Here's a rare look at an ultra-modern kitchen range of the Regency era.
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The Annexed Plate is intended to represent a material improvement in the boiler attached to the kitchen range, manufactured by Mr. James Walker, 41, New Bridge-street, Blackfriars; and it explains the various purposes to which it can be applied, without consuming more fuel, or requiring more attention, than a common range. The superiority of this boiler to all others, for tho same purposes, will be made evident by inspecting the plan. It occupies the whole of the left-hand side of the range, and also the back, both forming one entire vessel; so that a quantity of water is always kept boiling when there U a fire in the range, by the superfluous heat that would otherwise be applied only to the back; and also, by this means, a very considerable expense is saved, as the additional consumption of fuel, by flues, is thus rendered unnecessary.
As all others have either a copper or iron plate boiler at the back of the range only, the water cannot be made even warm without a large portion of additional fuel; for, in this case, flues will be necessary, and besides this, the heat is drawn off from the front of the fire, which prevents meat from roasting without a constant supply of fresh coals. On the contrary, with Mr. Walker's boiler, a flue can scarcely ever be wanted, except it be to supply an adjoining bath, or the washing troughs. A large quantity of boiling water, constantly ready for use, is certainly a valuable acquisition to all families for various purposes; it has even been found particularly serviceable in cases of sudden illness, when a bath has been required in the middle of the night, as the boiler retains its heat for at least seven hours after the fire is extinguished. And, as the pipes will convey the steam to any part of the house for heating the sitting-rooms and the bath, or for any other purpose for which steam may be wanted, it is evident that this is the most convenient and economical plan for the application of heat to domestic uses that has yet been invented.
~~~(Unfortunately, I had saved the lovely prints a while back but failed to note the original source for them. My hunt this time produced the above text from The Monthly magazine and British register, Volume 46, 1818)
One of us -- 
5 comments:
Love seeing this kitchen stuff. Makes me love my Wolf range even more! Have been reading Ian Kelly's wonderful book "COOKING FOR KINGS: The Life of Antonin Careme, the First Celebrity Chef" so all things culinary are on my mind. Highly recommend this book, BTW. It even includes recipes.
This is amazing. I had no idea regency kitchens were so modern.
How perfect is this post!? I just spent an inordinate amount of time recently researching cooking ranges from the period, and was settling on the one from Monticello (http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/dayinlife/dining/kitchen.html) as a template for a regency kitchen I plan to make inside a dolls house I'm turning into Barton Cottage... :::Breathe::: And now this post! Lots of ideas! Thank you!!!!
Marvellous! And steam heat as well. My ggggfr's country house apparently had concealed heaters which must have used steam I suppose. I always wanted something like this - in England the modern equivalent is the AGA. But you need a large an draughty stone English house to justify them. In a small wooden Canadian house you'd die of heatstroke.
Would love to have a kitchen that large. Of course having the staff to deal with it would be even nicer.
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