ILLINOIS

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAM PAIGN

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THE UNIVERSITY
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LIBRARY

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\﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN﻿﻿THE LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS﻿A well arranged and well equipped kitchen. New Rochelle, N. Y.﻿The Efficient Kitchen

DEFINITE DIRECTIONS FOR THE
PLANNING. ARRANGING AND
EQUIPPING OF THE MODERN
LABOR-SAVING KITCHEN—A
PRACTICAL BOOK FOR THE
HOME-MAKER.\	..


BY

GEORGIE BOYNTON CHILD

FORMERLY OF THE HOUSEKEEPING EXPERIMENT STATION
DARIEN, CONN.

EDITED AND ARRANGED BY
LOUISE BOYNTON

NEW YORK
ROBERT M. McBRIDE COMPANY
1925﻿Copyright, 1914, by
Georgie Boynton Child
Revised Edition
Copyright, 1 925, by
Georgie Boynton Child

All rights reserved, including
that of translation into foreign
languages, including the Scan-
dinavian.

Published March 1914

Second printing,	August, 1914

Third printing,	August, 1915

Fourth printing,	December, 1916

Revised edition.	May, 1925﻿DEDICATED
TO

MY THREE SISTERS
WHOSE LOVING COOPERATION
HAS MADE POSSIBLE
THE WRITING OF
THIS BOOK

586492﻿﻿Introduction

years ago my husband and I started

me-making in a Western city. We

____[ youth, ideals and a college education

apiece; and while, like many other young people,
we had no experience of married life, our early
training as members of large families had given
us a respect for practical work and a great love of
home. After graduating from college I had kept
house for two years for my father and mother, and
for seven years had been business manager of a
daily newspaper which my sister and I owned and
ran. My husband was a technical chemist for a
large Trust which had plants in different parts of
the country.

Our income at the time was scarcely $1,300.
But with a generous trousseau to solve the problem
of clothes, and wedding presents to make our little
home artistic and attractive, we were able to live
very comfortably during the first year on less than
$1,000.

We started our married life in one of the charm-
ing five-room cottages which have been so largely
developed in Colorado and California, and which
ease the physical burden of the care of the house in
such a wonderful way. We had, even in those

vii﻿viii

INTRODUCTION

days, a washing machine, an electric iron, one of
the labor-saving roasting pans, and several other effi-
cient labor-saving devices. Therefore our house-
keeping problems were reduced to the simplest pos-
sible proportions.

In the four years during which babies one, two
and three arrived, we were fortunate in securing
excellent help, and doubly fortunate in having our
income increase to meet the extra expense involved.
From that time on, however, with three babies to
claim the lion's share of all my work and care, our
living expenses jumped from less than $1,000 to
$2,000 a year, without any change in our standard
of living. During those years the cost of living
began also to steadily advance, so that the purchas-
ing power of the fixed income must be increased
by constant study in buying more wisely and work-
ing more effectively. College and business training
had taught me the advantage of systematic meth-
ods, of effective ways of arranging work and of
diplomatic and considerate treatment of help. So
our little home always ran smoothly. And when
hard pulls came, as they often did, I had al-
ways the loving cooperation of my husband in over-
coming them. We would take " shifts " with the
night care of the babies, or he would run the wash-
ing machine for an hour before he went to work
if the laundress failed me. Thus, like the noble
Gareth, we were forced to win our knighthood
through apprenticeship in " villain kitchen vassal-﻿INTRODUCTION

ix

age "; nor did we find it any undue hardship. In-
deed had it lasted only for " a twelve-month and a
day " this little book would never have been writ-
ten.

But as the years went on and we moved East
and lived in awkward, badly arranged Eastern
houses, and tried to do efficient work in kitchens
diabolically contrived to waste every human effort;
as we found ourselves unable to get gas for cook-
ing in country houses, and did not know of any
resource to take its place; as help of the right sort
became almost impossible to secure; and as the
" high cost of living " made constantly heavier de-
mands upon us, we decided at last that we would
have a Fourth of July, that we would make a great
and final effort to free ourselves from the power of
a tyrant that only seemed to tighten his hold the
more sacrifices we made to his inordinate demands.

In this spirit we started on a determined quest
for information and new resources. We took les-
sons in cooking to see whether the Domestic Sci-
ence schools had any wonderful wisdom to impart
in the direction of "better food for less money/'
We studied courses in Home Economics. We read
books. We visited cooking laboratories and prac-
tise houses. Finally we came to the Housekeeping
Experiment Station at Darien, Conn.

Here at last we found what we had been seek-
ing: an inexpensive but charming home which had
been so transformed by engineering skill that it﻿X

INTRODUCTION

could be cared for with the minimum expense, and
so equipped that it could be operated with the small-
est possible amount of effort. Here we learned of
two wonderful resources for preparing' food,
adapted to the income of the average home. Here
we heard of Taylor's wonderful book on Scientific
Management, which has been revolutionizing the
business world. And here we saw two old people
living happily an ideal life in which labor and cul-
ture each had its rightful place. At last science
and high ideals had transformed " villain kitchen
vassalage " into the noble profession of home-mak-
ing.

The resources which Mr. and Mrs. Barnard had
developed were suited to the needs of two people
living simply in the country, free from the demands
of city life, and free from all the subtle complica-
tions which constantly arise in larger households,
particularly in homes where there are little children.
But back of their work was a great idea, and this
idea was applicable to any home and to any income.
" Do not try to do efficient work in an inefficient
house. First transform your conditions."' This
is one of the first principles of engineering; and,
strange as it may seem, the very last principle ap-
plied in the average home.

By good fortune the opportunity came to us to
join Mr. Barnard in his work and to spend a year
in further study of equipment. We must know
the best equipment for each kind of fuel, the equip-﻿INTRODUCTION

xi

ment which was best suited to the needs of the aver-
age home. We must work out better ideas in
kitchen planning. And all this information must
be catalogued and arranged so that it would be
available to other home-makers.

While we were doing this work together we
were constantly trying out new ideas, first at the
Housekeeping Experiment Station, and then in other
people's homes. At last we arrived at a simple
system of coordination which we found could be
adapted to every home and every condition. An
interesting test of its efficiency was made when we
were asked to plan a model kitchen for a Domestic
Science Exhibition given in a large city.

All details were arranged in our office, and a list
was sent covering directions for decoration and
equipment. With this carefully grouped list in
hand one of us went to the exhibition and in two
hours had everything in place. Had the stove and
sink been actually connected up a cook could have
stepped in and served a very satisfactory dinner
without loss of energy or time.

In the spring of 1911 Mr. Barnard retired from
active participation in the Housekeeping Experi-
ment Station.* His mantle fell on our younger
shoulders. Through consultations and by means
of lectures and pamphlets we have striven to make
current his ideas on household economics, and those

* The Housekeeping Experiment Station is no longer open
to visitors. The author has discontinued consultation. The
results of the research work of the station will be published in
book form.﻿xii

INTRODUCTION

worked out by ourselves in association with him.
But we have found that the help that the home-
maker needed covered so wide a field that it was
desirable to put the information, first into book
form, so that each subject could be studied in its
relation to the whole problem.

" The Efficient Kitchen " is intended as a book
of practical directions showing how to so build new
kitchens or transform old ones that the work of
the home may be accomplished with a sense of mas-
tery, instead of remaining the hopeless problem it
has become.

While it records only the beginning of a new sci-
ence, and while it deals with only the practical mat-
ters, still we believe it will serve as a starting point
from which every man and woman may gain the
broad survey of resources through which alone a
satisfactory solution of the home-making problem
is possible. The rest of the problem consists of
work and patient study, line upon line and precept
upon precept, till the subject is mastered and suc-
cess is attained.

Does the task seem toilsome and weary? It is
no more so than mastering the technique of any art,
or the rudiments of any profession. Let us give
up the delusion that there is any higher work in life
for man or woman than really mastering the prob-
lems of the home to which in common they owe al-
legiance. Let us face facts as they are. If ninety
per cent of the home-makers in this country must﻿INTRODUCTION

xiii

live on incomes that make domestic service prohib-
itory, let us hasten to transform our manner of
living so that we will not be carrying needless
financial burdens. The apprenticeship to " villain
kitchen vassalage" will not last forever. Intelli-
gence will develop new resources, new methods of
doing work, better planned houses and better equip-
ment. The home-maker will then have time to de-
vote to the other side of life, to the things that bring
inspiration and joy and peace into- this little circle
of love which we are proud to call " our home."

Georgie Boynton Child.

March, 1914.﻿﻿Preface to the Fifth Edition

TEN years have gone since " The Efficient
Kitchen " was first offered to the public—
momentous years, in which old things have
become new and many of the former things have
passed away. In a changing world one thing re-
mains fixed and changeless: the housekeeper's daily
round; the problem of home-making, with its po-
tential happiness and its ever-pressing practical
needs.

The principles upon which this little book is
based remain the same, since they are fundamental;
likewise the elementary difficulties of the house-
keeper, due to scarcity of help and the high cost of
all the necessities of life. The revision therefore
has involved few changes.

A new chapter has been written reviewing the
progress since 1914 in housekeeping efficiency ideas,
and in the perfecting of labor-saving equipment.
Improvements in equipment, or improved methods
to simplify the housekeepers' task, have been de-
scribed under appropriate headings throughout the
book.

All prices have been carefully revised in the text;
a good deal of new material added, several new
illustrations furnished and a new index compiled.

XV﻿xvi PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION

This new edition of " The Efficient Kitchen " goes
forth as a real guide and text book to all who wish
to lighten the burden of preparing " three meals a
day " by making the room in which the work is
performed a convenient and well-equipped work-
room.

Georgie Boynton Child.

March, 1925.﻿CONTENTS

PAGE

Introduction........vii

I The Fundamental Principle ... i
II Planning the Kitchen.....12

III	Scientific Grouping......37

IV	Built-In Conveniences . . . . .46

V Heating the Kitchen and Keeping

Dishes Warm.......64

VI	Hot Water Heating Systems ... 70

VII	Choice of Fuel for Cooking ... 88

VIII	Selecting the Fixed Equipment . . 99

IX	Lists of Necessary Equipment . . . 127

X	Time and Labor-Saving Equipment . 145

XI	Light Housekeeping Equipment . . 163

XII	Disposal of Kitchen Waste .... 170

XIII	Dish-Washing and Daily Care of

the Kitchen........175

XIV	The Laundry Problem ..... 190
XV The Business Side of the Kitchen . 199

XVI	The Home-Maker's Quiet Corner . .219

XVII	Progress Since 1914......228

Glossary..........247

Index...........251﻿﻿THE ILLUSTRATIONS

Well arranged and well equipped

kitchen........Frontispiece

FACING
PAGE

Butler's pantry and dining-room.....22

Scientific grouping of equipment.....44

Convenient country kitchenette.....94

Kitchenette cabinet, unit design . . . . .116

Well planned farm kitchenette . . . # . . .130

Remodeled kitchen, notable for concentration of

working processes........156

Built-in kitchen cabinet........214﻿﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN﻿4 Prince, thou shalt go disguised to Arthur's hall,
And hire thyself to serve for meats and drinks
Among the scullions and the kitchen knaves,
And those that hand the dish across the bar.
Nor shalt thou tell thy name to anyone.

And thou shalt serve a twelve month and a day.'

For so the Queen believed that when her son
Beheld his only way to glory lead
Low down thro' villain kitchen-vassalage,

Her own true Gareth was too princely-proud
To pass thereby; so should he rest with her,
Closed in her castle from the sound of arms.

Silent awhile was Gareth, then replied:

6 The thrall in person may be free in soul,

And I shall see the jousts. Thy son am I,
And, since thou art my mother, must obey.
I therefore yield me freely to thy will ;

For hence will I, disguised, and hire myself
To serve with scullions and with kitchen-knaves;
Nor tell my name to any, no, not the King.'

Tennyson's " Idylls of the King "﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

" Quality Street."

For many of us who aspire to be successful home-
makers, some such dim aura of mystification clings
round the wonderful new word Efficiency. How
lightly it is bandied from mouth to mouth! What
magical things it is said to do! Now it is offered
us as a tempting bait. Again it is brandished over
our heads as a club. We are to be Efficient, and
to make our kitchens Efficient. And then, of
course, our troubles will be at an end. But what
has efficiency actually to do with us? How do we
get it? What do we do with it? After all, ex-
actly . . . what ^ Efficiency?

Mr. Charles Barnard has given the clearest defi-
nition of the term that we have seen. He says,
" Efficiency has meant in the past the power to
produce results. It now properly means much
more. It means power to produce the best results
at the lowest cost of time, labor and materials."

I

The Fundamental Principle

HAT is Algebra, Phoebe . . . ex-
actly ? " asks worried Miss Susan, in

i﻿2	THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

It has often seemed to us that Efficiency, like
Boston, was " a state of mind." At any rate, it is
the result of a certain flexibility of mind that com-
monly comes with culture and expert training, but
that may also be gained by a right mental attitude
toward the humble and arduous daily tasks that are
ours. It is the very antithesis of the selfish and
narrow individualism that insists upon considering
every problem of-the home as a " personal matter."

Women are not to be blamed for this. The con-
servatism, the somewhat petty insistence on indi-
vidual preferences and prejudices that often seem
reared like a solid wall in the way o>f progress in
this important field, are but natural results of
age-long repression. In general women have given
the world what the world required of them —
dumb acquiescence in things as they are. Now
that something higher is required they will still re-
spond. And they and the world will be the gainers.
For the new gospel of Housekeeping Efficiency
means that there is a demand for Housekeeping
Efficiency; that the efficiency of women, their initia-
tive and intelligence, are vitally needed if home life
is to continue.

A preliminary, then, to planning our efficient
kitchen, is the acquiring of an efficient attitude of
mind. This implies liberation from bondage to
outworn or merely personal habits and methods; a
firm mental grasp of the objects of all our work; a
firm faith that these right and necessary objects﻿THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE 3

can be achieved; above all a disposition to use merely
as tools the equipment, the circumstances and condi-
tions that surround us. These circumstances and
conditions, this income, be it large or small; this
wall-space, stove or egg-beater are just tools, to be
shifted about, changed, replaced or eliminated alto-
gether, according as they serve or do not serve the
purpose for which they were intended.

This is what is meant by saying that efficiency
consists in standardizing work. It is the difference
between what one individual can do, and the com-
posite result of the experience of many.

There is one best way to solve any given problem
of work. We have seen the truth of this in play-
ing duplicate whist. It is no longer the problem of
making the most of " my hand," but of making the
most of a hand that may come to any one, and
that will come to every one in turn in the game.
Whist players of unusual intelligence have studied
out certain best ways of proceeding when certain
given combinations of cards appear in a hand.
The amateur whist player profits by their study and
adopts the rules that have been found to bring re-
sults in the greatest number of cases.

The same holds true of the kitchen processes.
No matter how wide the difference between one
family and another in scale and manner of living,
by far the greater number of kitchen problems are
common to all kitchens, and there is one best zvay of
solving them. To create an efficient kitchen is﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

therefore to standardize it; to work out, by a scien-
tific study of the needs and conditions of the kitchen,
the one best way of meeting each need; to work out
certain standard principles O'f construction and
grouping which shall best conform to universal re-
quirements ; to then show how this " standard type "
may be adapted to meet the special requirements
of those who have less than the normal amount of
money to spend, or more than the normal amount
of work to be done for the same amount of money.

To sum up, then: The problem that confronts
us in the building and equipping of our kitchens is
the developing of a standard type that will be
adapted to the universal needs of the present day,
and that can be modified to meet special needs with-
out vital changes in the essential principles of con-
struction and arrangement.

The title we have chosen for our book, " The
Efficient Kitchen," expresses both the universal
needs to be met, and the conditions governing the
problem. The word kitchen suggests to each of
us very much the same general round of tasks to be
performed; and the word efficient expresses the
need for getting results without wasted effort.
This, too, is a universal requirement, because the
pressure of life is now bearing very heavily upon
us all. It is not only the tired little mother,
striving to do all her work and care for two or three
children on an insufficient income, who needs help;
but the home-maker of abundant means, who has﻿THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE 5'

larger responsibilities and larger social and profes-
sional demands upon her income and her time. In
the former case, the pressure to be lightened is
physical strain; in the latter, an equally excessive
and sometimes overwhelming mental strain.

There is one guiding principle which will enable
us to solve a problem of this kind, and that is the
principle of Conservation. Conservation is really
the science o-f making the most of things. And
to make the most of things we must have a very
complete and exact knowledge of values. If we do
not have a clear knowledge of values, we shall be
continually sacrificing important things to unim-
portant or less important things, and shall not be
conserving at all, but wasting.

Now, the housekeeping methods which have come
down to us from our Colonial ancestors were all
based on this same idea of conservation. Only our
grandmothers had very different ideas as to what
was worth while conserving. The values that
loomed large in their eyes, were values that, at that
time, cost the greatest amount of money. Food
products that they could not produce themselves;
manufactured articles of apparel which could not be
woven or knitted at home, cost actual money; and
money was not at all plentiful. Therefore they
economized these costly values at the expense of
time and human energy, which, then, were rela-
tively cheap. They did not take into consideration
fuel values, either, or consider large houses extrav-﻿6	THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

agant. Wood was plentiful; while the work neces-
sary to prepare it for use, either for fuel or for
building purposes, was done in the winter, when
there was no market value for a man's time.

