A manual of home-making

There is practically no danger of fire from a home-mado cooker unless veiy hot radiators are used. Since thermometers are not used in the average home, and the radiators may be heated to an unnecessarily hiKh temperature, it seems safe^ to advise a.^ain t the use of radiators unless the insulator is not innammalile. Under no conditions can a very hot rathator al>ove the food be safe, l)c*cause it is too near the muslin of the cushion. While baking is impossible without the use of radia- tors, there are sufficient ottier processes for wliich the home* made cooker may )>*> used, t-o warrant the trouble and the small cost of making one. The cost of a home-made fireless cooker may range from about 8L50 to $8,00 or more, depending on the materials used. If several sizes of aluminum pails with clamps are iiought for food containers^ the cost may equal that of a small commercial cooker. In buying a firelass cooker the following points should be considered: insulation, exterior case, interior lining, cooking utensils, vent valve, hot plates, locks and hinges, size, and cost* * Canon, He len, and Bnnver, Ludle. The Fireless Cooker and lU Uses. Cornell Readiag-CourBe for the Farm Home, Bull. 95, I I I I STOVES AND COOKERS 215 The following nmterials and utensils are needed for mLLkmg a fireJess cooker (Fig. 49): For tho rase, fir c^bmol : A wooden \iox, a trunk, an ice Iwx, a Riilvanized inm ash-can, a wtxKl(*n candy-burkrt, or the like. Any kind <»f ca«e that is used should be provided with a tighl>fitting covvr. If an ordinary box is Fia» 49. — pia^aoi of a home-made fireless cooker. A, outer case; B, cuahion; C, uuukiDg fom- purtmeiit; D^ food container; E, packing mtkteriah used, it should bo of ^sufficiently heavy material to permit the use of good hinj^ea ant! fastenings. For the lining of the case: Sheet asbestos 1/8 inch thick, or heavy wrapping pap<'r. For packing material: CI round cork, sawdusti excelsior, mineral vvoc»!, paper torn in small pieces and crumpled, powdered a'^lx'stos, ahavinj?^, straw, imy, wtM>J^ cotton batting, or some such iit)n-condu('tin>^ material. Miiieml wool and powdercxl aslx*stos are Ijoth pood non-condoctors of heat, and they have the atlditional mrrit 4*f not being intlammable; but they are harder to w*ork with than are tho other materials. Gloves should be worn by the perstjn doing the packing, and care should be taken not to allow^ the material to enter the nose and the mouth. For the eookiiig compartment: A deep bucket or kettle of agate, galvanized iron, or tin, of such a size that tlic^e may be a sfmee of at least thrf?<» inelies between the case and the top, the bi>tt4>m^ and the sides of the bucket This bucket or kettle should have a tijjht-fittingj flat cover. In place of a bucket, two thicknesses of l/lO-ineh sheet asbes^tos or heavy ivrapping paper 21G A MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING may be shaped to form the cooking romiuirtment ; bul ii l^ueket is more darabli' aad can be kept in a more HJinitiiry i-ondition.