Whether you’re looking to be more self-sufficient or you just want to create a unique experience, installing a wood burning cooker brings a whole new element to the kitchen and gives a different flavour to your cooking. Many homeowners might be unsure about how to use a wood burning appliance, but once you get to grips with the features, they are remarkably straight forward to use.
If you’ve taken the decision to buy one or are just researching the best wood stoves that are available, how can you make the best use of one when cooking?
How to Cook On The Best Wood Stoves
One of the most important points to remember when using a wood burning cooker is that it requires a bit more forward planning than a standard oven. You can’t just expect it to be ready for use when you switch it on and you’ll need to get the fire going beforehand to ensure that it’s hot enough.
The heat you require from the fire will depend on the type of cooking you’ll be doing. For instance, if you need a high heat, such as for boiling or frying, the fire will require nice hot coals; however, for slow cooking or simmering, the fire needs to be burning low and steady for a long time. When you’re cooking on the best wood stoves, you have to keep an eye on the food to ensure that the heat is just right throughout.
Cooking on the Best Wood Stoves Needs Pactise
As when you’re using any new appliance, you can’t expect to be cooking perfect meals straight away and there is a certain element of trial and error when learning to cook on a wood burning stove. The best way to learn is to begin with something simple, such as boiling water, and once you’ve mastered how hot the fire needs to be for this, you can move on.
There’s also more cleaning required with this type of stove, including cleaning out the ashes, fetching more wood and maintaining the fire, but the effort is definitely worth it when you get to taste the delicious food you’ve cooked. Understanding the unique features and individuality of a wood burning stove is all part of the fun and you’re unlikely to want to go back once you’ve made the switch.