To-day conditions have entirely changed. La-
bor is dear, while manufactured articles are cheaper
than ever before in the world's history. Commer-
cial foods of certain kinds are comparatively cheap.
In fact nearly everything that can be produced by
machinery is cheap, and everything that must be
done by hand is very high priced. Certain com-
modities that used to be abundant, and that conse-
quently were of small money value, are now either
growing scarce, or have been curtailed in production
to artificially raise the price. Wood is much less
abundant and is also subject to trust control. The
coal supply is governed by a monopoly. Thus fuel
which formerly was not even considered as an item
of expense, is a very large expense to us to-day.
We find the same change in the status of farm
products. Eggs, butter, milk, chickens, pigs and
fruit were all formerly produced by every house-
holder, and were abundant and low-priced. All
these commodities now have new values, and pre-
sent new problems in relation to their use for food.

But the greatest of all shifting of values has come
about in the new estimate of the value of a woman's
work in the home. Fifty years ago the output of
vitality and energy of even the most intelligent and
highly organized women was a thing absolutely dis-﻿THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE 7

regarded. The general attitude of mind on this
subject can only be compared to that of the Southern
farmer in whom an agricultural enthusiast tried
to awaken an interest in the scientific feeding of
his stock.

" You ought to give your pigs a warm mash in-
stead of cold at this time of year," observed the ex-
pert.

"Why?" asked the farmer.

" Well," began the apostle of progress, " for one
thing, a cold mash takes twice as much time to digest
as food that is properly warmed."

" Does it?"

The proprietor of the pigs leisurely eyed his
would-be benefactor, transferred his quid of tobacco
from the right cheek to the left cheek, calmly spat,
and finally remarked, " Say, Stranger, what do you
reckon a hog's time is worth?"

Fifty years ago it seemed profitable and praise-
worthy for the mother of a family to spend a whole
winter making a rug of old " pants." It seemed
worth while to spend hours each week mending
stockings that required one or two hours patching
a pair. Dishes that took an hour to prepare were
concocted, merely to use up food materials that now
would be thought of trifling value in comparison
with the time taken to save them.

To-day all that has changed. For both men and
women there are new standards of the worth of life
and the value of human striving. But, in addition,﻿8	THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

woman's labor in the home has an actual market
value, as those who are obliged to hire it have found
out to their cost. It is worth, at a minimum, thirty
cents an hour for physical labor alone; and from
that up to fifty cents, a dollar or even four dollars
an hour for skilled or professional work. We find
that the kind of mental energy that can coordinate,
analyze and direct — that can " handle a situation/'
as it is termed in the world of achievement, is worth
thousands of dollars a year in business and profes-
sional undertakings. Consequently we see that the
problem of conserving this very expensive value in
the home, outweighs in importance all the other
factors in the home-making problem combined.

In business enterprises there has been an increas-
ing tendency, during the last decade, toward con-
servation of the more valuable kinds of human en-
ergy by eliminating the causes of fatigue or waste
of time. We know of one great concern which
pays good salaries and requires efficient service of
its clerks, both men and women. These clerks are
expected to avail themselves, to the fullest extent,
of the services of the office boy and stenographer,
as well as of the labor-saving equipment of the of-
fice, so that their entire energies will be freed for
the work of most value to the company. If a
woman is employed at, say, $100 a month to keep
certain records, she is supposed to spend her time
on this work which is worth $100 a month, and for
which she is trained. If she does errands or tele-﻿THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE 9

phoning which could be as well done by an office boy
worth $30 a month; or if she writes letters which
she could dictate to a stenographer in half the
time, she is considered as making a wasteful use of
time which belongs to the company.

While such a specialization of labor is impossible
in the average home, it is possible to conserve the
energy and time of the home-maker in an equally
effective way. This is accomplished by careful
planning and construction of the kitchen; by select-
ing labor-and-time-saving1 equipment; by grouping
the equipment in the way that will best promote ef-
fective, rapid work; and last of all by adopting an
efficient system which will help to reduce all the
mechanical parts of the work to automatic processes.
In this way the fresh thought and energy of the
housekeeper is saved for the most important part of
home-making, the exercise of loving care that
watches over every essential affecting the welfare
of the home circle. This is more a problem of wise
administration than of routine housekeeping. It
calls for love, intelligence and expert training.
Very often women who are abundantly endowed
with the right thought and intelligence to make the
most perfect kind of homes have not had the train-
ing to master the technique and are discouraged by
its complexity. There are so many homely facts
to be reckoned with, so much apparently unimpor-
tant detail to be covered, that the task seems hope-
less. So they drift along and let their lives and﻿IO THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

their home-making be controlled by circumstance.
All that is needed to transform such homes is a will-
ingness to look at the problem from a different
point of view; to see that mastery of the work we
have chosen is the first step to a self-mastery that
vitally affects our character, that will do much to-
ward creating right ideals in our children, and that
will do more for the world at large than any work
outside the home, however brilliant, if undertaken
at the expense of the responsibilities we assumed
when we started out in married life.

This little book has been written for home-mak-
ers, men as well as women. Its theme is mastery
of the practical difficulties that are summed up in
the phrase " the technique of housekeeping." Its
object is to awaken interest in a constructive solu-
tion of such problems, which will result, directly,,
in freedom and independence; and indirectly in a
new spirit of joy and peace. Such men and women
understand that housekeeping processes are merely
means to an end. They know that efficiency is not
gained simply by making the work-room efficient*
but that it is a way of thinking, an attitude of mind,
that involves mental mastery. They are ready to
see work in its proper relation to life, to learn to
subordinate the unessential to the essential, to think
clearly and logically and to get results.

Very few home-makers can go to school again to
get the mental training so essential to success. But
we must remember that the greatest teachers and﻿THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE n

thinkers of the world got their own education in the
school of experience. Rightly viewed and rightly
used the kitchen is not a bad training school. It
presents problems in organization and administra-
tion as complex as any to be found in business. It
gives a field for as great skill in chemical combina-
tions as is to be met with in many a scientific labo-
ratory. Its opportunities for scientific investiga-
tion are as varied as those of the Rockefeller or
Pasteur Institutes. Only the titles and emoluments
seem lacking.

To-day most of us are content to feel that we
are doing a difficult and important task well. But
there will undoubtedly come a time when the more
ambitious home-maker will be able to write after
her name titles as imposing as Master of Science or
Doctor of Laws. Perhaps by that time some such
title will be more highly regarded than those show-
ing scientific attainments only. For the day is com-
ing when the test of the value of scientific attain-
ments will be their power to enhance the value
of practical living. One thing is sure. She who
shall have solved the problem of successful home-
making, will have been obliged to bring to her work
as much intelligence and training as is required by
any other science or profession.﻿II

Planning the Kitchen

MUCH of the modern housekeeper's dis-
tress is due to the fact that our kitchens
express the needs and customs of our
grandmothers' time, and not those of to-day.

Less than a hundred years ago the home itself
produced what the family consumed, and sheltered
many workers. The kitchen was then the work-
room of the house and was necessarily large, as it
was the scene of many and varied industries. Sew-
ing, knitting, quilting; candle-making, and prepar-
ing food on a large scale for winter consumption,
were all carried on in one big room. Living was
very simple, social demands very few. And large
houses and open country expressed the restful sense
of " room to breathe in." Weariness then came
more from physical work than from any pressure
on nerves and brain due to the character of the work
or its conditions.

To-day nearly all the old-time industries have
been banished from the home and put on a com-
mercial footing, in many cases to the detriment of
the home-maker. We buy our clothing and our
canned fruit. Instead of making candles we switch
on the electric light. The kitchen is a place where

12﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN 13

food is prepared, and where practically nothing else
is done. The physical strain of the old days has
been succeeded by an even greater mental strain,
due to the great expensiveness of everything we use
in our homes, and to the continual necessity of deal-
ing with conditions outside the home which we can-
not control. There is no margin left for mistakes
or extravagance, whether of time, of strength or of
money. Efficient kitchens, such as insure to the
wrorker proper rest, economy of the vital forces,
have become an absolute necessity.

It is this need for economy of nerve force, this
new need peculiar to an age of high pressure and
rapid mental readjustment, that our kitchen must
be equipped to meet. Efficiency must be the key-
note. Efficient work. Efficient rest. Elimina-
tion of all unnecessary work. The doing of neces-
sary work in the easiest and most economical way.
These are the problems of every home-maker,-
whether rich or poor; whether she have one servant,
or none, or several. Even if she performs no part
of the work of the kitchen herself she must, in these
days of untrained help and shifting economic condi-
tions, give her kitchen constant supervision, if she is
to realize her dream of creating the ideal home. .

In meeting the new conditions no single change
has proved so helpful as the passing of the old-fash-
ioned " roomy " kitchen of fond memory, and the
adoption of the very modern and utilitarian small
kitchen.﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Where space is restricted a most careful study is,
of course, necessary in order to make the most of the
space at one's command. But when such a study
has been made, when the kitchen is a compact and
truly efficient work-room, the saving in time,
strength and labor due to the simple elimination of
useless space, is almost incalculable. In the small
kitchen there is less wall and floor space to be gone
over in the daily care and cleaning. The concen-
tration of all the working processes near together
and in convenient relation to one another, saves
hours of time by preventing useless steps and awk-
ward, unnecessary motions. Moreover, the small
kitchen means great economy in construction — a
very important matter in these days when building is
so costly. Every square foot of flooring and parti-
tion cut out of the kitchen where it is not needed
may be added with advantage to some other part of
the house where extra space means added health,
comfort and opportunity for the entire family.

We assume, therefore, that the housekeeper will
have a small kitchen if she can; or will limit her re-
modeled kitchen to the smallest possible dimen-
sions. We will proceed to consider how this lim-
ited space may be used to the best advantage.

USES THE KITCHEN MUST SERVE

The final plans for the kitchen must be drawn
by an architect. It is not the purpose of this book
to give any information that comes under the head﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN 15

of technical construction. Its object is, rather, to
call attention to the various uses which the kitchen
must serve, and of which many good architects are
woefully ignorant.

It is a very interesting thing to notice the work-
ing out of thought. If we begin by holding stead-
fastly in mind the object to be gained, some way will
be found of overcoming difficulties and achieving
the desired result. If, on the other hand, we allow
ourselves, too early in the planning process, to be
diverted by a consideration of ways and means, we
are apt to land in discouragement and hopeless con-
fusion.

Therefore, first of all, before we begin to think of
details, or even picture to ourselves the general out-
line of the room, we must think of the work to be
done in the room. We remember the four main
requisites of all kitchens: storage place for sup-
plies; sufficient table surface for the preparation
and service of food; proper arrangements for cook-
ing; the water supply, including facilities for dish-
washing and cleaning up. These are fundamental
needs, and must be met in any kind of kitchen for a
family of any size.

The next consideration is that the kitchen con-
veniences be in compact relation to one another, so
as to economize the workers' time and strength.
Most of us know that kitchen work is not a series
of isolated tasks, but that one task must be fitted in
with another most ingeniously if we are to do any-﻿16 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

thing like an effective day's work. Therefore our
supplies, our work table, our stove and our sink
must be near enough together so that we can " keep
an eye" on one thing while we are doing other
things. We wash the breakfast dishes while we
watch the cake baking. We cook the cereal for
next morning's breakfast while we wash the supper
dishes. We realize that we can work easily and
effectively just in proportion as we use skill in
planning and arranging our work.

Having coordinated our working processes, we
picture to ourselves the right conditions in which to
work. We must have plenty of light, both day-
times and evenings. The light must fall on our
work and not shine in our eyes. The kitchen must
be well ventilated, comfortably warmed in winter
and cool in summer. All possible provision must
be made for doing the work in reasonable comfort
and without useless expenditure of the workers'
time and strength.

We next remember that, besides the immediate
needs of the work itself, there are other require-
ments to be met in the kitchen. A place for wraps
and rainy-day things. Some safe depository for in-
coming supplies. We decide to make a list of all
the kitchen needs we can think of, jotting them
down roughly, like this:

1.	Work table and its accessories, including containers

for groceries used in mixing.

2.	Sink and its outfit.

3.	Stove and its accessories.﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN 17

4.	Kitchen cabinet, including complete outfit for prepara-

tion of food.

5.	Provision for keeping food cold. Refrigerator. Cold

closet.

6.	Provision for keeping food warm and drying dishes.

7.	Arrangements for heating the water supply.

8.	Arrangements for heating the kitchen.

9.	Drawers for cutlery, kitchen linen, aprons, etc.

10.	Place for cleaning preparations, and cleaning cloths.

11.	Shelf or closet for incoming supplies.

12.	Place for broom, mops, etc.

13.	Closet for wraps.

14.	Laundry arrangements, if no provision can be made

for these in a separate room.

Up to this point the planning has been quite a
simple matter, because we have been thinking of the
kitchen as a work-room by itself and not in its rela-
tion to other parts of the house. The complexities
begin just here. Not only must the kitchen be
rightly placed in relation to the dining-room and
rear entrance; but its plumbing and heating and flue
connections must be planned with reference to the
house systems and must conform to these to a cer-
tain degree, in order not to cause unnecessary ex-
pense. Then we begin to find things conflicting and
interfering with one another. Our simple, con-
venient arrangement of sink and stove and work ta-
ble may prove impracticable. Flues go here, where
we wanted to put our sink. Pipes go there in that
excellent place for a work table. Doors and win-
dows, apparently, must fill all the wall spaces so de-
sirable for open-shelf cupboards. Our kitchen
seems verging on a mere conglomeration of exits
and entrances; of wires and pipes and flues.﻿18 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

It is just at this point that the woman who is de-
termined to have a convenient kitchen is apt to find
herself in conflict with the architect. Just here she
will realize the wisdom of having thought out the
ends the kitchen must serve, rather than the means
by which those ends may be attained. The start-
ing point of all successful architecture is use;
that which a room or a building or a bridge or a
factory is for. The reason why so many gifted
architects fail in kitchen construction is simply be-
cause they have only the most rudimentary ideas,
or none at all, of the actual requirements of a mod-
ern kitchen. These the home-maker knows. And
this knowledge she must be able to impart to the
architect if he needs it. She must be prepared to
stand her ground very firmly when told that this
or that structural necessity interferes with the vital
convenience of arrangement. She cannot stub-
bornly insist that the sink shall go here and the work
table there. But she can explain clearly that this,
that and the other need is imperative in the kitchen;
that such and such kitchen processes must be co-
ordinated. Once he clearly understands the end in
view a competent architect will find means to bring
this about.

If we plan our kitchen before we plan any other
room in the house almost all these difficulties can
be mastered very easily. If we leave it until the
last it will require just that much more ingenuity to
accomplish our purpose. But one thing we must﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN 19

keep steadfastly in mind. The legitimate needs of
kitchen construction can and will be met, provided
the home-maker herself knows clearly what they
are. On her realization of this, and her patient de-
termination to make others realize it, depends much
of the future success of her kitchen.

CHOICE OF METHODS AND MATERIALS

After having, in conference with the architect,
worked out the structural plan of an efficient kitchen,
the home-maker will find herself at every stage of
the work, required to make choices between this or
that method or material; this or that alternative in
working out some detail of construction. On her
wise decision of all these points depends the con-
venience of the kitchen as a work-room; the cost of
building and equipping the kitchen; and above all
the cost of maintenance after it has been built and
equipped. She must therefore know what the pos-
sibilities are, and what the result of her choice in
each case is going to be.

Two general principles will guide her safely.
The first applies to choice of materials. Get only
what is good of its kind. If you cannot afford the
best, do not get a cheap substitute, but choose some-
thing less expensive, which is still the best of its
kind. In kitchen wall finish, for example, a good
grade of rough plaster, tinted, is better than a poor
grade of hard-trowel finished plaster, painted. A
reliable mason will estimate on either. But poor﻿20 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

work of the more expensive grade should not be
accepted.

The second general principle applies to the choice
of contractors to carry out the work planned. Get
only men of known reputation to estimate on your
contract. If you find you cannot afford to get the
house well built as planned, do not accept a cheaper
estimate from a less reliable man. Eliminate ev-
ery unnecessary thing and have good work as far as
you go. There are too many ways of being cheated
in materials and workmanship to make it wise to
take any chances.

DETAILS OF KITCHEN CONSTRUCTION
Size of the Kitchen.

The convenience and economy of the small kitchen
have been referred to at the beginning of this chap-
ter. We are realizing the need of many things in
the home which are more to be desired than un-
necessary space in the kitchen. Sun parlors, out-
door dining-rooms and maids' sitting-rooms are be-
ginning to seem necessities, and in very many cases
could be afforded if no space were wasted on rooms
where space is not required. A small upstairs laun-
dry and pressing-room is another need that must
often be met in the housekeeping of to-day. A very
convenient kitchenette can be made of a room seven
feet by eleven. We recommend this size for a fam-
ily without a maid, or where only one house-worker
is employed. Convenient dimensions for the .aver-﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN

age family are ten by twelve feet, or eleven by thir-
teen. The kitchen ought to be oblong rather than
squares to get the best result of wall space.

•Relation of Kitchen to Dining-Room and Outside
Porch.

Very often, in order to save expense in const ruc-

3ack

ICE

SINK

case

Down

KITCHEtf

COAT

L Open Shelve*
Bwiler'a Paniry

Open Shelves

DIKING Room

Fig. i.— Floor plan showing indirect connection between-
kitchen and back door and kitchen and dining room.

tion the kitchen opens directly from the dining-room
by means of a swinging door. It is better, how-
ever, to have a small pantry between. (See sim-
plest type butler's pantry, Fig. i.) This pantry
gives wonderful storage facilities, prevents odors
from passing from the kitchen to the dining-room,
and deadens the noise between the two rooms. It
may be small or large, but if rightly planned every﻿22 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

inch of wall space may be made available. A work-
ing shelf twenty to twenty-eight inches wide
and thirty-two inches from the floor may be built
around two or three sides of the pantry. Under
this, shallow drawers may be built in to hold dining-
room supplies, or kitchen supplies that cannot be kept
in the kitchen. This wide shelf may be stained
and varnished, or it may be covered with zinc. It
ought to be left free as a place for keeping salads,
desserts, etc., that are ready for the table, or to pro-
vide a working-place for making salads and sand-
wiches, or cutting bread and cake. Above it should
be narrow open shelves for dishes. This arrange-
ment is far less expensive than the wide-shelf cup-
boards with glass doors, will hold more and be
more accessible. A pantry of this kind is the ideal
location for the refrigerator, making it equally ac-
cessible to dining-room and kitchen.

