Thursday, December 17, 2009

Microwave ovens: 1888

After a winter of "light housekeeping " over a diminutive lamp stove—the size costing one dollar, or a trifle more or less, and which holds a quart of kerosene— Abbie Fletcher would have no more parted with it than would Aladdin with the lamp that so readily summoned a powerful genie to his aid....
A lamp stove?
...During the winter, the lamp—with one or two utensils such as a small frying pan, double boiler, etc.,—had been sufficient to provide due variety of food for two or three persons, as excellent bakeries were close at hand to supply deficiencies...
It was a tiny stove, powered by a lamp, that you could use to cook small, convenient meals.
...Water may thus be quickly heated at all hours, in case of sickness, or to warm a baby's food ; tea is quickly prepared for any belated traveler who comes after the range fire is out; a flatiron can always be ready for the dressmaker....
You could use it for simple things, like heating water or making tea.
...Being a wise woman, Miss Fletcher did not attempt great reforms in the family routine at first, but let her favorite introduce itself gradually. It was first used to make tea on hot summer nights, and once when bread failed she made biscuit for supper thus: One pint of flour,...
...True, they required half an hour for baking, while fifteen or twenty minutes would have sufficed in a range oven...
They had special recipes with special cooking times.
...it was necessary to turn them à la griddle cake that they might brown well on top...
And browning was an issue.

--From Good Housekeeping--

2 comments:

Bissage said...

Sounds like a precursor to the Kenner Easy-Bake oven!

Trooper York said...

Browning was always an issue for Good Housekeeping.

Witness the post right below this
one.