The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-05-12
a NEW IRA IN COOKING.
How Electricity Is Applied 10 the Prob
lens Of the Kitchen.
Details 81 the Culinary Utensils and
the CaF-IHeater Principle That
IL Applicants Adaptas
tiOns are Llmltless.

Recently there was an exhibition Of eec
trieal cooking at the Crystal Palace, and
a representative Of the Pull 1Sn Bulge
writes Of il thus: The first thing that
struck me Is the simplicity Of the appa'
ratus employed. Even with gas cooking
stove, which is an immense improvement
on the best Of coal ranges, there e always
heavy iron structure to begin with, and
this must be supplemented by the usual
equipment u saucepans and kettles. But
with electrical cooking each saucepan oil
kettle, or frying pan contains within itsell
the means Of importing heat. And 50
simple and insignificant in sine is the
heating continuance that an electrical
kettle is barely heavier than gas stove
kettle. But the gas stove kettle neces.
states at the very least gas ring. the
electrical kettle will boil away on a
polished floor or on an afternoon tea table.
What, then, is the continuance? To
begin at the beginning, ii Is the utilization
Of the fact that the electric current in pass
ing through thin wire causes that wire
to grow hot-provided always that the
current is sufficiently powerful. and that
the wire offers sufficient resistance.
This fact has long been familiar to
the general public as well as to electri-
clans. 1t Is the basis OF the ordinary
electric glow lamp, where a thin wire Of
carbon is heated to incandescence. To
get heat without light is, however, the
object Of the electrical cook; for the ex-
ira energy that is required to produce the
lighting rays is, from his point Of view,
waste. The first attempt to secure heat
in q convenient form, without light, was
made with platinum wires. And in many
ways platinum is an ideal metal for the
purpose; 1t offers great resistance to
electricity, and 1t does not oxidize. You
may heat Il up to a red glow as often as
you like and it will never rust or burn
away.
But platinum is expensive-so expens'
i've that only American millionaires could
afford to use It in their household utens-
lis. Other cheaper metals there are in
plenty that, from an electrical point Of
view, do almost as well as platinum, or
perhaps even better; but they corrode
when heated in the open air. This diff
Guilty has been gotten over by coating
one Of these vessels with a special warm
ish Of cement that protects il from the
air, but yet allows the metal to expand
freely when heated by the passage Of the
electric current. How this device is APP
piled can best lie realized from the rail-
road foot warmer. The plate is about
eighteen inches long by four broad, and
perhaps one-tenth Of an inch thick; 1t
has metal backing for strength, but the
important part is the cement face, with
the wire Just visible underneath.
The current is conducted to the plate
by ordinary insulated roper wires, and
there connected by ordinary connecting
screws with very fine wires Of platinoid,
or some other convenient alloy; over
these fine wires Is the thin semi-transpar-
ent cement. When the current Is turned
on the resistance In the fine wires causes
them to grow hot, up to temperature
more than sufficient 10 boil water. But
the cement expands equally with the
wires. and therefore does not crack, while
il completely protects the wires from cor
rosion.
These adaptations are almost limitless.
Instead, for example, Of adapting your
electrical heater 10 the bottom Of your
kettle, you can carry heat by means Of an
electrical plunRer into your water jug, or
bath can, and heat your supply Of cold
water up to the temperature you desire.
The electrical! device can also be applied
10 an even. The sides and the back, the
top and the bottom Of the electrical oven
could all be heated independently, 20 that
when the pie showed signs Of burning on
the crust the cook could shut off the top
heat without checking the progress to-
wards perfection Of the fruit beneath.
Nor need we limit our ambition to cleo
trical cooking. Were electricity only
cheap enough We might warm our rooms
with exactly the same device. On cell
ings, on floors, on walls would be laid or.
namental plaques warmed to a gentle
heat by the electric current. Chimneys
would then be banished, and with them
the chimney sweep; while the house
maid in the morning would no longer
disturb our sweetest rest by her fierce
raking at the coal CRATE, nor cover books,
pictures and draperies with coal dust.
Instead, she would touch q switch, and
instantly walls and ceiling would glow
With genial warmth.