Restored wood cook stoves have become increasingly popular with homeowners who love the vintage look. Homesteaders, people living off the grid, and those who depend on wood to heat their homes snap up these antique wood burning cook stoves at auctions, antique stores, and through online classifieds.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Maybe you're looking at buying a wood burning cook stove for your homestead. Or maybe you're interested in buying an off grid home that comes with a restored wood burning cook stove.
Yet as I learned a few years ago when we bought a cabin that came with a restored 1911 Renfrew Acorn wood cook stove, there are a few important points to know about them.
You should know the pros and cons of restored wood cook stoves before buying and installing one in your homestead kitchen or off-grid cabin.
Pros of a Wood Cook Stove
Cooking and baking with a wood burning cook stove takes some practice. However, in addition to the charm and character these appliances bring to homes, they offer many benefits.
#1. You Can Cook Food Without Electricity
When our generator shed burned to the ground on Christmas Eve Day, we were left without power.
And with just four short hours of daylight in our winter months and limited solar power, we were very thankful to cook our Christmas breakfast and dinner on our wood stove.
(For an easy stovetop recipe, try rice and beans. Or try baking in your wood stove with this simple gluten-free blueberry crisp recipe)
If you choose to live without off grid electricity, a wood burning stove gives you a way to cook and bake. At least in the winter. In the summer, consider using a charcoal smoker for smoking fish or wild game.
Oh, and if you're wondering about washing your clothes without electricity, look into your off grid washing machines options and your choices for other off grid appliances.
#2. Heat Your Home Without Electricity
A wood cooking stove not only lets you cook and bake food, but it also heats your home. Even in the -40 degree winters where we live (250 miles south of the Arctic Circle), this works.
As long as you have access to firewood, you won't freeze. And yes, in case you were wondering, living off the grid in winter here does have challenges.
#3. Heat Water and Melt Snow
If you plan to heat water and melt snow on your antique wood cooker stove, look for one with a water reservoir. Many an antique cooking wood stove design includes one.
And if your stove doesn't come with one, you can always do what we do - keep a massive stockpot of water (or snow) warming on the back of the stove.
Then run the melted water through your Berkey water filter system for clean drinking water.
#4. Dry Your Clothes
Your antique wood cook stove will generate a ton of heat. Set up a drying rack nearby, and you'll find your wet clothes will dry in no time.
#5. Cut Your Electricity Costs With a Wood Cooker Stove
Cut your electricity bill (or eliminate it entirely) when you use a wood burning cooking stove. And if you cut your own firewood instead of buying it, you'll save even more money.
Note: on average, we use 10 cords of firewood each year to keep our wood stove going 24/7 from October through April. However, firewood is hard to come by up here.
We're so far north that the trees are, well, spindly. Firewood was one off grid expense that surprised us.
Cons of a Wood Burning Stove for Cooking
#6. Installing a Wood Cook Stove May Impact Homeowner Insurance
Do you have homeowner insurance? Some off grid homeowners and homesteaders indeed forego it because they don't want it or can't qualify for it.
But maybe you do want it, or your lender requires homeowner insurance as part of your financing qualifications. In that case, pay special attention to installing a restored wood cook stove.
A couple of years ago, I wrote an article on wood stove safety and maintenance for The Hartford insurance company. I learned some interesting facts about insurance and wood burning stoves.
Although most home insurance companies in the United States and Canada will insure a home with wood burning appliances or fireplaces, you will likely get a whole lot of questions about it.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, restored wood cook stoves must be installed to meet current local safety codes for a home to be insurable.
In addition, your insurance provider may stipulate that a restored wood burning cook stove must meet current National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
These standards requirements currently include
- specific stove pipe sheet metal material and diameter measurements
- 36-inch clearance between wood cook stoves and combustible walls
- Two to 6 inches of ventilated space beneath the fire chamber or base
Check out the requirements in your area before investing in an antique wood cook stove that catches your eye. And read up on the latest wood stove safety tips.
#7. Few Knowledgeable Wood Cooker Stove Experts
One problem we didn't even think about when I fell in love with our Renfrew Acorn wood cook stove is that there aren't too many people who know how to fix them.
And the sad truth is that in today's world, too many people are just too busy to figure out what to do with their old appliances. So they end up in the dump.
When we were trying to figure out whether it was safe to use the wood stove (it was in a log cabin that hadn't been lived in for over 10 years), I tried to find someone who could come out and look at it for us.
