Understand the Stove. — Another matter of very
great importance is that the working of the stove
should be throughly understood — just as a work-
man understands the machine or engine of which
he is put in charge, so a cook ought to understand
her cooking stove. If it does not heat or “ draw,”
the mistress or servant should know the reason
why, and not be ready to condemn the stove at
once as being inefficient. The best way to really
learn the working of a stove is to take it to pieces
and to do the cleaning of it — to thoroughly
examine the dampers and flues and see how
they act and how the temperature can be re-
gulated.
A Flue is passage leading from the stove into
the chimney. A large stove will have two or even
three flues — one leading from the oven into the
chimney, another from the fire itself, and another
from the boiler or from a second oven. In large
stoves the boiler is generally placed behind the
stove.
A Damper is a flat plate of metal which can be
pushed back or pulled forward from the front of the
stove and is used to close or partly close the flue
passage and thus lessen the draught. When a
damper is pulled outwards there will be a good
draught, causing the fire to burn quickly, and a
rush of hot air towards that flue. It never does
to close all the dampers entirely, as there would
be no outlet for the smoke — one of them at least
must be half-way out.
Hints on Using the Dampers. — When lighting
the fire, pull out all the dampers until it has well
burnt up, then push back those that are not
necessary.
To Heat the Boiler. — Pull the boiler damper out
and keep the other dampers in.
To Heat the Oven. — Pull out the oven damper
and keep the boiler damper in. If it becomes too
hot, push the damper half-way in.
To Keep a Low Fire. — Push in all the dampers
except one — generally the boiler damper — which
leave out half-way ; then make up the fire with
cinders. The adjustable bottom should also be
raised as high as possible.
The Oven. — Besides its own special flue and
damper to regulate the heat, an oven is usually
provided with one or two ventilators, one opening
into the flue and the other into the kitchen. The
former is usually regulated by a little knob placed
at the top of the oven, which if pulled out opens a
small aperture in the side or back of the oven, thus
giving ventilation into the flue. The latter, placed
in the oven door, is as a rule covered with a sort of
grating, which can be opened or closed at will by
means of a sliding plate. When either of these
ventilators is opened the temperature of the oven
is lowered. For roasting especially, one, if not
both of these ventilators must be kept open, to allow
of the fumes of cooking being carried off.
Page 24
Presented as published in 1914. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Understand the Stove. — Another matter of very great importance is that the working of the stove should be thoroughly understood — just as a workman understands the machine or engine of which he is put in charge, so a cook ought to understand her cooking stove. If it does not heat or “ draw,” the mistress or servant should know the reason why, and not be ready to condemn the stove at once as being inefficient. The best way to really learn the working of a stove is to take it to pieces and to do the cleaning of it — to thoroughly examine the dampers and flues and see how
they act and how the temperature can be regulated.
A Flue is passage leading from the stove into the chimney. A large stove will have two or even three flues — one leading from the oven into the chimney, another from the fire itself, and another from the boiler or from a second oven. In large stoves the boiler is generally placed behind the stove.
A Damper is a flat plate of metal which can be pushed back or pulled forward from the front of the stove and is used to close or partly close the flue passage and thus lessen the draught. When a damper is pulled outwards there will be a good draught, causing the fire to burn quickly, and a rush of hot air towards that flue. It never does to close all the dampers entirely, as there would be no outlet for the smoke — one of them at least must be half-way out.
Hints on Using the Dampers. — When lighting the fire, pull out all the dampers until it has well burnt up, then push back those that are not necessary.
To Heat the Boiler. — Pull the boiler damper out and keep the other dampers in.
To Heat the Oven. — Pull out the oven damper and keep the boiler damper in. If it becomes too hot, push the damper half-way in.
To Keep a Low Fire. — Push in all the dampers except one — generally the boiler damper — which leave out half-way ; then make up the fire with cinders. The adjustable bottom should also be raised as high as possible.
The Oven. — Besides its own special flue and damper to regulate the heat, an oven is usually provided with one or two ventilators, one opening into the flue and the other into the kitchen. The former is usually regulated by a little knob placed at the top of the oven, which if pulled out opens a small aperture in the side or back of the oven, thus giving ventilation into the flue. The latter, placed in the oven door, is as a rule covered with a sort of grating, which can be opened or closed at will by means of a sliding plate. When either of these ventilators is opened the temperature of the oven is lowered. For roasting especially, one, if not both of these ventilators must be kept open, to allow of the fumes of cooking being carried off.