jotul.com/us/products/stoves/Jotul-F-602)

But I do not know if this model is available in Washington state. But as others already said, without details of the space, what stove might "fit" in that space can only be guessed at.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

We cook and heat sides every Thanksgiving on a small Century. That stove was just replaced with a larger one.

I wouldn't cut and modify legs.

 

[MaintenanceMan]

Alderlea T4?....

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I don't know how small your existing fireplace is, but before I would modify the Lopi 1250, I would seriously consider the Lopi 1750i. It's designed to be an insert with a cooktop. It will push more heat with a blower but it's not required in the event of power failure, and it has a larger firebox. If you want a realistic chance of overnight burns (especially without other heat if you have a power failure), a 2.2 cubic foot firebox will serve much better than 1.6.

Our family has the Lopi Revere insert (a slightly fancier version of the 1750i that we got on a good sale). We couldn't really do a freestanding stove, but we wanted the insert out on the hearth as much as possible for heat and cooking. We've been very pleased.

 

[kitand]

Great recommendations! Thanks.
Especially like the link for wood cooking that St Coemgen sent. Apparently they're using a tiny Jotul f100.
It's funny how most of the manufacturers don't mention cooking at all (like Century), but as Eaten attests, Century stoves can cook fine.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Yeah cooking is often a secondary or tertiary concern after heating and looks, and some stoves don't do well at it unless you count slow cooking only. One of my previous stoves also had a nice porcelain majolica surface without any kind of cooktop/plate no way I'd put a heavy pot or pan on it and risk scratching. My current stove, the big Woodstock Ideal Steel cooks pretty well including a bit of light frying, and is vented through my existing fireplace.

Cooking aside, you need to give us some more info to find out what will at least fit first. A small fireplace often can't fit many stoves, for one thing based on flue height. Many freestanding stoves vent out the top, and even putting an elbow directly on the stove it may not fit under the top of the fireplace. Setting completely in the fireplace also reduces a lot of the radiant heat transfer to the room, unless you want to run blowers in the fireplace but you said you do not. Also makes it a pita to access especially if it controls are of to the side for example. Some stoves will rear-vent horizontally out the back which can make fireplace installs easier, you may have to extend the hearth out further in front of the fireplace.

And just so we are clear (you may already know this IDK), when you vent through an existing fireplace you need to run a stainless steel liner up from the stove through the old chimney. Good luck with you research!

 

[billb3]

I've burnt a few things on the top of the TN19
It's a coffin shaped n/s burner though

 

[kitand]

Ohio--good points on the radiant heat loss from installing in a fireplace. At same time, I'm ambivalent about extending my hearth. Too bad there's no short fat stoves on the market that just fit in my fireplace with plenty of cook room on top! Have seen "camping stoves" like that, but if I want to certify it and not choke my asthmatic neighbors, I'd probably better avoid that.
Billb3--checked out the TN19 and made a note of it, but looks like True North doesn't sell new ones anymore.
Thanks, all.

 

[billb3]

Ohio--good points on the radiant heat loss from installing in a fireplace. At same time, I'm ambivalent about extending my hearth. Too bad there's no short fat stoves on the market that just fit in my fireplace with plenty of cook room on top! Have seen "camping stoves" like that, but if I want to certify it and not choke my asthmatic neighbors, I'd probably better avoid that.
Billb3--checked out the TN19 and made a note of it, but looks like True North doesn't sell new ones anymore.
Thanks, all.

I think it's the TN20 now and TN40 for the pellet version.http://truenorthstoves.com/en/products

How about Timberwolf 2100 ? With no blower I bet you could cook on it in a pinch.

 

[theora55]

I'm interested in getting a modern wood stove to exhaust into my fireplace chimney.
My goals are 1) fairly small, to fit my fireplace and extend a bit out onto my hearth, 2) able to supplement house heat, 3) provide heat "safety net" in case of power outage--meaning that it should not be dependent on electric blowers, and 4) something to cook with in power outage.

I did see the Lopi 1250 ((broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/product-detail.aspx?model=242)) which claims to be able to cook and might work well in my space if I could remove the legs and perhaps set it on bricks or smaller supports.
It's emissions seem to fit the WA state standards where I live (non-catalytic less than 4.5g/hr).

Is anyone aware of any other options that might be good for me?

I have a Waterford Fiona. It's pretty small, and has a plate on the top for cooking. I cook on my gas kitchen stove, which can be used even in a power outage (stovetop). I've used the woodstove in power outages and for extra cooking space at Thanksgiving. Regular cooking on a woodstove is challenging. If the stove has a good fire, it's going to cook very hot. Have to admit it's great to cook those refrigerator case biscuits or to make flatbread on a cold day.

Also, it can keep my small house ~900 sqft. - adequately warm in a power outage. Living room stays cozy, The rest of the house stays warm enough so the pipes are okay. If I win the lottery, I'm building a house with a woodstove in the bathroom.

Got my wood stove on Craigslist, very happy with it. Non-cat, EPA-cert.

 

[Handsonautotech]

Ohio--good points on the radiant heat loss from installing in a fireplace. At same time, I'm ambivalent about extending my hearth. Too bad there's no short fat stoves on the market that just fit in my fireplace with plenty of cook room on top! Have seen "camping stoves" like that, but if I want to certify it and not choke my asthmatic neighbors, I'd probably better avoid that.
Billb3--checked out the TN19 and made a note of it, but looks like True North doesn't sell new ones anymore.
Thanks, all.

Not sure what you mean by "certify it" but I beleive if you modify it by cutting off legs it loses its UL listing.

 

[begreen]

For an insert look at the Century CW2500-I
(broken link removed to https://www.century-heating.com/en/products/inserts/cw2500-insert-stove-cb00019/)

 

[kitand]

This forum is really amazing. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm rethinking my original question and will take begreen's tip and make a different post focused on inserts.

 

[rijim]

This forum is really amazing. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm rethinking my original question and will take begreen's tip and make a different post focused on inserts.

I use a dutch oven on top of Jotul Castine. I use a few 1/4” copper strips to raise it up & reduce the heating surface area; lets me control the amount of heat somewhat.
Jim

 

[OhioBurner©]

Ohio--good points on the radiant heat loss from installing in a fireplace. At same time, I'm ambivalent about extending my hearth.

I was the same way. Wife too. She didn't want to mod the hearth due to looks. I didn't want to mod the hearth because of all the work, and looks too. We picked an insert that looked great and would fit, but to fit without mod it had to be flush. If you can fit an insert that protrudes outward without having to extend your hearth that would be a good compromise. My flush one compromised too much in the other direction, no ability to cook whatsoever, and very little radiant heat especially when the power was out plus noisy fan running all the time to get that convective heat out of the fireplace and into the room.

Skip forward 7 years (last year)... wife and I split, and I started looking at stoves again since the good ole Jotul insert couldn't make a 14-hr door to door time for my typical work day, no way no how not even close. And I no longer had someone at home to keep the stove running. So I thought long and hard and no way around it I had to modify the hearth and get a bigger stove. In the end the hearth does not look as good but I designed the extension to be removable if I sell the house (I'll re install the insert and take the newer stove with me). By myself I really don't care as much about aesthetics and the difference in heat output was huge, as well as the nice silent output, ability to cook, and being free to pick a good functioning stove with great control, efficiency, and long burns without being stuck to just a few choices that would fit. In my case the difference was huge and I wish I'd have done it from the beginning. But l couldn't even fit a protruding insert, which you might be able too and that would be a little better. Good luck in your hunting!