Kitchen Ranges

This is good looking stuff! and considering it wouldn't be our main stove it would work perfect. and wow what a price! I just might buy one... seriously!

Sorry smoke, wood burner only in my view. Cast iron internals, anthracite will burn a hole in that sucker in no time I don't care what they say. Coal in Serbia is not anthracite, it's a soft, low BTU coal. So perhaps a few strategic fire bricks here and there - yeh right. So it's wood that's OK but with that firebox size would anybody like to tell me how often I have to load the box?

So I get up every morning and spend 30 minutes cleaning it out and then relighting it as it went out overnight just so I can cook breakfast on it and then reload with wood every hour of every day if I want to get any serious heat out of it!!!!? Aint gonna happen - with me anyway. Dream on, that gig gets real old, real quick. Is nobody going to say anything? Pretty stove though and I Iove the 440# weight. Hey, those overweight gigamonsters of yesteryear, made in the US were made that way for a reason. NO free lunch. So you really think Serbia just taught us how to make a kitchen stove for anthracite - geez.... and I am supposed to be the newbie!!!

Whoops better stop now or I will be accused of being a stove nazi. That's it for me on this thread.

Well I'm not a coal only burner and wood is free. Hickory burns a pretty good time and once you have a good bed of coals you can burn for a few good hours on a few logs. It is good to have a large enough firebox for wood because what if I was in able to get anthracite anymore and what if the only bituminous supplier in the Richmond area stopped his business? As it is now I drive over 2 hours one way to pick up 2400lbs of anthracite and that is the closest and the most I can carry. Delivery of anthracite is out of the question unless I buy a minimum of something around 20 tons. Bituminous smells and I defiantly wouldn't cook on it and plus how long is the only supplier in the Richmond area going to carry it? The same go for delivery on Tonage if he wasn't around. I have enough wood to burn for years.

I'm going to burn coal as long as I can and I will own a cook stove that can burn anthracite but I will most likely own a wood cook stove as well. Then I have the option of using both. It also isn't a problem to have a cast box dropped in with grates for coal. I do have a local foundry which sand molds can be made so on and so on .

I really don't know why you are so adgitated about someone's personal preference . I think it is good to have both coal and wood options and with the jerk off in the whitehouse getting re-elected and the rest of the tools in political power in Washington I'm wondering how much longer coal will be easy to get for me at least. I need to plan for the future.
By the way if I wanted I could put a wood cook stove in one room and the coal one in the next room . I have 4 flues to hook up to so I have options

Well whatever it is causing you such distress I hope it gets better because life is so much better when you're happy

I think you also missed what I have been saying about what I want out of a kitchen cook stove . I don't want something to keep a fire in 24/7 I want to fire it up off and on when I want . It's not going to be a main source of heat.

At least now there are some great options to look at . And that magnum Steve linked me to is a coal and wood burner so I don't see a problem.

Wood ash is also amazingly easy to clean vs. coal ash in my opinion. Between wood , anthracite, and bituminous they all have different advantages and applications .

And what's the problem with cast iron internals ? The zephyr has all cast iron internals and no refractory liner. That's how a lot of older stoves where built . Heck even that pearl cannon heater I have has no refractory and I know it was used a lot and it's still fine. Now of course the refractory will save the life of the stove way down the road and is a fairly easy option In any stove .

I work with metal for a living and I will see how these stoves are constructed in person and make my decisions based on that and what I know so far about the stoves I have been burning in.

Btw are you burning in any antique stoves or all modern equipment? Right now everything I own is an antique stove and an antique stove is my only source of heat. No fans, no electricity hooked to them, just pure convection. And as far as the stove nazi comment goes that was just a little joke. I'm sorry if you took it as anything more than a joke. I never intended it as an insult.

Thanks for sharing your concern.