The kitchen should have, wherever possible, an
indirect connection with the outer door. This pre-
vents much tracking in of dirt, and saves the worker
from needless interruption. The advantages of this
plan are illustrated in Fig. I.

Whatever arrangement is made, care should be
taken to have the outer door so placed that the
kitchen will be protected from the cold winter winds.
The north opening found in many homes makes
the kitchen a bleak place in cold weather. If the
door itself faces north the entrance porch should be
partly enclosed and given a more favorable exposure.﻿Butler's pantry and dining-room, New Rochelle, N. Y. Refrigerator in pantry
has outside icing door. Ornamental slide above sideboard opens into butler's

pantry﻿THt LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN 23

Arrangement of Windows.

Good light and good ventilation are secured by
having enough windows and having them rightly
placed. They ought to be so placed as to make a

v

w-

->-e

1  " KITCHEN	1  DINING  room
HALL	sitting rook

""t			
	1 1		1
' KITCHEN		Pantry	dining
f			room
L		c.lc.	
		Sitting-	
	HALL	room	

street

Fig. 2.	Fig. 3.

cross draft possible. In most kitchens two windows
are enough. If they are built in opposite or ad-
joining walls, good ventilation will also be assured.

Suppose a house of the simplest possible con-
struction. (See Fig. 2.) In this the kitchen is the
northwest room. The rear door opens toward the﻿24 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

north. There is no place for windows except in
the west wall. By building the kitchen with a
slight jog or L, as shown in Fig. 3, and enclosing
the rear door with a vestibule or storm door open-
ing east, the following advantages are secured:

The kitchen is given cross draft west and south.
Its two windows in adjoining walls give better light
than if both were placed in the same wall. The few
feet of extra width render possible a narrow pantry
between the kitchen and dining-room. The vesti-
bule or storm door at the back protects the kitchen
from the North wind.*

The additional expense will be more than repaid
by the extra comfort and efficiency of the kitchen.
In case of a very narrow margin for expense it
would be worth while to slightly reduce the scale
of the entire house to allow for this important ad-
vantage in construction.

If both windows must be in the same wall, as
sometimes happens, then there should be a ventilat-
ing register in the opposite wall or a transom over
the kitchen door leading to the porch or vestibule.
Windows and doors should never be so located as
to badly break up the wall space. It requires care
in planning to avoid this; but the extra trouble is
well worth while.

It is also a good plan to have the windows placed
higher in the kitchen than in the other rooms, so

* The great comfort in summer of a direct draft through
the kitchen from North to South would be secured by hav-
ing a window in the vestibule on the North side.﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN 25

that if necessary, a table or sink may be placed
underneath. A good height for the lower sill is
3 y2 feet from the floor. Sometimes cross ventila-
tion can be accomplished by extending the kitchen
wall beyond the outline of the rest of the house.

Ventilation.

Under ordinary conditions good ventilation will
be secured by the proper location of the windows
and outer door. In addition to this there must be
the right flue connection for gas or coal stove. Gas
stoves are often installed without flue connection,
but it is a bad practice. The best arrangement is
to have the gas range connected with a flue and a
hood above. A ventilating register placed under
the hood will carry off all unpleasant odors. The
cost of such an outfit is about twenty dollars.

Chimney Flues, Gas Pipes and Water Pipes.

Where a coal range is to be used a separate flue
must be provided for it in building the chimney.
Very often the same flue is used for both the kitchen
range and the dining-room fireplace, with very dis-
appointing results. Improper draft makes it im-
possible to get good service from a coal range. And
where the flue is shared with the kitchen range, the
fireplace is very apt to smoke. Each flue compart-
ment should be at least eight by eight inches.

The location of chimney flues, gas pipes and water
pipes in the kitchen must be worked out in connec-﻿26 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

tion with the general plan of the house systems.
If the housekeeper explains to the architect the spe-
cial needs that must be met in the kitchen he can
make these systems conform to meet her needs.
But it is a difficult matter to do this if the general
house plans have been worked out before the de-
signing of the kitchen is begun. The needs of the
kitchen are of such vital importance that it is well
worth while to make these the starting point.

Artificial Lighting.

In the lighting of the kitchen the matter of chief
importance is to provide for enough light. Where
electricity is used one kitchen bulb centrally located
and equipped with a Tungsten globe of sixty Watts,
will give ample light for a small kitchen. For a
larger room two will be needed, and ought to be so
placed that the stove and sink are both well lighted.
If gas is used, the gas jets should be equipped with
mantles and chimneys, and the mantles renewed
when necessary.

For country kitchens in remote districts, where
electricity is not available, one must depend on kero-
sene bracket lamps for illumination. Excellent
lamps with reflectors are on the market. If the
bracket is located at the left of the worker and at
the right height, these lamps are very satisfactory.
Ten years ago alcohol lamps were also available, but
the rapid development of electricity has made the
manufacture of alcohol appliance unprofitable.﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN 27

Kerosene is much less expensive than alcohol if
the cost in money alone is considered. Kerosene
lamps may now be purchased with mantles. Great
improvement has been made in their manufacture.
The smell of kerosene on the hands, however, makes
the care of these lamps an unpleasant task. And
the care necessary is no small item. Daily cleaning
and washing of chimneys is required, with frequent
renewing of wicks in order to get good results and
prevent the lamps from giving off an unpleasant
odor while burning.

Finish of Walls and Ceiling.

There are almost as many grades of plaster finish
on the market in these days as there are kinds of
eggs. In olden times an egg not absolutely above
suspicion was a bad egg. To-day we have all grades
from " strictly fresh" to " boxed eggs." Every
grade, in fact, except downright bad eggs. These
are sold without labels. In the same way plaster
of all grades is now offered the credulous customer.
It is a difficult matter to get the permanent, hard-
finished plaster which is the only kind worth having
on the walls. It is particularly important to have
this grade of plaster in the kitchen. The only way
to secure it is by having the work done by the most
reliable mason you know and paying the price.

There are two finishes which can be recom-
mended, each having its advantages. The first is
the smooth, hard-trowel finish, which is best if the﻿28 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

walls are to be painted. Such a finish is very clean
and sanitary. It needs wiping over occasionally
with a damp flannel cloth fastened around a broom;
and should have a thorough washing once a year
to remove the more permanent stains. This is hard
work, especially for the upper part of the walls and
the ceiling. For this reason many prefer the rough
tinted finish which can be kept clean by wiping
off once a month, and be freshened once a year by a
new coat of tint. When this finish is selected the
tinting is done in the first instance by mixing the tint
with the final coat of plaster. The yearly tinting
is no more expensive than the paint-washing.

Treatment of Old Kitchen Walls.

In the case of old kitchens, one must be guided by
the condition of the walls. For a kitchenette a dura-
ble painted surface is the most satisfactory. A
painter who does the best grade of work should
be consulted. In many cases the old walls can be
patched and sized so that they will look well after
painting. If they are in bad shape it will pay to have
them replastered, and then painted. A new method
of starching painted walls, described on page 239,
greatly simplifies the cleaning problem.

Cost of Wall Finish.

It is impossible to give more than a rough esti-
mate of the cost of wall finishes. Decorators of
experience tell us that the difference in plaster finish﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN 29

makes it impossible to give general estimates. One
wall will absorb three times as much kalsomine or
paint as another will require. There are also dif-
ferent grades of workmanship. One contractor gave
the range of prices for kalsomining, including labor
and material, at from ten cents to a dollar and a
half per square yard! The difference was largely
due to difference in workmanship. The same dif-
ference prevails in painting, prices ranging from
twenty cents per square yard to a dollar and twenty
cents. In the case of kalsomine the expense for
material is very little, and for ordinary work does
not require skilled labor. Often it can be done by
a member of the household.

The cost of materials is, approximately, as fol-
lows :

Kalsomine, one coat glue or varnish sizing and one coat

kalsomine, twenty cents per square yard.

Paint, one or two coats, cost twenty to sixty cents per
square yard.

Special paper for kitchen walls, " varnished tile " or wash-
able oilcloth. Sold by the roll. Thirty-five to sixty
cents per yard.

The number of coats of kalsomine needed de-
pends upon the kind of plaster and the condition of
the walls. At least two are usually necessary. If
the wall is cracked the cracks should be filled with
plaster of Paris and touched up with shellac before
putting on the kalsomine.

New surfaces require at least two coats of paint.
Two are usually enough unless the grain of the
wood is pronounced and it is to be painted white.﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Two coats are necessary where paint is put on over
a darker color. If there is little change in color one
coat will be enough.

Flat paints that are washable cover more surface
than the oil paints, and are much used for that rea-
son. The cost of labor in different localities and for
different grades of work varies greatly. The ordi-
nary price is one dollar and thirty-five cents per hour.

Wall paper is not recommended for kitchen walls.
The only exception to this is the washable oil-cloth
paper, which is recommended where the walls are
in bad condition and need strengthening. This
paper comes in various colors for the side walls,
with ceiling paper to correspond. The gloss finish
is the best for kitchen use, although the choice of
colors and patterns is more limited than in the

tinted " and " mercerized" finish. As stains
often get on the kitchen walls which require more
than wiping off these more attractive finishes cannot
be recommended. This paper comes a yard and a
half wide and costs 60 cents a yard.

An ideal finish for the side walls of the kitchen
is glazed tile. The cost, however, is prohibitive for
the average home, being $1.25 to $1.75 per square
foot, including baseboard and installation. A good
substitute for tiling is a hard-finished plaster,
blocked in tile design and treated to two or more
coats of durable paint.﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN

The Kitchen Floor.

For the average home a well-laid kitchen floor
covered with inlaid linoleum will give the most satis-
factory result for the amount of money spent. The
best grade of linoleum costs from $3.00 to $3.50
per square yard, and if properly laid and cared for
will last twenty years. The flooring beneath need
not be hard wood, but it must be evenly laid. If it
is not even it should be made so before laying the
linoleum.

To lay a linoleum well is the work of an expect
and should never be attempted by the amateur.
Whenever it is possible, have the firm that furnishes
and lays the linoleum, take the measurements also.
Very accurate measurements are required. And if
a mistake is made it is well to be in a position to hold
the dealers responsible. The price for laying the
linoleum covers taking the measurements, cutting
and laying, and a third trip a month later, after
the linoleum has had time to " stretch " to tack it
in position. In the city the charge for this work
is usually one dollar per hour. Out of town cus-
tomers must pay travelling expenses in addition to
time. Two trips are necessary, in order to give the
linoleum time to stretch before it is tacked into posi-
tion.

A superior method of laying linoleum over lining
felt with cemented edges is described on pages 239-
240. This method is more expensive but prevents﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

any danger of "buckling." As all seams and edges
are cemented, water cannot get under the surface.

If linoleum is laid in the ordinary way, one must
be careful in mopping to wring all excess water from
the mop. And water spilled on it should not be
allowed to remain. An excellent precaution is
to cement the edges together, where piecing is
necessary. It may also be cemented round the
edges. The best plan is to have a half inch,
quarter-round molding tacked to the side wall just
above the edge of the linoleum. Never nail the
molding through the linoleum. This covers the
open space allowed for stretching and makes a neat
finish.

It is not necessary that the flooring underneath
the linoleum be of hard wood. It will save ex-
pense to use a good grade of cheap, strong North
Carolina pine. The best width for flooring is two
or two and a half inch. The cost of such wood
when purchased of a reliable firm which thoroughly
kiln-dries its flooring is about 43/2 cents per square
foot. This is for the seven-eighths-inch flooring,
which wears better than the half-inch. For a cost
of 43^ cents more per square foot one may secure
the best grade of edge-grained North Carolina pine
or clear maple flooring. These two latter floorings
may be used without linoleum. They should be
stained and treated to two coats of special floor
varnish, and then be kept waxed. This makes an
excellent floor, but is not as comfortable to stand﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN

on or as easily cared for as the linoleum. In esti-
mating the cost of flooring, as the material is
tongued and grooved, it will be necessary to allow
twenty-five per cent more than the actual area to
be covered by the North Carolina pine; and thirty-
five per cent more for the maple. For 100 square
feet of floor space, for example, one would need
125 square feet of North Carolina pine; or 135
square feet of maple. The cost of laying and
scraping such a floor will ordinarily be about twenty-
five cents per square foot, but may be much higher
in certain localities.

Oiling kitchen floors is not to be recommended.
For other parts of the house an oiled floor, when
properly done, is very satisfactory. But in the
kitchen it is difficult to care for because stains are
so hard to remove. It is very important to have
the kitchen floor comfortable to stand on, easy to
keep clean, and durable. For all these reasons hard-
wood floors are not as desirable for the kitchen as
linoleum.

Under certain conditions other floor coverings are
preferred to linoleum. Where great economy must
be exercised in building and outfitting, the painted
floor may be selected. Two coats of good floor paint
in tan or gray are attractive in appearance and wear
fairly well. When worn spots appear they should be
touched up at once. If the floor is not hard-wood
it should be given two coats of shellac before the
paint is applied, and all cracks should first of all be﻿34 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

filled with crack filler. For laying such a floor the
cost of lumber and labor will be about twenty-five
cents per square foot; the cost of paint and labor
about twenty cents per square foot. The painting
may be done at home. Some home-makers get very
expert with the use of the paint brush.

Many kitchens in newly built homes have cement
floors. The different cement preparations are called
by various names, but are very much alike in their
general properties. It is a matter of considerable
skill to lay them; and unless well laid they crack
and are easily disfigured. These floors have base-
boards continuous with the flooring and are ideal for
purposes of keeping clean. If porches, halls, and
entrances have this flooring, as well as the kitchen,
the cost is not prohibitive.

These composition floorings cost from fifty to
sixty cents per square foot. This price includes the
baseboard and cost of laying. The initial expense
of sending out experts and special appliance to
do the work costs as much for one room as for
several rooms, so the cost is proportionately less
for larger areas. Composition flooring makes a
satisfactory covering for kitchens, bathrooms,
breakfast rooms, and porches. The foundations
under the flooring must meet certain requirements
in order to have this price apply. These floorings
come in tan, deep red, mottled and green. The
mottled is a very good kitchen color. The tans and
reds are recommended because the colors run evenly.﻿PLANNING THE KITCHEN 35

The green is by far the prettiest for porches. The
only serious objection to the cement flooring for
kitchen use is that it is not restful to stand on. This
may be obviated by having rubber or washable rugs
in front of the sink and work table.

The natural cement floors are not attractive in
appearance and crack unless carefully laid. The
colored preparations are therefore to be preferred.

Tile flooring of the vitrified kind makes a very
attractive looking floor. But it is hard on the feet,
" death to china " and costs from $1.25 to $1.75
per square foot, with a baseboard of any desired
width from two to eight inches.

Treatment of Wood-work in Kitchens.

Hard wood is more important for the wood-work
of the kitchen than in any other room in the house.
The kitchen wood-work gets such hard* wear, and
needs so much cleaning, that a permanent and sani-
tary finish is the ideal one. An inexpensive hard-
wood that can be treated with a turpentine stain
and then waxed, makes an excellent finish. Equally
durable is the varnish finish, but the effect is not so
good.

By far the most attractive finish for wood-work
is white enamel paint. For a new kitchen, if this
is to be the finish, the wood must be selected with
great care. Some kinds of wood have such a de-
cided grain that four or five coats of white are
necessary to cover them up. The best wood for﻿36 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

this purpose is white wood, which will require but
two coats of paint, and one coat of enamel. This
finish must have daily care, and will need renewing
in two or three years. It is therefore not to be
recommended for households where labor must be
economized, or where the expense of renewing
would be a serious matter.

Kifchen wood-work that has become shabby may
be treated with two coats of tan or gray paint.
This helps wonderfully in giving a fresh and clean
appearance to an old kitchen. But it must be
treated with care, frequently touched up and re-
newed when necessary. For this reason a hard wax
or varnish finish is to be preferred wherever it is
possible to have it.﻿Ill

Scientific Grouping
MOST efficient means of conserving the

worker's time and strength is found in

the new scientific method of grouping the
various utensils and materials, not according to kind,
but according to the uses they serve.

In most kitchens groceries are kept together in
one closet; agate-ware utensils in another; cooked
food in still another; service dishes which are part
of a set, in the dining-room. This is a logical ar-
rangement, and we do not see that it is wasteful of
labor until we begin to work. Then we find that the
waste of steps involved in getting equipment and
material together for any one process becomes a very
serious loss indeed, not only of the time but of the
energy of the worker. We see that if we are to
conserve labor and energy we must adopt a plan
of grouping that will coordinate utensils and ma-
terials as they are needed for the actual work to be
done.

