Do you have an old propane barbecue that isn’t working anymore, but you don’t want to send it to the landfill? Consider repurposing it into a handy-dandy wood-fired stove. Paul Whiston of Tecumseh, Ont., did just this, and friends and family rave about the results. The conversion works best with a small, portable barbecue, he says, but it could be done with larger grills too.
First, Paul removed all the hoses and connections inside the old barbecue, as well as the dials, switches, regulators, and anything else that could catch fire. Once it was stripped down, he attached a cookie sheet to the bottom and drilled small holes into it for better airflow. He bent an old piece of sheet metal to use as a collar around the edge of the firebox, raising the cooking surface while still allowing access to the coals. Add a few steel rods for grates, “and you’re in business!” says Paul.
Paul got this idea after he scrapped two barbecues and then another one failed him. “I didn’t want to be more wasteful,” he says. Fill the inside with wood on top of the cookie sheet, fire it up, and then place your skillet or cast-iron pan on the grills directly above the flames. No fuel or propane needed—just wood and fire. “It’s an enjoyable way to cook, great for nights when you only want a small campfire—you get the full experience without all the fuss.”
His fire-in-a-box requires the same care and safety consideration as an open fire, Paul says, “but it’s great for kids, and it’s more convenient and portable.”
This article was originally published in the June/July 2023 issue of Cottage Life.
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