Talk to me about wood cookstoves

CJ · #1 10/19/12, 09:44 AM

We plan to build an off grid home, either earthbermed on 3 sides (above ground, earth mounded up) or underground... depends on how deep we're able to excavate.

I was originally intended to heat with a standard wood stove, but then got to thinking about a wood cookstove. I had long ago ruled them out as I don't believe they'll hold a fire all night, but I think if we let a fire die out at bedtime in an earthberm home (central arkansas) the house should stay plenty warm during the night.

So now I'm liking the idea of having both heat and cooking in one appliance. I'll do my summer cooking/baking outside, I do that now anyway.

I really haven't done much research, although the Heartland Oval says it has the largest oven on the market... a plus for me. I also like the Heartland Artisan, but the oven is quite a bit smaller.

I would love to hear some feedback on using one of these for our fulltime heat source, and winter cooking.

Thanks!

beowoulf90 · #2 10/19/12, 10:10 AM

I think this will depend on how much area you are trying to heat. The fire box on most wood cook stoves are small compared to a wood stove. They will require more tending.

My wood stoves (before I replaced them with coal stoves) require me to fill them every 4 hours. The cook stove is 2 hours or less and puts out less heat to the room. Also note you can cook on top of a regular wood stove, it just takes time to learn where the hot spots are..

This is just my experience and opinion, nothing more..

Good Luck with your endeavor

Seymour · #3 10/19/12, 10:32 AM

a buddy of mine in northern ontario uses one to heat his house all winter, they have an open concept and alot of passive solar designs, this helps alot. the stove they have also has a water jacket that heats rads in the bedrooms and the walls of the shower (really sweet) i think the water jacket is the ticket, you get to store that heat long after the fire has gone out.

CJ · #4 10/19/12, 12:32 PM

I "think" we're estimating around 2000 square feet, but not really sure. I'll have to research a water jacket, hadn't heard of that thanks!

calliemoonbeam · #5 10/19/12, 01:51 PM

One of our old posters, Timberline, has a stove I'd kill for, lol. Here's an old post where it was discussed and had pictures, though they're gone now.

Need info - woodstove vs fireplace?

She has a Flameview stove. They may seem kind of pricy to some people, but it's a combo cooking/heating stove, and it's gorgeous besides. And according to her, it does an excellent job.

Here's a link, she has model 2011-B with some extras. Sure wish you could see her pictures, her home is gorgeous and the stove fits right in.

Stoves and Heaters

ai731 · #6 10/19/12, 02:10 PM

We're currently planning to put in a Heartland Sweetheart in January - primarily for cooking (wish we could afford the Oval). We already have a wood heat stove, and the cookstove will just "top up" the heat in the coldest part of the house (we're putting it in the north-west corner) on very cold days & in the evenings. Our house is well-designed for passive-solar, but at 4pm in January it gets very chilly when the sun goes down!

Between what we're paying for electric for cooking (I coook everything from scratch and do all my own baking, and our electric is stupidly expensive in Ontario) and oil for heating (we currently use the oil furnace to "top up" the heat from the woodstove) I've calculated that the wood cookstove will pay for itself in 10 years, assuming that the price of oil and electricity *doesn't go up at all*

The water jacket is a good idea, as is the water reservoire (which we're getting) - I figure that the thermal mass of the water in the reservoire will help keep the temps up overnight, even after the stove goes out.

CaliannG · #7 10/19/12, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calliemoonbeam

They may seem kind of pricy to some people, but it's a combo cooking/heating stove, and it's gorgeous besides. And according to her, it does an excellent job.

Here's a link, she has model 2011-B with some extras. Sure wish you could see her pictures, her home is gorgeous and the stove fits right in.

Stoves and Heaters

Oh my heavens, it's LOVELY! It makes me wish that I had any use for a wood cookstove in the house!

~sighs~ There is no way I would be able to justify the cost of that when we have winter for maybe 2 weeks a year, and it would just heat up the house in summer....but OH, it is beautiful!

