Digitized by Google 22 FIRST YEAR Find out where the main pipe is which leads the gas into the range. Notice the shut-oflf. Notice the position of the gas cocks when open and when closed. Locate the top burners and the simmerer. Locate the baking and the broiling ovens. Find out where all the burners are which heat the oven. Locate the oven pilot light. Cleaning the Gas Range. — See that the burners are clean, and that their air holes are not stopped with dust or dirt. Draw out the iron sheet under top of the range and clean it once a day ; scrub it once a week. PoUsh the range, fol- lowing as far as possible directions for polishing the coal range. Lighting. Upper Burners, — Open the gas cock, or gate- way, in the connecting pipe. Open the cock in the pipe that supplies the burner; let the gas nm a second and apply a lighted match at the top of the burner. The gas should always hum with a blue finm/e. Oven Burners. — Open both oven doors. Open the pilot cock and light the pilot light through the hole made for this pmpose. Open and Ught first one cock and then the other, and when both are Ughted, turn oflf the pilot Ught. Caution. — Never light the oven burners until you have first opened both oven doors, as dangerous explosions are likely to take place when ovens contain any gas. As soon as the contents of a saucepan or a kettle boil on the gas range, turn the gas down as low as can be done with- out checking boiling. Use the simmerer instead of one of the burners when practicable to do so. Digitized by Google THE OIL STOVE 23 THE ELECTRIC STOVE The electric stove is even cleaner and more convenient than the gas stove, but it is not yet within the reach of many of us on accoimt of the high rate of electricity. Although in some cities the rate of electricity is lowered dining the day when the current is being used for cooking, even then it is more expensive than gas. The heat comes from coils of wire which become red hot when the electricity is turned on. C!ooking utensils containing the food to be cooked are placed over these coils. There are many electrical utensils, as toasters, chafing dishes, tea kettles, etc., which contain the electrical coils and can be attached to any lamp socket. These are very convenient, especially for light housekeeping. THE OIL STOVE Kerosene is used in the country in summer where there is no gas. In order to bum kerosene it must be vaporized. The blue flame kerosene stove is considered the best. In most of these the oil is fed into a hollow ring at the bottom of the burner where it becomes heated to a temperature suf- ficiently high to vaporize it. This vapor mixes with the air and bums with a blue flame. The stove should be placed in a part of the kitchen where there is no draft. Great care must be taken of the wicks. Each day they must be cleaned by wiping oflf the excess car- bon with a soft cloth. The cylinders, and the top and bot- tom of the stove, must be kept carefully dusted. The tank should be refilled each day and never allowed to bum out. It will be interesting to make a comparison of the cost of the different fuels. It has been found that with coal at $7.75 per ton, gas at $1 per 1000 cubic feet, kerosene oil at $.12 a gallon, elec- Digitized by Google 24 FIRST YEAR tricity at $.10 per kilowatt hour, heat for cooking will cost per hour 0.011 if coal is used. 0.012 if gas is used. 0.008 if kerosene oil is used. 0.057 if electricity is used. It appears from the above that kerosene oil would be the cheapest fuel ; but we shall find that it takes half as long again to cook with a^ kerosene stove, for the heat is not so intense as the heat caused by the other fuels. This must be taken into consideration when deciding upon the cost of fuel. Digitized by Google THE TABLE 25 The Table

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Digitized by Google Find out where the main pipe is which leads the gas into the range. Notice the shut-off. Notice the position of the gas cocks when open and when closed. Locate the top burners and the simmerer. Locate the baking and the broiling ovens. Find out where all the burners are which heat the oven. Locate the oven pilot light. Cleaning the Gas Range. — See that the burners are clean, and that their air holes are not stopped with dust or dirt. Draw out the iron sheet under top of the range and clean it once a day ; scrub it once a week. PoUsh the range, following as far as possible directions for polishing the coal range. Lighting. Upper Burners, — Open the gas cock, or gateway, in the connecting pipe. Open the cock in the pipe that supplies the burner; let the gas nm a second and apply a lighted match at the top of the burner. The gas should always hum with a blue flame. Oven Burners. — Open both oven doors. Open the pilot cock and light the pilot light through the hole made for this purpose. Open and light first one cock and then the other, and when both are lighted, turn off the pilot light. Caution. — Never light the oven burners until you have first opened both oven doors, as dangerous explosions are likely to take place when ovens contain any gas. As soon as the contents of a saucepan or a kettle boil on the gas range, turn the gas down as low as can be done without checking boiling. Use the simmerer instead of one of the burners when practicable to do so. Digitized by Google THE OIL STOVE 23 THE ELECTRIC STOVE The electric stove is even cleaner and more convenient than the gas stove, but it is not yet within the reach of many of us on account of the high rate of electricity. Although in some cities the rate of electricity is lowered during the day when the current is being used for cooking, even then it is more expensive than gas. The heat comes from coils of wire which become red hot when the electricity is turned on. C!ooking utensils containing the food to be cooked are placed over these coils. There are many electrical utensils, as toasters, chafing dishes, tea kettles, etc., which contain the electrical coils and can be attached to any lamp socket. These are very convenient, especially for light housekeeping. THE OIL STOVE Kerosene is used in the country in summer where there is no gas. In order to bum kerosene it must be vaporized. The blue flame kerosene stove is considered the best. In most of these the oil is fed into a hollow ring at the bottom of the burner where it becomes heated to a temperature sufficiently high to vaporize it. This vapor mixes with the air and bums with a blue flame. The stove should be placed in a part of the kitchen where there is no draft. Great care must be taken of the wicks. Each day they must be cleaned by wiping off the excess carbon with a soft cloth. The cylinders, and the top and bottom of the stove, must be kept carefully dusted. The tank should be refilled each day and never allowed to bum out. It will be interesting to make a comparison of the cost of the different fuels. It has been found that with coal at $7.75 per ton, gas at $1 per 1000 cubic feet, kerosene oil at $.12 a gallon, elec- Digitized by Google tricity at $.10 per kilowatt hour, heat for cooking will cost per hour 0.011 if coal is used. 0.012 if gas is used. 0.008 if kerosene oil is used. 0.057 if electricity is used. It appears from the above that kerosene oil would be the cheapest fuel ; but we shall find that it takes half as long again to cook with a^ kerosene stove, for the heat is not so intense as the heat caused by the other fuels. This must be taken into consideration when deciding upon the cost of fuel. Digitized by Google THE TABLE 25 The Table

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