How to Cook on a Wood Stove

There are two types of wood stoves in use in some homes today. One is the wood cook stove, the relic from the past that some people are still using today. Wood cook stoves are almost always installed in a kitchen, and while they do offer some heat to a home, they are used primarily for cooking. The second type is a wood stove heater. These are installed in a central location of the home and are used as primary heat sources or for supplemental heat to help cut energy costs. What many do not realize is that most wood stove heaters can also be used to cook on.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Heavy pots and pans (cast iron works great)

1. Look on the wood stove for a cast-iron or heavy steel plate (or eye) that is designed for cooking. Many models have one or more eyes built into them for this purpose.
2. Lift up the top lid on most box-type wood stove heaters. Beneath the lid you will find the upper part of the firebox. On this, you can cook everything from eggs to stews.
3. Use only heavy metal pots and pans to cook. Thin metal can burn through if the fire inside is too hot. Likewise, plastics can melt, and glass can break.
4. Keep the fire inside stoked to the type of food you want to cook. For fried eggs or bacon, you need a hot fire. For stews and soups, a moderate fire is more than enough to keep them simmering.

Tips & Warnings

• Always keep a pot of water on the wood stove heater to help keep some humidity in your home. Not only will this help to keep your skin moisturized, you can also use the water for tea, hot chocolate or instant coffee.
• Potatoes, both baking and sweet, can be wrapped in heavy foil and baked in the coals inside the wood stove heater. Use heavy tongs to remove them from the box.
• An oven can be built for your wood stove heater by using metal duct pipe. Cover the top with another piece of metal and use an oven thermometer to gauge the temperature inside.
• Always use caution when working around a wood stove heater. Many parts of the stove can be extremely hot and cause severe burns.