In the olden days people cooked on open fire. The fire was put on the ground and later simple masonry work was done in order to hold the utensil. Greeks were the first people to use ovens which were quite simple to bake breads. The brick and mortar hearths with chimneys were first started to be built in the middle ages. Food that had to be cooked was put in metal cauldrons and was hung above the fire to cook. Many improvements were starting to happen and the design of the stove was changing day by day. The most important thing was people were looking for ways in which the smoke that comes out with the burning of wood was eliminated or kept to a minimum.
Fire chambers were built in the wood burning oven stoves for putting wood in order to control the smoke. The chambers had holes at the top in which the cooking pots were placed. In the early 1700s
cast iron stoves were beginning to get built in large quantities. The Coal and Kerosene stoves were introduced in the early 1800s. They were called baseburners and they were well ventilated for burning coal. They were made of cast iron and had a hole on the top which has an iron ring. The utensils were placed on this hole to cook food. Gas ovens were invented by the British in the 1800s as well.
Though the gas stoves were only semi-successful, they were still available in the markets and by the 1900s most of the households did their cooking on gas stoves. But, as the gas connections to these households were delayed, there was a waiting time and this became a common issue. The major advantage of the gas stove was that it was very easy to clean. The 1920s saw the advent of the electric stoves. They began to compete immensely with the gas stoves. Though their design and functioning required a great amount of improvement, it was still sought after by the people. After the invention of the heating coils, there was no looking back for the electric stoves. In the later years of 1900s the microwave oven was invented. It was actually a by-product of another technology.
When compared to the previous years, kitchen is the social center in any middle class family. People had their meals in the kitchen and used the dining room only on special occasions. But, in the upper class the kitchen was separated from rest of the house and care was taken to see that no smell that is emitted from the kitchen reaches the living room. Stoves that were previously made of cast iron and one had put in coal or wood stock for fueling it continuously, now are run of gas and electricity. The gas was also beginning to be supplied through piped connections rather than in cans. Though gas connections were amply available few households still used kerosene as a fuel for their stoves.
With the changing days and growth of technology, many changes were made to the stoves. Wood stoves and pellet stoves gave way to gas stoves and electric stoves. The gas stoves also came with high technology such as automatic gas stoves and the number of burners also kept increasing. Some models also had hot plate with the burners. Multi fuel stoves also saw its way through to the various households. Many people started opting for this as they found it extremely convenient. Multi fuel stoves not only ran on various fuels but they also performed various functions. One could cook with heat, regular fire and grill on the same stove. Induction stoves also found its place in todays kitchen. As per the need of the family and their affordability, one can choose from the various models available in the market these days.
Irish Stove Directory
