Using a Cookstove or Cooker?

Wife wants her own coal burner for the kitchen. Is any one burning a cookstove and can make any recommendations?

(These things are as much 'kitchen furniture' as a cooker, but wifey is game to use it. We're looking at a couple brit imports - Esse Ironheart and rayburn heatranger 200sfw.)
**Broken Link(s) Removed**http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_burning_stoves ... stove.html

I like the look of the Ironheart, but it looks like it has a firebox design toward wood. (Both have undergrate primary air.)

- Charlie

I burn an antique Glenwood cabinet C, some of these old stoves are great coal burners as that was the fuel of choice when they were built. They also have a lot of character compared to the new stoves. There are several restorers selling used stoves here is one that is in Rhode Island.

http://www.stovehospital.com/

thanks for that link... it's an interesting business he has there..

Greg

How about this one?

Yes, we've looked at the old ones. Here's another fellow near Portland with a nice selection: http://antiquecookstove.com/default.asp

We may go the old way, but there are some very attractive euro stoves (rediculously expensive, of course). Actual use details on them are sketchy, but the ideas behind them are very interesting. You have to find their manuals to get any form of idea on how they work or are constructed... They lump wood and coal together under the term "solid fuel range cooker", so you have to parse out which are wood oriented and which are coal. Definite trend away from coal (older models) to wood burners for eco reasons. Spent some time on the web yesterday and here is what I've found:

Italian Nordica (aka Broseley) has undergrate air, but with a simple wood grate ("rake the coals from the top with a hooked poker but don't put the fire out" is in the instructions). Apparently, the italians have no coal, so it's a wood burner that you can throw some nut on to make it last the night. You can crank the fire bed up and down; neat.

The Esse Ironheart mentioned above looks to burn like the Nordica (under grate air, but no shaker grate).

These german Wamsler 700/1100 brochure states that they have a riddler (shaker grate) and look like they may be good with coal. http://www.wamsler.co.uk/solid-fuel-range-cookers. Not sure though, because no one writes about them on the web... in english, anyway. They look to me like the modern result of coal stove evolution. Cool.

The old Aga solid fueler is coal-only; only one I've found. They don't make it anymore and many have been converted to oil. I'd like to know more about these in operation.

Rayburn once a competitor to Aga is now owned by them, and sold as what seems to be a 2nd class Aga. Most of these have back boilers to provide CH and DHW. Bascically, your stove becomes your DHW source, along with a few radiators in the kitchen area, separate from the regular CH system. Very popular in vacation homes. Lehmans is selling them under the "Hearthstone" brand here with wood burning "restrictor plates" on top of the shaker grate, which seem to disable it (!?). This model (200-series) are known as coal burners in the UK. http://www.lehmans.com.

Waterford Stanley (Irish) is now owned by Aga too. They make a traditional cookstove ("Errigal", which Lehmans sells) that has an add-on shaker grate that looks good. Their Donard 60 range is similar to the Rayburn, with emphasis on its back boiler - CH, DHW etc.

If you're curious about how they install the CH/DHW rigs, check out page 7 of the Donard manual:
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Well, that's my summary. Lot's of interesting stuff,to me, anyway. Surprising how little practical experience is available from european web sources, though.

- Charlie

One thing I'd be leery about is even if they are designed to burn coal they aren't going to be made for hard coal. For example you can take the Franco Belge coal stoves which works excellent for antrhacite but suffers from frequent problems with the grates and other parts which aren't all that robust. Wasn't made for the rigors of burning anthracite, the other problem is parts. They are expensive if you can find them.

Some of the old stoves found in this area can usually be had for dirt cheap but usually in fairly good condition because its saturated with them, I'd check the paper shop for deals. Might take a little bit of elbow grease but you'll have yourself a genuine anthracite coal burning appliance.

Here's two listed under the brand name of Pittston stove, one is only $150. For that price you could get one for parts. : http://www.thepapershop.com/index.php?section=sea ... mit=Search

Some of these are quite ornate and could look very nice.

Here's better search, look for the ones labled as kitchen coal stoves. there was onr in there was 6 burner.

http://www.thepapershop.com/index.php?section=sea ... mit=Search

Thanks Richard. Lots of stoves in the papershop!

I'm really looking for a modern version of the old US made stoves. The worthwhile stoves made today in US/Canada cost as much as the euro stuff but all have the "Little House on the Prairie" look. The image of the pioneer wife "stove slave" is not what wife is looking for. The euros never stopped building them, so they look modern.

BTW: The Aga states in its manual "Anthracite Only", but no others are that clear. They are were very popular in the UK, so parts aren't much of a problem (shipping takes time).

We need a modern coal range made here!

Charlie Z wrote: We need a modern coal range made here!

Well I'm sure there's any amount of people here that could whip one up for you that any man would be proud to call his stove... however the wife would probably not be happy at all. I could see myself now beating it with hammer doing the the Tim Allen grunt.

I was thinking of getting an old one, rather plain in appearance.. and send it to a fab shop,, get it enclosed in polished or satin finish Stainless... probably still less than the imports... they must be what $6k-$10K ??

Greg L

All the "reasonable(?)" euro are about the same as the new US/Canadian repros -- in the $4k-$8k range. It seems you can get a decent rebuilt old Aga coal burner for ~$3k, about what an equivalent rebuilt US old timer (of high quality) would be.

A new gas Aga 4 oven runs about $16,000 with another couple to have the mandatory factory certified guy install it.

I have a Pittston Cook stove sitting in my kitchen with no chimney to hook it to. It's my inlaw's and they want more than its worth, so I don't think I can sell it. I would eventually like to put a Direct Vent Stoker or a Nice Propane heater there eventually. Just need about 20 grand for the kitchen remodel.

Well its not exactly coal fired - but I have been coveting one of these
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cArNaGe wrote:I have a Pittston Cook stove sitting in my kitchen with no chimney to hook it to. It's my inlaw's and they want more than its worth, so I don't think I can sell it. I would eventually like to put a Direct Vent Stoker or a Nice Propane heater there eventually. Just need about 20 grand for the kitchen remodel.

Build a chimney and use the old stove.
Regarding propane-if you go that route -first check the propane pricing in your area and then PM me. I have an Empire propane direct vent furnace in my kitchen that I do not use. I'll sell it to you cheap. I'll be removing it this summer to make room for the Andes stove that I posted a photo of above.

I would build a chimney but there is a window directly above where the stove comes out.

Got a picture of that propane stove?

cArNaGe wrote:I would build a chimney but there is a window directly above where the stove comes out.

Got a picture of that propane stove?

No photo right now, but here's the scan of the instruction manual cover. It uses outside air for combustion and exhausts outside as well. Millivolt t-stat controlled. A automatic fan is optional but I don't have it, it is still available. Bought it in the 1990's. I will sell it cheap or swap for Goodquality coal.