Cookstoves

[Dom]

Does any one here still have or use a wood fired cook stove?I have one from my Grand Mothers house and been worried about hooking up in my house,so it is still sitting in the barn

[Curmudgeon]

Yes, I have an Empire State brand stove made in Friendship, NY. They were last manufactured in 1920 so it's a century old. I put a water jacket in it so it heats domestic hot water. It heats the whole house if it isn't severely cold but won't hold a fire for more than a few hours. We cook on it regularly and there is always a pot of hot water there.

I got it for about $100 in the early 80s and have been using it ever since. I did some restoration work a couple of years ago - new lids, some sheet metal work inside, and new nickle plating on the decorative parts. It cost me close to $1000 for the restoration.

The only safety concern I have is when it burns slow a lot - which it tends to do in damp weather like this - creosote can build up in the stove pipe elbow between the stove and the chimney.

 

[airedale]

I purchased a still in production Canadian made Heartland cookstove along with the optional attached hot water tank on the side about 20 years ago and have been using it ever since for both heat and cooking. I burn nut coal in mine because of much longer burn times than wood and also there is no creosote. It will heat the house most of the time by itself and is great for cooking especially slow cooked meats of various types in the oven. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made. 

Al

Edited January 22, 2018 by airedale

[lamperg]

sorry, don't have this experience

[stubborn1VT]

I don't have one.  I had friends that grew up with one.  They never had an electric or gas stove to cook on while their mom was alive.  I have always kind of wanted one, but I'm not sure it would fit into my life in a practical way.  They are neat as heck IMO though.  

[grampy]

That's all my grandmother ever used. The smell of woodsmoke, bacon, and coffee, still brings back fond memories. Some of the best food I've ever eaten, was cooked on that stove. I married a city girl. So no way, would she consider a wood stove to cook on.