I asked the locals and even some friends across the border in Minnesota, with no luck. Apparently, there was an old-timer who had kept it in good repair until he passed away about twenty years ago.
If you live near a major center in a farming area or near an Amish, Mennonite or Hutterite community, you may have better luck.
Some farms that have been handed down through generations still depend on wood cook stoves. And some of the Old Order religious groups do too. So ask around.
If not, do what I did and look online.
#8. Few Replacement Parts for an Old Wood Cook Stove
Many of the restored wood cook stoves we see today have been restored, refurbished, or repurposed. They're being used as decorative pieces in homes or restaurants.
The market for replacement parts for these antique cook stoves is pretty small because many aren't functional. Yet wear from their previous use and time means they need replacement parts to operate as efficiently and safely as possible.
Depending on the make, model, and dimensions of your antique wood cook stove, you may be able to use a modern part. For example, Dan replaced a rusted-out piece of stovepipe with a brand new section he bought new at Menards (Best.Store.Ever).
If you need an original piece, however, it's a lot tougher. Prepare to search online for this too. And don't be surprised if you can't find anything local.
Also, try eBay. Look for another old wood cook stove that is identical to yours but NOT refurbished. If you can get it for a deal, buy it for parts. But only if you can drive to pick it up. Cast iron stoves are really, really heavy. The shipping costs could be a deal-breaker.
Another alternative? Check out new wood burning cook stoves on the Lehmans (affiliate link) website.
Be warned, though. Once you start looking around the site, you could find yourself online for HOURS looking at all the off grid homestead goodies. (Ask me how I know)
#9. Few Wood Burning Cook Stove Owners Manuals
In the past 100+ years, most households in North America have stopped using wood cook stoves. So there just aren't that many old owners manuals around. And despite my best efforts, I never did find an owner's manual for our Renfrew Acorn beauty.
Although it was easy enough to find the Acorn Stove Company and PDFs of manuals for their antique wood stoves circa 1900, that only helped a little.
As it turns out, our stove didn't come from that Michigan-based company but from the tiny town of Renfrew, Ontario. And the stove company went out of business many years ago.
What I ended up doing was referring to a PDF of a scanned old print manual for a similar stove from the Michigan-based Acorn company. (Check out Living History Farm and their post on their own antique Acorn woodburning cooking stove.)
A restored wood cook stove can be a functional addition to your off grid home or cabin. It provides heat and gives you something to cook. However, before you invest in one, do some research to make sure it's the right choice for your home and needs.
Do you have an old wood burning cook stove? We'd love to hear about it. Share your story in the comments.
Steve Taylor
The Great Majestic wood / coal burning stove #641, I found an old stove stashed in the very back of a barn that was located behind the house my daughter and grand children lived in. It’s rusty but I had a couple of stove enthusiast take a look at it and I guess I found it at the right time to restore it. Can anyone give me a shout out on what type of paint I would use to give a new look, some type of high heat paint. All feedback is appreciated Thank You Steve
Scooter
I’m the proud owner of a mint Viceroy kitchen wood stove. It’s covered in perfect off white porcelain and is completely functional. My father bought it from his aunt, my great aunt, in 1975, in Quebec. He paid her $50 Canadian for it. I have the receipt. I think the stove is from the 1930’s but don’t really know. I’ve only found one other like it on line and it was described as being from the 1930’s. And btw, that one doesn’t compare with mine. I was 12 and with my father when he hauled it from Quebec, paid a duty to cross the border (while he had a fire going in it while it was in the back of his pickup), and then onward to Vermont where I was born and raised. I don’t know if my great aunt used the stove but my parents did for 40 years. I’ve always loved it. My father croaked in 1997 and my mother continued to use it for almost another 20 years. I think they found an old timer who fixed the worn firebox grates at some point. I asked my mom if I could have it if and when she didn’t want it. She called me a few years ago and said, “come get it.” So I picked it up and hauled it to Michigan where I now live. My wife and I are building a house in which we will feature and use that beauty and I can’t wait. It’s going to be awesome! If the stove is from the 30’s, we plan on using it up to and beyond its hundredth birthday.
