Wood Stove double duty

Jolaaled

Have finally got my wood-burning stove house-trained, after a couple of weeks of it deciding to belch smoke into my bedroom!

But I'm thinking what I can use this additional heat-source for (in addition to heating the house, obviously!!).

I can put a small pan on the top of the stove to warm soup etc, but thought I'd consult the experts on OS to come up with more creative ideas..PLEASE!!

I'm thinking maybe, yogurt, bread making, ??? Can I cook anything inside the stove if it's well wrapped in foil??

Here is a pic of my new house-mate!

THANKS ALL!

Purpleclutterbuck

I've got a new housemate too! looks rather similar to yours;) and hubby seems to like this one as well:D
Glad that it's finally house trained - mind you they just need a bit of TLC to keep them happy -I keep the glass clear inside with a quick wipe each morning
I measured from the pipe to the edge of the stove and as an anniversary pressie my hubby's family bought us a whistling kettle that would fit in the gap and hey presto the water is hot enough to fill 4 hotties each night but keep kettle topped up! (you have to be careful not to scratch the top but hopefully the OStylers will have a few more suggestions)
I also had a birthday pressie of a moisture meter to check the seasoned wood -that is brill to keep the housemate happy and fed with dry wood but I also wonder what else they can double up as well?????
Maybe sweetcorn/bananas/tatties in foil - but would it work?

csarina

You could try cooking a casserole on top of it, would not advise cooking anything inside though, think the heat might be a bit fierce.

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af252/toots43/2010_1109sittingrooom20001.jpg

Our stove which was put in during the autumn. It stand proud of the old fire opening, it was not wide enough or high enough for the stove to go back, we there fore get the benefit of the heat from the sides rather than it going into a brick surround. I have just about mastered the burning rate so we do not use too much wood, and keep the glass clean.

You can clean the glass by dipping a damp piece of kitchen roll in the wood ash and wiping the glass with it... DO NOT do it if you burn coal or solid fuel of any description, the dust will scratch the glass.

I am waiting for my son to come up, he is going to build a surround for me and we can then sort out the wall behind the stove and re-fix the wall paper down. I was advised not to fis tiles onto the plaster as the heat from the stove would dry out the adhesive and the tiles will fall off.

Winged_one

MIL keeps a large kettle on top of hers for hot water - during the day this is used for washing up and pouring over things for cooking, and in the evenings, for hot water bottles. (Could be fine for tea, but needs an extra boost so she tends to use electric kettle for that).

I think she does put stews on it too some days, and she also has a metal plate that she uses to defrost certain things.

Jolaaled

mmmmm..i love the sound of foil-wrapped bananas baked inside the stove. Do you think they'd be safe to eat tho?? (i only burn wood at the moment).


Think i'll look into a nice flat-bottomed kettle too. Someone else has suggested a coffee percolator...the French-style ones??

Very happy today, as have found a free wood source from a furniture-making company who have lots of hard-wood off-cuts. Not a huge supply, but 'Every little helps'!

thanks for all suggestions...please keep them coming!

Jolaaled

csarina wrote: »

You could try cooking a casserole on top of it, would not advise cooking anything inside though, think the heat might be a bit fierce.

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af252/toots43/2010_1109sittingrooom20001.jpg

Our stove which was put in during the autumn. It stand proud of the old fire opening, it was not wide enough or high enough for the stove to go back, we there fore get the benefit of the heat from the sides rather than it going into a brick surround. I have just about mastered the burning rate so we do not use too much wood, and keep the glass clean.

You can clean the glass by dipping a damp piece of kitchen roll in the wood ash and wiping the glass with it... DO NOT do it if you burn coal or solid fuel of any description, the dust will scratch the glass.

I am waiting for my son to come up, he is going to build a surround for me and we can then sort out the wall behind the stove and re-fix the wall paper down. I was advised not to fis tiles onto the plaster as the heat from the stove would dry out the adhesive and the tiles will fall off.

Csarina...I love your stove..so pretty! do you think i should invest in a fan too?

Nodette

I did quite a bit of cooking on our wood-burning stove.

When the fire dies down a bit, I have cooked baked potatoes inside the woodstove itself. We have an old casserole that we put the potatoes into to keep them from the fiercest heat. They char a bit - but are wonderful!! It takes the usual hour or so, of course (depending on size) but the heat in the room lasts until we can stoke up the fire again.

My gas cooker was LPG and I always had a problem getting the heat low enough for a simmer. It ALWAYS seemed to go to a rolling boil. Not having a heat diffuser, I brought the casserole to a boil and then put the pot on a low cast iron trivet on top of the woodburner - perfect simmering.

I also have one of those griddles that is a flat piece of cast iron with a handle. I heated that up on the wood stove, oil it (the griddle!) and cooked flat bread on it.

And yes, it is great to keep a kettle of water just off the boil ready to make a quick cuppa for me (and hubby keeps his coffee pot on there too).

I wouldn't be without it . . . except now I have to be 'cos we just moved house (sob!)

Nodette

P.S. If you eat citrus fruit, dry the peels over (or under) the stove. When they're crunchy you can either use them as fire lighters - or you can grind up to a powder and use as flavouring (only in that case, you just use the zest and dry it on a rack set on the wood stove). You can also dry mushrooms, onions, apples, etc if you hang them over the stove or put them on a rack when the heat is low.

babyshoes

For coffee, would an Italian style espresso pot work? They have a flat bottom and are designed to go on the hob.

annscullamus

I have had a woodstove in my kitchen for 2 years now and as I work at home and am therefore, around to watch the temp, I tend to cook lots of things on it. This morning I cooked mince and onion and carrots, had the kettle on all day, made a pot of espresso coffee with my coffee pot and finally put the potatoes on for mash to go with the mince, for my last hour of teaching.

Often I put a small pot of rice pudding on in the middle of the afternoon and it is cooked by 6pm ish, and I always make soup on it. I have roasted a chicken in a large pot which was delicious, and have stewed apples, plums etc.

It is a very small stove, and I bought a cast iron flat skillet which rests on the side of the stove and then is attached to the wall at the other end which heats up like the top of a Rayburn - hot on the stove and gradually cooler towards the wall.
I cannot bear wasting the heat which is heating my room but still available for other uses. Thus, in the winter I seem to do all my meal plans around the stove rather than the gas cooker, and my bills reduce quite a bit.

I am going to re look at baking when I get some holiday time, and see if I can make cakes in a closed pot..........

It is my best piece of equipment ever!!

Jolaaled

annscullamus wrote: »

It is a very small stove, and I bought a cast iron flat skillet which rests on the side of the stove and then is attached to the wall at the other end which heats up like the top of a Rayburn - hot on the stove and gradually cooler towards the wall.

Thanks, Annscullamus!
I'm not sure what a skillet is, but your set-up sounds really good, where you can get more graduated heat, as you move a pan nearer to your wall.
Please please, could you explain how you fix up a skillet?? is it firmly fixed (i.e. screwed) to the side wall, so that you can put pots on it safely??
As you can see, I'm a bit confused about what you have!

thanks.

emiff6

See if you can find a chestnut roaster at a car boot, then you can roast chestnuts at Christmas!

Purpleclutterbuck - where did you get a moisture meter from? That sounds really useful.