Wood burning insert with cook top?

[lhr]

Hi,

Short version: Can you comment on the quality and value of the Regency I2400 and on any other wood-burning inserts with cook tops?

Long version: We've bought a home in Alabama with a large, open wood-burning fireplace and stone hearth. We've had a chimney sweep/remodeler out to inspect it, and the firebox and chimney are in bad shape. We want to heat mostly with wood and also have a cook top to use in power outages. My wife doesn't want a full-size stove because it would be larger than the hearth, so I've tried to find inserts with cook tops. The only one I can find is the Regency I2400. Any comments on the quality and value of that one? Know of any others?
I don'have strong opinions about catalytic vs. non. However, money is tight, so we need the stove to be a good value.
The fireplace is in a family room with a steep (14:12) vaulted ceiling. The area is about 500 sq. ft. A hall leads back to three bedrooms. A loft overlooks the family room and there's a bedroom behind the loft. The total house area is about 2,700 sq. ft., and I assume that the insert won't be able to get much heat to the farthest bedrooms downstairs. I know that air circulation will not be good when the power is out.
Any other thoughts or advice?
Thanks for your insight and for all the great info in these forums.


ML

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I know you said a full size stove is out, but have you looked at kitchen queen cookstoves? We have a 480 and LOVE it. It is easy on wood and cooks the best food you ever had.
Since your firebox and chimney are in bad shape, perhaps a little work could make a hearth that would be a good fit for a "queen".
(broken link removed to http://www.kitchenqueenstoves.com/kitchenqueenstoves/)

 

[begreen]

Welcome. Can we get the hearth and fireplace dimensions to see what might work? If you can post a picture or two of the current fireplace that would also help.

 

[lhr]

I know you said a full size stove is out, but have you looked at kitchen queen cookstoves? We have a 480 and LOVE it. It is easy on wood and cooks the best food you ever had.
Since your firebox and chimney are in bad shape, perhaps a little work could make a hearth that would be a good fit for a "queen".
(broken link removed to http://www.kitchenqueenstoves.com/kitchenqueenstoves/)

Thanks for the suggestion, but we're just looking for a way to heat a pot or two when the power is out. Our living room and kitchen really wouldn't accommodate a wonderful stove like that.

ML

 

[lhr]

begreen,

The depth of the hearth is 25". The fireplace opening is 32" x 52". I didn't pull the insert out to measure the depth of the firebox, but I think it's pretty typical.

Thanks for the help!


ML

Welcome. Can we get the hearth and fireplace dimensions to see what might work? If you can post a picture or two of the current fireplace that would also help.

 

[Grisu]

What kind of insert is currently in there? Any pics? And does the chimney have a full stainless steel liner?

For that size fireplace a freestanding stove would be a better option than an insert. You will have a hard time finding an insert with a large enough surround to cover the whole opening. Plus, a freestander will also give you a cooktop. The Englander 30NC would fit and is a great value. It needs to be seen whether you can connect it to a liner in the back; depends on how far back your flue is in the fireplace. The Woodstock Ideal Steel with short leg kit may be another good option. That stove can be rear-vented, so no problem with the flue connection. And it is catalytic for a more regulated, even heat output.

 

[lhr]

Grisu,

Thanks for your reply. I don't know what type insert is there now (I'm not at home), but we had it inspected, and it will need to be replaced in a couple years because of rust. There's not a liner in the chimney, and it has some problems, so we thought we'd do the whole job at once.

The current insert has black metal around it to cover up the fireplace opening. I assume that we'd do something similar with a new insert.

We considered a free standing stove, mainly because it will produce more heat when the power is out, but my wife doesn't like the aesthetics of having it take up the whole hearth or hang off the front. The Englander 30NC has a depth of 31", so it would really stick out into the room after leaving room to get the top flue into the fireplace. The Ideal Steel is 27.5" deep, and it looks like there's a bit of overhang, so it might fit on the hearth, but I don't think my wife would go for the look. Or since the height (min.) is 30.5", could it be installed set back into the fireplace sort of like an insert? And if so, could we then put a black metal piece around it to cover up the rest of the opening?