Before discussing the new theory, let us analyze
two simple processes repeated every day in the
kitchen, and see how laborious is the old way of
getting them accomplished, as a result of the wrong﻿38 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

method of grouping. The first is the very simple
task of making tea. As freshly boiled water is a
necessity for good tea, our first step is to empty
and partly refill the tea-kettle, or get a small stew-
pan and cover and boil water enough for our tea
on the stove. This will mean two trips if the tea-
kettle is used; and four if we must get a stew-pan
from a closet, a cover from the rack, and go to the
sink to fill our utensil, and then to the stove to boil
the water. Next, while the water is boiling, we go
to the china closet and get the teapot, to the shelf
where groceries are kept for the tea, to* the dining-
room for cups, saucers, spoons and sugar bowl.
Then we make the tea. We have made in the first
case, five trips about the room in order to get our
materials together; in the second case, where a
small saucepan and cover are used, seven trips.
Compare the great waste of labor in this simple
process, with the ease of making tea by the new
method. In this latter case we have the entire tea-
making outfit grouped near the sink. We stand
at the sink and reach for the stew-pan or tea-kettle,
and fill it with water, take two steps to the stove
and put the water on to boil. The pot-covers are
just back of the stove. The teapot and tea canister
are on a shelf above the sink, and cups, saucers and
spoons are placed beside them. In making our tea
this second time we have moved perhaps five feet
in all, and cut in two the labor and effort required
to do the work. In the former case we had to make﻿SCIENTIFIC GROUPING

five or seven trips to different parts of the kitchen
and dining-room, and probably walk at least twenty-
five feet, in order to accomplish the self-same task.

Another very simple task performed at least three
times a day is the cutting of bread. With the bread
box on the table in the pantry, the bread knife in
the cutlery drawer, the bread board hanging up
against an opposite kitchen wall, we must make
three separate trips in order to get our materials to-
gether and prepare to do the work.

Every separate task or process that we analyze
shows the same wastefulness of labor and time, due
to the fact that our kitchen outfit and supplies are
wrongly coordinated. We begin to realize how
serious is this waste when we remember that very
many of the kitchen tasks are performed three times
a day; and that the number of separate processes
carried on each day in even the simplest kitchen is
between twenty-five and a hundred. It is no ex-
aggeration to say that at least two hours a day
are lost in the average kitchen by improper group-
ing of supplies and utensils. Where servants are
kept and the living is elaborate it often requires
the services of an extra maid to make up for the
lack of efficient arrangement. It is therefore clear
that the new idea must be applied to every detail
from the original laying out of the kitchen, the
locating of the sink, stove and work table, to prop-
erly sub-dividing the most insignificant of the
kitchen tools. On this basis we proceed to group﻿40 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

the utensils around the fixed equipment to which
they belong, which gives a grouping like the fol-
lowing :

Articles to be grouped near the range:

Salt Box.,	Match Box.

Flour Dredger.	Empty Box for Matches.

Pepper Dredger.	Stove Cloths.

Pot Covers.	Asbestos Mats

Frying Pans.	Griddle (in Winter time).

Dripping Pans.	Rack for Dish Towels.

Articles to be grouped near the sink:

Dish Pan.

Dish Drainer.

Rubber Sink Stopper.

Three-foot Rubber Tubing with thread connection.

Cleaning outfit to be grouped near sink:

Sink Solutions.

Scouring Soap.

Corn Meal for Care of Hands.	^

Bay-Rum Lotion for Hands.	^

Y

Group on shelf above sink:

Teapot and Tea Canister.	Pitchers, Assorted Sizes.
Percolator and Coffee Can- Stew Pans (either ott shelf
ister. or suspended from wall
Double Boiler. below).

Suspend from edge of shelf or wall back of sink

the following small implements:

Soap Shaker.	Vegetable Brush.

Soap Dish.	Bottle-Cleaning Brush.

Dish Mop.	Small Funnel.

Sink Shovel.	Small Wire Strainers.

Wire Whisk Sink Brush. Plate Scrapers.

Pot Scraper.

Place in open-shelf cupboard near sink:﻿SCIENTIFIC GROUPING	41

Outfit of Dishes for Left-Over Food

6 Small Agate Pans.

4 Agate Pans, 2 to 3 quart Capacity.

6 Agate Plates.

4 Larger Agate Plates.

Kitchen China as Required by Size of Family.

At right of sink have nickel towel-bar for hand
towel, or a roll of paper toweling. If possible have
a drawer near sink where may be kept a supply of
kitchen towels, wash cloths and cheese-cloth for
straining.

We then plan to group the supplies and utensils
used in preparing food so that no extra steps will
have to be taken to assemble them for each cooking
operation. This gives us a grouping like the fol-
lowing near the work-table:

Articles to be grouped near work table:

2 Measuring Cups.
4 Small White Yellow

Bowls.

Yellow Mixing Bowls.
2 Baking Dishes, 2-pint and

3-pint sizes.

Rolling Pin.

Pastry Board.

Pie Plates.

Cake Mixer.

Cake Tins, Various Kinds.
J/tuffin Tins.

Cutters for Cookies, Dough-
nuts, etc.

Bread Mixer.

Flour Sifter.

Liquid Shortening.

Bread Pans.

Meat Grinder.

Crank Beater.

Puree Strainer.

Containers for Spices.

Jars for Grocery Supplies.
Containers for Flour, Sugar,

Rice, and Cereals.
Cutlery Outfit

1	dozen teaspoons.

4 to 6 kitchen knives.
4 to 6 kitchen forks.
4 to 6 table-spoons.
A good meat knife.
Spatula.

Apple Corer.

2	Vegetable Knives.
Outfit of Measuring

Spoons.

Scissors.

Mixing Spoons.

Wooden Spoons.
Egg Beater.﻿42 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

We shall find certain other utensils that require
special shelves or closets, on account of their size;
and certain outfits that are used constantly in some
kitchens and not at all in others. We group these
in the following:

Special list:

Steamers.	Outfit for Deep-fat Frying

Portable Oven.	Frying Basket.

Waffle Iron.	Scotch Kettle.

Toaster.	Pail for Frying-fat.

A salad outfit in the average family would in-
clude: Salt shaker, pepper shaker, paprica, gar-
lic cloves, vinegar bottle, oil bottle.

In every kitchen where there is no pantry between
kitchen and dining-room, a special place must be
provided for the bread box, bread board and
bread knife. Also a cake box and a container for
crackers, etc.

The fireless cooker should be near the kitchen
stove; and convenient storage place near at hand
should be provided for the fireless cooker utensils
when not in use.

We have outlined above a grouping that is based
on the principle of conserving labor and energy, and
that may be adapted to> the needs of any kitchen
no matter how faulty its construction. It requires
comparatively small expense to make a kitchen con-
venient, in so far as convenience depends upon
the proper arrangement and coordination of its
portable equipment and supplies.﻿SCIENTIFIC GROUPING	43

The processes analyzed thus far have been those
that are carried on and completed in the kitchen.
There are others which have to do with both kitchen
and dining-room. Take for example those involv-
ing the use of supplies common to both kitchen and
dining-room needs, like butter, milk, bread, crackers
and drinking water. The best place for these is
clearly the little pantry between the kitchen and
dining-room, where they are equally accessible to
both rooms. This end will be gained by placing the
refrigerator, bread box, etc., in the pantry; and
having near at hand the special utensils required for
serving or handling these supplies.

After the cooking is done and the meal is ready
to be served, we find that the table dishes divide
themselves into three groups: First, those used to
hold the cooked food; second, the dishes that must
be warmed before they are ready for table use; and
third, those that are used just as they are. While
these groups are handled in three separate and dis-
tinct ways, they all belong to the same set of china.
By the old method of grouping they would all be
kept together in the dining-room closet. We shall
now divide them so that they will be rightly grouped
for their work. We take the platters, vegetable
dishes and gravy boat to the kitchen closet; the
plates, cups and saucers to a closet warmed by a
coil from the furnace, so that they will be kept
at the right temperature and ready for use at any
time. We leave the third division in the dining-﻿44 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

room closet, as near as possible to the linen supply
and other table furnishings.

This scientific grouping has been tried out in a
great number of cases and has been found wonder-
fully successful. By concentrating the working
processes in one corner of the room, large kitchens
have been made almost as convenient as small ones.
Tiny rooms that did not seem large enough to be
utilized for kitchen purposes have been made into
most convenient kitchenettes. And awkward, badly
planned kitchens have been transformed into effi-
cient work rooms at small expense, just because
working materials and utensils were grouped in a
way that helped the work along instead of hinder-
ing and setting it back.

PRINCIPLES OF KITCHEN EFFICIENCY

As a means of putting into effect the principles
of scientific grouping, it will be found very helpful
to bear in mind the following general rules. They
are based on the same idea of conserving time and
strength, and thus enabling the worker to concen-
trate on constructive work all her best energy.

1.	Keep nothing in the kitchen that is not used

every day.

2.	Things used oftenest should be most con-

veniently near at hand.

3.	Grouping of utensils and supplies should be

governed by the principle of Coordination

of Processes.﻿Reprinted courtesy of "The Outlook"

Scientific grouping of equipment. Note service dishes in cupboard, bread-making
outfit above refrigerator. Fireless-cooker on home-made stand beside wheel tray.

Pastry table﻿THE LIBRARY
OF THE

WJWERBTY OF ILLINOIS﻿SCIENTIFIC GROUPING	45

4.	Have narrow shelves with one row of things

on each.

5.	Use open shelves rather than cupboards and

closed closets. (An exception to this rule
must be made where a coal range is used,
and the kitchen is necessarily dusty.)

6.	Shelves should be at a convenient height, none

lower than 12 inches nor higher than can be
easily reached.

7.	Nothing should be permitted to rest on the floor.

This saves bending over, and facilitates
cleaning the kitchen floor.

8.	Have nothing in the kitchen that is not easy to

keep clean.

9.	Fixed equipment should be placed where the

light is good.

10.	Floor covering should be easy to keep clean and

pleasant for the feet to rest on.

11.	Small utensils should be suspended from hooks

and cup-hooks fastened to the wall or the
edge of shelves.

12.	Sink and work table should be at a convenient

height for the worker.

13.	There should be a special place for each thing

used in the kitchen.﻿IV

Built-in Conveniences

EVERY kitchen ought to be so equipped
with built-in conveniences that the porta-
ble equipment needed to make it a perfect
work-room can be reduced to a minimum. In this
book the term " Built-in Conveniences" means
shelf-room and such other home-made contrivances
as a carpenter can install.

While this problem has been well worked out in
city apartments, and in country houses too, in cer-
tain sections of the country, as, for example, the
perfectly equipped California bungalow, it is still
unsolved in a large majority of cases. There are
millions of kitchens in this country which could be
transformed from awkward, inefficient work-rooms
into convenient and well arranged work-rooms at
comparatively small expense, by making a few vital
alterations.

A family, on moving into a rented house, usually
finds a stove, a sink and a china closet, nothing more.
And the last is a purely accidental affair, con-
tingent on the exigencies of architecture. Of a long
list of built-in conveniences and fixed equipment
which every home requires, these are the only needs

46﻿BUILT-IN CONVENIENCES 47

universally met, even in a primitive way. Yet these
needs, one and all, are absolutely essential to com-
fort and efficiency, and could, with very slight ex-
pense, be made part of the original plan and struc-
ture of even the most modestly equipped kitchen.

Let us consider certain of these elementary needs
which are common to all households, whether rich
or poor, and see how they may be met, first in the
building of new houses, second in transforming old
ones.

NEEDS TO BE MET IN EVERY KITCHEN

1.	Stove, sink, work table and kitchen cabinet.

2.	Storage place for groceries.

3.	Shelves, closet room or hooks for all kitchen

utensils.

4.	Refrigeration and cold storage for vegetables,

fruit, etc.

5.	Provision for keeping food warm.

6.	Temporary receiving place for incoming sup-

plies.

7.	Place for cleaning outfit and cleaning prepara-

tions.

8.	Closet for wraps near back entrance.

9.	Box for coal or wood; shelf for kerosene or al-

cohol can.

10. Provision for disposing of kitchen, waste.

Problems presented by the stove, sink, work-
table and refrigerator will be considered elsewhere
in this book, as will the very important subject of﻿48 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

the disposing of kitchen waste. This chapter is
concerned mainly with the storage problem, with
finding a place for things. And this place must al-
ways be the most convenient and best possible, for
the purpose of efficiency, of conserving the time and
strength of the worker.

STORAGE PLACE FOR GROCERIES

In the old, haphazard kitchen planning, this need
has usually been met by having one or more closets
with end-shelves for the groceries. Sometimes this
single closet or pantry must also hold many of the
kitchen utensils. The shelves were usually wide,
so that articles must be placed on them several layers
deep. And the floor was used as a reserve shelf.

In other cases separate cupboards with wooden or
glass doors were fastened to the kitchen wall, and
designed to hold the cooking dishes, the larger closet
being left entirely for supplies. In our trips about
the country we find numbers of kitchens without
any closet facilities whatever; many with only one
closet; others with several. The location and num-
ber of closets, or the absence of them altogether has
depended largely on how the outline of the kitchen
lent itself to these requirements.

Approaching the matter from the new stand-
point, that of creating an efficient work room, we
realize at once that proper shelf-room, conveniently
located, is one of the primary needs of the kitchen.
We make that our starting-point and proceed to﻿BUILT-IN CONVENIENCES 49

consider the resources and possibilities of the par-
ticular kitchen we are to build or reconstruct.

We find first of all that the wall space can be
used to best advantage by having a system of nar-
row open shelves, rather than the deep-shelf closet
or the cupboard with closed-in shelves and doors.
We might have learned this long ago by noticing
how much can be neatly and conveniently stored on
open shelves in the grocery stores. Narrow shelves
offer immense advantages over the deep-shelf plan.
There is room for but one row of articles. Not
having to reach behind the first row to get some-
thing at the back which, perhaps, we cannot see
without standing on a chair, we are saved loss of
time and energy due to awkward motions, and also
the danger of knocking things off the shelf and
breaking them. We find a further gain in doing
away with doors and protecting the articles from
dust by keeping them in carefully labeled glass or
tin containers.

Finally, by the open-shelf system, we can have
just the amount of shelf-room we require, no more
and no less. And we can put the shelves where they
are needed. This is the essential advantage of the
open-shelf scheme, and is quite impossible in the
case of closed-in cupboards, which must be put where
there is room for them, and where the doors will not
be in the way.

The most important supply shelves in the kitchen
are those directly above the work table. The ob-﻿5o THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

ject is to have all needed supplies easily within reach
of the worker's hand as she sits or stands at the work
table. Here we see the importance of so locating
doors and windows as to avoid breaking up the wall
space. For the proper relation of work table to
shelves is vital to our scheme of efficiency, and
should be worked out in the original planning of the
kitchen.

Sometimes it is possible, instead of a portable
work-table to have a broad work-shelf built-in,
across the entire width of the kitchen. Such a
work-shelf is an ideal convenience. The dimensions
should be 22 inches wide, and a height to suit the
worker. A good average height is 32 inches, over
all, from the floor. It may be covered with zinc
for a small additional cost. ($3.00 for the zinc,
about six feet long.)

For the supply shelves the following dimensions
will be found convenient. Have the lowest one 6
inches wide to hold supplies kept in glass fruit jars
or tutti-frutti jars. This shelf should be 15J4
inches above the work table, or 47^2 inches above
the floor. Two four-inch wide shelves may be
placed above this, making them 9 inches apart.
In some cases it is possible to have the shelves ex-
tend around one or both ends of the work table, as
well as across the width of it.

The space under the work-table or work-shelf
may be utilized partly for drawers, and partly for
broad shelves to hold some of the bulkier parts of﻿BUILT-IN CONVENIENCES 51

the kitchen equipment. The drawers may be used,
one for cutlery, the other for kitchen towels. Ad-
ditional space, when there is plenty, as in the case
of a long, built-in work-shelf, may be closed
in and converted into flour bins and additional
drawers. This gives immense storage capacity to
even a little kitchenette 7 feet by 11. The shelves
above such a work-table will hold the full list of
groceries enumerated on pages 209 and 210, which
represents the normal and well-chosen supply that a
family of five needs to carry in stock. The draw-
ers below, if adapted in size to the requirements
of the rest of the kitchen will make a butler's pan-
try unnecessary.

PLACES FOR KITCHEN UTENSILS

The open-shelf system has the same advantages
for storing the kitchen utensils as it has for the
storage of groceries. It enables us to keep the
equipment within easy reach of the place where
it is to be used. Shelves above the sink provide a
convenient place for pitchers, measuring cups, cof-
fee and tea outfits, egg beater and strainers; also
for the sink solutions used in cleaning. Stew pans
and various small utensils may be suspended by
means of cup-hooks from the wall back of the sink,
from the edge of the shelf, or under the shelf.

The best width for the shelf to hold sink solu-
tions is 4 inches. A good height is 56 inches from
the floor. The shelf for pitchers should be 6 inches
wide.﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

For bread and cake mixers and other equipment
of an awkward size special shelves must be provided
wherever there is space enough, or where nooks and
corners of the room can be utilized to advantage.
These should be the proper size to hold the equip-
ment which is designed to rest on them. They
should not be lower than the knee or inconveniently
high, as we must avoid the awkward motions of
bending over and reaching up.

Some housekeepers like to keep nearly all the
equipment on shelves, while others prefer to hang
everything from the wall that can be hung, leav-
ing the shelf-room for supplies and equipment with-
out handles. The latter is really the best arrange-
ment for most kitchens, although very convenient
kitchenettes are planned in the former way. (See
illustration facing page 94.)

In old kitchens where ample closet room has been
provided for groceries and supplies, it is still con-
venient to have at least two shelves put up in the
kitchen; one 6 inches wide above the sink, and one
4 inches wide above the work table. This will pro-
vide a place for the small supplies most constantly
used in mixing and baking.

The closet will then have to be studied most care-
fully, and its wall space arranged to the best ad-
vantage. By experiment we found that 4 feet
square was a most convenient size for a provision
closet. In a closet of this size one could stand in
the center and reach without stretching everything﻿BUILT-IN CONVENIENCES 53

that was at the end or sides. The top shelf should
be 5 feet from the floor and 6 inches wide, and
should extend around all three sides. Below this
on the right hand side should be three shelves, the
lowest 14 inches from the floor and 12 inches wide,
to hold the week's supply of potatoes, apples, etc.
This shelf will need at least 18 inches " head-room,"
so that a peach basket containing vegetables may
stand on it. The other two shelves should be 6
inches wide and about one foot apart.

