Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume I Part 3

COAL, STOVES AND THEIR OPERATION

65. GENERAL CONSTRUCTION.--In Fig. 3 is ill.u.s.trated the general construction of the type of coal stove used for cooking. The princ.i.p.al parts of such a stove, which is commonly referred to as a _cook stove_, or range, are the firebox _a_; the grate _b_; the ash pit _c_, which usually contains an ash-pan _d_; the oven _e_; the dampers _f_, _g_, _h_, and _i_; the flue opening _j_ and flue _k_; openings in the top and suitable lids, not shown, for kettles and pans; and the air s.p.a.ce extending from the firebox around three sides of the oven, as shown by the arrows. To prevent the stove from wearing out rapidly, the firebox, in which the fuel is burned, is lined with a material, such as fireclay, that will withstand great heat. The fire in the firebox is supported by the grate, which is in the form of metal teeth or bars, so as to permit air to pa.s.s through the fuel from underneath. The grate is usually so constructed that when the fire is raked it permits burnt coal or ashes to fall into the ash-pan, by means of which they can be readily removed from the stove. The oven, which lies directly back of the firebox and is really an enclosed chamber in which food may be cooked, receives its heat from the hot air that pa.s.ses around it. The dampers are devices that control the flow of air in and out of the stove. Those shown at _f_ and _g_ serve to admit fresh air into the stove or to keep it out, and those shown at _h_ and _i_ serve to keep heated air in the stove or to permit it to pa.s.s out through the flue.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 3]

66. Building a Coal Fire.--To build a coal fire is a simple matter. So that the draft will be right for rapid combustion, it is first necessary to close the dampers _f_ and _h _and to open the bottom damper _g_ and the chimney damper _i_. With these dampers arranged, place crushed paper or shavings on the grate; then on top of the paper or shavings place kindling, and on top of the kindling put a small quant.i.ty of coal. Be careful to place the fuel on the grate loosely enough to permit currents of air to pa.s.s through it, because it will not burn readily if it is closely packed. Light the fire by inserting a flame from below. When this is done, the flame will rise and ignite the kindling, and this, in turn, will cause the coal to take fire. When the fire is burning well, close the dampers _g_ and _i_ so that the fuel will not burn too rapidly and the heat will surround the oven instead of pa.s.sing up the chimney; also, before too much of the first supply of coal is burned out, add a new supply, but be sure that the coal is sufficiently ignited before the new supply is added so as not to smother the fire. If only a thin layer is added each time, this danger will be removed. Experience has proved that the best results are secured if the fire is built only 4 inches high. When hot coals come near the top of the stove, the lids are likely to warp and crack from the heat and the cooking will not be done any more effectively. Another thing to avoid in connection with a fire is the acc.u.mulation of ashes. The ash-pan should be kept as nearly empty as possible, for a full ash-pan will check the draft and cause the grate in the firebox to burn out.

67. ADJUSTING THE DAMPERS.--To get the best results from a cook stove, and at the same time overcome the wasting of fuel, the ways in which to adjust the dampers should be fully known. If it is desired to heat the oven for baking, close dampers _f_ and _i_ and open dampers _g_ and _h_.

With the dampers so arranged, the heated air above the fire is forced around the oven and up the flue, as is clearly shown by the arrows in Fig. 3. A study of this diagram will readily show that the lower left-hand corner of the oven is its coolest part, since the heated air does not reach this place directly, and that the top center is the hottest part, because the hottest air pa.s.ses directly over this portion of the oven and the heated air in the oven rises to it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 4]

If it is desired to heat the surface of the stove, so that cooking may be done on top of it, close dampers _f_, _h_, and _i_ and open damper _g_. With the dampers so arranged, the heated air does not pa.s.s around the oven, but is confined in the s.p.a.ce above it and the firebox, as shown in Fig. 4. While the damper _i_ in the flue is closed in order to confine the heated air as much as possible to the s.p.a.ce under the top of the stove, it contains openings that allow just enough air to pa.s.s up the flue to maintain the draft necessary for combustion. When the dampers are arranged as mentioned, the hottest place on the surface of the stove is between the firebox and the stovepipe, and the coolest place is behind the damper _h_.

