Best cooking/heating solution in the city?

My family has used a combination of a common living room wood stove in our living room and an antique Barstow cooking stove in our kitchen for many years to cover our heating/cooking needs. While both are in need of replacement, the Barstow particularly has seen better days due to all our use.

I know Rocket Mass Heaters are the end all be all, but we live a city of 150,000 so I assume it would be illegal to have a rocket mass heater. Since we've been busted for doing some alternative things in the past, I don't want to push it too much in case someone finds out.

In that case, what would be the best solution for a stove that could go in our kitchen and serve all our cooking needs but also give as much heat as possible to the house? While we've been wood heating/cooking for over a decade I don't know a lot about the different kind of stoves and stuff.

Thank you!

Hi Rory,

Much depends upon which city you live in…and what do you mean when you say “city”.  You might want to begin by checking local regulations.  In the late 70s I lived in a community of 18000 and heated with wood without any problems from officials.


Oh yes, welcome to Permies!

Since you already have wood stoves, I assume there is no problem with bylaws or insurance.

I recall seeing Amish-built cook stoves that were a high-efficiency combination of wood stove and cook stove, with a fire viewing window in front. Pretty neat.

I have never shopped for a wood cooking stove though it seems to me finding one local might be a chore.

Due to weight I am not sure there are any available online.

If I were looking for a wood cooking stove I would look at antique store and than ask about the brand I found.

It might be easier to get something like the Liberator approved:

https://permies.com/t/223863/Adding-mass-Liberator-rocket-stove