The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-04-15
FOR THE HOUSEWIFE.
How to Make a Homemade Fireless
Cooker.

| ROW 10 MAKE 1omemdoe Ttreicss
Cooker.
1 The cooker In question was designed
by young housewife and was made
by her husband under her supervision.
II is a compact box about thirty inches
| The cover. instead Of fitting over the
top, fits just inside and il is fastened
in place, when the box Is closed, by
two wooden buttons set on to the edge
Of the box by screws.
The box is lined on the inside with
asbestos board, which is neatly tackled
in. Two fifteen-inch squares of the
same asbestos material divide the in
terror into three chambers or compart-
ments of equal width. The round open.
ings or nests" into which the cook
ing utensils are made to fit are made
by rolling pieces of asbestos into cyl
inder shape and fastening them to-
gether with a fine wire.
These round nests vary slightly in
diameter the smallest being six inches
and the largest seven inches. The
spaces between these nests and the
sides Of the compartments are filed
with sawdust, which is packed closely.
large sheet of asbestos cut 10 ex.
actly fit over the top of the box. has
three round openings for the three
nests. This piece is tackled firmly in
place and presents a very neat appear
ance 1t fits close in at the top of the
box, so that when the cover is shut
down there is no space between.
There are three small squares Of the
asbestos which are for covering over
the nest openings when food is set in
them to be cooked.
Two of the cooking vessels used in
this homemade cooker are FIVE pound
lard pals which have tight fitting COW
ers. The third is larger can. also of
tin The pals have wire handles and
the large can has a small wire ring
in the cover. by means of which it can
be lifted The smaller cans are design
ed for cooking cereals. puddings and
vegetables and for baking round loaves
Of bread while the large can is de-
signed for cooking meats.
The feature of this cooker. which
distinguishes it from most homemade
articles. is that it has soapstone and
iron plates, which can be heated so
that roasting and baking can be done
in the cooker. There are two soap |
stone plates, roughly cut. it is trlie, but |
they answer the purpose for which |
they are intended They are made |
from soapstone warmer. this having |
been cut in halves and the corners OF |
each half sawed of. so that the soap |
stones have hexagonal shape. The
two iron plates are small, round stove
covers
The owner Of this ingenious cooker
declares that it is entirely practical
and servlceable. BY heating the two
soapstones and placing one at the
bottom OF nest and the other on
top Of the cooking vessel. after the
food has been put inside and the cover
put on. she can bake bread or roast
meat In doing the roasting. however.
she browns the meat IN a frying pan
before putting IL into the cooker.
In cooking breakfast cereal (Which
Is put In the cooker the night before,
and In boiling vegetables neither soap
stones nor iron plates are used
This cooker. which cost about $50.
IS expected TO take the place OF
-ange oven for its owner. She has ;
/ two burner alcohol stove. on which
steaks and chops viii be cooked and
,ver which the soapstones and iron
,lates are heated. AT night some wa
er Is heated over the alcohol stove TO ,
mt into the ''fireless" and kept warm
or toilet use In the morning The
'ereal also is brought TO a boil and
hen set into the cooker In the morn
ne there Is no building OF fires neces-
airy. The cereal is ready for the 9
able and coffee can he made and eggs
r fish cooked in a few minutes over
he alcohol stove. While breakfast Is q
'eine eaten the dishwater is heating. \
After breakfast fricassee or stew :
r hraise is made ready for the cooker
nd set into II 10 cook for the midday
neal This do@s away with excessive
eat In the siichen. and the clever wo- Q
lan who rontriyed the cooker de- :
Iares that Il has already proved TO be p
rnrfh much more than the small k
mount Of money IL cost. n