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Farm Kitchen:  Wood Cook Stove  |
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SusieK
True Blue Farmgirl
167 Posts
Texas
167 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 13 2011 : 11:36:06 AM
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I of getting me a wood burning cook stove to do all my cooking. Wondering if anyone has one that they do there cooking on? Could give me ideas before I get one.
"COURAGE is being scared to death,
but saddling up anyway. -John Wayne"
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acairnsmom
True Blue Farmgirl
1319 Posts
audrey
cheyenne
wy
1319 Posts |
Posted - Dec 13 2011 : 12:28:17 PM
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My friend bought one. Right now she's just renting but she's looking for a place to buy. Years ago she had a cookstove that she used for heat and cooking and she loved it and wanted to make sure her new place had one. She found one on Craigslist that was in her price range and was identical to the one she had previously. Made somewhere around the turn of the last century. Beautiful but she's having a hard time getting the rust off of it since the last people had it in a greenhouse. I know there are books you can buy that deal with cooking on them. I've seen a new one that you can use for heat and put a smaller pot on the top to cook and it even has an oven in the bottom. It's more of a heat stove with limited cooking. Check http://www.lehmans.com/
they carry cookstoves.
Audrey
.jpg) Good boy Hobbs! I love and miss you. |
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LibertyStoneware
Farmgirl at Heart
6 Posts
Brenda
North Carolina
6 Posts |
Posted - Dec 14 2011 : 04:14:37 AM
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That is exciting that you are looking to do all of your cooking and baking with a cookstove. Will it be all wood-fired?
I have taught and worked at numerous living history farms where we cooked constantly with wood-fired cookstoves. It's fun, and doesn't take much more work than a regular oven, other than getting things hot enough.
I would actually advise checking out a few cooking manuals from the 19th-century (and even early 20th) because they give advice to "beginning housewives" on such things as running their stoves and cooking with the stoves. Here are a few:
http://books.google.com/books?id=b3MEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA351&dq=housewife+manual&hl=en&ei=HZHoTsDjC4aFtgf7vKm-Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CF8Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=housewife%20manual&f=false
http://books.google.com/books?id=I1o-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA264&dq=receipt+book+cook+stove&hl=en&ei=6JDoTsi6HILrtgfbivX9CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CFoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=receipt%20book%20cook%20stove&f=false
When it comes to the oven and baking part, it is very much like baking in a regular oven, but you have to learn how to gauge the temperature (although putting a temperature gauge inside would be helpful). Cornmeal and flour are the most useful techniques for gauging temperature, as you toss a little of either one in, and if it browns quickly, it has reached about 425, if it browns slowly, and you can put your arm in without feeling like you need to jerk it away really quickly, it's probably between 350 and 375. I would advise to say goodbye to exact temperatures!
I will say though, that the summer my husband and I moved into a house with no kitchen, we learned how to bake bread on the grill and on top of the heating stove, and cooked most of our meals on top of that thing during the winter!
Good luck and have fun! I think it is mostly learning about your stove, and playing with it!
Functional pottery for farms and every home, featuring compost crocks and pickling crocks: http://libertystoneware.blogspot.com/p/gallery.html |
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vegetarian farmer
True Blue Farmgirl
249 Posts
Jane
Freedom
pa
USA
249 Posts |
Posted - Dec 14 2011 : 06:33:52 AM
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I have an amish made Ashland New Decade stove. I loved the look of the old models and the new reproductions, but they can be quite costly. I opted for this one because it has a proven track record of high use and performance. I love cooking with the stove but there is a little learning curve. I would suggest before you invest in a cook stove to check with your insurance company. Some will not cover a cook stove and will raise your rates or drop you. Also make sure that where you want to put it is very sturdy. You may need to reinforce the floor it sits on since it is very heavy and if you add a water tank it can really tip the scales. Also where your smoke stack will go is important because if your draft is not correct it can be almost impossible to get the stove burning. Good luck on your search. I am very happy with mine and it does become fun to cook on it.
http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2011 : 3:21:29 PM
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I got a 1936 wood cook stove last year for a steal...$50 because the woman was selling the house & the ones buying it wanted the stove gone....jpg)
I too, had to redo all the pipes since it was set up different from the old regular woodstove, plus learn all the leavers that need to be opened or closed...lol..1st time house looked like it was on fire from all the smoke coming out the backdoor! Mine has a temp gauge on the door but someone told me to get a meat themomater (sp?) to help with gauging the temp if it seemed off.
I have yet to bake in it but have cooked soups on top & just love it so far...it even heats the room better than the old one because of all the iron on top....good luck with yours & I know you will love it....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
Edited by - batznthebelfry on Dec 16 2011 3:22:11 PM |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2011 : 5:00:50 PM
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One of the things I do know about cooking on a wood stove is that certain woods do burn hotter than others. That is how the temps were controlled.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
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knead2garden
True Blue Farmgirl
359 Posts
Ashley
Spring City
TN
USA
359 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2011 : 2:47:36 PM
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I bought a Mealmaster from the 40's. It works really well. We paid $400 for it, but had to replace no parts...which was a steal. I know of very few wood cookstoves that cook evenly, but that seems to be the beauty of a cookstove! I love mine and I'm sure you will, too.
The main reason I picked the Mealmaster is b/c the company is still up and running here in Knoxville, TN. They still make replacement parts and have instruction books you can buy. That might be something to consider when making your purchase. Some of the most beautiful older stoves are a pain to find parts for.
Much love,
Ashley
~Ashley
#1677
"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught." -Baba Dioum |
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knead2garden
True Blue Farmgirl
359 Posts
Ashley
Spring City
TN
USA
359 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2011 : 2:48:21 PM
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By the way I bought mine off of craigslist:)
~Ashley
#1677
"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught." -Baba Dioum |
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Farm Kitchen: Wood Cook Stove |
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Wood Cook Stove
