Lavender lass I will have to dig to see if I have a picture. The little house we built had open floor plan. Living room dinning room kitchen in a space 13 wide 36 foot long. Bedrooms and bath down the other side. Kitchen was about one third. As you came in the front door kitchen was on the right. Wood stove was in the dinning area space on the left. We put it by the front door to cut down on wood haul in mess.

The upside of all of this is in the winter I had added cooking space by using the top of the wood stove and I used it a lot. Did lots of beans soups stews and would set bread dough to rise on the table close to the heat.

On the down side if we were eating at the table, which we hardly ever did the stove would sometimes be too hot.

For several years we did not have the island in the kitchen so the kitchen table was there and a little further away from the stove and that was better.

Chris

Chris- That's why I want to have the wood stove. In case of power outages, I'd have someplace to cook. It would also help keep down heating costs :)

A small one with a burner on top would be just right. I wouldn't have to have it going all the time, but it would be great to have it there when you need it!

Lavender lass. I just had the plain old wood stove and cooked on the flat top. I did have a flame trol to use on it when I needed just a simmer. The stove we had was called Earth stove.I have cooked on all the wood stoves and even inserts we have had. We even have a trash burner in our garage that Joe is going to hook up some day. But I also have a small propane stove on the front porch if really needed and we have had to use it before.

Here is a link that might be useful: Earth Stove

For some humidity, I always had an old tea kettle filled with water on the stove top. Or, you could get something more decorative like the Steam Dragon.

Here is a link that might be useful: Steam Dragon

I don't have a woodstove in my kitchen but it has always been a dream of mine to have a stove like this:

{{!gwi}}

Anicee- I love those stoves! Wouldn't that be charming? It the perfect stove for a country kitchen.

Wantoretire did- Steam dragon would be a big hit with my nephews :)

Chris- Thanks for the picture of the earth stove.

Anicee- Maybe if you find a different house, there will be room for a stove like that in the kitchen. Any wood burning stove seems so cheerful in the winter. I think it makes a kitchen feel so cozy!

Someone posted in the kitchen forum about an old kitchen which has a big wood stove. There are all kinds of suggestions to keep it or get rid of it. If I had a house with one, it would stay regardless of design quandries. Reminder of my childhood and reminder that they took the stove away to who knows where.

Link below with pic of stove/kitchen. Click on photo to enlarge. Great kitchen with a scullery (sp) I think, behind the stove.

Here is a link that might be useful: old stove

Emagineer- Nice photos. I agree a wood stove is great and so practical these days with the cost of heat getting to be so expensive...plus you can cook on them. I love the idea of a big country kitchen with a wood stove, a nice large dining table and chairs, maybe a big window seat and a walk-in pantry. I'd use that a lot more often than a separate dining room :) If I ever get the old farmhouse remodeled, the wall is coming down between the kitchen and dining room to make way for a big country kitchen!