At the end of such a closet it is convenient to
have a small table with an under shelf and a drawer.
Just back of the table should be three shelves against
the wall, the lowest 12 inches wide to hold the
larger kitchen utensils; the other two, each 6 inches
wide. Most of the wall space on the left hand side
of the closet is left free for hooks. On these may
be hung the griddle, muffin tins, meat grinder,
chopping bowl, etc., things not in constant use, and
which, therefore, need not take up valuable kitchen
wall space.

The best hooks to use for suspending articles from
the wall, we found to be the square cup-hooks with
shank an inch long. The three-quarter inch round
cub-hooks are the best for the smaller articles.

COLD STORAGE FACILITIES

Very many housekeepers do not realize that they
could get along without ice for eight or nine months
of the year if they had a good cold closet, built int<?﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

an outer wall of the kitchen, and properly ventilated.
(See Fig. 4.) If the house is a new one the cold
closet should be provided for in the original plan of
the house. Convenient dimensions are the follow-

o

Fig. 4.— Sketch of cold closet. Dimensions: 2 feet wide, 2
feet ioJ/2 inches high, 19 inches deep.

ing: Let the closet be 24 inches wide, 34^ inches
high and 19 inches deep. Fit it up with three
shelves the full depth of the closet. Let the first
shelf be 11 inches above the closet floor; the next
7% inches above that; and the third 7^4 inches
above the second. The cold closet is really a box set
against the outer wall of the kitchen, and with an
opening into the kitchen exactly like a window
casing. It extends through and a little beyond the
outer wall, and has a sloping top to shed the rain.
A door is made to fit the opening into the kitchen.﻿BUILT-IN CONVENIENCES 55

Holes for ventilation are bored through the lower
shelves and at the top of the outside wall, and these
are protected by screen cloth. The closet may have
double walls, insulated as a home-made ice chest is ;
but it is usually a simple box with wooden walls.

This size will hold everything necessary for a
family of five; but a slightly larger closet would
be more convenient. An ideal size is 4 feet wide,
5 feet 6 inches high, and 22 inches deep. This will
provide space for four shelves placed a foot apart.
The two upper shelves should be the full depth of
the closet, and the lower two, half the depth.

The best location for such a closet is in the kitchen
shed or vestibule. It ought to have two doors open-
ing toward the center, or it may be covered by a
window shade. The north exposure is the coolest
location.

In rented houses a perfectly satisfactory cold
closet may be made by taking out a window sash
(if the window is not needed for light), and making
the box extension on the outside a little larger than
the opening. Or simply the lower half of the win-
dow may be thus utilized. The sash is then left in
place, and raising the window gives access to the
closet. By this arrangement the light from the
upper half of the window is still available.

THE BEST COLD CLOSET OF ALL

There is no reason why every country house
should not have the most perfect of all cold storage﻿56 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

rooms in the cellar underneath the kitchen, and con-
nected with the kitchen by means of a dumb-waiter
located in an air shaft. The dumb-waiter could have
two or three shelves to hold the small supplies that
are usually kept in the refrigerator; and one wide,
deep shelf to use in sending up apples, potatoes and
winter vegetables, that could be purchased in quan-
tity. Such a cellar should be made by excavating
below the main cellar. Its walls and sides should
be concreted. Good ventilation should be insured
by a properly constructed air shaft. It would be
better to depend on artificial light, as it will be a
better storage place if kept dark.

With such a cold storage place every family could
buy supplies in quantity, could put down eggs for
winter use, could keep extra vegetables grown in
the home garden; and could be independent of the
ice-man the year round. Such a convenience would
tend to restore to the home some of its lost inde-
pendence. Of course it would require work and
vigilance to take care of the supplies, and above all
to care for a garden. But it is work that the aver-
age man, spending too many hours over a desk,
really needs to keep him in health. The care of
practical home interests is a great restorative force,
and builds up the sense of independence which
modern business conditions seem destined entirely
to destroy.﻿BUILT-IN CONVENIENCES

KEEPING FOOD WARM
This problem is so important to the efficiency of
the kitchen that it will be dealt with in another
chapter. It must be thought out when the heating
system is planned, and can be very easily solved if
provision is made for it at the time of building the
house, or in connection with installing the heating
system.

CARE OF INCOMING SUPPLIES
Hours of needless interruption can be saved by
providing a safe and still, a compact wooden closet,
fastened to the wall of the back entrance porch. It
should have a screen door equipped with a spring
catch, and two shelves about 10 inches wide.
The lower of these shelves should be 10 inches
above the floor of the closet, since a milk bottle is
9^2 inches high. The second may be 8 inches
above that, and 8 inches from the top of the closet.

In cases where there is a very small entrance
porch, or none at all, a window-seat box with hinged
top may be placed in the kitchen porch to answer
the same purpose. A zinc lining will protect either
closet or box from insects.

We have made it a policy for nine years to cut
out the useless waste of time due to continual in-
terruption by the delivery-man. We have tried the
plan in city homes as well as in the country, and
have found it to work admirably. We have it un-
derstood when we give orders that if anything sent
to us is not satisfactory, we will return it. We﻿58 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

check up the slips carefully before we put the food
away, and telephone at once if anything is wrong so
that the trouble may be rectified. We make a note
on the slip and keep it on our desk until the matter
has been adjusted. We pay for honest, efficient
service, and demand it. On our side we are con-
siderate about not requiring unnecessary deliveries,
and we pay our bills promptly. We have never met
with any loss from this policy. It takes the mer-
chant only two or three lessons to learn that if or-
ders are wrong they will have to be called for and
made right. And mistress and maid alike are saved
hours of unnecessary interruption.

CLOSET FOR CLEANING OUTFIT

The kitchen cleaning outfit usually includes all the
implements, cloths and materials for cleaning the
lower floor of the house, and the size of the outfit
depends on the general style of the house, how much
woodwork or brass there is, and other details of
finish. In large houses there should be a closet on
every floor large enough to hold everything that is
needed to do this work to best advantage. (See
Fig. 5, described on page 59. Also Unit Storage
equipment, pages 232 to 234.

The chemicals used for cleaning should be kept
in glass jars, carefully labeled. The cloths may be
folded up in a tin box, or hung from hooks by means
of loops. The mops, brooms, brushes, etc., should
have screw-eyes fastened to the ends and should
always be hung up when not in use. There should﻿BUILT-IN CONVENIENCES 59

be a reserve supply of cleaning cloths kept in a
drawer near the closet, or in a box on the shelf.
Old stew-pans, tins, etc., needed for mixing the


Fig. 5.-— Sketch of convenient closet for cleaning outfit. Di-
mensions : 3 to 4 feet wide, 6 feet 6 inches high, 12 to 18
inches deep. Narrow closets of Unit Design are also desirable.
See page 234.

cleaning preparations, should be kept near at hand
on a shelf.

For a full list of desirable equipment for cleaning
see page 180, Chapter XIII on Daily care of the
Kitchen.

In order to hang up the long-handled mops and
allow for a shelf above, the closet should be 6 feet
6 inches high. It may be 12 to 18 inches deep, and
3 to 4 feet wide. It will be more convenient to
have two doors opening in the middle; but one
will be less expensive, and also sufficient if the closet﻿6o THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

is not more than three feet wide. The cleat from
which to hang the long-handled mops should be 5
feet 3 inches from the floor. The closet floor should
be 2 inches above the floor of the room, and should
be covered with oilcloth, so it will be easy to keep
clean. The shelf should be 12 inches wide and 10
inches from the top of the closet. Such a closet will
be found a wonderful comfort in any home. It
can very easily and economically be made by a car-
penter. Or a metamorphosed old wardrobe will
answer the purpose very well.

Where it is not possible to have a special
closet for the cleaning things, they may be cared for
as follows: For the brooms, mops, etc., have a
cleat three inches wide nailed to the wall 5 feet 5
inches above the floor. Hooks are screwed into this
cleat, and here the long-handled mops and brooms
may be hung. The wall back of the landing to the
cellar may be fitted up in this way. A special cleat
3 feet high and more conveniently located, should be
provided for the dust pan and brush. As these im-
plements are in constant use, they ought to be readily
at hand. The rest of the cleaning outfit may be
kept in drawers or on a shelf in another closet.
They ought to be kept out of the way of the chil-
dren, as none of these chemicals can be recom-
mended as desirable playthings for the little people.

The importance of having a generous supply of
fresh cleaning cloths cannot be too strongly empha-
sized. More time is lost " hunting up cloths " than﻿BUILT-IN CONVENIENCES 61

any housekeeper realizes. By fitting out generously
with cleaning cloths and then insisting on having the
ones in use kept clean, this need can be met with
very little expense, and a great saving of time.

CLOSET FOR WRAPS AT BACK ENTRANCE

Every family needs a closet for every-day wraps;
but where there are little children this need is imper-
ative. If a closet near the rear entrance is fitted up
especially for the children, with a coat-bar and hooks
the right height for them, they can soon be taught
to place their coats on coat-bars, hang up their hats
and place their rubbers on the special shelf made for
overshoes near the bottom of the closet. All track-
ing through the house with wet and dirty clothes in
search of Mama, may then be saved. What this
means in economy of time and strength cannot be
estimated where the cleaning-up falls 011 a maid.
Where the mother herself does the work she soon
finds what a large item it amounts to. Children
cannot be taught to hang up their things unless given
suitable conveniences for this. For children under
twelve the hooks should be about three feet from the
floor.

The space above the hooks and coat-bar may be
reserved for shelves. The lowest of these may be
used for the children's hats. The others for any
household need not otherwise met. Among these
may be mentioned the small outfit of tools that every
housekeeper should have.﻿62 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

The coat closet may be 6 feet inches high;
18 inches deep and 3 feet 2^ inches wide. The
floor may be 1 *4 inches above the main floor, and
should be covered with oil-cloth. The children's
coat-bar, as has been said, should be 3 feet from
the floor. The space above the coat-bar may be
conveniently divided into three shelves placed g1/-
inches apart. The lower shelf, for hats, should
be 12 inches wide; and the two upper ones 8 inches
wide.

If it is impossible to have more than one closet
for wraps, it ought to be made four feet wide,
with room at the side to hang up the every-day
wraps of the grown-ups. Or a cleat may be
fastened to the wall in the back entrance hall to
answer this need. But whether or not the con-
venience of the grown-ups can be considered in this
particular, it is a necessity, wherever there are chil-
dren, to have a special closet for their use with
hooks and coat-bar the right height.

A PLACE FOR THE KITCHEN FUELS

Wherever a wood or coal stove is in use in the
kitchen, there ought to be a place near the stove
for a small reserve of fuel. This is usually pro-
vided for in the case of wood stoves; but very
often no provision is made for lightening the labor
of carrying coal. If it is not desirable to have a
coal box, there should be two separate coal hods,
so that one may always be in reserve, making it un-﻿BUILT-IN CONVENIENCES 63

necessary to go to the coal bin more than once a
day.

Very ingenious devices are found in country
homes for so locating the coal bin that the supply is
near at hand. In some cases an inexpensive dumb-
waiter has been installed, on which coal may be
brought up from the cellar.﻿V

Heating the Kitchen and Keeping Dishes
Warm

IN very many cases the first step toward cre-
ating an efficient kitchen is banishing the coal
stove. The choice of fuels will be dealt
with in a subsequent chapter. But just here we
must consider certain needs which immediately
arise when the coal stove is discarded, and which
are closely related to the structural problems of
building or remodeling the work-room. These
needs are heating the kitchen and keeping the food
warm after it is cooked, until it is ready to be
served.

In the days when fuel was not the expensive item
that it is to-day, one of the great advantages of
the wood or coal range was that it heated the
kitchen besides doing the cooking. In small houses
it also did practically all the heating of the house,
except for four or five months of intensely cold
weather. The pipe from the kitchen stove went
up through the ceiling and heated the chamber
above. The door from the kitchen to the dining-
room was left open, so that the heat might pass
through and make the latter room comfortable. A
fireplace, in addition, in two or three rooms, or a

64﻿HEATING THE KITCHEN 65

coal stove or two, kept the house at a fair tempera-
ture even in very cold weather. Under such con-
ditions a wood stove or coal range in the kitchen
is still to be recommended. But where the rest of
the house is equipped with a good heating system
there is no reason why the kitchen should not be
included in the general heating plan. This elimi-
nates the necessity of cooking by coal in hot
weather, when the heat of a coal range is an added
affliction to the cook; it takes from the kitchen all
the burden of dust and ashes; and it adds very lit-
tle in the way of extra fuel to the expense of run-
ning the furnace.

All persons who keep domestic help know that
the coal range is very wastefully run. They also
know that it requires the best grade of intelligence
to run a coal range economically and get results.
As very few mistresses understand the matter them-
selves, and the few that do cannot get maids who
are willing to be trained in matters of economy,
the result is that the coal stove is no longer an econ-
omy and can only hold its place on the ground that
it does its work more satisfactorily than any other
fuel. This is no' longer found to be the case. Gas
stoves, kerosene stoves and electric stoves are all
found to be easier to care for. The coal range is
therefore only retained in homes where it is needed
for supplementary heat or in localities where coal is
low in price.

The necessity thus arises for heating the kitchen﻿66 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

independently of the cook stove. To extend the
furnace heat to the kitchen and provide a hot-air
register or radiator cost from $25 to $40. This
is a very simple matter in the case of a new house.
But in houses where the furnace is already installed
there is not always enough heating capacity to heat
an extra room. In the West very few gas kitch-
ens are heated at all. And, indeed, this is far from
being a serious hardship in a house which is other-
wise well heated. The kitchen is no longer re-
garded as a sitting-room for the family or the maid.
One is always briskly working. In fact, unless
the kitchen is in a cold location or the furnace does
not adequately heat the rest of the house, it is
often safe to ignore this problem. In a case where
the kitchen must be heated and the furnace will not
do it, the coal range should always be retained.
A supplementary gas, electric or kerosene stove
may be used for emergencies and summer cook-
ing.

There are a number of good portable heaters on
the market burning kerosene or gas, and these are
useful for supplementing the furnace heat in any
room. But as they quickly deprive the air of oxy-
gen, a room in which they are used should be well
aired from time to time.

PROVISION FOR KEEPING FOOD AND DISHES
WARM

Of equal importance to the heating of the kitchen
is the problem of keeping food warm and warming﻿HEATING THE KITCHEN 67

dishes that are to be used on the table. This is a
very simple matter in a coal kitchen. The best
coal ranges are equipped with good warming
shelves. Where the warming shelves are not pro-
vided, as in the case of a cheaper range, it is pos-
sible to have a tinsmith make a serviceable sub-
stitute of Japanned iron, which can be placed above
the stove at a convenient height. These iron
shelves should have round holes cut through for
ventilation, and may be supported against the wall
by means of brackets.

In a gas kitchen this matter of warming-shelves
presents much greater difficulty and requires more
thought. With the gas stove we have no longer
a constant radiation of warm air which can be util-
ized not only for the purposes named above, but
for raising bread and drying the kitchen-ware.
These needs must now be provided for in some
other way.

The larger gas ranges have a warming oven
above the elevated baking oven, which is kept hot
by the oven burner when the latter is in use. At
other times the warming oven may be heated by
lighting the pilot burner. In gas ranges having
two baking ovens, one is always available for a
warming oven by using the pilot burner. Even with
these facilities it is a great advantage to have some
kind of supplementary warming appliance. In
kitchens heated by steam or hot water this is easily
managed by purchasing flat-topped grills to fit over﻿68 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

the kitchen radiator. These grills come in different
sizes and may be painted the color of the radiator.
With these the heat of the radiator is always avail-

able to dry kitchen towels, pots and pans and the

Fig. 6.—A Cereal and Plate Warmer of Unit Design (see pages

232-234).

like. Both dining-room and kitchen radiators may
be thus equipped. The grills cost from $2.50 to
$3.00, according to size. The dining-room radiator
grill is very convenient for warming dishes that
do not need to go to the kitchen at all.

In homes where it is possible to have special
warming facilities in the pantry the closet where
the table service is kept may be warmed by having
heating coils pass under the shelves. In other
cases special pantry radiators are manufactured
which have two shelves made of coils heated from
the furnace.

In even the simplest home, this need may be met﻿HEATING THE KITCHEN 69

by having a shelf built back of the three-burner
Junior gas stove in the kitchen. In such a case the
gas stove should be set out a little from the wall.
The shelf may be made the same height and cov-
ered with zinc. A portable oven may be heated
on a regular gas burner and then set back on this
shelf to serve as a warming closet for the dishes.
In such a case it is well to have in addition a two or
four shelf steamer in which food may be placed in
the serving dishes and kept hot until it is ready to
be put on the table.

Plate and Cereal Warming Closets now come as
part of the Unit Storage equipment, described on
pages 232 to 234. They are attractive in appear-
ance and of convenient design. Placed over the
radiators they are found very useful in kitchens
where this need is not otherwise provided for.﻿VI

Hot Water Heating Systems

AN abundant supply of hot water for the
kitchen and bathroom can be obtained at
very moderate maintenance cost if one
knows just the best equipment to select. Enough
money is spent in equipping and running the aver-
age home to insure this comfort. But, strangely
enough, it is the exception and not the rule to find
the hot water situation really successfully handled.