68. BANKING A COAL FIRE.--To economize in the use of fuel, as well as to save the labor involved in building a new fire, it is advisable to keep a fire burning low from one meal to another and from one day to the next. As the nature of hard coal is such that it will hold fire for a long time, this can be done by what is called _banking_ the fire. To achieve this, after the fire has served to cook a meal, shake the ashes out of the grate so that the glowing coals are left. Then put fresh coal on this bed of coals, and, with the dampers arranged as for building a new fire, allow the coal to burn well for a short time. Finally, cover the fire with a layer of fine coal and adjust the dampers properly; that is, close dampers _g_ and _h_ and open dampers _f_ and _i_. If the banking is carefully done the fire should last 8 or 10 hours without further attention. Care should be taken, however, to use sufficient coal in banking the fire, so that when it is to be used again the coal will not be completely burned, but enough burning coals will remain to ignite a fresh supply. When the fire is to be used again, rake it slightly, put a thin layer of coal over the top, and arrange the dampers as for starting a fire. As soon as this layer of coal has begun to burn, add more until the fire is in good condition.

GAS STOVES AND THEIR OPERATION

69. GAS RANGES.--A gas stove for cooking, or _gas range_, as it is frequently called, consists of an oven, a broiler, and several burners over which are plates to hold pans, pots, and kettles in which food is to be cooked. As is true of a coal range, a gas range also requires a flue to carry off the products of unburned gas. Gas stoves, or ranges, are of many makes, but in principle all of them are practically the same; in fact, the chief difference lies in the location or arrangement of the oven, broiler, and burners. In Fig. 5 is ill.u.s.trated a simple type of gas range. The oven _a_ of this stove is located above the top of the stove, instead of below it, as in some stoves. An oven so located is of advantage in that it saves stooping or bending over. The door of this oven contains a gla.s.s, which makes it possible to observe the food baking inside without opening the door and thereby losing heat. The broiler _b_, which may also be used as a toaster, is located directly beneath the oven, and to the right are the burners _c_ for cooking. The gas for these parts is contained in the pipe _d_, which is connected to a pipe joined to the gas main in the street. To get heat for cooking it is simply necessary to turn on the stop-c.o.c.ks and light the gas. The four burners are controlled by the stop-c.o.c.ks _e_, and the oven and the broiler by the stop-c.o.c.k _f_. The stove is also equipped with a simmering burner for the slow methods of cooking on top of the stove, gas to this burner being controlled by the stop-c.o.c.k _g_. To catch anything that may be spilled in cooking, there is a removable metal or enamel sheet _h_. Such a sheet is a great advantage, as it aids considerably in keeping the stove clean.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 5]

70. Some gas stoves are provided with a _pilot_, which is a tiny flame of gas that is controlled by a b.u.t.ton on the gas pipe to which the stop-c.o.c.ks are attached. The pilot is kept lighted, and when it is desired to light a burner, pressing the b.u.t.ton causes the flame to shoot near enough to each burner to ignite the gas. However, whether the burners are lighted in this way or by applying a lighted match, they should never be lighted until heat is required; likewise, in order to save gas, they should be turned off as soon as the cooking is completed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 6]

To produce the best results, the flame given off by gas should be blue.

A flame that is yellow and a burner that makes a noise when lighted, indicate that the gas flame has caught in the pipe, and to remedy this the gas must be turned out and relighted. When the gas flame coming from a new burner is yellow, it may be taken for granted that not enough air is being admitted to make the proper mixture. To permit of the proper mixture, each gas pipe extending from the stop-c.o.c.k and terminating in the burner is provided with what is called a _mixer_. This device, as shown in Fig. 6, consists of several slots that may be opened or closed by turning part _a_, thus making it a simple matter to admit the right amount of air to produce the desired blue flame. If burners that have been in use for some time give off a yellow flame, it is probable that the trouble is caused by a deposit of soot or burned material. Such burners should be removed, boiled in a solution of washing soda or lye until the holes in the top are thoroughly cleaned, and then replaced and adjusted. As long as the flame remains yellow, the gas is not giving off as much heat as it should produce and is liable to smoke cooking utensils black. Therefore, to get the best results the burners should be thoroughly cleaned every now and then in the manner mentioned. Likewise, the pan beneath the burners, which may be removed, should be cleaned very frequently, and the entire stove should be wiped each time it is used, for the better such a stove is taken care of, the better will it continue to do its work.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 7]

