AMERICAN RANGES AND COOKING STOVES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5290, 9 March 1878, Page 2 (Supplement)

AMERICAN RANGES AND COOKING STOVES.

■' (Domestic Mayazim.) American stoves are now coming into general nse in this country, and the following hints as to their management, by Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher, may be usefulln furnishing

a kitchen the careful selection of a range or stove is, one of the most important considera- , tions. The best that the market can supply should be secured, even if the price seems exorbitant compared to some of inferior quality. It is one of those things where there is much truth in the saying that “ the best is always,the cheapest and most economical. 1 ' A stove may be the best and yet become a perpetual trial through mismanagement or neglect. There is, nothing, more simple than keeping a stove in perfect order, yet nothing is more common than to see one ruined or badly defaced by mismanagement or.the most stupid carelessness, , And the beginning of the evil is so small that even an expert and watchful mistress may not suspect that there' has, been neglect until some part is found to bo out of order. Ibis hard to start a fire, where coal is used, if the grate is not entirely freed from cinders before any kindlings are put in, and to succeed'at all a large quantity of kindlings must be used, and often it will be necessary to add more before the cinders will ignite sufficiently to put on fresh coal.

It is very desirable to have the stove put in order the last .thing before retiring. Unless rendered quite impracticable by reason of late suppers in a large family this can be done without any difficulty ; and even if the family is large we think it the better way. Once accustomed to it, and servants soon begin to recognise the benefit, and find they can get their morning’s work better- under way, with much more ease and expedition than where, if left till morning, they are obliged to clean out the stove or range before they can do anything about the breakfast; and if there were no other strong reason for doing this work before retiring it should be a sufficient one that the work is much more likely to be done well at night than when everything is pressing in the preparation of breakfast. : As soon as the supper is ready and there is no further use for the fire, open the oven doors, and take off the covers partly, off the holes so that the fire may die but and the iron cool as soon as possible. By the time supper dishes and needful work in the way of preparation for breakfast are finished, if the fire has been properly attended to the stove will be cool enough to clean out. To do this, first open all the dust-dampers, which will draw the ashes and fine cinders up the flues instead of filling the room with them. Then pull out the draftdampers. This done, drop the grate, if on hinges as all grates should be, and let the cinders and ashes into the ash-pan below. Then with a long whisk broom sweep the top of the stove and the tops of the oven, pass the broom inside as far as possible, and brush all the iron that can be reached. Rap on the sides of the pipes to dislodge the soot and ashes that collect there. Sweep the grate out thoroughly so that there shall be no cinders and ashes matted in the corners to grow by neglect into a lump almost as hard as clinkers, preventing the free current of air by-aud-by. In the far corners, upon the plates beyond the holes, there; arc also some nice places for ashes and cinders to hide and mat together, if tills long-handled,' narrow brnsh-bropni does not hunt them out. All this, which takes so many words to tell, is very quickly done, and is of more importance than appears at the first look. To have a stove perform its various function perfectly it is important that the heat should be equally' distributed ;; but this cannot be if the circulation is impeded, as it must be if some parts of the plates above and below are not clear of foreign substances, and otherwise blocked up and choked. ; Many will tell you that if the ashes are well shaken out the partly-burned pieces of coal may remain in the grate. We don’t think this is the best way. Whether the grate tips down on a pivot ami lets all the contents out at once or not, we think it much better, easier, and, in the end, a saving of time, to clear the grate out entirely—leaving ashes and half-burnt coal to be put into an ash-shaker and thoroughly separated—and by so doing make all ready to start a fire without impediment. Where there is a large amount of cooking to be done all the ashes should be cleared from under the slides of the ovens as often as every other day, twice a week at all events in large or small families. If this is neglected the ovens will not bake more than two or three days alike, so that one can never depend on them. If the ashes which collect under the oven slides are never permitted to make a lodgment there, one can be sure that the ovens will always bake well provided the fire is properly arranged. When the stove is thus thoroughly cleaned lay shavings over the bottom of the grate, or twist up paper loosely instead, then lay on carefully the light kindling of wood or chips. Do not throw them in in la ge masses to "-log the blaze. Distribute the “ kindling” lightly and evenly in one direction, then lay over this crosswise a few pieces of hardwood if you have it ; then, when the wood is thoroughly burning, put on over this the coal. The smallest amount of kindling or wood of any kind that can be used and secure a good, quick fire in a coal stove the better, in every way. The stove is not so fiercely heated, and ovens bake more equally. Having arranged the stove in this order replace the covers, take up all the ashes, brush down the dust from the brickwork inside and outside of the range or stove, and then polish nicely with stove blacking, wash up the hearth, put chairs, dishes, and dishcloths in their right places, and go to bed with a clear conscience and sleep the refreshing sleep of those who have done their duty faithfully. When ready to light the fire put in the dustdamper and pull out the draft-dampers. When the kindling is thoroughly ignited add more c ial, but never fill the grate so full as to have any coal above the firebricks inside the grate. That rnius a stove soon—burning out bricks and grates. When the coal is all bright push in the draft-dampers and lift off oue cover a little way to save burning out coal, unless the ovens are needed. Take heed that the fire at no time is hot enough to turn the top of the auge red. Cooking is not expedited by such fierce heat, but destruction of the top plate is. It will soon crack and become useless, as well as the cross piece and covers. Allowing water to boil over on to the plate will do the . same mischief, and is perfectly needless. Rapid boiling does not hasten cooking, and the articles cooked are much better when boiled more slowly. If kettles are not filled too full they will not be likely to boil over. They can boil slowly, and by keeping them closely covered the steam and the boiling together produce more' satisfactory results than greater rapidity.