Some systems give good results when properly
installed, but prove very inadequate when the in-
stallation is faulty. Of such are the various meth-
ods of " heating by waste heat." Another prolific
cause of disappointment is the installation of ap-
paratus which turns out to be very expensive to
maintain. This type gives good results, but can-
not be used freely because of the mammoth size of
the monthly bills resulting from anything like a
liberal use of hot water. This condition of affairs
is pitiable when we realize that the amount of
money actually spent, if wisely spent, would have
secured abundance! If one must always be wor-
rying about hot water, why not go back to the old-
fashioned range, with the water-box in the end?

70﻿HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS 71

This type gives very good service and enough hot
water for the needs of careful people. You never
expect to have an abundant supply of hot water
for kitchen or bathroom unless you exercise a cer-
tain amount of forethought. Consequently you
plan ahead, whereas, with a hot-water system that
is supposed to work but does not, you are contin-
ually disappointed and are grieved to find the same
old difficulty arising day after day. It requires
great moral courage to consider your investment a
total failure and have it taken out. But if you
have made a bad selection this course is the only
satisfactory one in the end.

HEATING BY " WASTE HEAT "

Two systems of hot-water heating in very gen-
eral use are based on utilizing the so-called " waste
heat" of the furnace or the kitchen range. These
are satisfactory under favorable conditions and
when well installed. But equipment based on a
better principle is now on the market, and ulti-
mately will replace these types. As few house-
keepers, however, are in a position to choose new
hot-water heating apparatus, we shall first consider
the problem of getting good results from the sys-
tems in common use.

For many years the hot-water supply of the av-
erage home has been heated by means of coils
placed in the fire box O'f the kitchen range, or by
an iron water-back furnished with the range. The﻿72 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

water-back is the one in common use. The suc-
cess of this method has depended on the size and
construction of the range, its efficient management,
and the size of the boiler so connected. Where
the boiler is too large for the heating capacity of
the range, a supply of lukewarm water is the result.
For this there is no remedy but installing a smaller
boiler or a larger range. In families where the
range must be run economically, the amount of fuel
necessary for cooking alone proves insufficient for
giving a satisfactory supply of hot water. In at
least eighty per cent of our homes the coal range
is run at an extravagant waste of fuel, as far as
the requirements of cooking alone are concerned.
This is getting to be a serious matter, now that
coal is growing more expensive every year. The
truth is that the water is not warmed by waste heat,
but by wasted heat — heat that need not be wasted
if the range were not expected to heat the water
in addition to cooking the food. Ranges without
water backs can be run on less than half a ton of
coal a month, and will do a great deal of cooking
under skilful management. One experienced
housekeeper was able to effect this result using
pea coal as fuel. It could not be said that she
accomplished this result by stinting her family (of
five people!), as she was the champion cook of the
neighborhood. Where this system is already in-
stalled, it will be made more effective and econom-
ical by jacketing the boiler (i. e., covering the﻿HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS 73

boiler with some thick substance to prevent radia-
tion and conserve the heat). (See Fig. 8.)

Another system based on the idea of conserving
waste heat makes use of the furnace to heat the
wrater supply during the winter months. Heating
coils are placed in the fire-box of the furnace, and
the water system is connected with these. This
system .is used extensively in private homes, and
the result is in many cases very satisfactory. Here
too, however, the hot water heating is done not by
" waste heat," but by wasted heat; heat that would
not be required for the ordinary purposes of the
furnace. Unfortunately it is impossible to esti-
mate just how much the hot water heating system
takes away from the efficiency of the furnace, or
adds to the operating cost. Heating contractors
tell us that they have to make a liberal extra allow-
ance for houses where heating coils are to be used,
as there is no way of judging how much of the heat
will be diverted by the needs of the water heating
system. Many heating contractors do not recom-
mend this system on that account. It does not
work at all where cheaply constructed furnaces are
used. Under favorable conditions it gives very
satisfactory results.

In very many localities lime deposits in the water
settle in the pipes of the coil, and it is necessary
to take them out at intervals and have them cleansed
or replaced. The cost is about the same in either
case, so it is usually best to put in new ones. The﻿74 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

expense is between six and ten dollars, and may
have to be met every year or every two years, ac-
cording to the locality.

INDEPENDENT HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS

Families who really want to apply the principles
of Scientific Management in their homes, are advised
to select a water heating system that is independent
of both the range and the furnace. It will then be
possible to keep accurate records of fuel expense.
These records will be of immense value to the
housekeeper in economically managing her own
household, and will be of equal value to other
housekeepers. When it is realized in private
homes that intelligent study of the operating ex-
pense will result in more comfortable and more
economical living, we shall begin to develop a real
science of house management.

One of the simplest and most efficient methods
of heating water independently of the range and
furnace is by the use of small coal stoves especially
constructed for the purpose. They are called
" Hot Water or Laundry Heaters," and are con-
nected to the kitchen range boiler. (See Fig. 7.)
They are made in different sizes, adapted to different
boiler capacities, and have either cast iron or brass
water pots. The cast iron is less expensive than the
brass and can be used in localities where the water is
free from substances that act on iron. This sys-
tem is most efficient when the boiler is enclosed in﻿HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS 75

an asbestos jacket to prevent radiation and conserve
the heat of the water. Canvas covered jackets
lined with asbestos are now on the market, made

Fig. 7.— Small laundry heater with iron or brass water pot,
connected with boiler in cellar.

in various sizes to fit different boilers. It is also
advisable to have the fire pot of the heater covered
with plastic asbestos.

In bungalows or very simple country homes this
little heater can be made to serve a double use by
encasing the smoke-pipe and the stove and deliv-
ering the warm air to a room on the second or third﻿76 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

floor. The house at Darien which served as the
first Experiment Station, had a bathroom so heated.
The lower floor only was heated by the house fur-
nace, which consequently was
operated at a minimum ex-
^	pense of time and fuel.

,	This type of hot-water heater

has two advantages over the
other types. It keeps the cellar
free from all dampness in the
summer-time, warming the
floors above it at the same time.
It also acts as a supplementary
stove, where vegetables with
a strong odor may be cooked.
In many small houses where
the kitchen is not well venti-
lated these odors pass from the
kitchen to the dining-room and
often to other rooms, so it is
found to be a great advantage
to have all cooking of this kind
done in the basement.

The cost of the system, using the smallest type
of laundry heater and a thirty-gallon galvanized
iron boiler, is about fifty-two dollars, including
installation. A jacket (see Fig. 8) will cost three
dollars and a half more, making the total cost fifty-
five dollars and a half. This size will furnish an
abundant supply of hot water for a family of five,

Fig. 8.— Canvas jack-
ets lined with asbes-
tos are now on the
market made to fit
any boiler.﻿HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS 77

and can be operated at an average cost of three dol-
lars per months, if pea coal is used for fuel. With
expert management in small families the cost need
not exceed two dollars per month. This cost also
covers its use for laundry purposes. This type of
heater, in larger sizes, has been successfully installed
in houses having several bathrooms, and has given
good results in apartment houses.

In tests by Mr. Charles Barnard at the Experi-
ment Station, the following record was made show-
ing the operating cost of the small heater for a
family of two. These tests also showed the effi-
ciency of the jacket in conserving heat, and in
maintaining the temperature of the water after it
had been heated.

MR, BARNARD'S TEST OF HOT WATER HEATER

After a few preliminary trials to ascertain the fuel
capacity of the heater, the following records were made:

First day, 8.00 a. m. Fire started. Temperature of
water in the boiler, 79 Fahr.; 8.53 a. m., fire checked; 9.30,
temperature of water 90; at 10.30, temperature 106; 2
p. m., fire out; 6130 p. m., temperature of water 90. Coal
burned 7 pounds.

Second day, 9.15 a. m. Started fire; water temperature
82; 2.45 p.m., good fire burning; temperature of water
130. 4.30 p.m., fire out; water temperature 130. Coal
burned, 7 pounds. Other days gave same results.

These results were very satisfactory. A great deal
of hot water was used every day in the kitchen and more or
less used every day in the bath room. The amount of coal
burned was 7 pounds each twenty-four hours. The water
during the day was hot enough for all purposes and often
too hot to touch. The fire burned on an average six
hours out of twenty-four. To secure still greater econ-
omy of heat it was decided to conserve the heat in the﻿78 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

boiler by clothing the boiler with a canvas jacket lined
with asbestos. Such a jacket was drawn over the boiler
and laced together; the temperature of the room being
76, and the water 103.

At 7 a. m. the next morning the fire was started and at
7.30 the fire was checked. At 9 a. m. the water tempera-
ture was 122; at 10.30 a.m., 136; at 2.30 p.m., 136; at
8.00 p. m., 122. During the entire day the room tempera-
ture remained almost stationary, rising only two degrees
in the afternoon.

The next morning the water temperature was 100,
showing a loss in twelve hours with no fire, of only 22
degrees. This conservation of heat showed the efficiency
of the jacket on the boiler. It should also be observed
that the rise in the temperature during the previous day
was greater than before the jacket was put on, the rise
between 7.30 and 10.30 being 37 degrees. The following
day was very warm. With all the windows open the tem-
perature of the room rose slowly from 73 to 79. Be-
tween 8.00 a. m., when the fire was started, and noon, the
temperature of the water rose 42 degrees, and at 9 p. m.
was 130, the fire being out.

Next morning the room temperature was 72 and the
water 108, a loss of heat of only 22 degrees in nine hours.
The fire was started at 10 a. m., and in two hours the tem-
perature of the water was 130. At 4 p. m. the fire was
out, and at 8 p. m. the water had lost only 4 degrees.

Next morning no fire, and at 8 a. m. the water in the
boiler was 104, showing a loss of heat of 22 degrees in
12 hours. At noon the water was 98, showing a total
loss of 32 degrees only in 20 hours. At 1.00 p. m. the
fire was started and at 8.00 p. m. had gone out, the water
at 9.00 p. m. being 145. At 7.00 a. m. next day the tem-
perature of the water was 118, and at 1.00 p.m., 100.
Other trials showed that if the fire burned six hours, the
water would be hot enough for washing the dishes twenty-
four hours after the fire had gone out.

A study of these and many other records showed that
this simple and comparatively inexpensive method of sup-
plying hot water in a country house is both efficient and
economic. On one day the amount of coal burned was
five pounds; on another day, eight pounds, the average
consumption being seven pounds a day. The fire burned﻿HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS 79

about six hours each day; for, so great was the economy
of heat gained by jacketing the boiler that heat once
stored in the boiler was sufficient for dish washing for
twenty-four hours. It was found best to allow the fire
to die out after once heating the water in the boiler, be-
cause a continuous fire would supply more hot water than
could be used in the ordinary work of the house. . . .

From a careful estimate of the amount of hot water
required for a family of five, it is believed that such an
installation would supply all the hot water needed at an
average fuel consumption of not more than fifteen pounds
of nut coal a day.

Such a system as this will give an ample supply
of hot water for the kitchen and one bathroom.
Where a larger supply is needed, it may be secured
by using a larger sized boiler and heater.

LOCATION AND CARE OF THE HOT WATER
HEATER

The cellar is, in most houses, the most conven-
ient place for the heater. The boiler may be placed
in the kitchen in horizontal or vertical position,
or it may be placed in the cellar near the heater.
Under ordinary conditions the latter location is rec-
ommended because it saves valuable kitchen space.
When the boiler must be placed in the kitchen, the
jacket may be painted to match the kitchen walls.

During the months when the furnace is in use
it will require but very little extra care to run the
hot-water heater. Several very efficient makes are
on the market which are exceedingly simple to run,
requiring less care than an ordinary kitchen range,
and much less intelligence. Pea coal, one of the
cheapest sizes of hard coal, gives excellent results.﻿8o THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

HOT WATER BY MEANS OF GAS HEATERS

There are four types of gas heaters on the mar-
ket, and several different makes of each type.

Fig. g.— Represents the type of gas heater with coils outside
the boiler. The drawing at the right shows a view of the
coils when door of drum is open. The figure at the left
shows the heater as it looks when installed in any kitchen.

Whichever type is selected, it is very important to
select the heater which is best of its kind.

The earlier types of gas heater are operated on
the principle of water circulating in heating coils
placed outside the boiler. (See Fig. 9.) While﻿HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS 81

they satisfactorily do the work of heating the water,
there is great loss of fuel efficiency due to radiation.
Much of the heat of the water in the coils is given up

Fig. io.— Illustrates one of the simplest types of hot water
boiler with gas heater enclosed wit'hin boiler. The large
gas burner is located in the lower part of the boiler. It is
lighted by the small gas burner. Cold water enters the
boiler through the cold water inlet. The water to be
heated enters the pipe at D, passes down and up through
the centre of the large burner into disc or water spreader
marked C. Then passes up through the flue to the T at the
top of the boiler. The T connects in one direction with
the boiler itself and in the other with the hot water faucets.
The hot water being heated within the boiler instead of
outside as shown in Fig. 9, is protected from loss of heat
by radiation.

to warm the air of the kitchen. In the cheaper heat-
ers of this type where the coils are of iron instead

JO FIXTURE

b HOT -WAT5R

IT"KCTUR*

Cow

I fi Connection FOR

I'l l -WATER TV>CK,﻿82 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

of brass, the loss due to rapid cooling is a very im-
portant item. This difficulty can be partially over-
come by jacketing the boiler.

COMBINATION BOILER AND HEATER

Special kitchen boilers are now constructed hav-
ing the burners enclosed in the lower end of the
boiler itself. (See Fig. 10.) The heating pipe
passes up through a cylindrical air chamber in the
center of the boiler. There is no loss of heat by
radiation, either from the heating compartment or
the hot water pipe, as these are in contact with the
inner walls of the boiler, and not with the outer air.
Within a few moments of the time when the burner
is lighted hot water is ready to be drawn off.

The best makes are of heavy galvanized iron or
copper, with wooden insulating walls. If not made
with an insulating covering of some kind, it is wise
to encase the outer walls of the boiler with an as-
bestos jacket. These are made to fit any size of
boiler, and cost $3.50. Boilers of this type cost
from $30.00 to $65.00, according to size and make.
They may be connected to the water back of the
ordinary coal range, or to the heating coils of the
furnace. They are therefore available in every
home.

I. AUTOMATIC STORAGE SYSTEMS

The automatic or thermostatically controlled water
heaters of either gas or electric type give an abun-
dant and constant supply of hot water. In operation﻿HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS 83

the entire tank full of water is heated to the desired
temperature, say 130° F. The thermostat is set at
this temperature and as soon as it is reached, the gas
or electric current is at once automatically shut off.
When hot water is drawn off and cold water enters,

Fig. 11.— Illustrates a popular and efficient type of Insulated
Automatic Storage Gas Water Heater. The scientific design
of burner, the simplicity of parts and the durability of con-
struction make the operation and upkeep charges very rea-
sonable.

the heat automatically starts again and continues
until the desired temperature is again reached. This
insures a tank full of hot water at very small con-
sumption of gas or electric current, and without
any attention or handling of fuel. Fig. 11 illus-
trates this type of gas heater.﻿84 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

" INSTANTANEOUS " WATER HEATERS

Two well known and well developed systems of
" instantaneous" water heating are on the market
and are generally recommended by architects for
large and small houses where economy is not a seri-
ously important consideration. The " instantane-
ous " heater, which is somewhat like a stove in ap-
pearance, is equipped with five sections of copper
heating coils. As soon as a hot water faucet is
turned on, an automatic valve lights the powerful gas
burners in the heater and the hot water is forced
to the open faucet. When the faucet is turned off
the valve closes and the flame is extinguished.

These heaters are equipped with temperature
thermometers which automatically maintain a safe
and desirable water temperature. They are often
installed for summer in houses where the water is
heated in winter by coils in the furnace. These
are very convenient and desirable, but must, for the
present at least, be regarded as luxuries within the
reach of only prosperous families. They are ex-
pensive in operating cost, and expensive in repairs.
This, added to the first cost of $155 to $215, includ-
ing installation, makes them prohibitive for families
having an income of less than $5,000.

This conclusion has not been arrived at from
tests at the Experiment Station, but from a careful
consideration of the principles of construction and
of the facts presented by housekeepers who have
had practical experience with this type of heater.﻿HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS 85

As regards the reliability of the manufacturers
and the matter of good construction, we have no
hesitation in stating that these systems do the work
they are said to do. The facts not explained by
the manufacturers or by agents are: the wasteful-
ness of the principle in places where a constant
supply of hot water is not needed, as in a private
home. To produce quick results an extravagant
degree of heat is required for a few moments only.
Furthermore, in case of needed repairs, the com-
plexity of construction makes it an expensive mat-
ter to renew the parts.

KEROSENE WATER HEATERS

A convenient little heater made on the principle
of the blue-flame kerosene stove is now on the mar-
ket, and does very satisfactory work. It is con-
structed with copper coils outside the boiler. As
we have already explained, the defect of this sys-
tem is loss of heat through radiation. By jacket-
ing the boiler the heat of the water can be con-
served. In a two-months' test at the author's sum-
mer home, we found that it took two hours to heat
a forty-gallon boiler, and that the cost, with kero-
sene at fifteen cents a gallon, was a little over two
cents an hour.

When it comes to quoting the cost of any plumb-
ing fixtures or apparatus and giving the cost of in-
stallation, only approximate figures can be given.
The manufacturers sell only to their agents and
allow a very wide margin between the quoted price﻿86 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

and the price at which the fixtures may actually be
sold. Then again plumbers have to supply fittings
and time that vary widely according to the location
of each appliance. So it is always necessary to get
accurate quotations of a local plumber of just
what it will cost in a given case.

SUMMARY OF HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS

The following summary will be helpful in re-
viewing the resources at the command of the house-
keeper. The cost of installing these different sys-
tems is given on pages 243-244.