71. FIRELESS-COOKING GAS STOVES.--A style of gas stove that meets with favor in many homes is the so-called fireless-cooking gas stove, one style of which is shown in Fig. 7. Such a stove has the combined advantages of a fireless cooker, which is explained later, and a gas stove, for it permits of quick cooking with direct heat, as well as slow cooking with heat that is retained in an insulated chamber, that is, one that is sufficiently covered to prevent heat from escaping. In construction, this type of stove is similar to any other gas stove, except that its oven is insulated and it is provided with one or more compartments for fireless cooking, as at _a_ and _b_. Each of these compartments is so arranged that it may be moved up and down on an upright rod, near the base of which, resting on a solid plate _c_, is a gas burner _d_, over which the insulated hood of the compartment fits.

When it is desired to cook food in one of these compartments, the hood is raised, as at _b_, and the gas burner is lighted. The food in the cooker is allowed to cook over the lighted burner until sufficient heat has been retained or the process has been carried sufficiently far to permit the cooking to continue without fire. Then the insulated hood is lowered until the compartment is in the position of the one shown at _a_. It is not necessary to turn off the gas, as this is done automatically when the hood is lowered.

KEROSENE STOVES AND THEIR OPERATION

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 8]

72. As has been mentioned, kerosene is used considerably as a fuel in localities where gas cannot be obtained. Kerosene stoves are not unlike gas stoves, but, as a rule, instead of having built-in ovens, they are provided with portable ovens, which are heated by placing them on top of the stove, over the burners. Such stoves are of two types, those in which cotton wicks are used, as in oil lamps, and those which are wickless, the former being generally considered more convenient and satisfactory than the latter. In Fig. 8 is shown a three-burner kerosene stove of the first type mentioned. Oil for the burners, or lamps, _a_ is stored in the container _b_, which may be of gla.s.s or metal, and it is supplied to the reservoir of each burner by the pipe _c_. Each burner is provided with a door _d_, which is opened when it is desired to light the wick. The flame of each burner is controlled by the screw _e_, which serves to raise or lower the wick, and the heat pa.s.ses up to the opening _f_ in the top of the stove through the cylindrical pipe above the burner. The arrangement of a wickless kerosene stove is much the same as the one just described, but it is so constructed that the oil, which is also stored in a tank at the side, flows into what is called a burner bowl and burns from this bowl up through a perforated chimney, the quant.i.ty of oil used being regulated by a valve attached to each bowl.

73. The burners of kerosene stoves are lighted by applying a match, just as the burners of a gas stove are lighted. In some stoves, especially those of the wickless type, the burners are so constructed that the flame can rise to only a certain height. This is a good feature, as it prevents the flame from gradually creeping up and smoking, a common occurrence in an oil stove. The kerosene-stove flame that gives the most heat, consumes the least fuel, and produces the least soot and odor is blue in color. A yellow flame, which is given off in some stoves, produces more or less soot and consequently makes it harder to keep the stove clean. Gla.s.s containers are better than metal containers, because the water that is always present in small quant.i.ties in kerosene is apt to rust the metal container and cause it to leak. To prevent the acc.u.mulation of dirt, as well as the disagreeable odor usually present when an oil stove is used, the burners should be removed frequently and boiled in a solution of washing soda; also, if a wick is used, the charred portion should be rubbed from it, but not cut, as cutting is liable to make it give off an uneven flame.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 9]

