Wood cook stove or heater?

Fae · #1 12/23/10, 07:45 AM

I am not sure if I posted about having to remove my woodburning heater back during the summer but due to moisture issues I had the brick flue taken down(what a mess) and had some rot in top of the house. Anyway, that is all fixed now but, we still want wood heat and I would love to have a wood stove. We will be installing the metal flue(I am not knowledgeable about this so bear with me) through the roof. My question is, will a wood cook stove heat as well as a wood burning heater? I want a stove to cook on so much but need to think about the heat. I could buy the kind of wood burning heater that has a cooktop I guess. Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

6e · #2 12/23/10, 07:51 AM

If you have the space for it, I'd buy the wood cook stove. I know a couple of other people that have one and they heat just as well as a regular wood stove and far more functional. I'd love to have one, but we just don't have the space here for one or the money to buy one.

oth47 · #3 12/23/10, 07:59 AM

As a general rule,wood cookstoves are bigger than wood heaters,so you get more heat but the smaller firebox of a cookstove needs filling more often.A good wood heater will hold fire most or all of the night,a wood cookstove will need feeding all night long.I personally would not want to depend on a cookstove to keep my house warm,at least not the old type of cookstove that I'm familiar with.The modern cookstoves may have bigger fireboxes,I don't know.We always did a lot of cooking on wood heaters,no oven of course.

6e · #4 12/23/10, 08:06 AM

Supposedly now they have larger fire boxes that handle larger logs for all night burns. We have one of those "efficient" wood stoves, not a cook stove, and we still have to feed it all night. :-|

TnAndy · #5 12/23/10, 08:07 AM

We have both a wood stove and a wood cook stove.
Our heating stove is a Regency "hearth heater" model....an insert that sticks out quite a bit from the fireplace opening, has a cooking surface and is 86% efficient. The small amount of wood it uses for the amount of heat it produces is amazing.

Our cook stove is a Baker's Pride model. Will burn wood or coal.....not a 'pretty' stove, but very functional, and fairly airtight.

If you want mainly heat, get a wood stove with a cooking surface on the top. The newer heating stoves are designed with either catalytic converters or gasifier re-burning systems to vastly reduce creosote ( the gasifier system being the better IMHO ), meaning you can load it up with wood, crank the damper down and burn all night.

Wood cook stoves generally have a smaller firebox, and mean to burn with the damper more open, using a smaller fire. IF you load them up with wood to last the whole night and shut the damper down, you will product LOTS more creosote......but if cooking ( with the advantage of the oven ) is your primary goal, with the heat just a secondary advantage, get a cook stove.

7thswan · #6 12/23/10, 08:17 AM

Check out thise site for some nice cookstoves.http://marginstoves.com/

Fae · #7 12/23/10, 08:27 AM

We had the Consolidated Dutchwest woodburning heater with the catalytic combuster and we just would rather not have that. I really don't have room for the cook stove but could find a way but it would not be in the kitchen with the gas stove. I have an open floorplan but I think it would be inconvenient to put a cookstove where I would have to. Thanks for the link 7thswan. I think I will do a search for woodburning heaters with cooktop. Anyone have a favorite?

momofseven · #8 12/23/10, 10:04 AM

We just installed our Flame View (margin stov made but we ordered it from info@stovesandmoreonline.com,). We also have an open floor plan in a 2,000 sf hose and it keeps the house warm @70-73* during the day. My DH is up at 4, and it has only dropped to 67-68* so he feeds it then and we are all toasty. i LOVE my Flame view. I love having a cooking surface ready all the time. DH says that in the a.m., all he does is opens the dampers and throws in wood. It catches much faster than our other wood stove. If you decide that you are wanting a regular wood stove, contact Daniel (at the site I gave you) and he has some Amish made models available that are very efficient. And he has great prices!

silverbackMP · #9 12/23/10, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momofseven

We just installed our Flame View (margin stov made but we ordered it from info@stovesandmoreonline.com,). We also have an open floor plan in a 2,000 sf hose and it keeps the house warm @70-73* during the day. My DH is up at 4, and it has only dropped to 67-68* so he feeds it then and we are all toasty. i LOVE my Flame view. I love having a cooking surface ready all the time. DH says that in the a.m., all he does is opens the dampers and throws in wood. It catches much faster than our other wood stove. If you decide that you are wanting a regular wood stove, contact Daniel (at the site I gave you) and he has some Amish made models available that are very efficient. And he has great prices!

Does anyone know if the flame view with the cast iron top option have "eyes" similiar to the other Margin Stoves? I want a stove with a big firebox but with traditional eyes as I have a flat bottom and round bottom cast iron kettle (similar to a dutch oven but taller) collection and I want to use them as they were designed (sitting in a "hole" on the stove with the eye cover removed). It will be going in an insulated pole barn that is yet to be built.

Missy M · #10 12/23/10, 02:38 PM

I have a soapstone wood stove. It's pretty small and heats the whole house. It also has two cook tops that go on it. They are just extra pieces of stone to keep from damaging the stove. I don't have an oven but I can put a pan of "whatever" on it to cook when I need to.

