Our fireplace insert has a flat spot on top, and it looks like I could fit a Dutch oven on top and bake. Has anybody ever tried that with any success? Any references you can point me toward? I have a book on cooking with a woodstove, but that's a device intended for the purpose while the insert isn't...

-- Karen Cook (browsercat@hotmail.com), September 28, 1998

Answers

The top of your fireplace insert is designed to be used as a cook top. It can be utilitzed as a slow cooker does. You can heat up anything on them. If you don't have one, purchase a cast iron dutch oven. Cast iron retains heat, and you also get your daily iron from cooking in them. I have several cast iron skillets and grills, I wouldn't use anything else! The only draw back is that it leaves rust stains on top. At winter's end you can sand the top with steel wool and paint.

-- Bardou (bardou@baloney.com), September 28, 1998.

Bardou Shame on you!!

"and paint." Should have read "and paint with STOVE POLISH"

this is a black coating, usually in a VOLATILE (flamable) base, app;lied to black stoves to increase their heat radiation (trust the physics, the black radiates MUCH better than ANY other finish/color).

You will want to have a couple of cans of this stuff in your tenacity chest or on your basement tenacity shelves so you can do the job whenever it needs it.

ps The stuff rubs off on EVERYTHING with the SLIGHTEST touch on the stove. But does wash out!

cr

-- Chuck a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), September 29, 1998.

Thanks for correcting me, you are right! When I had a woodstove I used the polish on the pipe too.

-- Bardou (bardou@baloney.com), September 30, 1998.