Wood Cookstove

Anonymous Poster · Jan 29, 2002

Hello,
I am a new poster though a frequent lurker having migrated over from the Gardenweb. I don't own a traxtor (yet) but I have a question for the board anyway.

I just purhcased an ELmira Sweetheart wood cookstove. I found it in the classifieds. It is 20 years old but was never used. The seller brought it for his cabin and never got around to hooking it up. The seller is an engineer so he had the original instructions, parts, screws etc. I hope to have it up and running this weekend.

Does anyone have any experience to relate on how to use one of these. We currently heat with 2 woodstoves. This cookstove will replace the one in the basement. It will be used for supplemental heat but I do intend to use it to cook with. So any advice and/or tips would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Phil

woodmills1 · Jan 30, 2002

we have a prize herald here in the new old house and let me tell you i love to cook on it. last night breaded chicken, brocoli, and a noodle package dish. the stove likes small wood so get a little splitter. i split on the porch and keep hand fulls ready to go. put a damper in the smoke pipe and remember to move the pots around to vary the cookin temp.. have fun and good eatin.

PhilNH5 · Jan 31, 2002

Woodmills1,
Thanks for the reply and the pic. Looking at all the utensils hanging on the wall I would guess you cook a lot on the stove. I figured I would use this mostly on the weekends.
The stove came with a pipe flue damper but I was not going to install this as the stove itself has 4 air control valves. How come you recomend one?
also do you treat the top cook surface at all. I remember hearing you should treat it with veg oil every once in a while.

again thanks for the input

RAllen · Jan 31, 2002

If the stove has never been used, you must "season" the stove first. That usually means building a series of fires and letting cool off before you get serious. You need to do this when you can open the windows.

Goodluck.

Rick

woodmills1 · Jan 31, 2002

oil burns and gets smoky. get the stove black products. they also burn but go away sooner. we used mineral oil once wow what a smoke and smell mess. any thing you put on the surface will make you wish you didn't but will help preserve. i say put in the damper for ultimate fire supression. i have burnt wood for years. these wood cook stoves are not air tight and they use small wood so if you don't pay attention they can get away from you. a damper in the pipe is the best first line to supress the ever dangerous and completly scary chimney fire thing. have fun and cook but dont go shave after you just loaded some dry thin red oak.

PhilNH5 · Feb 2, 2002

Folks,
Thanks for the replies. I have a chimmney sweep coming on Monday. The stove flue is oval and my chimney flue is round. The chimmney sweep will fabricate a flue pipe for me. I will see if he has any addtional tips.

James Mills - I had assumed the stove was airtight due to the door gaskets. But on closer inspection I see that it is not due to the cooktop. Air can get in around the round plates/burners. So I will use the supplied flue pipe damper as you suggest. That leads to another question. Do you have any trouble with smoke from there? Or is a good draft in the chimney sufficient to keep smoke going the right way?

Thanks again. Phil