Brittany Rogers
I help run Antique Stoves out of Tekonsha, Michigan. We buy, sell and refurbish antique stoves. Nothing electric, although we may have contacts to help. We do 1950's and back into the 1800's. We also sell new Amish built wood cook stoves. Including some high efficiency wood cook stoves. There is currently a 26% tax rebate you can actually get on high efficiency rated wood cook stoves. Check us out. Antiquestoves.com and Antiquestoves.us
Jacqueline Anderson
We are buying a 1916 home to sympathetically renovate in central Portugal. It comes with a huge built in wood cookstove with a water reservoir each side. We were going to take it out as its a tiny kitchen, but have now decided to renovate it and keep. Your blog has convinced me we are doing the right thing. It does get cold for 3 to 4 months here and wood it pretty plentiful. We will have single glazed windows and no central heating so if your going to burn fuel to heat, might as well use it for cooking :).
Seth Wertz
I love the idea of being as self-sufficient as possible, so having a reliable, easily repairable, and versatile set of appliances, is the best way for me to save on household expenses!.
It's also great, that I can pass on the knowledge of this older technology, at least with the types that I know haha.
So many of these amazing things are almost lost, and thankfully, most of us are happy to share!
Sarita Harbour
This is so interesting, Seth! Thanks for the comment - and we love these old-fashioned wood cookstoves too!
Seth
It's good to see that the art of maintaining, and using wood/coal cook stoves is alive and well!.
We didn't have a wood cook stove, growing up, but I was around them enough to understand the basics of how they function, and proper care.
I grew up in a pre 1900 Montana homestead (with many additions, concealing it's 1880's beginning), and in the added basement, there once was a very large coal stove, but was removed in the late 70's when it gave up the ghost, and my parents have used Blaze Kings ever since.
My own home is heated primarily, by propane. and after getting two different stoves, and both in need a much repair, I decided to get to it, and actually rebuilt both of them!.
They are both dual fuel, wood/coal, or electric Majestic DL-30's.
I found out rather quickly, that even being from the early 50's, the wood side is no less difficult to find parts for, than any other wood cook stove.
Being a fabricator, and machinist, I have made my own components, but I opted for stainless bolts and screws within the firebox, and surrounding areas, when I reassembled the stove.
It has it's little quirks, and I now have a single, non-functional electric top element
But the rest is perfect, and I look forward to learning how to cook with this specific stove!.
I was fortunate enough to find someone on ebay with an original manual and parts list, including a warranty card haha.
It has especially helped with it's unique oven timer.
My favorite thing, is just soaking up the heat of any wood stove in the winter!.
I will continue to find, and restore as many of these old things as I can, and correctly, as I believe they are a good mix for anyone who wants the convenience of electricity, but the independence, and option of heat and cooking without power!.
I have always loved restoring old things, and without removing it's character, or beauty blemishes. But these stoves have been more fun than almost anything else I've ever repaired, and seeing it functional, after decades of retirement, is amazing to me!.
Enjoy your incredible stove, and I will slowly learn how to use mine!
May God bless you and your family, and thank you for sharing your own story!
Sarita Harbour
Hi Arlin - thank you so much for sharing your wonderful memories with our readers. Love hearing about your homestead memories!
Arlin
Sarita...I too have fond memories of a wood cooking range (stove) that was in the kitchen of the house I was born in...the house was built in 1888...with square nails. Not only did we cook, bake and 'can' food on this stove...we heated water for dishes, laundry, and baths. There were two 1/2 inch copper tubes inside of the back of stove. They carried water through the the stove, out the back, through the wall into our utility room to a un-jacketed (non-insulated) galvanized water tank. We had to keep a fire going for hot water for bath night...Saturday night. Us younger kids had to use the last kid's bath water...up to 3 baths in one tub of water. That allowed time for more water to be heated for more baths that night. With 11 kids, it took a while get us all clean.
My mother cooked and baked bread, rolls and scones with that stove. Us kids took turns helping her. The stove was covered with white porcelain on the sides and front including the shelf above the cooking surface. The fire box was at the left where we put the wood in. The rest of the surface was a smooth griddle great to cook right on top...no frying pan needed...for pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc. We put pots and kettles there also to cook other foods.
When canning season was on, the kitchen was always hot. We grew our own vegetables in our 100 ft x 80 ft garden. We had many fruit trees...6 varieties of apples, 3 varieties of plums, 5 varieties of cherries, wild blackberries, red current berries...so we bottled them all as fruit, sauce or jams. We also raised chickens and rabbits for food. We lived in a small valley with only one neighbor in sight. We were on the grid though for electricity and potable water. We had a septic system...tank and drainage field. We cut our own wood for that stove from the surrounding forest. We cut down certain types of trees, de-branched them, cut them in 8 foot sections and drug them home with ropes. That's enough for now.