So much to learn! Thanks, ML

What kind of insert is currently in there? Any pics? And does the chimney have a full stainless steel liner?

For that size fireplace a freestanding stove would be a better option than an insert. You will have a hard time finding an insert with a large enough surround to cover the whole opening. Plus, a freestander will also give you a cooktop. The Englander 30NC would fit and is a great value. It needs to be seen whether you can connect it to a liner in the back; depends on how far back your flue is in the fireplace. The Woodstock Ideal Steel with short leg kit may be another good option. That stove can be rear-vented, so no problem with the flue connection. And it is catalytic for a more regulated, even heat output.

 

[begreen]

The Regency gets high marks as a reliable heater. It should work out fine if that is the choice and you have a local dealer that sells and services Regencies. The Osburn 2400i and Lopi Freedom are also good heaters to look at.

 

[Grisu]

Both stoves are small enough that you could push them into the fireplace and only have part of it sitting on the hearth. How far depends on the shape of your fireplace and depth of the stove. You may need to pull the insert out to get the required measurements or at least get the metal surround off. With a freestander you would not really want to close off the rest of the fireplace. An insert usually comes with a metal surround but often they are not 52" wide. Thus, you will either have a gap on each side or you need to have one custom fabricated.

 

[begreen]

It is easy to add a side panel extension to the surround if needed. This is done all the time. But first check with the dealer to see if the stove company makes wider sides or top panels. For example Lopi makes side-panels for the Freedom up to 12" for a 53 3/8" total. width. The Osburn and Regency would need a 1.5" extension per side.

 

[lhr]

Begreen,

Thanks for the info. We like the Regency because it (according to their website) "offers a large cooktop surface that you can use to cook meals on even during power outages." I haven't found any other insert that makes that claim, and I don't know enough about inserts to know if that's unique.
For example, the Lopi Freedom can be installed so that 7" of top plate is exposed. Is that a cooktop surface or does something about the design preclude that use?

Thanks,


ML

The Regency gets high marks as a reliable heater. It should work out fine if that is the choice and you have a local dealer that sells and services Regencies. The Osburn 2400i and Lopi Freedom are also good heaters to look at.

 

[lhr]

Got it. Thanks.

Both stoves are small enough that you could push them into the fireplace and only have part of it sitting on the hearth. How far depends on the shape of your fireplace and depth of the stove. You may need to pull the insert out to get the required measurements or at least get the metal surround off. With a freestander you would not really want to close off the rest of the fireplace. An insert usually comes with a metal surround but often they are not 52" wide. Thus, you will either have a gap on each side or you need to have one custom fabricated.

 

[lhr]

Okay. Thanks.

It is easy to add a side panel extension to the surround if needed. This is done all the time. But first check with the dealer to see if the stove company makes wider sides or top panels. For example Lopi makes side-panels for the Freedom up to 12" for a 53 3/8" total. width. The Osburn and Regency would need a 1.5" extension per side.

 

[begreen]

Take a look at the Lopi Endeavor insert. It has a bigger firebox than the Regency and the wide surround option should cover the fireplace opening.

PS: Also note that if the concern is cooking during a power outage - the fan will be off and therefore an insert's top temperature, if it has a convection top, will get much hotter. I'd think it would be more than adequate to cook stews, etc.. Might even get hot enough to cook up some scrambled eggs.

 

[iamlucky13]

For example, the Lopi Freedom can be installed so that 7" of top plate is exposed. Is that a cooktop surface or does something about the design preclude that use?

I'm not aware of any reason you can't use any exposed top plate as a cooktop surface. I think it doesn't get mentioned simply because it's not a priority for most people. Personally, I miss the option to cook on a stove top when the power is out, but then again, we've gotten by just fine so far using my camp stove, instead.

