Most of you know that this year I purchased my Soapstone wood-stove..Absolutely delighted with the performance.. For my 700 sq ft area I went through only 2 face cords!!!! Next year now that I got the hang of it I'm going to try to do some cooking on it... So should I use a cast iron trivet on top of the stove or can I just put my cast iron Dutch oven right on top??? Pics below..Thanks
i would suggest an infrared heat gun. No two stoves are the same but from what I’ve seen the soapstone exhibits less heat than the cast iron counterparts on the stove. I’d say my stone runs about 350 degrees at most times. A trivet would greatly reduce that. The Woodstock PH has top stones that easily remove and a cast iron griddle underneath. Never used it but it may become the wave of the future the way things are going.
I have a soap stone steamer and the first time I put it directly on the stove the water boiled harder than I had ever seen water boil. If your stove top gets into the 500+ temp range, I would suggest a trivet.
Another consideration is the damage anything you put on there will cause with time. Soapstone is very soft. It will scratch and stain easily. Some people will care more than others,,,,that’s all up to you. Another sacrificial piece of soapstone as a trivet would be the way to go. Easier to find and buy would be a smooth piece of tile upside down. Tile should handle the heat but if something does happen don’t call my lawyer
Soapstone is soft but scratches can be buffed out. We use soapstone blocks on top of the soapstone stove but you can cook also directly on the top of the stove. This is what we use: Small Boot Warmers (woodstove.com) Those things are also great for drying shoes, boots and gloves.