Ohiogal · #11 12/24/10, 10:22 AM

O thank you, THANK YOU for posting about the Flame View stoves!
I've been searching for an "all purpose" stove that will heat my house, allow me to get hot water, and also cook on it. All "off the grid" if need be. The FV 2815 is just the ticket for my homestead offering practicality, convenience, alternative heating options, and charm.
I was going to go with the Sedore, but frankly, that stove looks very plain and trim options are not available for it. And its pretty pricey for what you get. I'm going to order my stove as soon as the dealer returns to me a price on shipping and we can work out the location for delivery.

Beeman · #12 12/24/10, 11:34 AM

Simple answer, no a wood cook stove will not heat a house like a conventional wood stove. Your Consolidated Dutchwest had a flat top that you could cook on.

Ramblin Wreck · #13 12/24/10, 07:38 PM

Here's a link to a stove I was considering for the barn (opted not to put one in). It seems to do lots of things well, but maybe not the best at anything.
http://www.transoceanltd.com/applian...s/bigbear.html

momofseven · #14 12/24/10, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeman

Simple answer, no a wood cook stove will not heat a house like a conventional wood stove. Your Consolidated Dutchwest had a flat top that you could cook on.

Beg to differ.... but my Flame View is doing a MUCH better job than the traditional woodstove that we have had.

Ohiogal · #15 12/25/10, 10:39 AM

Momofseven, did you get the warming oven on the top of yours? What model # did you go with?
If so, what do you use it for? Will it bake anything or is it just good for rising breads?
I'm glad to know you are having good results for heating your house with it. I'm probably going to order mine this Monday.

farmer · #16 12/25/10, 11:08 AM

I heat my 800sqft house with just a wood cookstove. I do have a back up propane heater (Empire) but I haven't turned it on at all this year--both to save money (due to my job, I have access to all the free firewood I need) but also to prove that I can, lol!

My house is a converted three-car garage. Most of it is pretty well-insulated, but I do feel drafts in a few places. My biggest concern with not turning on the propane was the house cooling down when we were either gone for the day, or overnight. I am lucky that even when I am working and the kids are with their dad (we are divorced but he lives right across the road), my kids often come over to do computer work or check on the animals and will either add wood or start the stove up again if it is out.

Overnight, it goes out, and the house is a bit chilly, but it is such a small house that it doesn't get THAT cold. The dogs and house birds don't seem to mind, and if I start up the stove first thing, by the time I come back in from doing chores, things are pretty toasty.

The one time so far this year that the kids and I were gone from the house for 14 hours or so, my neighbor stopped in and checked things a few times. She had to come feed the animals anyway, so it was no big deal.

Oh, and we live in Northern New England!

Beeman · #17 12/25/10, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momofseven

Beg to differ.... but my Flame View is doing a MUCH better job than the traditional woodstove that we have had.

That's not exactly a traditional wood cook stove, more of an airtite stove with a cook stove built on it. Don't get me wrong it's a very nice piece. Only thing might be the location of the stove in the house. Many floor plans have the kitchen isolated on one end of the house.

momofseven · #18 12/25/10, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohiogal

Momofseven, did you get the warming oven on the top of yours? What model # did you go with?
If so, what do you use it for? Will it bake anything or is it just good for rising breads?
I'm glad to know you are having good results for heating your house with it. I'm probably going to order mine this Monday.

We got it with the warming oven. And yes it bakes beautifully...just baked in it for the first time yesterday, rolls and Italian bread. Oh... did you mean does the warming oven bake bread? If that's it, then no. I use that to warm up DH's dinner (on the plate), and keep other foods warm. I let my bread rise on top of the warming oven.

We did not get the 5 gallon water reservoir, instead we opted for the 20 gallon reservoir on the back with the hot water coil installed for future hot water.

I cannot say enough about this wonderful stove. It heats the house beautifully and yes Beeman you are right, it is all about location. We have an open floor plan home and if the stove was located back in a separate kitchen then it would be way too much. I rarely use the electric stove since we got it....too much fun with the Flame View!

Fae · #19 12/25/10, 10:28 PM

When I had the consolidated dutchwest I would cook a pot of beans or something like that on it but it was only big enough for one pot and it took most of the day. I would love to be able to cook a meal or at least most of it on whatever we get. I have been looking for the thread about wood stoves that had pictures but have not found it so far. It isn't a very old thread so maybe I will find it. One of the pictures was of a wood stove with a cast iron cooktop but was available with a stainless top I believe. Anyone know what thread that would be? ETA: I found it so guess I had not been looking very hard.

iaragwooler · #20 12/27/10, 08:59 AM

We have an airtight wood stove in the living room and a Pioneer Maid (amish made) wood cookstove (bought used) in the kitchen (16x36). The Pioneer Maid puts out ALOT of heat. Sometimes we use just that for heat. No problems holding a fire in either stove all night. I'm an early riser so turn the damper and throw in firewood. If I were buying a new stove I would buy the Pioneer Princess as it is a frontload (not top like mine).