 

[begreen]

Correct. The only reason to not use the cooktop is that it can get messy if you are not attentive. Cleanup from a spillover can be hard to clean up and sometimes needs a repaint if it is bad or frequent. Oil spatters are not good so I wouldn't cook bacon there. If the outage is extended, a camp stove or gas cooktop makes better sense. It's nice to have a sink and countertop near the cooking area.

Note that you can also cook inside the stove. We've made some great baked potatoes and a fair pizza inside our stove.

 

[lhr]

begreen,

Did you mean a different Lopi model? The Endeavor appears to be a stove.


Thanks,

ML

Take a look at the Lopi Endeavor insert. It has a bigger firebox than the Regency and the wide surround option should cover the fireplace opening.

PS: Also note that if the concern is cooking during a power outage - the fan will be off and therefore an insert's top temperature, if it has a convection top, will get much hotter. I'd think it would be more than adequate to cook stews, etc.. Might even get hot enough to cook up some scrambled eggs.

 

[begreen]

Did you mean a different Lopi model? The Endeavor appears to be a stove.

Doh, sorry. I meant the Freedom.
(broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/product-detail.aspx?model=212)

 

[lhr]

The Lopi Freedom and Osburn 2400 appear to have larger top surfaces available for a cooktop than does the Regency i2400 (7" vs. 5"). So they may actually be more suitable in that regard. I've asked Regency support if there's anything special about the i2400 design that gives it a superior cooktop.

I'm intrigued by the Ideal Steel Hybrid. The company's products get stellar reviews, and the price looks quite reasonable. I'm presenting these options to my wife. She might like the Ideal Steel's different available colors.

Thanks,

ML

Doh, sorry. I meant the Freedom.
(broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/product-detail.aspx?model=212)

 

[Isaac Carlson]

Correct. The only reason to not use the cooktop is that it can get messy if you are not attentive. Cleanup from a spillover can be hard to clean up and sometimes needs a repaint if it is bad or frequent. Oil spatters are not good so I wouldn't cook bacon there. If the outage is extended, a camp stove or gas cooktop makes better sense. It's nice to have a sink and countertop near the cooking area.

Note that you can also cook inside the stove. We've made some great baked potatoes and a fair pizza inside our stove.

Any spills on our stove get vaporized and are gone in short order. Bacon grease, butter, gravy, whatever it is is gone. The stove top runs from 450 to 1,100 degrees F.
The front right corner is usually between straw and purple and the left side is usually grey and sometimes glows. It is cool to have the rainbow on your cook top.

 

[begreen]

1100F is overfiring the stove.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

That 1,100 was once and it was good oak with rolling secondaries. I turned the lights off and noticed the top was glowing. The normal high end is roughly 800. That will cook a meal in no time.

 

[lhr]

Update...

I asked Regency this question:

"Hi, You advertise the i2400 as follows: "This unit also offers a large cooktop surface that you can use to cook meals on even during power outages." Is it specifically designed so that the top makes a superior cooktop, or are you just pointing out that it has a large top plate which could be used as a cooktop similarly to any insert with a large top plate?"​

They replied:

"This insert has one of the largest cooktop surfaces of all inserts in its category. This is why we emphasize the point."​

 

[Grisu]

The i2400 is a medium insert, the Freedom and Osburn 2400 are large inserts. Looking at it this way their answer is correct.

 

[lhr]

Here are quotes that I've received. Any comments?

Legacy i2400 - $2,496 (incl. door, faceplate, blower and screen)
Lopi Freedom - $3,095 (incl. door and panel)
Lopi Freedom - $2,409 (incl. door and surround)
Ideal Steel, basic - $1,925
Ideal Steel, "the works" - $2,360 (incl. soapstone liner, 3 cooking tops, decorative side panels with soapstone inserts, ashpan, andiron set, and optional color combinations)

By the way, are "faceplate", "panel" and "surround" all the same thing?

I still prefer the Idea Steel, so I'm trying to figure out how to make the old fireplace firebox pretty so that my wife will like the looks with a stove sitting halfway in it. Right now it's just rusty metal. Any suggestions short of a complete firebox rebuild?

Thanks.