The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-05-05
tBy Miss Martha c. Creighton. Home
Demonstration Agent)


How to Build and Use Fireless
Cooker
Principle. The principle of the
fireless cooker is to retain the heat
obtained by first boiling the food for
few minutes. 1t is then placed in
the cooker which does not allow the
heat to escape. The food must be
heated in the same vessel in the
cooker. This vessel must have
tight cover and be moved from fire
to cooker as quickly as possible
Otherwise. heat will be lost Hot
soapstones are sometimes placed in
er temperature is needed or longer
cooking desired. These may be pur-
chased from a hardware dealer at
81 cents each.
Advantages. /. Time saving;
while food is cooking, the house
keeper may be occupied with other
duties without fear OF its burning
2. Better foods; many foods thus
cooked for a longer time at a low
temperature have finer flavor and
are more wholesome than If cooked
3. Comfort; saves woking in hot
kitchen, keeping up fires. watching
food
4. Fuel saving: fire kept up just
long enough to make food boiling
hot before putting in cooker In
summer. the use OF hreless cooker
with a kerosene stove will result in
both comfort and economy.
Building the Cooker. Select a
tightly built wooden box. an old
trunk. barrel. large lard tub. or tin
lard can for the outside container.
This must be large enough to allow
at least four inches of packing all
around the nest. &4~box long enough
to contain two compartments may
be secured. If this is done there
should be at least inches OF pack
ing between the two nests, and two
cushions to cover each nest separate
ly SO that one vessel may be re-
moved without disturbing the other.
The Nest. The nest. to contain
the vessel of hot food. must be CON
sidered next. If no hot stone is to
he used, this nest may be made of
strong paste BOARD cylindrical in
shape and as snug as possible to
allow cooking vessel to be removed
In and out. If too large, the air |
space will cool the food The card !
board forming this cylindrical nest
should be Tapped and fastened tight |
ly. II, a hot stone is to be used. a |
metal nest must be used A tin
bucket will do or better still have a |
timer make galvanized Iron one J
deep enough to contain a soapstone
and the cooker vessel This metal |
vessel must be wrapped with ashes
tos 10 prevent the hot stone from
scorching or burning the packing.
Packing. For packing between
the nest and outer containeI- some /
material which heat will not pass
through quickly must be used First,
line the box or other contalner with
layers OF paper to keep out cold air.
Lint cotton, wool, shredded news
paper, Spanish moss and excelsior
are good packing. The packing
should Rrst be placed in the outside
container to "A depth Of four inches,
then place the cardboard or asbestos
for the bottom OF the nest Next
place the cardboard cylinder or the
asbestos covered can and hold steady
while pressing the packing tightly
around 1t, leaving no air spaces.
When this has reached the top of the
nest. cut piece OF cardboard to At
the space. cutting out circle to open
the nest, This cardboard cover
should be fastened securely to the
nest by pasted strips of cloth or
heavy paper. II Is we'll to make a
paper cover to keep the cardboard