Can You Cook on a Wood-Burning Stove?

If you have a wood-burning stove in your home or are interested in installing one, you might wonder whether you can use it for cooking. The answer is yes—wood stoves have been used throughout the course of time for cooking meals and heating homes alike. In fact, doing so can help you save money, as you’re able to use the heat from the stove for multiple purposes. They’re also power-outage proof, meaning you can rely on them for some basic cooking if your electric appliances are not currently available.

Here’s an overview of some tips for wood stove cooking in Wausau, WI if you find yourself interested in trying it out.

What you should know

Cooking on a wood stove will require you to have the proper cookware, especially when you consider the temperamental nature of such a stove.

Cast iron cookware is generally your best bet. You’ll always want high-quality cookware anyway, which makes cast iron extremely versatile and beneficial no matter what type of stove or cooking surface you’re using. Cast iron skillets, Dutch ovens and various pots and pans are all ideal. The skillet will probably be a great place to start, especially if you’ve never cooked on a wood-burning stove before.

It’s also a good idea to consider a cast iron kettle. This will be great for boiling water for making tea or for use in other types of foods, drinks or chores.

Make sure you learn all about the heat zones on top of your wood stove. You can purchase magnetic stove thermometers to attach to them. When they contact the surface of the stove, they will give accurate measurements. Most wood stoves have some parts of the surface that tend to get warmer than other parts, so it’s important to know where these spots are located, especially if you do not have a dedicated cooking attachment on the stovetop.

You’ll also want some gloves to use, because you need to be extremely careful when operating next to hot surfaces. High-quality oven mitts and insulated gloves are the best choice to use with wood-burning stoves.

The fire needs to already be going before you want to start cooking. It’s going to take a while for you to get to the proper cooking temperature—you shouldn’t be in a rush if you’re going to try to cook on a wood stove. It’s very similar to trying to cook with a campfire—you need to build up some coals and some steady heat. It’s not enough to have some big flames—you need to let that heat accumulate. Preheating your pans can also help you, so you don’t have to wait for the pan to warm up to start cooking. You can do all your prep work while warming up the stove and pans.

Finally, make sure you’re using dry wood. Damp, uncured wood is bad for heating and will not let the fire get hot enough for cooking.

For more information about cooking on a wood stove in Wausau, WI, reach out to Marcell’s Specialties Inc. today to speak with a qualified fireplace contractor.

Categorised in: Wood Stoves

This post was written by Writer