CJ · #8 10/19/12, 03:12 PM

That's a lot less expensive than the Heartland, I'll have to compare them. I see the fan is electric though, that would be a problem. Thank you for the links, I will go research them!

Quote:

Originally Posted by calliemoonbeam

One of our old posters, Timberline, has a stove I'd kill for, lol. Here's an old post where it was discussed and had pictures, though they're gone now.

Need info - woodstove vs fireplace?

She has a Flameview stove. They may seem kind of pricy to some people, but it's a combo cooking/heating stove, and it's gorgeous besides. And according to her, it does an excellent job.

Here's a link, she has model 2011-B with some extras. Sure wish you could see her pictures, her home is gorgeous and the stove fits right in.

Stoves and Heaters

CJ · #9 10/19/12, 03:13 PM

May I ask what made you choose the Heartland?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ai731

We're currently planning to put in a Heartland Sweetheart in January - primarily for cooking (wish we could afford the Oval). We already have a wood heat stove, and the cookstove will just "top up" the heat in the coldest part of the house (we're putting it in the north-west corner) on very cold days & in the evenings. Our house is well-designed for passive-solar, but at 4pm in January it gets very chilly when the sun goes down!

Between what we're paying for electric for cooking (I coook everything from scratch and do all my own baking, and our electric is stupidly expensive in Ontario) and oil for heating (we currently use the oil furnace to "top up" the heat from the woodstove) I've calculated that the wood cookstove will pay for itself in 10 years, assuming that the price of oil and electricity *doesn't go up at all*

The water jacket is a good idea, as is the water reservoire (which we're getting) - I figure that the thermal mass of the water in the reservoire will help keep the temps up overnight, even after the stove goes out.

calliemoonbeam · #10 10/19/12, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJ

That's a lot less expensive than the Heartland, I'll have to compare them. I see the fan is electric though, that would be a problem. Thank you for the links, I will go research them!

CJ, I'm not personally familar with them, but I know there are fans that are actually powered by the heat from the stove. Others have talked about them here on the boards. Maybe one of those could be incorporated instead of the electric one? HTH

https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp...w=1280&bih=552

P.S. I do love the looks of the Heartland appliances (they're my very favorite), but don't know if I'll ever be able to afford them, lol!

Helena · #11 10/19/12, 04:28 PM

I don't know what they will heat in square feet but the Vermont Bun stove(not just Vermont stove) look wonderful. have an oven to bake in. A bit pricey for me..thousand or more ??$$ We have an old 1900 kitchen cook stove that you need to continually feed to keep it going. Even banking the coal or ashes at night will not keep it alive overnight. Enjoyed using it when the children were much younger and pancakes taste so much better cooked on them.. Good Luck in finding what you need...

jhambley · #12 10/19/12, 05:56 PM

Check out the Kitchen Queen.

Kitchen Queen Cookstove

The Amish build and use this cookstove with a large firebox. Also has several water options.

jhambley · #13 10/19/12, 06:28 PM

Here's a wood cookstove blog that you might find interesting.

Wood Cookstove Cooking

Ozarks Tom · #14 10/19/12, 06:45 PM

Many, many years ago our family heated with a wood cookstove. Had the problem you mentioned with the fire going out overnight. My dad wasn't the kind of man who'd lay there and watch his wife get up in a cold house to re-light the fire. So he slept with his face to the wall.

braggscowboy · #15 10/19/12, 10:15 PM

I have the Sweetheart stove and love it, although I don't use it as much as I would like, but gets used during holidays and when the electricity is off for a time. Here is a pic in use and not in use. I have had fire all night for the next morning and it will keep fire, just not much. It will get plenty hot if one wants it to. We have it in what was once a patio that we enclosed several years ago. Even has a fradie hole under the floor. We don't use it because we have a safe room in the barn.