Group I. Abundant and constant supply of hot water.

a.	Automatic storage systems. Both gas and elec-

tric. Insulated storage tank.

b.	Instantaneous, using gas as a fuel.

Group II. Constant but limited supply of hot water.
The amount depending on the size of storage tank and
the size and efficiency of the heater. May be used the
year round or to supplement water heated during
winter by furnace coils.

a.	Water back in kitchen range run with coal.

(Not satisfactory for wood stoves.)

b.	Water heated by laundry and tank heaters. (See

pages 74-79-)

c.	Water heated by gas-coils inside the tank or

boiler. (See pages 81-82.)

Coils outside the boiler. (See page 80, Fig. 9.)

d.	Water heated by one or two burner kerosene

heaters. (See pages 85-86.)

Group III. Water heated by means of coils in fur-
nace or attached to furnace.﻿HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS 87

CHOOSE THE TYPE BEST ADAPTED TO YOUR
NEED AND INCOME

From the wide range of excellent appliances on the
market, there is a type that is best fitted to each
individual need. Often the matter must be decided
on the basis of initial expense; sometimes the de-
cision will turn upon the choice of the most labor-
saving type. In many other cases the cost of upkeep
will far outweigh other considerations. Then again,
it may seem necessary to have abundant hot water
at short notice. It must be remembered in decid-
ing upon either system of coal-fired type, that they
are still the lowest in operating cost for the service
they render. Both the coal range and the tank heat-
ers also help to heat the house during the cool days
preceding the need of a furnace fire and thus they
serve two purposes. The success of any system de-
pends upon its meeting the need of the individual
home, as well as on its being correctly installed. It
is an important matter to the comfort of the family
and one should get estimates only from reliable
plumbers. While all systems are high in cost, it
pays more than ever to get the best of its kind.

Any one of the systems in Group I and Group II
can be used to supplement Group III.

To get the best results from the types of heaters
in Group II, one should heat a full tank of water
early in the day and then reduce the heat or turn it
off entirely. In localities where water is hard or
corrosive, brass piping should be used.﻿VII

Choice of Fuel for Cooking

THERE are six safe fuels for kitchen use:
wood, coal, gas, kerosene, denatured al-
cohol and electricity. Cooking appliances
have been so perfected that any one of these may
be used to meet the needs of the household. The
choice is largely a matter of expediency and cost.

WOOD

Wood was the first fuel to be used, and is still
in general use in farming communities where each
family has a wood lot, and can obtain its supply
at small expense. It is a very satisfactory fuel
under right conditions, and does not require the
skill and forethought necessary to successfully man-
age a coal range. It cannot furnish sustained heat
and is therefore practicable only in kitchens where
there is no modern plumbing or where a separate
heater is installed to heat the water supply. The
chief annoyance connected with its use is that it
blackens the bottom of the cooking utensils. The
most serious disadvantage of cooking with wood
has been overcome by the perfecting of the fireless
cooker. Any long process like baking or steam-
ing used to be very troublesome because the wood

88﻿CHOICE OF FUEL FOR COOKING 89

fire had to be constantly watched and renewed.
Now the wood stove may be used for heating the
kitchen and for quick results, and all slow-cooking
processes completed in the fireless cooker.

COAL

In 1850 coal stoves for cooking began to be gen-
erally manufactured, and forty years later we find
the modern coal range with water-back connection
in almost every prosperous home except in the
country districts. As long as coal was reasonable
in price and domestic labor available for the aver-
age home, the coal range held its own. Its final
displacement is due to the same influences that
have brought automobiles into use instead of horses
— the demands of an age that must get the max-
imum quick results from the minimum effort.

The coal range is undoubtedly still a valuable re-
source under right conditions. But in the hands of
ignorant " help" or untrained housekeepers it is
ruinously wasteful of both fuel and time. Unless it
has expert management it does not do its work ef-
fectively; and it fills the kitchen with dust and dirt.
The most perfect types of coal range have now
overcome some of the disadvantages that cling to
the general class. Used in combination with a gas
stove the coal range can be run economically and
without waste of time, as the fire can be main-
tained at an even heat and the gas sfove used for
emergency cooking, or when a very hot tempera-
ture is required for a short time. Baking can be﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

done when a fresh fire is made, or can be concen-
trated in one or two days a week when the fire is

kchute
WAnPifth

Fig. 12.—Shows lower portion of a coal range equipped with
ash damper and chute to ash can in cellar.

run at a baking heat. At other times the small
gas oven can be used to better advantage.

The best types of coal range are now equipped
with oven thermometers, which are found accurate
enough for practical purposes. Even housekeepers
who have learned to cook by old-fashioned methods
find these a great help.

A few ranges are so constructed that the ashes
are emptied directly into* a shaft beneath the grate
leading to an ash can in the cellar. (See Fig. 12.)
Both shaft and ash can are so enclosed as to confine﻿CHOICE OF FUEL FOR COOKING 91

all the dust. In this way the dirt of the coal range
is taken out of the kitchen, and one of its worst dis-
advantages is overcome. Ranges not so constructed
may be altered over by an ingenious mechanic. Di-
rections for doing this are given in a bulletin of the
Cornell Reading Course.

Coal stoves without water backs cost from $30
to $60 installed. For a superior range with water
back one must pay at least $90. It will cost about
$30 more to purchase and install a hot water boiler.
By this means one has made adequate provision for
the cooking needs of the family and at the same time
solved the hot water heating problem at a total in-
vestment of $120. One may use an electric fireless
cooker for small cooking operations that can be
done more conveniently by electricity; or one may
have a kerosene range for summer use and all
quick cooking operations. It is a decided advan-
tage not to use the coal range in summer. With a
kerosene stove one can run the coal range more
economically, as it can be banked for the day after
a noon dinner or the heavy cooking is finished.
The supplementary appliance enables one to run the
range with much economy of fuel and time. It
stands ready for all emergency needs.

GAS

It is not more than thirty years since gas began
to be used extensively as a kitchen fuel. Its advan-
tages were first evident in those localities where﻿92 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

natural gas was found, and could be piped direct
to houses. Then it was discovered that gas could
be manufactured from coal and used generally as a
fuel throughout the United States. At first the
process of manufacture was very expensive. Sev-
enty years ago gas was sold in New York City
for $7.00 per thousand feet. To-day the average
price is $1.00 a thousand. In many places it is
as low as eighty cents; and a St. Louis firm re-
cently advertised it for fifty cents! Where the cost
is one dollar a thousand or less it is more economical
than coal for the kitchen, because its use can be
more easily regulated from the point of view of
economy.

Even after gas had been proved to be an economi-
cal and efficient fuel, and excellent stoves had been
put on the market, it made its way but slowly in
private homes, because of the conservatism and
prejudice against an innovation. Then gas stoves
began to be used in Western kitchens without the
coal range. Finally vigorous campaigns of educa-
tion were conducted by gas companies in the East,
until the old prejudice was replaced by an active
interest in the new fuel. The development of the
fireless cook stove and steam cooker has also added
greatly to the natural advantages of gas for cook-
ing.

To sum up the various points in which gas has
been helpful in solving the home-maker's problem
of efficiency:﻿CHOICE OF FUEL FOR COOKING 93

1.	It is a clean fuel, being wholly free from dust and

ashes, and requires the minimum care to keep the
stove in good condition.

2.	It can be used as needed, the expense stopping instantly

when the burner is turned off.

3.	It conserves the time of the worker, being alwa} s

ready for quick results.

4.	It is easy to handle and gives good results, even when

used with only mediocre intelligence.

5.	With study and intelligent use it gives uniform results,

and develops a high degree of efficiency.

The choice of a gas stove is determined the
size of the family and the amount of income. A
great number of very good stoves are on the
market, and in such variety that every need can
be met. For a home where only a minimum ex-
pense can be incurred $12.50 will buy a three-burner
Junior gas stove with oven. (See Figs. 17 and 18.)
A family able to afford a more lavish kitchen can
spend $100 for the latest type of gas range with
insulated oven. A moderate priced range selling for
around $50 comes in a number of splendid makes.
Gas stoves are discussed in detail, pages 105 to in.

ELECTRICITY

Electricity has very many of the advantages of
gas, and in addition does not exhaust the oxygen
in the air. It can also be installed in smaller space
than the gas stove requires. Its chief drawbacks at
present are the high price of the electric current
and the costliness of electric equipment. The
former problem is being solved in some communi-
ties. In certain parts of England electricity for﻿94 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

cooking purposes has been offered at a rate of one
cent per kilo-watt hour. This is unheard of in the
United States, where seven cents is an average rate,
and ten or twelve not at all unusual. In only
a few favored localities is as low a rate as five cents
offered.

The high price of electric appliances for cooking
is partly due to the necessity for using only the best
materials, such as nickel and copper in their manu-
facture; partly also to the fact that they must be
well and skilfully made. Electric ranges at present
cost from $60 to $225; and small appliances are
proportionately expensive. The excellent quality
of these utensils will, however, be a great advan-
tage in the long run, once the problem of the rate
of current has been solved. A very perfect elec-
tric fireless cooker has been lately put on the market.
The first cost is high compared with the price of
other fireless cookers. But it enables the house-
keeper who employs no maid to do her cooking
with the maximum economy of time and fuel.
This cooker can be operated with great advantage
wherever the rate does not exceed seven cents per
kilo-watt hour.

KEROSENE

The cheapness of kerosene and the development
of good types of blue-flame kerosene stoves have
made this fuel a great resource in communities
where it is not possible to obtain gas. When used
in connection with a fireless cooker and a steamer,﻿MBm

Convenient country kitchenette, Wilton, Conn. Laundry tub at left. Storage
space for utensils well planned. Fireless-cooker at right. Blue flame kero-
sene range opposite sink﻿tht library

of the
university of illinois﻿CHOICE OF FUEL FOR COOKING 95

a good three-burner kerosene stove with a two-
burner portable oven (Fig. 17) is sufficient to meet
the needs of a family of five or six people.

There are two types of stove, those having wicks
and those without; and a great many makes of
each type. Some are good and some are not worth
buying. Indeed there is no part of the kitchen
equipment more important to choose with care than
the kerosene stove and oven.

The best manufacturers carry a very complete
repair stock, so that worn-out parts may be renewed.
These stoves need intelligent care, and those with
wicks must have the wicks frequently renewed.
Otherwise they burn with a disagreeable odor.
The inside of the enameled drum protecting the
flarne should be wiped out weekly and left thor-
oughly dry. The burner parts must be taken off
and brushed with a stiff brush to prevent clogging.
Especial care should be taken not to let liquids boil
over and run down into the burners.

A highly perfected cooking device which may be
run by kerosene is the Aladdin oven. In this the
cooking is done inside an insulated oven, sixteen by
fourteen by seventeen inches. The oven is heated
by means of a large kerosene lamp or a Bunsen
burner. This oven has not been used as exten-
sively as it deserved on account of the cost, which
is in the neighborhood of $25.00. This often seems
to housekeepers prohibitive when so many kerosene
utensils are offered for very much less.﻿96 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

It should be remembered, however, that first cost
is only one of many considerations in deciding
whether one article is really cheaper than another.
Efficiency, operating cost, satisfactory service in
the long run are factors infinitely more important.
And this is particularly true of the more permanent
utensils and equipment of the kitchen. When
home-makers realize this they will be willing to
economize on unessential things, and will gladly
pay higher prices for honest tools which are really
efficient for the work they are supposed to do.

Kerosene of the right specific gravity is a safe
fuel when used with ordinary precautions. The
law in the several states regulates the specific
gravity; and the housekeeper herself must exercise
the necessary precautions. The stove should never
be filled when it is lighted; nor should it be left
lighted when the housekeeper goes out. Food that
needs long cooking may be finished in the fireless
cooker and the kerosene flame turned out. It is
also important to keep the kerosene in a safe place
outside the house and beyond the reach of the chil-
dren.

ELECTRICITY REPLACES DENATURED ALCOHOL

Denatured alcohol, which in 1914 was considered
a promising and desirable fuel for country homes, is
now practically relegated to oblivion. Electricity is
so much more convenient that it no longer pays to
manufacture alcohol appliance.﻿CHOICE OF FUEL FOR COOKING 97

WIRING FOR ELECTRIC APPLIANCE

While one can connect small electric appliance to
the regular house lighting system, it is much better
to have two separate circuits for the electric appli-
ance. Heavier wires are used for this purpose. The
electric iron, which is in constant use, consuming
about 570 watts, should be placed on a circuit by
itself. The second appliance circuit may carry eight
floor plug outlets or base receptacles, to which any of
the other pieces of electric appliance can be con-
nected. These floor plug receptacles come with sin-
gle or double outlets, so that one can use two pieces
of appliance from the same socket. It costs $5 to $10
more to instal these separate service wires, but it
protects one from having any part of the house
lighting put out of commission when a fuse is blown.
There is always some one in every home to do the
unexpected, so it is wise to guard against conditions
that cause annoyance and inconvenience.

With the extensive use of electricity in the home,
all adult members should be instructed in replacing
fuses and a supply should be kept on hand. If the
house has not been specially wired for appliance,
the different members should be cautioned about
overloading a house-lighting circuit when using a
double plug. An ordinary circuit will carry 660
watts. Each piece of appliance is distinctly marked
with the amount of wattage it will consume. Thus
one could connect two pieces of appliance that did﻿98 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

not together require more than 660 watts, but if the
combined wattage exceeds that amount the circuit
would be overloaded and a fuse would be blown.
Part of the house lighting would be shut off and
one would be deprived of the use of the appliance
until a new fuse was put in.

Special wiring is necessary if an electric range is
to be installed. Wiring for an electric range may
cost $20 or more, so this expense must be added to
the initial expense of the range. The expense would
have to be repeated every time one moved, as few
houses are equipped with power wires. The range
is connected to a special metre and lower rates are
given for cooking. There is a plug on the side of
the range to which one can attach the electric iron,
toaster, electric fireless cooker, etc., and thus get the
benefit of the lower power rate.

It will readily be seen that one ought to know
what electric appliance one expects to use before
planning the wiring of the house. The outlets can
then be located much more conveniently and one has
the advantage of having all appliance on separate
circuits, as above described. In preparing a list of
appliance, consult the list given on pages 236, 244-
245.﻿VIII

Selecting the Fixed Equipment

IN Chapters I and III we have shown how to so
locate the fixed equipment of the kitchen that
it will best conserve the energy and time of the
worker. Now we come to an equally important
consideration, the selection of the equipment itself.
The four kitchen accessories which cost the most
money and on which, more than any others, the
comfort of the worker depends, are the sink, stove,
work-table and refrigerator. Two of these, the
sink and the stove, are usually supplied by the land-
lord in the rented house. But as they are often
defective and need attention and replacing, it is
highly important for the home-maker, whether she
rents or owns her own home, to thoroughly under-
stand the principles which make for efficiency in
these two important adjuncts to the modern kitchen.

The sink ought to be of a material that is easily
kept clean. It should have open plumbing, and
should be set at a convenient height for the worker.
The best height for a woman 5 feet 2 inches tall
is to have the working surface of the sink set 28^2
inches from the floor. A sink which rests on legs

99﻿ioo THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

is almost always too low; so it is best to get the
type which is attached to the wall by concealed
hangers. (See Fig. 13.) To properly strengthen
the wall for this purpose have a board of the proper
size and thickness nailed to the studs from which to
suspend the hangers.

Fig. 13.— White enameled wall-type of sink, size 20x30, at-
tached to wall by concealed hangers. Another very popular
model is illustrated on page 168.

The most popular type of sink is the model with
back, drain-board and sink all moulded in one piece.
Such a sink is absolutely sanitary, as there are no
crevices in which dirt or grease can gather. This is
often called the Kitchenette Model, because it is very
popular for the small kitchen. If made of a good
grade of enamel on iron it is very serviceable. It
comes with three different styles of rims, straight,
roll rim and apron. The straight rim is the least
expensive and costs about $20.00 for a sink of aver-﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 101

age size. The roll rim costs $27.00 and the apron
front $34.00. The average cost of installing such
a sink is about $8.00 and faucets, trap and fittings
will cost at least $6.00 more. If equipped with the
popular swinging faucet, the cost would be at least
$3,00 more. While the Kitchenette Sink comes
with either right or left drain-board, it is more con-
venient for dish-washing to have the drain-board on
the left side. This model with drain-boards on both
sides is much more expensive and is too large for a
kitchenette.

Porcelain and crockery sinks come in the same
designs as enamelled iron sinks, but are a great deal
more expensive.

Certain mail order houses now have plumbing de-
partments and furnish sinks of many types suitable
for inexpensive camps as well as expensive homes.
They have a reliable staff of experts to work out
careful directions for installation which they furnish
without charge. With this aid " the handy man of
the house " can instal the sink and save the plumb-
ing charge. If a plumber is to instal the sink, it is
better to let him order it.

For country homes or farm houses a large sink
is very useful. A very practical model is the soap-
stone sink with splasher back. This comes in a
large enough size to place dishpan and drainer in
the sink. Such a sink will cost about $35.00 in-
stalled.

While the cost of an iron sink, when properly﻿102 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

encased in a frame and protected at back and on
drain-boards with zinc, will not be far from the
cost of the inexpensive grade of enameled-ware,
they will stand harder service and would be better
for the farm house than the enameled-ware. How-
ever the soap-stone meets that need so well that
other types are hardly worth while considering. In
some farm houses the sinks are made of copper
and there are two set side by side. One is used
for washing the dirty dishes and the other for
scalding or rinsing dishes. This is an excellent
plan where there are many dishes to be washed
and proves a great advantage also in boarding-
houses. The second sink has many uses besides
that of scalding the dishes. It is invaluable for
cleaning and preparing vegetables. Many things
like spinach, which require abundant rinsing, could
be handled with great facility with such an arrange-
ment. Such sinks are found in the kitchenettes of
dining-cars on the Pullman system and are made of
German silver. An immense amount of dish-
washing is done by one person in a very short
time. In these kitchenettes there is no room for
storing dirty dishes. Everything must be washed
up immediately and put away.