I would like to mention one little thing about the last stove that should be considered... view of the fire is a nice treat but a hell of a nuissance if you´re trying to get your dinner cooked without frying your testicles! The amount of radiant heat is simply unbearable if you´re standing right in front of it
Had to put up with one of these a couple of years ago in a mountain hut in Austria - never again, seriously! We ended up sticking 1 or 2 dishtowels behind the belt so we would wear them like an apron to reduce the amount of heat on our private parts!
German producer WAMSLER makes something similar but with tripple (!!!) glazing of the firebox door to reduce the amount of heat:
btw Josh: their stoves are meant to be installed flat against the wall and vent either through the back, the far side from the firebox or the top of the cooking surface I personally think of getting one of these if we can realize our plans of finding a old house with a large kitchen:

Good morning Fire,

I looked at the Magnum two years ago and rejected it as it was not an anthracite burner. I thought I had considered everything but cooked testicles was not one of them - great input, obvious really. The AGA stoves have thick insulated doors. That Wamsler however, looks very interesting to eyes that have grown tired from looking for a good Rayburn alternative. Triple glass (yes!), I do like to look at a fire. I thought I saw firebricks is that correct? So anthracite - yes?

Mornin´
The combustion chamber is lined and the manual I downoaded indicates coal & wood but does not specify on the type of coal. I´d be suspicious, though! Lignite bricks and bit coal are the most comon type of coal in central europe - and obviously that´s their main market. Can´t tell you much about the grates & shaker as the local stove dealers I´ve visited didn´t have a Wamsler in stock... most likely not aggressive enough for the use of anthracite. The lignite bricks simply expand and fall apart once the fuel is consumed, very much like wood. It only takes a little wiggling of the grate to dump the ashes in my stove

Smokeyja wrote:

SteveZee wrote:Looks just like this Magnum which is a coal/wood dual fueler. They make a soap stone version too.
http://sopkainc.com/index.php/product/magnum

Steve this is the kind of stuff I was asking about earlier in this thread! This is good looking stuff! and considering it wouldn't be our main stove it would work perfect. and wow what a price! I just might buy one... seriously!

Yeah I had posted it earlier in the thread Josh but you must have missed it? At any rate I think it's a handsome unit (for a modern stove) and would do burn ant coal just fine with a little refractory added to the firebox. Cast iron is the best as far as I'm concerned and I think that time has shown that to be true thus far. Both my stoves are 100+ years old and as I type, are heating this old house. When using coal, you want to extend your firebox/pot life with some refractory. Not only will it last a long time but it will improve the performance of the stove by insulating the coal bed. The price is very reasonable too for this type unit and in comparison.

SteveZee wrote:

Smokeyja wrote: Steve this is the kind of stuff I was asking about earlier in this thread! This is good looking stuff! and considering it wouldn't be our main stove it would work perfect. and wow what a price! I just might buy one... seriously!

Yeah I had posted it earlier in the thread Josh but you must have missed it? At any rate I think it's a handsome unit (for a modern stove) and would do burn ant coal just fine with a little refractory added to the firebox. Cast iron is the best as far as I'm concerned and I think that time has shown that to be true thus far. Both my stoves are 100+ years old and as I type, are heating this old house. When using coal, you want to extend your firebox/pot life with some refractory. Not only will it last a long time but it will improve the performance of the stove by insulating the coal bed. The price is very reasonable too for this type unit and in comparison.

Thanks for the input Steve ! Sorry I missed it earlier this thread took off in replies lol.

I am going I try and look at one of these stoves in person sometime . It defiantly would look good in the kitchen . I am also going to cast some refractory for the zephyr . The zephyr fits exactly in the space I need but I don't like the room in the back but I have a plan to fabricate a piece to solve that problem so who knows.

I handle loads of ranges. I have had experience with the Stanley and most of the others. If you take a few of these apart and look at them you will not buy them. I use only antique ranges and people love the things. They are far better designs and come in any size you might need. Look around and you will find a good one. Plan to totally disassemble it and completely rebuild it and it will be your best friend for decades. Don't be afraid to pass a few by as the world is full of them once you start looking. Look for an all casdt iron model and avoid the ones that are part cast and part sheet iron. These are riveted together and usually have asbestos sandwiched in between the sheet iron. Emery

Which brings me to a question. I have a model DA Home Comfort that is white sheet metal with a cast iron interior. What can I replace the asbestos with? I have the original water front to heat my domestic hot water with and plenty of extra parts but as I set this up I would like to replace the asbestos. It is designed to burn anthracite coal and we will see how that goes and how long it will hold fire. Any suggestions as to what to replace the asbestos with would be appreciated.

coalturkey wrote:Which brings me to a question. I have a model DA Home Comfort that is white sheet metal with a cast iron interior. What can I replace the asbestos with? I have the original water front to heat my domestic hot water with and plenty of extra parts but as I set this up I would like to replace the asbestos. It is designed to burn anthracite coal and we will see how that goes and how long it will hold fire. Any suggestions as to what to replace the asbestos with would be appreciated.

