Gilbert (above), our Godin sitting room stove, requires large amounts of wood if any real heat is to be generated. He needs to be stacked high with good dry Oak before he becomes effective.
George (above), on the other hand, is much more efficient. Our DeVille kitchen wood-fired cooker takes far less wood, and produces far more heat from much cheaper Chestnut.
This Winter we lit our first fire mid-December, and we shall probably still be lighting them until March. That's a lot of wood and a lot of chain-sawing.
I should add that Gilbert-n-George are our only forms of proper heating, other than one or two oil filled radiators, that we hardly ever use.
As all owners of similar wood-fired Cookers will know, they produce the very best stews, roasts, and baking. The aroma of a slow cooking stew from a wood oven is totally different to that from gas or electricity. I needn't tell you which I prefer, even if it is all bloody hard work.
28 comments:
I expect we will get to use our Norwegian Jotul log burner when we return in March. It's a big beast, extremely effective and heats the whole of the one level living area and the upstairs bedrooms. I do find that it can result in too dry an atmosphere sometimes. (26 degrees in Sydney today!)
I've not noticed that with ours; it does become over hot occasionally, but that's usually our own fault.
"As all owners of similar wood-fired Cookers will know, they produce the very best stews, roasts, and baking. The aroma of a slow cooking stew from a wood oven is totally different to that from gas or electricity."
Yes indeed!!!!
We buy our wood already split and cut into lengths and yes we do seem to get through an awful lot during the winter months, when it is really cold we add 'cobbles' too which throw out a lot of heat.
It us extremely frosty here this morning. I am cold. The house is warm overnight from the same type of stove Sue has described above.
Traditionally here wood is sold in One Metre lengths. Fine for when we had an open fire, but far too big for our wood-burners which only take 50 cms.
Both mine have gone out. Time I lit-up again.
It is minus 5c here in Herts this morning. It got colder and colder during the night. I know because I have an outside thermometer that shows the temperature on my bedroom clock! Perhaps it is time to say goodbye to Gilbert and replace with a more George like apparatus? We only have radiators (gas fired central heating) and I would love a wood burner to sit by on the coldest nights.
Two Georges would certainly be warmer, but maybe a tad excessive.
The next cottage I build here will have a wood burner. It never falls anywhere near freezing but in winter when the fog comes in off the sea at night, it is the chilly dampness that is really quite unpleasant!,
Palm tree wood? Do you get driftwood on the beach?
Old country saying... 'Wood warms you twice. Once when you chop it up and once when you burn it'. Annoying, isn't it?
That's partly why I like to saw-n-chop every day, rather than build up a stock.
I hear ya. I spend part of every day with my chainsaw. But I don't miss the propane bills.
Warms you twice as the saying goes.
I hate being cold....like right now.....but I love slow cooked stews!!
We're almost cousins.
And I thought I was coming over to your site to see a blog about two of my favourite artists! But I do agree about wood burners. Ours is actually multi fuel, so we start it off with anthracite and then move quickly on to wood, of which we have an almost unlimited supply. Within an hour the whole house is warm and we only use central heating for about an hour morning and evening. The oil fired Aga ticks over and cooks good casseroles. Chicken one today - delicious.
Inspired
I have just named our stove
CONSTANCE
During the miner's strike they were importing very nasty anthracite from Poland which completely ruined our Aga. To have had it taken to pieces and rebuilt would have cost a fortune, so I just abandoned it.
Me too.
Never named a stove before! Ours is a high efficiency one and it really lived up to its price tag, altering the air flow is like altering the gas , pretty instant change in temperature. Ive fitted an ecofan to the top as well to push the heat around the house a bit more.
Our house is not very conducive to high tech. We have to be content with the basics.
Great taste in art Weave. Gilbert and George, well knock me down with a feather. I like them too.
A Queen Atlantic was the main heat source and winter cooking device in our house when we came to Maine.
http://www.antiquecookstove.com/inventory-popup.asp?item=15879&pic=51980
Interesting comment on Agas and anthracite Cro. Our Aga runs on oil thank goodness.
That looks wonderful. I don't suppose they've improved much over the years. I'd love one of those!
I once did a list of art works I'd have on my walls were money no limit; G-n-G were amongst them.
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