Buying essential accessories for your wood stove is all about separating functionality from mold and fashion. Installing an oven is a good thing, but every installation needs a few extras to bring a little more joy and make life a little easier and safer.
Older hands who know how to deal with the quirks of a woodstove recommend building a fire for a while to figure out what tools and supplies you really need.
If you’re impatient, here’s a quick guide
to the heat in the world of essential baking supplies. Ironically, a furnace pad is an overlooked accessory unless you have an experienced mechanic.
The heaters are getting hot – very hot. Never place the oven on an unprotected wooden floor, always place an oven cushion to protect wall next to stove it from intense heat. A wood stove can easily crack or even break the thick slate surrounding it.
Oven pads are available in several different finishes, from plain to artificial brick or slate. The composite fibers form a buffer between the stove and the floor, which carries the heat load and no longer scratches. Next, a set of durable fire tools are worth their weight in gold, although they are often made of brass.
The traditional set comes in the form of a poker, tongs, shovel and brush.
Make sure the poker is long enough to light the back of the stove while keeping your hands away from the heat and flames. The tongs are useful for holding large embers and The Elser miami rearranging the fire when topping up the wood. The shovel is mainly intended for cleaning hot or cold ash and the brush only for cleaning. You have to add wood, open the vents and start the fire when your wood stove is burning.
Fur gloves are often quite overlooked, but a necessary accessory, even if they are not fashionable. Don’t save a few pounds and hope for the best with lightweight oven mitts or other inappropriate materials. The roaring oven is extremely hot, and when you have to adjust the vents or open the door, you’ll be grateful for a good pair of gloves. Next on the list is an ashtray for removing hot or cold embers and ash. An ashtray is a metal container with a hinged lid. Bend the stem with a spade to bring them safely into the garden.
One of the real jobs of owning a fireplace is cutting, chopping and transporting wood.
Logs are designed to keep the wood close to the fireplace, but not so close that it burns. The metal supports are strong and decorative, but extremely difficult to move when filled with wood. Wicker baskets are very light and easy to move. Fill and place the basket or remove the metal piece.
Remember to buy a basket that you can screw on after the largest possible tree – and if you live in a cabin, make sure the basket fits through doorways and hallways. Firewalls are a priority to improve security if you have children. Look for a cover that is hard to reach and has clips for mounting with hooks drilled into the wall. Of course, the shield will still heat up, but the child is unlikely to get burned by touching the metal. Some less important but still popular items are kettles, pans and coasters. Above the stove is a decorative cast-iron base to collect splashed water that causes rust. The trick of the former hostess was to refresh the room with a pleasant smell by cooking potpourri in a pot on the stove.
The stove is also excellent for making delicious popcorn.
Another modern device for more efficient burning of stoves is a wood moisture thermometer. The principle is to check the moisture of the wood so that it is seasoned. Better seasoned wood has a lower moisture content and burns more slowly and hotter. More efficient combustion means less money for fuel and more efficient heating.
Well-seasoned wood also makes the fireplace cleaner when it burns, which reduces the amount of tar that accumulates on the glass and chimney.
If you value your green credentials, consider purchasing a fireplace heat recovery unit. Heat collectors are complex devices with a simple purpose – to capture the heat coming from the chimney and revive it.
