Secure Cleanliness, Ease and Economy with... Electric Cooking

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 29, 31 January 1930, Page 28

Secure Cleanliness, Ease and Economy with... Electric Cooking

¥ you have electricity in your home and do not use it for cooking, it is not too much to say that you are refusing a gift of the ‘gods, which science has brought to your door. WPlectric cooking has now been srought to the same perfection as electrie light. The greatest discomfort and heaviest work incidental to a morning’s cooking by old methods are the heat

of the kitchen and the range itself, when the cook is often obliged to stand a considerable time on a hot hearth plate leaning over a hot range, stirring ete., and the constant necessity to re-fuel the range. Hlectric cooking does away with both. The rise in the temperature of the kitchen, even immediately in front of or over the range is so small as to be scarcely felt. There are no heavy fuel, tops of ranges, ete. to

lift, All is controlled by a turn of a switch as easily as electric light is turned on. , Control of the heat is so perfect and so perfectly indicated by the thermometer, that there is no need to open the oven door to see how the cooking is progressing, and once the food is prepared there is no more labour attached than that entailed by placing it in a cupboard. Electric cookers and appliances are an ornament to the kitchen, come to you highly finished, and are easily kept in a new condition by simply wiping over with a cloth wrung out> in hot water, whilst still warm after use ....a very different matter to raking out, cleaning, and re-lighting a fuel range before it can be used again. Iven should a boil-over occur. all that is necessary is to empty and wipe the drip-tray below the boiling units. There is nothing to soil the food, the appliance or the cook. Running costs aré extremely reasonable, especially if common-sense is brought to bear on the subject. Indeed, there is no other way in which a woman of intelligence can effect so much saving, and bring interest into, a task, which is so often described as monotonous. Do not run away with the idea that because a joint takes two or three hours to cook, you will be using electricity all the time. All that. is necessary is to get the oven really hot, put in the meat, turn off the top element (supply of current is then already reduced by half) and about 15 minutes later turn off the bottom element, leaving the joint to

finish cooking by the heat which has already been generated, and which re-. mains stored in the oven. Pastry ean be put in when the oven is first made really hot, the heat turned sponges and cakes put in when vthe pastry is cooked, and there will still remain enough stored heat to cook a milk pudding. The same principle applies to boiling rings. Vegetables should be put. on in boiling water; the current is switched off, when boiling heat has been regained after a few seconds, and the cooking left to finish on. the ring, holding retained heat. Great saving is also effected in the value and bulk of the food cooked by electricity, as thére is less shrinkage and meat retains its natural juices to a remarkable degree. It is no uncommon thing, when carving an electrically-cooked joint for the first time, to doubt whether it is sufficiently cooked because the gravy or ‘méat essence runs so freely; but on cutting into the meat it will be found to be perfectly cooked and tender throughout, the natural juices having been retained in the meat. Pastries, scones, cakés, too, can be browned to. exactly the required degree, Smaller appliances. such as grillers, toasters, etc., are equally reliable and always ready to begin work at once