How to Clean a Close Range. — After having removed all ashes and cinders from the grate and hearth, take out one of the soot doors (the one highest to the chimney), and sweep it out by means of a flue brush as far as it is possible. When there is more than one soot door or trap, remove each in turn and clean out, but never remove more than one at a time. Having done this, sweep up carefully all the soot and ashes from the lowest soot door, and remove it. A flue brush is a brush with a wire handle which will bend into the flues ; it is similar in shape to an ordinary bottle brush. Sweep the inside of the oven, and wash it thoroughly with hot water and soda, so as to remove all grease ; leave the door open to dxy. Next wash the top axxd front of the stove. When dry, mix soxne black-lead (Nixey’s) with a little water or turpentine — the latter assists in removing the grease. Apply the black-lead with a small stiff brush, and polish the top and exterior of the stove with a dry soft brush. Black-lead should never be applied until the stove is perfectly clean, free from dust, and dry. Soft paper, ordinary kitchen paper, or newspaper is often used for a final polish. Gas Stoves. — Gas is now largely used for cooking, and gas cooking- stoves have taken the place of the coal range ixx many kitchexxs. Cooking by gas has proved eminently satisfactory, especially during the hot weather. It is more ecoxxomical, because meat roasted by gas has been found to lose less in weight thaxx whexx cooked in a coal range. In other words, a larger amount of the nxxtritious juices of meat are retained wheix it is cooked by gas ; hence it must be accepted as being axx economical xnode of cooking. Gas can be used for every purpose for which a wood or coal range is used. It requires less trouble, less labour, and can be ixxstantly started into full force, and can be turned out imnxediately the cooking is done with. The heat of a gas stove can be regulated with minute exactness, the required heat caxx be got just at the time it is wanted, and it can be regulated from a slow simmering fire to a brisk boiling 56 THE NEW CENTURY COOKERY BOOK or baking heat at a moment’s notice. Hence there is little or no waste or loss in heat ; you can at all times get enough heat for the purpose required, and none left over. Oil Stoves. — These stoves are also convenient and economical to use, and are especially adapted for small families, for camp and yacht cookery ; but they require special care : also they are likely to be dangerous from explosion, which occurs when oil stoves are not well looked after. Kitchens, or other rooms where oil stoves are used, must be well ventilated. The wicks must be kept well trimmed, or the burners will smell and smoke — a smoke which is most disagreeable, if not dangerous to health. All oil stoves are portable, no flue being required ; they can be carried from place to place at will. They are economical, because they consume about 20 per cent, less in fuel than other cooking stoves. Oil stoves are AN OIL COOKING-STOVE (WEIGHT AND BUTLER’s)

AI-modernized reading of the original text

How to Clean a Close Range. — After having removed all ashes and cinders from the grate and hearth, take out one of the soot doors (the one highest to the chimney), and sweep it out by means of a flue brush as far as it is possible. When there is more than one soot door or trap, remove each in turn and clean out, but never remove more than one at a time. Having done this, sweep up carefully all the soot and ashes from the lowest soot door, and remove it. A flue brush is a brush with a wire handle which will bend into the flues ; it is similar in shape to an ordinary bottle brush. Sweep the inside of the oven, and wash it thoroughly with hot water and soda, so as to remove all grease ; leave the door open to dxy. Next wash the top and front of the stove. When dry, mix some black-lead (Nixey's) with a little water or turpentine — the latter assists in removing the grease. Apply the black-lead with a small stiff brush, and polish the top and exterior of the stove with a dry soft brush. Black-lead should never be applied until the stove is perfectly clean, free from dust, and dry. Soft paper, ordinary kitchen paper, or newspaper is often used for a final polish. Gas Stoves. — Gas is now largely used for cooking, and gas cooking-stoves have taken the place of the coal range in many kitchens. Cooking by gas has proved eminently satisfactory, especially during the hot weather. It is more economical, because meat roasted by gas has been found to lose less in weight than when cooked in a coal range. In other words, a larger amount of the nutritious juices of meat are retained when it is cooked by gas ; hence it must be accepted as being an economical mode of cooking. Gas can be used for every purpose for which a wood or coal range is used. It requires less trouble, less labour, and can be instantly started into full force, and can be turned out immediately the cooking is done with. The heat of a gas stove can be regulated with minute exactness, the required heat can be got just at the time it is wanted, and it can be regulated from a slow simmering fire to a brisk boiling or baking heat at a moment’s notice. Hence there is little or no waste or loss in heat ; you can at all times get enough heat for the purpose required, and none left over. Oil Stoves. — These stoves are also convenient and economical to use, and are especially adapted for small families, for camp and yacht cookery ; but they require special care : also they are likely to be dangerous from explosion, which occurs when oil stoves are not well looked after. Kitchens, or other rooms where oil stoves are used, must be well ventilated. The wicks must be kept well trimmed, or the burners will smell and smoke — a smoke which is most disagreeable, if not dangerous to health. All oil stoves are portable, no flue being required ; they can be carried from place to place at will. They are economical, because they consume about 20 per cent, less in fuel than other cooking stoves. Oil stoves are AN OIL COOKING-STOVE (WEIGHT AND BUTLER’s)

The new century cookery book