woodstove cover plate question

[steff bugielski]

I have a cook stove with large cover plates, 8 1/4". The problem I am having is that my dutch oven and the frying pan I use most are just 8". That causes smoke to billow out. Do they make cover plates that fit into each other so you can use a small pot or a large one?

[WeaverRose]

Steff, are you saying you leave the cover plates off and put the dutch oven or frying pan in the opening? Leave the cover plates on and set your oven or pan over it. The cover plates are to stay, and they're made with an indentation that fits in the lid lifter (a small handled device) so you can lift up the plate to check the fire or to add wood.
If the cover plates are warped and letting smoke out, check to see if any antique stores or flea market dealers carry them. I had to replace a couple on my grandma's stove before I could cook on it, and now they work fine. But carry around an exact measurement because when shopping you can run into lots of different sizes depending on the age/model of your stove. Another reason for smoking is soot buildup under the cooktop surface, which can be cleaned with another little cleanout tool, or the damper not being open enough, or not enough air coming in through the draft holes (on the side of the firebox), or even damp wood.
Hope this helps - nothing tastes quite as good as food cooked on these old stoves - when they get to working right they're great!

[steff bugielski]

Thanks, I have always removed the cover and put the pot or pan diretly over the flame .

[ceresone]

Actually, one of my old stoves does have a "cover plate" thats in six sizes, graduated from very small, center, to the biggest outside ring. But the only time I've ever removed one is if fire is low, and I need more heat.

[MELOC]

it sounds like you need to open the damper a little bit when cooking over open flame.

[Wisconsin Ann]

Old friend of mine has cooked on a wood cookstove all her life (backwoods of wyoming). She taught me to remove the cover plate when you need heat (like boiling water, frying, making waffles, etc.) and put the pot in the hole, but you need to completely cover the hole. When you need simmering, you leave the cover plate on.

She has rings that get put in the main hole so that the pot she's using fits snuggly.

guess there are different ways to cook, eh?

Steff, if you can't find cast iron plates, I think you could get someone with a torch to make some for you out of plate steel.

I'm thinking you could also cut sheets of copper (the thinner stuff they use for crafts, it cuts with a scissors) and form it around a heavy wire base (maybe coat hangers) that would fit in the gap.

I've also known folks who fill gaps in the stove with aluminum foil (when shutting down for the night) so that it's nice and tight.

[steff bugielski]

That's how I always thought it was. Any idea where they might sell the ones with a smaller one inside. Do I just need to scour the flea markets.

[Wisconsin Ann]

i've seen a couple on ebay. search for cook stove ring or something like that. maybe wood stove lids?

and flea markets, antique stores, backwoods stores...I've not had any luck finding them online as "new" products.

[Charleen]

We cook on a woodstove and it actually has 8 cover plates. One of them is divided into 3 separate pieces. Our cookware is set directly on the plate. The only time I've removed the plate for cooking is when popping popcorn in my Club aluminum kettle. Seems like it just pops better directly on the fire. You can purchase diffusers (we have wire ones) that can help distribute heat over the bottom of your kettle. The type of kettle makes a difference too. I had started out with copper bottom Revereware but that didn't last long. I now use very heavy bottomed kettles.