ELECTRIC STOVES AND UTENSILS

74. ELECTRIC STOVES. Electric stoves for cooking have been perfected to such an extent that they are a great convenience, and in places where the cost of electricity does not greatly exceed that of gas they are used considerably. In appearance, electric stoves are very similar to gas stoves, as is shown in Fig. 9, which ill.u.s.trates an electric stove of the usual type. The oven _a_ is located at one side and contains a broiler pan _b_. On top of this stove are openings for cooking, into which fit lids _c_ that have the appearance of ordinary stove lids, but are in reality electrical heating units, called hotplates. Heat for cooking is supplied by a current of electricity that pa.s.ses through the hotplates, as well as through similar devices in the oven, the stove being connected to the supply of electricity at the connection-box _d_, which is here shown with the cover removed. The heat of the different hotplates and the oven is controlled by several switches _e_ at the front of the stove. Each of these switches provides three degrees of heat--high, medium, and low--and just the amount of heat required for cooking can be supplied by turning the switch to the right point. Below the switches are several fuse plugs _f_ that contain the fuses, which are devices used in electrical apparatus to avoid injury to it in case the current of electricity becomes too great.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 10]

It is not absolutely necessary to have flue connections for an electric stove, as such a stove does not require a draft and gives off no products of combustion to be carried away. In fact, one of the favorable points about an electric stove is that it produces no dirt and causes no inconvenience. When the cooking is done, the electricity can be turned off, after which the stove quickly cools. When electricity is used for cooking, cooking utensils, methods, and recipes can be applied in the same ways as when other means of producing heat are employed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 11]

75. SMALL ELECTRIC UTENSILS.--In addition to electric stoves, there are a number of smaller electrical cooking utensils that can be attached to an electric-light socket or a wall socket. Among these are percolators, toasters, hotplates, or grills, chafing dishes, egg poachers, and similar devices. An idea of such utensils for cooking may be formed by referring to Fig. 10, which shows an electric toaster, and Fig. 11, which shows a hotplate, or grill. The toaster is arranged so that bread to be toasted may be placed on each side, as well as on top, of an upright part that gives off heat when the current of electricity is turned on. The grill is so constructed that a pan for cooking may be placed under and on top of the part that gives off heat.

ESSENTIALS OF COOKERY (PART 1)

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

(1) Give in its full sense the meaning of the term cookery.

(2) How may the housewife control the cost of her foods?

(3) (_a_) Explain the difference between waste and refuse. (_b_) To what is leakage in the household due?

(4) What three important matters enter into the problem of purchasing food?

(5) (_a_) Name the five substances that are found in food, (_b_) Of what value is a knowledge of these food substances?

(6) (_a_) What is the function of protein in the body? (_b_) Mention the princ.i.p.al sources of protein, (_c_) Explain the effect of heat on foods that contain protein.

(7) (_a_) With what do carbohydrates supply the body? (_b_) Mention the two forms of carbohydrates and also some of the foods in which each may be found.

(8) What is a calorie?

(9) Give five reasons for cooking food.

(10) Mention the twelve princ.i.p.al processes employed in the cooking of food.

(11) Describe one method of cooking with: (_a_) dry heat; (_b_) moist heat; (_c_) hot fat.

(12) (_a_) At what temperature does water boil? (_b_) How is hard water affected by boiling? (_c_) Explain the uses of water in cooking.

(13) (_a_) What generally controls the kind of stove to be used for cooking? (_b_) Explain how it is possible to keep down the cost of cooking in using fuel.

(14) Mention the best way in which to become familiar with the operation of a stove.

(15) (_a_) Of what value is gas as a fuel? (_b_) What kind of gas flame is best for cooking?

(16) Suppose that a gas meter registers 72,500 cubic feet on March 1, and that on April 1 the hand of the left dial is between 7 and 8, that of the middle dial is between 5 and 6, and that of the right dial is at 5. At 90 cents a 1,000 cubic feet, what is the cost of the gas consumed?

(17) (_a_) How is heat produced in a stove? (_b_) What is the purpose of the dampers of a stove?