I would use one inch thick unfaced fiberglass. Stick to sheet metal with spots of furnace or gasket cement.

Mike, is the asbestos showing or in bad condition? If it's all intact and in good condition I would just keep using it . Asbestos is still an amazing mineral and will last forever in good condition.

Insulation. You can buy fiberfrax boards in almost any thickness. Buy very thin stuff for the Home Comfort. I get it from a dealer in insulation and ceramics. Before you start best to check under the oven towards the back right, that is were they start to go first.
Fiberfrax is not cheap but doe s great job. We use t to insulate gas side cars on antique ranges. Another alternative it to find a nice cast iron stove to rebuild.
Anther thought on ranges is that many folks want a really ornate, early range. I like them too and have a load of them put away. I normally use a more modern example from 1905 to 1930. The reason is parts availability and condition. Many stoves from the 1920's never got used much and are in super condition. After all they are thirty years younger and gas came in , big time, late in the 1920's. Some models like the Glenwoods , Fairmounts, Crawfords, and Premiers are just plain common and we have little problem finding parts if we need them. That may make a big difference 20 years down the road.

Burning coal in a kitchen range is somewhat different from burning it in a base burner or even a furnace. It DOES take a bit of practice. Up in Vermont have burned anthracite coal in a 1912 Glenwood K range for over 35 years. Once the fire is started , it rarely goes out. I use it to cook all my meals and with its cast iron hot water front and attached range boiler , heats ALL the hot water for the house. it usually only has to be "fixed "once or twice a day if I am using it to cook. I used to teach school and I would bank the fire down at 7:30 and when I got home at 4:30 , just open up the drafts, give the grates a quick shake add a bit of fresh coal and dinner could be started in about 20 minutes or so. For the summer months, my range is equipped with a 3 burner cook top ,oven and broiler which keeps the kitchen cooler in July and August.
I live in a suburb of Boston in the coldest of winter months and have a Glenwood Gold Medal which is a combination coal and gas range. It does a wonderful job of heating a good deal of my downstairs rooms. as well as the kitchen. Coal is really good as it requires a lot less attention than wood ,gives steady warmth and is economical. I use an ash sifter to save the clinkers as thy are excellent for banking the fire down at night . ..sometimes for as long as 10 to 12 hours. It is a great fuel to cook with ...once you get the hang of it.

Welcome John, from another coal range user.

I have a 1903 Glenwood Sunny 208 wood/coal range. It's a bit smaller than your Model K.

There are several others on here that also cook and heat with wood/coal ranges. You might want to join in the discussion about coal range use in this thread here, Cookin' With Coal

Paul

Welcome John!
As Paul, (Sunny Boy), said ...check out the Cookin' with Coal .. page.
We just got our 1927 Fairmount hooked up 2 weeks ago and are cooking with it. ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! Wouldn't be without it. Thought we would be using wood with it, but in talking to Emery and Brandon at the Stove Hospital, we are mainly using coal. We just bought a skid, (1 ton, plus 400 lbs), of nut coal. Have had not one problem cooking on it. Thought there might be a learning curve involved .. but I'm still waiting for the learning curve to show itself, as we have had NO problems cooking on it!
We bought our stove from 2 SUPER nice guys at the Stove Hospital in Rhode Island. They refurbished it for us and they REALLY know their stuff. We are possibly looking to get a 2nd one, (from the Stove Hospital guys of course!!), as our two youngest, (of 6), are discussing who will end up with the stove after we are done with it!! Not too sure how to protect it for the next 100 years before we are done using this one however!! We are also the Stove Hospital's top fans here in PA. We constantly sing their praises to whomever will listen! We are VERY glad that fate ...and a lot of hours of driving ...dropped us on their doorstep!
After taking Brandon's advice on how to put together the stove pipe, we installed it and it lit and we have had absolutely NO problems with it ever .... (knock on wood!)
Again ....Welcome!
Carole