How to Cook on a Cast Iron Stove

Back to basics

Cast iron cook stoves exude history and a sense of the days before electricity. Many households still use cast iron stoves with wood as a preferable fuel source. Whether you are the new owner of cast iron stove, recently bought a house with a cast iron stove, are camping where there is only a cast iron stove or are just thinking about getting a cast iron stove, cooking will take some getting used to. But once you get the hang of it, you will appreciate and enjoy the process.

Things You'll Need

• Newspaper
• Kindling
• Matches or barbecue lighter
• Dry firewood
• Cast iron or steel pots and pans
• Grill grate

Instructions

1. Fill the firebox with crumpled newspaper and kindling. The firebox is just under the stove top. Fill the box all the way, but don't pack it, as air needs to be able to flow through.

2. Open the chimney damper, the stove damper and the air intake vents.

3. Light the kindling and newspaper.

4. Add firewood and close the stove damper once the kindling is burning. Closing the stove damper will start the heat circulating within the stove.

5. Control the heat and fire with the air intake vents. Open them to increase the fire and close them to cool the fire. The chimney damper can also be partially closed to hold in more heat. If the stove does not have a temperature dial, magnetic stove thermometers are available. Add more firewood as needed.

6. Cook with cast iron pots and pans or with sturdy steel pots. Grill by removing one of the plates from the stove top to expose the fire and place the grill grate over the hole. Do not put wet pots on the stove, as they can leave rings. The stove top will be the hottest just over the firebox and will gradually get cooler farther from the firebox. Keep on eye on food as it is cooking, as heat in a wood stove can be inconsistent. Move the pot around as needed to increase or cool the temperature.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the stove is professionally vented through a chimney before using. If you are using a stove in a house that hasn't been used for some time, it should be inspected for chimney leaks.

References

• Homestead: Cooking on a Wood Cook Stove