Cooking on a wood stove

[BasicallyHeather]

Hi, everyone! Longtime lurker from the BYC board here...I finally joined so that I could post my two cents.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone here has a wood cook stove? I dream of owning an AGA one day, but haven't found a way to experience cooking on a wood stove since no one I know owns one! Is it worth it? Is it enjoyable? What's the learning curve like?

Thank you

 

[BarredBuff]

I dont have a wood cook stove, I want one and plan to have one when I gain some age......

 

[dacjohns]

I don't have a wood cookstove but I have cooked on one a few times. I would love to have one because of my childhood and later memories of using one in a cabin in Alaska.

There is a learning curve and I'm pretty sure each stove will have it's own peculiarities.

Fast hot fires for frying and quick dishes. Slower cooler fire and back of the stove for soups and stews. The oven can be real tricky.

One thing to consider Is that it will be mostly a winter stove unless you live in a cool or cold area.

 

[MorelCabin]

Up here they are used in winter only, both for heat and cooking. Like Dac says, the ovens can be tricky, but my grandmother always cooked our Christmas turkey in hers. I've always wanted one too, but no hope of that in this small house now...maybe in the garage...LOL!

 

[hwillm1977]

My grandmother had one in her summer cottage, it's what she cooked on exclusively there. I remember roasts tasting wonderful, and her baking was always fabulous.

We're looking at buying a farmhouse now that has one in it and I can't wait to learn how to do it.

We use the top of our normal woodstove for cooking on if the power goes out for a few days in the winter, but that's not a cookstove, just a regular woodstove. If we've got a nice hot fire going it's really fast to cook on.

 

[Marianne]

Here's some info that might help:

http://www.countrysidemag.com/issues/82/82-6/learning_to_cook_on_a_woodstove.html

 

[FarmerChick]

When up North we had a wood stove and coal stove for heat.

We tried cooking just on the tops a few times. Did well. Like Dacs said high flame heat is needed for frying and low ember heat for a one pot stew or something. Be sure to stir. It can burn to the bottom fast (ask me, I know lol)

I have no desire to get a cookstove. I have the other stuff and will stick with that. In emergencies or truly big disasters I can cook on open fire.

So I just never found that necessity and ALSO because living in the South now, heat during most of the year in the home is not wanted.

Not sure of your location, but if a warmer climate consider building an 'outside kitchen area' if you are using a wood cookstove.

 

[Beekissed]

I grew up with woodstove cooking and can tell you that food just changes somehow on a wood cook stove and tastes so much better than usual that it's worth having one if you can afford one, have the space, live in a climate where you will get the use of it, etc.

It does have a learning curve and Dac is correct, each stove has it's own learning curve....they all heat differently and one just has to experiment in controlling the heat, working with whatever dampers it may have, type of wood, the heating space/surface that you have available.

I can't remember the brand of the one we used as I was growing up, living off grid, but it was huge, approx. 300+ lbs of cast iron beauty with warming ovens above and water reservoir to the right hand side. It had a huge cooking surface and a large oven. My mother used it both winter and summer and canned a tremendous amount of food upon it. I could use it to this day, it is so familiar in it's workings....I loved that stove. My brother now has it in his possession.

ETA: The ol' Bat remembers that the brand of the stove was a Wherle.

 

[Gypsi]

I just learned to get my parlor stove to cook properly yesterday. I thought I would need a damper to hold more heat in the stove, but I learned if I closed the stove draft vents down somewhat, the stove heated up better, I believe I'm using less wood, and getting more heat to boot.

(Because it was a refinished wonder that might leak, the chimney installer said no to a damper - to avoid carbon monoxide risks due to seam leaks). I don't know that I would want it hot enough to fry on, but a simmering tea kettle and a simmering soup pot in the winter are very nice, and all I ask. It doesn't have an oven.

Because I am in Texas I would NOT want a wood cook stove with oven - just not practical for too many months out of the year. But I love my parlor stove. I Haven't let the heat run 24/7 in the house since about 2006 or 2007, except in extreme cold fronts, and last year, despite my expensive electric central heat, I nearly froze to death. Then they started with the rolling blackouts, and I did finally refinish my woodstove. I do love it.