Wood cook stoves

[babyfarm]

Does anyone have one? We're looking to buy a used one and I wonder if the older (and cheaper) ones are as good to cook with as the newer ones?  Do I need/want the warming bins and water tank or are they features that don't really get used?  Any tips would be helpful:)

[FeralFox]

I've been told not to buy an antique, because the aren't as well sealed, so they won't burn efficiently and you'll waste a lot of wood (not to mention that it'll make cooking more complicated).  I know they're pricey - we've been shopping for ours, and finally settled on one that costs about $1500.  That's about as cheap as they come, and it's basically a metal box with no decoration.  You pay extra for a pretty stove.

[babyfarm]

My husband found an old (1913) ARMY cook stove on Craigs List that he fell in love with (as though he cooks...lol) and he is out picking it up as I type........I guess I'll just have to see for myself how well the older ones cook:)

[babyfarm]

err....make that a 1931 stove.

[gentlecowgirl]

We have a fab 1912 torqouse enamel cookstove.  She burns a ton of wood but is so damn pretty.   We can get our oven to over 1000 degrees, bakes amazing bread and pizza and did I say how pretty she is?  We love it, burn quick hot fires to take the edge off in the morning or night and she puts out a ton of heat.  In the coldest part of the winter we keep her going and she is the soul of our home.  

[BabyFireFly]

Originally Posted by gentlecowgirl 

We have a fab 1912 torqouse enamel cookstove.  She burns a ton of wood but is so damn pretty.   We can get our oven to over 1000 degrees, bakes amazing bread and pizza and did I say how pretty she is?  We love it, burn quick hot fires to take the edge off in the morning or night and she puts out a ton of heat.  In the coldest part of the winter we keep her going and she is the soul of our home.  

Oh, I would just drool over a picture of your stove!

I am on the great search for an actual cookstove, I do want an antique, not something new - something that I can restore myself and love with all my heart : )

Right now, I cook all meals on my wood heat stove, which has a pretty good size flat top, but I long for all the "bells and whistles" that come with an actual old style cook stove.

If anyone knows where I can find one of the old top mount ovens that you place on the surface, I would be more than interested. Right now I have a homemade one and while it does work, it also gives me a lot of headaches when baking.

[verde]

We bought a wood cookstove (1940's) a year ago and I cooked on it all last winter and started her up this year around Halloween. I love cooking on it. We kept watching ebay and Craigslist until we found the one we like. We live near Washington DC and went to Pennsylvania to get it.  The warming bins are handy for keeping things warm and for defrosting. Don't have a water basin so can't comment.