back in the days of our old farm house we loved cooking on the top of the wood stove that heated the house. always a pot of hot water at the ready. the thick cast iron was perfect for simmering soups and stews off to the sides or frying eggs more towards the middle.
when we built our new house we were determined to refine our wood heating and cooking with more efficient equipment. we went old school, we went new school. after getting a whooping $26,000 estimate for the Tulikivi masonry heater we wanted, we started looking for alternatives. a friend turned us on to the Tigchelkachel, a extremely efficient assemble-yourself masonry heater with optional cook oven (or hot water bladder that connects to the homes hot water plumbing or in-floor radiant heat). then in a stroke of amazing luck we found the Tulikivi of our dreams for sale, used, salvaged from a Keenebunkport Maine remodel. sold!
when we built our new house we were determined to refine our wood heating and cooking with more efficient equipment. we went old school, we went new school. after getting a whooping $26,000 estimate for the Tulikivi masonry heater we wanted, we started looking for alternatives. a friend turned us on to the Tigchelkachel, a extremely efficient assemble-yourself masonry heater with optional cook oven (or hot water bladder that connects to the homes hot water plumbing or in-floor radiant heat). then in a stroke of amazing luck we found the Tulikivi of our dreams for sale, used, salvaged from a Keenebunkport Maine remodel. sold!
 the Tigchelkachel |  above, the Tulikivi |
from a heating perspective both ovens work in a similar way. @2 five gallon buckets of wood cut into long small pieces, burned very quickly at very high heat. the heat cycle takes about two hours. the heaters are then charged and keep the house warm for 24 hours (8-10 for the much smaller Tigchelkachel).
the cooking methods for each heater are quite different. the Tigchelkachel's oven is a fully enclosed cast iron box with a door mounted inside the heater. it is separate from the wood burn chamber. shortly after the firing cycle the oven is @500-600'F and then slowly cools off as the hours pass. surprisingly i'll put a whole chicken in there shortly after firing. i can't explain why but cooking a chicken at wicked high temperature works great! the pot winds up with less broth than when you oven roast, so the meat stays very moist and the bird basically falls apart. amazing. same with roasts, etc
the cooking methods for each heater are quite different. the Tigchelkachel's oven is a fully enclosed cast iron box with a door mounted inside the heater. it is separate from the wood burn chamber. shortly after the firing cycle the oven is @500-600'F and then slowly cools off as the hours pass. surprisingly i'll put a whole chicken in there shortly after firing. i can't explain why but cooking a chicken at wicked high temperature works great! the pot winds up with less broth than when you oven roast, so the meat stays very moist and the bird basically falls apart. amazing. same with roasts, etc
 the Tigchelkachel cook oven |  fall apart, juicy chicken |
the Tulikivi cooking is very different. you cook in the burn chamber after the fire is done. you brush the last of the coals to the back where they drop into a lower chamber. then blow and the dust just gets sucked up and away. most instant read laser thermometers can't read how hot the chamber is right after firing. i waited 3 hour before baking the bread in the top picture. but right away you can start cooking pizza's in less than 2 minutes. peel them off right in there and zap. perfect crusts.
fresh sausages drying with the Tulikivi cooktop in the background.
the second cooking option with the Tulikivi is a simple old style wood-fired cooktop. this is a more on demand method where you just make a fire as needed for cooking. it's nice having a extremely hot area and gradually less hot spots as you move pots around the cook top. the yellow tea pot off to the side stays just warm while the big tea pot spot boils faster than my LaCanche.
my beloved LaCanche vs wood heat?
the propane top/electric oven LaCanche is great. but even with a stone you can't come close to the Tulikivi's pizza. it also can't boil a stock pot as fast. it roasts a tasty chicken but any taste tester would give the Tigchelkachels chicken the thumbs up over the LaCanche.
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