Cookin' With Coal

Canaan coal man wrote:

Sunny Boy wrote:
The Sunnys and the model F were the smallest with 18 inch ovens. Not as common as a model C, which is mid sized with a 20 inch oven, but they do occasionally turn up on Craig's List.

The differences in overall size between the smallest to the biggest is not that much - only about four inches in length, couple of inches front to rear, couple of inches in cooktop height.

Paul

I didnt realize that the range sizes were not all that far apart in size.

Yup, it's not as much as one would suspect.

And a water reservoir housing only adds a few inches more width. With it's reservoir, my Sunny is only 52 inches at it's widest points which is from the left side hearth shelf to the right end top edge. The main difference in measurements from there is mostly what the ovens add to width, depth and height.

Paul

Sunny Boy wrote:
Unfortunately, that's not the triangular coal grates type shaker handle. Those are duplex grates. Not as good at clearing clinkers, nor can they take as much heat abuse as the triangular grates. Might be able to keep the grate frame and cogs and just get a pair of triangular grates. I think Wilson has a set that will fit it. If it uses the longer grate bars like my Sunny, I know where there's a pattern grate bar to have Tomahawk recast new triangular bars.

The thermometer in the oven door is a plus. They can be rebuilt. And they save a lot of oven heat by not having to open the oven door to check a free-standing oven thermometer. Been there and finally added a thermometer - thanks to "Lightning" Lee.

That model F has a foot print of only 30 inches front to back and 48 inches wide - including the cook top shelf on the right.

Paul

You are the Man ! Didn't even need a picture of the firebox to let us know what it had for grates. I talked to Skip a few weeks ago and he spoke very highly of you. He is going to cast me two sets of #6 bricks off your molds , and gather up a couple more pieces I need.
I told him I would come up to get them when the weather breaks.

I did run across a source for new thermometer faces, and when I find where I saved it I will post the link.

I also have a nice Glenwood cast oven rack that looks like it belongs to an F if anyone needs one.

Paulie

Paulie,

Thanks for the compliment.

If you go to Wilson's, plan on spending a lot of time because time will fly by very quickly. Wilson is a wonderful, friendly host and a fascinating guy that you can spend hours and hours with. And then there's lots to see there too. With the many varied skill sets you both have, I'm sure you'll enjoy the visit.

If that 'pie shelf' is from an Sunny, or a Model F, it should be about 17-1/2 inches wide by 17 inches deep.

Paul

I'm planning on arriving there early, and probably staying pretty late. I read quite a few posts from other members describing their visits and I'm really looking forward to the trip up.

That shelf is 13- 1/2" wide and 16" deep.

Paulie

Nice condition pie shelf. And the first I've ever seen that small. Way too small for even a small range like mine.

My guess is that It might be from a 'gas sidecar' oven - a combo gas burners and gas oven add-on unit for the right side of a wood/coal range, where mine has the water reservoir. Or it might be from the upper oven/broiler of a GW Gold Medal model range ?????

I'm sure Wilson could tell what it's out of.

Paul

Ok I'm trying to percolate coffee on the G6 today, it takes forever like a hour for light blend ... I know why there not so popular now a days. I think I have it figured out. Running the stove in direct draft at 500° has a slow boil going. I need to convince my wife this would be much easyer with a range

I guess you just found out why that shelf on the back of some parlor stoves is often called a "tea shelf" and not a perked coffee shelf.

Yup, much easier on a range. The back middle round cover stays just the right temp to keep a large kettle about 5-10 degrees below boiling point. When boiling water is needed, just move it to the left over the firebox and it's boiling rapidly.

The Stainless steel kettles I use don't whistle, so I can leave them on the stove 24/7.

And they are the same base diameter as the 8-1/2 inch round covers on the stove top, so that the kettle picks up the maximum heat quickly. If I want the kettle to heat up even quicker I can remove one of the round covers over the firebox and place the kettle there with it's entire base exposed to the fire. That heats the almost 3 qts the kettle holds in a matter of minutes.

That 8 inch round covers (actually 8-1/2 inch OD) seem to be a standard that is still used today for many fry pans, sauce pans, and stock pots. Even the ones I have with the extra thick bases, that base fits nicely on. Or for faster/hotter cooking, into the stove top holes that the round covers sit it and seal it off while cooking. Even the cheap Chinese cast iron fry pan we bought for camping fits into the stove top holes perfectly. And the smaller pots/pans fit into the two smaller openings of the ring cover to the right of the fry pan in the picture.

Paul

The main reason I wanted to have a cook stove on hand initially was to use in case I ever lost power we could still cook and eat. Some have gas or propain and don't worry about stuff like that. It's really a comfort knowing I don't have to worry about that. It's not like we lose power all the time ...
I just sleep better that's all.

Waffles anyone ....?

Very nice, Kevin !!!

Waffles cooked in an antique waffle iron, on an antique stove. Somehow, it makes it taste better !!!

Paul

Finding more modern appliances I don't need that the coal range can do the job instead.

I've tried making toast on a wire rack placed on the cooktop. But the crumbs that fall through the rack burn on the cooktop making a burnt bread stink. So I gave up and went back to using my electric toaster whenever.

Couple of weeks ago, Melissa hit a great sale on my favorite brand of hot dogs. Normally, this time of year, I'll grill them on the BBQ grill. But I've been cooking them on the range for lunch-time sandwiches to also help re-season a heavy cast iron pan we intend to use for camping.

I had a loaf of bread in the freezer that was a bit too moist after defrosting. So soft it fell apart while trying to eat the sandwich. So, I decided to try the frying pan to toast it. Worked like a charm !!!

The thick cast iron pan toasted the bread evenly and a bit slower than my electric toaster, giving me not only a better view of how well it's cooking, but better control too. And no bread crumbs landing on the too hot stove top to burn and stink up the house.

It's a 10 inch pan, with an 8-1/2 inch base that matches the size of the round covers on the range cooktop. It's big enough that found I could put hot dogs around the outside of the bread and do the toast at the same time in one pan. Good to know for campfire cooking !!!!

After seeing how well the toast came out, Melissa added olive oil to the pan and made Italian spice and Romano cheese croutons for dinner salads out of the rest of that loaf. Some pieces of crouton toast even lasted long enough to get cutup to go on the salads.

Paul

Hmm. Beautiful colour. Looks like no need to burn anything!

Had a few cool nights up here in new hampshire, kinda getting the itch to use the range again...

Wren wrote:Hmm. Beautiful colour. Looks like no need to burn anything!

Wren,
That's what I like about using a cast iron pan to toast bread. It cooks it a little bit slower, so there's much less risk of burnt toast. And the heating is much more uniform over the bread than any toaster I've ever had, including my toaster oven.

For making salad croutons, it's equally good.

Paul

D.lapan wrote:Had a few cool nights up here in new hampshire, kinda getting the itch to use the range again...

Dana,

I fired it up yesterday on wood for a few hours to de-stink the new stove pipes. Woke up to 38 F here, and fired it back up on coal full-time this morning. Love the warmth and knowing that it can also do so much more !!!!!

Now that I don't have to worry about using a lot of pro-pain just to run the gas oven, I'm trying to decide what to bake for tonight's dinner.

Paul