Cooking on your wood stove top!

[Laird]

When looking at old cook stoves is there a difference between one for wood and coal? The one I have has shaker grates under the fire box that make me suspect it is for coal.

 

[avc8130]

We made chili on the stove Saturday while the power was ON...then when it was time to get ready for dinner the power died. I cannot have chili without biscuits! So we made a makeshift oven to "bake" the biscuits on the stove top.

We took a large stock pot and placed and upside down pie pan in the bottom. Put the biscuits on a tray and put them on the pie pan. Popped the lid on and voila! We were baking with wood!

About 30 mins later we had delicious chili AND biscuits.

ac

 

[StubornDutchman]

Sure glad I spotted this thread, since I just got my Jotul 600 up and running for the first time last week. Can someone tell me when I might need to use a trivet, assuming typical 400/600 degree stove top temps? I purchased a Lodge cast iron griddle to use as a trivet to go along with my cast iron pans and a stainless perk coffee pot. My Jotul is brown enamel, but I purchased a plain black top insert to save the finish on the enamel one. Any tips you guys are willing to share will be greatly appreciated since my cooking skills are limited!

 

[Dalmatian90]

Interesting question Dutchman.

I always thought of trivets as old fashion versions of hot pads to protect table tops from hot serving dishes, etc.

Growing up we did keep a grate underneath the pot of water we kept on the Allnighter woodstove in case it boiled out so the pot wouldn't be damaged. I don't on my current woodstove but I wouldn't be able to boil out the 2 gallon pot I keep on it on one load of wood.

 

[Rudedog]

Sure glad I spotted this thread, since I just got my Jotul 600 up and running for the first time last week. Can someone tell me when I might need to use a trivet, assuming typical 400/600 degree stove top temps? I purchased a Lodge cast iron griddle to use as a trivet to go along with my cast iron pans and a stainless perk coffee pot. My Jotul is brown enamel, but I purchased a plain black top insert to save the finish on the enamel one. Any tips you guys are willing to share will be greatly appreciated since my cooking skills are limited!

I use a trivet that has four really small feet that raise the trivet about a half inch off of the surface. The air circulation that you get from this allows my chilli to simmer for several hours without burning up. The 500 degree stove is just too hot to make chillis and stews when the lodge pot/oven is in direct contact with the stove. I have a 5 qt. Lodge and I'm going to pick up an 8 qt. in the future. The trivet I use is below.

Minuteman TWI-04 Cast Iron Oval Trivet in Matte Black

 

[StubornDutchman]

Rededog, thanks for affirming my thought processes are on the right tract! I recently retired and am looking forward to experimenting on the upcoming cold winter days (when I'm not out cutting firewood, of course).

 

[woodbooga]

When looking at old cook stoves is there a difference between one for wood and coal? The one I have has shaker grates under the fire box that make me suspect it is for coal.

Coal is more compact and requires an even smaller firebox than a stove designed for wood or coal/wood.

Look at the enamel stoves ca. 1930 compared to the 1880 counterparts and you'll see a wicked shrinkage in firebox volume.