Diana Lee
Mr. Ronald Locke, Do you still have the stove? If so, how much and where are you located?
Sarita Harbour
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Annie! We are actually adding more panels this summer so watch for new posts. With 20+ hours of sunlight in the summer (but just 3-4 in the winter) it's a real "trial and error" exercise to find the right settings. 🙂
anneinthekitchen
This post was SO interesting! I have always wanted a wood cookstove, but I live in Texas. We don't have enough cold weather to make it viable. I plan to come back later and read more of your posts. I am particularly interested in your solar system. Thanks for sharing at To Grandma's House. That is where I found your blog.
Ronald Locke
I have a Muskogee wood burning stove 1935 on oven thermometer I have used as decor in old house. I remember my grandmother cooking on a wood burning stove and using the heat to help warm her house when needed and all windows and doors open in warm weather. Great memories of the wood burning stoves! I’m 72 years old and would like to sell this 2 owner stove to someone to enjoy as I have! My name is Ronald Locke and can be reached on my cell phone 912 222-1355. Thanks, Ron
Lisa L Lombardo
Good tips! We had to have a professional company install our wood stove for the insurance company to keep insuring us.
Thanks for sharing this on Farm Fresh Tuesdays! I hope you'll stop by and share your talent with us again this evening!
Sarita Harbour
Absolutely. Luckily there is also some great information online through the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Sarita Harbour
Thanks for the comment, Nikki! It's interesting how many people have reached out with happy memories of wood stoves from their childhoods. 🙂
Nikki Gwin
Oh the wonderful bone warming heat that you can only get from a wood burning stove! I do miss that. My parents had one I loved backing up to it. Sometimes would even do so in the summer.... LOL
🙂 gwingal
Sarita Harbour
Thanks for the comment, Margery - and that makes sense. LOVE Lehman's by the way - so many cool things.
Margery
Thanks. I’ve been looking for about a year. I think I have decided to buy a new one at Lehman’s. Seems there is not a big price difference and the new ones claim to be more efficient
Dawn
Wow! Interesting! I have to admit I think I'll stick with my modern electric stove though.
Thinking for those who want to get one and don't want to bother with homeowners insurance, actually contacting an insurance company and getting information of their safety requirements and then implementing them regardless of whether or not you want insurance would be a really good idea!
Linda Carlson
Love them. Our house is to small to have one thou. At one time I lived in a cabin with one and we used it for everything.. Cooking and heating.
Sarita Harbour
Hey Ralf - sorry I missed your comment and question earlier! The supply sources were definitely an issue. Your best bet is one of the forums mentioned in the article. Post and see if anyone has an old Renfrew and would be willing to part with parts. Or you could look at similar stoves that could have interchangeable parts. Do you have any Amish, Mennonite, or Hutterite communities near you? If so, you could ask around there - or put up a notice on the notice board at the post office, feed supply or hardware store (as those are places in town that they might be visiting.) I'll see if I can grab the link to the PDF I downloaded and add it to this post. But remember, it wasn't for the actual Renfrew Acorn - it was a similar model from a different manufacturer. Hope that helps a bit!
Sarita Harbour
Thanks for the comment, Michele! Short answer? Nope. It's isn't easy. It takes some practice. And not many of the old wood burning cook stoves have thermostats built in (and if they do, they often don't work any more.) What we did was use a magnetic thermometer that I just smacked onto the stove pipe - they're also used on modern stoves. And then I also used a regular oven thermometer, the kind that you stick in a roast or a turkey, to check the interior temperature. I found that cooking on a wood burning cook stove is a one-task only activity because it needs such focus, lol!
Michele
Great information! I have a neighbor who has a wood cook stove and he loves it. One question, is it easy to control the temperature for cooking?
Ralf Russell
Some good info! I'm now a proud owner of a Renfrew Acorn, but I'm using it as an outdoor cook stove under a pergola. Its great way to cook outdoors for a large family or group without all the smoke you would get from a fire pit (though steaks are still grilled on the fire!).
Mine is missing a few parts that I'm trying to track down. In your search did you find any supply sources that you're willing to share? How about a copy of the PDF manual?
Kelly
So much great information. Thank you so much for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop. I hope to see you again this Wednesday.