Talk to me about wood cookstoves - Homesteading Questions

Talk to me about wood cookstoves - Homesteading Questions

Goldie · #16 10/19/12, 10:28 PM

CJ, a lot of off griders like the Pioneer Princess, as it is front loading, has a larger oven and keeps a good fire bed all night. It is Amish made and is running about 4 to 6 weeks out right now from order. I am in the market for a new stove too, so have been looking. When I order one, it will be with the water reservoir and the warming oven. I have dealt with the people from Obadiah's and really like them. Here is the place for the Pioneer Princess...Pioneer Princess Cookstove by Obadiah's Woodstoves

CJ · #17 10/20/12, 05:06 AM

Thank you guys for all the great info and links! I can't wait to read the blog posted. I've ruled out the Stanley Waterford because it doesn't have firebricks on the sides, instead some lining that according to reviews wears out in about a year. I watched a review on the Heartland yesterday on YouTube and she was very unhappy with it, she pointed out some features that I had to agree with her on, although I can't help but think none of the rest will bake as well as the Heartland or the Stanley.

Saying that, I think either the Pioneer Maid, the Kitchen Queen, or the Flame View look like the best options. I think I will spend my time focused on researching those three.

One thing I wondered about... the Flame View comes with a polished steel top, although a cast iron top can be had for a couple hundred more. A), wouldn't the polished steel get all scratched up in a hurry? And B), wouldn't a cast iron cook top work better with more even heat?

Ken Scharabok · #18 10/20/12, 08:49 AM

I still love my visit to Eastern Croatia in 2001. Learned so much. One item was wood cookstoves then had warming ovens over their tops. If a home-birthed baby was sickly, it would be placed it one of them as an incurbator.

My father was raised in the Ozarks for several year when in his teens. He said on winter mornings he and sisters would get dressed (under sleep garmets) for school between the cookstove and wall. Also said it was the favorite place for their dog to sleep.

Back then and place people simply didn't bathe as often as they do now. He said his father took a bath twice a year. Going into winter when he was ready to put on a pair of longjohns and spring when he took them off. Longjongs went into cookstove.

7thswan · #19 10/20/12, 09:56 AM

This stove,the Margin Gem is going to be my next cookstove.Margin Gem
Large enough to heat the log cabin. Now, I use an old Renown, my sweetie. She heats the house when it's too warm to light the regular woodburner. I'm very picky with my cookstoves, I've used them on and off for almost 40 yrs,right now I have 3. Point is-that Margin Gem seems to be the perfect mix between my antiques and a cookstove and something able to heat the house. But I ain't getten rid of my Renown tell I buy and test out the MG.

Rick · #20 10/20/12, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJ

............
One thing I wondered about... the Flame View comes with a polished steel top, although a cast iron top can be had for a couple hundred more. A), wouldn't the polished steel get all scratched up in a hurry? And B), wouldn't a cast iron cook top work better with more even heat?

We have the steel cook top. It has not gotten scratched up. The heat is even but the pots you put on it (aluminum or speckled enamel/granny ware) may rock around due to the uneven bottoms. Cast iron trivets will also help control hot cook top. The warmer along with water heating jacket and hot water storage closet are invaluable to us.

Here is my word to the wise: trim or crimp the Flameview manufacture's flue pipe that passes through the cook top to insure that it does not expand and keep the lower damper from closing when things get hot. Ours does/did that and we have/had to close all air intakes until we could/can close that lower damper after our 40 minute hot fire. You will want one or two daily 40 minute hot fires to help keep creosote from building up. I have shifted the pipes 2 times, each time they have shifted back down.

I also recommend installing the pipes in the flue system with the tops inside each lower pipe. There is more creosote in a cook stove to drizzle down and out with the top pipe on the outside of each lower pipe. Stoves and More in WV sold us ours and they advised that we NEVER close the upper damper when using the stove, as gases would then be trapped and dirty the glass. They also let us know we could clean the glass using moisture and ashes.