It is a great convenience in a kitchen to have
ample drain-boards, preferably at both left hand
and right. But if only one is possible it should
be placed on the left hand side. Sometimes there
is room for a small one on the right and a long﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 103

one on the left. With this arrangement the dishes
can be piled up on the right hand end ready to
wash. Where there is not room for even a small
drain-board on the right side, a table on castors
or a wheel cart may be used instead. It is best to
avoid handling anything more than once, so the
wheel cart should hold its load until all the dishes
have been transferred to the dish-pan.

Wooden drain-boards are usually made of ash,
and oiled. They are not very attractive in appear-
ance; so many housekeepers prefer the enameled-
ware ones to match the sink.

Some housekeepers have the ash drain-boards
painted white and enameled. This is possible in
kitchens where the work is done deftly but would
not be practical for the average kitchen where the
boards get hard wear. Zinc-covered drain-boards
are the most satisfactory where durability is an
essential. A cheaper grade of wood may be se-
lected where they are to be covered with zinc.

The sink should have open plumbing so that it
is always possible to get at the pipes and so that
the light and air can keep everything clean. The
connection with the waste pipe is made by means
of a trap (a bend in the pipe devised to retain
enough water to act as a seal and prevent the pas-
sage of foul air back into the room).

Figures 14 and 15 show two types of trap in com-
mon use. Figure 16 shows a trap not properly
constructed. If the water does not stand at least﻿io4 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

one inch in the bend it is likely to evaporate and
fall below the bend and thus break the seal.

Plumbers tell us that very few housekeepers
realize the importance of flushing the pipes with

Figs. 14 and 15 are known as S-trap and bottle-trap. The
water standing above bend is called the water seal.

Fig. 16 represents a defective S-trap. The water does not
rise above the bend and permits foul gases to get out into
the room.

Note.— Reprinted by courtesy of Whitcomb & Barrows
from "House Sanitation," by Marion Talbot.

plenty of hot water every day. If this were done,
and if proper precautions were taken to prevent an
excessive amount of grease from getting into the
dish water, there would be very few cases of
stopped-up sinks and no unpleasant odors.

For various reasons fully explained in Chap-﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 105

ters VI and VII, new kitchens are being fitted
up with gas stoves and separate water-heating
systems instead of the customary coal range with
water-back connection. This is because the gas
stove is free from dust and ashes and requires
less skill to handle, and because its heat, is availa-
ble the instant it is needed. In country kitchens
where gas is not available kerosene or electric
stoves are practical for small families, used in
connection with a good fireless cook-stove and
steamer. For large families where it is desira-
ble to retain the coal range it will be found an
economy of time and fuel to purchase a gas or
kerosene stove for supplementary use in cooking.
It is often necessary to heat something up quickly
when the coal range is banked for the afternoon;
instead of starting up the range or going without
what one wants, the small stove can be lighted and
used instead. It is not to be recommended to re-
place the coal stove with gas, unless both the heat-
ing and hot-water problems are properly solved. In
houses where the heating system is adequate it is
not a vital matter to have the kitchen heated, but
in a large majority of cases, the houses are poorly
built and equipped with inadequate furnaces and
would be very uncomfortable without the extra
heat from the coal stove. It should also be re-
membered that provision must be made for heating
the house in the late spring and early fall when
furnace heat is only needed part of the day. These﻿io6 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

provisions having been made, the next question to
decide is what make of gas stove to select.

Gas stoves of such excellent make are on the
market, and in such great variety, that it is possible
to find something especially suitable for each kitchen
and at a price that any one can afford. To give
some idea of the range of choice we have divided
the different types into groups, giving with each
group the approximate price and the outfit that
should be purchased in order to use the gas most
economically. The gas kitchen is never complete
without the fireless cooker, and while this is not
included in each group it is understood to be a
necessary part of the outfit.

Gas stoves have been long enough on the market
to furnish the home-maker with one of the surest
of all tests for reliability, " the test of time." Un-
less you can secure reliable information about new
makes it will be best to select a stove made by a well
known and reliable firm. And they manufacture
among them almost every known type of stove,
fitted to every need and condition. Certain special
features may be found in one make and not in an-
other, so it is a good plan to look the field over
before you make your choice. Your local dealer can
get any type that you prefer, but he will generally
try to get you to buy something that he has in stock,
irrespective of whether or not it is for your best
interest.

It is not wise as a rule to send too far away for﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 107

your stove, because long distance negotiations are
inconvenient in case of defects or necessary repairs.

In general the features of a gas stove to be
especially noted are the following:

1.	Good burners that can be adjusted to varying

pressure of gas permit economical use.

2.	Good construction. Best stoves are made of

steel and have ovens insulated with two lay-
ers of asbestos with dead air space between.

3.	Simplicity of design. No elaborate ornamenta-

tion which requires time and labor for polish-
ing.

4.	Good-sized oven. An 18-inch oven is very su-

perior to a 16-inch, promoting economy in
baking.

5.	Elevated oven and broiler, to prevent awkward

and trying bending over.

6.	Provision for carrying off fumes of gas, either

by connection with flue or by means of small
register and hood for ventilation.

7.	Facilities for warming dishes. In some types

of range this need is provided for. In
smaller stoves special supplementary arrange-
ments may be made. See pages 68 and 69,
Chapter V.

8.	Proper location to insure good light.

9.	Proper height.

10.	Proper fire protection for wall back of stove.

11.	Fire protection under stove.

The following conveniences add to the attrac-﻿io8 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

tiveness and price of gas stoves, but do not increase
their efficiency:

1.	Glass doors, convenient for watching the prog-

ress of baking, but easily broken by draughts
of cold air on over-heated glass.

2.	White enameled lining to oven, drip-pan and

broiler.

3.	Additional oven. Ranges having a small and

a large oven, convenient and desirable in
small families doing much entertaining and
for large families.

4.	Special reflector arrangement which acts as an

index if oven light goes out. (Does not add
to expense, only found in one make.)

5.	Special arrangement of burners, differing in

different makes.

THE COST OF VARIOUS TYPES OF GAS STOVES

I.	The least expensive form of gas stove is known
as the gas plate. It comes in one, two, or three-
burner size. It must be placed on a cabinet or low
table to make it a convenient working height. This
type is in great demand because it is efficient, inex-
pensive, portable, and adapted to many needs. (See
Fig. 18.) Combined with a well constructed porta-
ble oven it makes a complete cooking unit for about
$12.50.

II.	The gas range having the largest sale is the
cabinet type, illustrated figure 19. This model has
all the features which make up a perfect gas range.﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 109

It has the elevated oven; is equipped with heat con-
trol; and is of durable construction and beautiful

Fig. 17.—Double portable oven to be used with the gas stove
shown below.

appearance. It comes in many sizes adapted to
kitchenettes or large kitchens. It has a warming
closet at the top, a baking oven on either right or
left side, and a broiling oven underneath. It comes
in either semi-enamel or full enamel finish. The

Fig. 18.—The simplest and least expensive type of gas stove.

cost of this range is from $135.00 to $150.00.
Much less expensive ranges of similar appearance
sell for $75.00 to $85.00. It must be remembered
that superior construction and design are responsible﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

for the higher price and are worth the difference in
cost.

There seems to be a very general misconception


,/,//; Z=^=^z_///fa


Wr

Fig. 19.—Most popular model of gas range. All white enamel
with automatic heat control.

about the heat control device. Two questions are
often asked. Can any range be equipped with the
heat control and is the device practical if the pressure
of the gas is not uniform? It cannot be added to
any range, because there is a difference in construc-﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT hi

tion of burners of the ranges equipped with auto-
matic heat control. It is practical irrespective of
the gas pressure because the regulator depends on
the heat generated, not on the pressure of the gas.
This regulator not only maintains a uniform baking
temperature but is a decided economy. It is stated
that in five years it will save sufficient gas to pay
for the range.

III.	Besides the two general types of gas stoves
referred to above one finds a great many models
meeting special conditions. These vary from $20.00
to $60.00 in price and include what are called Cook-
ers, Box-type ranges, etc. In general, under this
head, one might group all the types of gas stoves
which in the past were popular models but which
have lost favor today because of the more perfect
construction and appearance of the Cabinet model
described in Group II. They still are manufactured
and still meet special needs. They are less ex-
pensive in cost and perfectly satisfactory for those
who feel they cannot afford a high-priced range.

IV.	Gas Ranges with Hoods and Insulated Ovens.
A gas stove having a special insulated oven and
equipped with hoods which can be lowered over the
burners on the top of the stove to make them serve
as heat-retaining compartments, is also on the mar-
ket. It is a very superior range and endorsed by
every housekeeper who has purchased it. The fire-
less cooking feature reduces the amount of time
required for actual cooking, so it proves very eco-﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

nomical in the use of gas. The cook book accom-
panying it has an accurate time table for cooking
operations by this method. The cost of different
sized ranges is from $55.00 to $200.00.

V.	Combination gas and fireless cook-stove. Two
kinds:

1. Consists of wooden cabinet containing com-
partments for fireless cooker and its utensils with
a four-burner gas stove above. The elevated baking
oven with warming oven above and broiling oven
below is located at the right-hand side and the four
top burners are on the left-hand side. The cabinet
on which the stove rests is made of weathered oak
instead of iron or steel, and contains a compartment
for storing the utensils to the fireless cooker and two
open compartments in which the fireless cookers re-
main when not in use.

VI.	Combination Coal and Gas Ranges. These
ranges have been perfected to meet the needs of
homes where the coal range has been used and there
is no provision for heating the kitchen if the coal
range is replaced by a gas range. In the eight-
burner type—four coal holes and four gas burners—
they are extensively used and give great satisfaction.
They are fully discussed on pages 113 and 114.

KEROSENE STOVES AND RANGES

The desirability of kerosene as a cooking fuel
has been discussed in Chapter VII. While a num-
ber of cheap stoves of each kind are on the market﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 113

they cannot be recommended as being economical
to purchase where length of service is required.
They may do for a season's use or two, but for a
permanent investment we recommend only stoves of
the best make.

Blue-flame kerosene stoves come in two, three and
four-burner type, and in either the portable form or
on cabinet bases. The cost of a reliable make with
oven will be from $30.00 to $40.00.

A well perfected wickless type of kerosene stove
and range is designed to burn gas generated from
kerosene in the burner bowl. In efficiency they
nearly equal gas stoves. These efficient kerosene
stoves come in a number of different models, of
from one to five burners. It is an advantage to
purchase a type with mantel or shelf above. Such
a range in four or five-burner size is recommended
for a family of average size. If a smaller stove is
purchased it may be supplemented by an electric
fireless cooker, or by one requiring pre-heated
radiators.

COAL RANGES AND COMBINATION RANGES

The advantages of the Coal Range have been fully
stated on page 91, together with the approximate
cost of different types. Most of us today are more
familiar with gas stoves and prefer them, because
there is no handling of fuel and because they give
such instant response to cooking needs. There are
many homes, however, which need the kind of﻿ii4 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

service which the coal range offers as well as the
quick, adaptable qualities of the gas range. To meet
this need, manufacturers have perfected the Com-
bination Coal and Gas Range. The best makes of
these have four coal holes and four gas burners,
giving ample capacity for cooking. These ranges are
found very satisfactory. They are especially pop-
ular in districts where soft coal is available. An-
other model has only two burners and four coal
holes. This type has not been found adequate. It
is much better to purchase a range with ample gas
capacity and of the best design, although it will cost
from $100.00 to $115.00 installed.

Where hard coal is used for a fuel it is necessary
to make convenient arrangements in the cellar for its
storage and for the work of sifting ashes. For this
purpose no piece of appliance is so useful as a rotary
ash sifter fitting over a barrel or ash-can. While
this costs in the neighborhood of five dollars, it pays
for itself in a short time. Even with careful man-
agement a certain amount of unburned coal passes
through with the ashes. With careless management
the loss is very high. Nowr that anthracite costs so
much, the saving by this care amounts to a consid-
erable item.

ELECTRIC RANGES

Electric ranges of superior construction and de-
sign now come in sizes adapted to every need. They
make a strong appeal to the home-maker living in﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 115

sections where the gas range is not available as well
as to city residents who have tiny kitchenettes.
Since electricity does not exhaust the oxygen of the
air and is the cleanest of all fuels, it is especially
desirable for small kitchens and light housekeeping.

Electric ranges have been perfected only after
years of careful research work and experimentation,
They are necessarily the most expensive of all
ranges, and should last a life time. It is very im-
portant that one purchase the best type available.
Special wiring is necessary to carry the current re-
quired by an electric range, and this expense must
be considered as well as the cost of the range. These
ranges come in three different models suited to the
needs of apartments, kitchenettes and large houses.
They cost from $60.00 to $225.00.

Cooking by electricity is fairly economical where
one can secure a rate of three cents per kilo-watt
hour or lower. But even where such a rate cannot
be secured, the electric fireless cooker can be op-
erated economically. The advantage of the electric
fireless cooker over the type having pre-heated
radiators is found in not having to pre-heat the
radiators. The amount of work involved is slight,
but unless one heats the radiators over a gas stove,
there is difficulty in getting them hot enough, as in
the case of a coal range, or danger of getting them
sooty on a kerosene stove if the flame is not care-
fully adjusted. Therefore the electric fireless cooker
would be chosen wherever electricity is available.
See Fig. 30, page 162.﻿n6 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

THE WORK-TABLE AND ITS ACCESSORIES

The advantages of having the work-table so ar-
ranged that the wall space back of it may be
available for shelves was spoken of in the chapter on
" Built-in Conveniences" (pages 48 to 51). The
convenience and desirability of this arrangement
cannot be over-emphasized. In fact, the type of ta-
ble selected is of far less importance than the proper
placing of it so that the worker has her supplies

conveniently at hand and a good light to work
by'

The cheapest kitchen table is one measuring 36
inches and selling for about $4.00. Such a table
has a single drawer for cutlery. The top may be
covered with a good grade of table oil-cloth, but it
is advisable to have it covered with zinc. This adds
about $3.00 to the cost, but it will be found worth
the difference in price because the various labor-
saving utensils may be clamped to the edge without
disfiguring the table.

Kitchen tables with porcelain tops and white
enamel finish cost around $13.00. They are finer in
appearance but no more convenient.

A specialized type of kitchen table with con-
veniently arranged drawers and bins is now obtain-
able in many different models. They are a form of
low kitchen cabinet without a top. Some manu-
facturers call them " less than cabinet height units."
They may be purchased as part of a unit system﻿■Mi

Narrow type of kitchen cabinet adapted
to small kitchenettes. Other units of
uniform design can be purchased in
which to store kitchen equipment,
dishes, cleaning outfit, etc.﻿THt LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 117

(described on pages 232-234) or as individual equip-
ment. They replace the old-fashioned pastry table,
but cost a good deal more.

A cabinet base like this, with two narrow shelves
above it, can be used in almost any kitchen. It is
a good investment for the home-maker who must
live in rented houses, because both the table and
shelves can be easily carried about and adapted to
different conditions.

KITCHEN CABINETS

These are especially desirable for families who
do not own their own homes. They should, in fact,
be considered a necessity in families who are unable
to have permanent home centers. A well designed
kitchen cabinet will make almost any kitchen con-
venient. A number of excellent designs are on the
market, and equipped with every kind of convenience
imaginable. As there is such great variety to choose
from, and as some of the appointments especially
appeal to certain housekeepers and do not appeal to
others, it is important to get the particular type you
will like to use for a lifetime, and cost is a secondary
consideration. Very expensive types have the inside
of the cabinet painted with white enamel and a white
porcelain enamel pastry board or " bake board," as it
is sometimes called. These cost in the neighborhood
of $75.00. A very desirable type can be bought for

$57-50-

A well made kitchen cabinet must be made of﻿ii8 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

good wood, well-seasoned. The finish also adds to
its cost, but the most important consideration is
the wood. Poorly seasoned wood warps and swells
and is a constant annoyance in opening and closing
drawers. Another point to remember in selecting
a cabinet is the outfit of utensils that go with the
different types. For a housekeeper fitting out with
everything new a cabinet containing a complete list
of containers will save her at least $10.00 in the
utensils she will have to purchase. If one already
has this outfit a type of cabinet may be selected that
does not include them, or one can buy the base alone
and depend on having narrow shelves fastened to the
wall above it to hold the supplies.

A home-made kitchen cabinet can be contrived
with moderate expense, in families where the hus-
band or brother is handy with tools, and where out-
side labor need not be called in. If both lumber
and labor must be purchased, the cost will equal
that of the ready-made cabinet. With a home-
made cabinet the wall space can be used to the best
possible advantage. The cost of building a cabinet
of this kind will be approximately $31.

THE REFRIGERATOR

" There are two questions which almost every
woman asks when she buys a refrigerator," said a
representative of one of the best refrigerator com-
panies the other day, " and neither of these has any-
thing to do with the problem of refrigeration. One
question relates to the outside finish, and the other﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 119

to the appearance of the inside/' The first essen-
tial in a good refrigerator, the most important con-
sideration, is its construction, insuring perfect insu-
lation and circulation of air-currents. The outside
casing is only important as regards durable, seasoned
wood or metal, with tight fitting joints.

As the whole value of the refrigerator lies in its
maintaining a low and uniform temperature, this
matter of insulation is of the first importance. To
thoroughly protect the inside of the refrigerator
from atmospheric conditions it is necessary that the
outer wooden or metal case be lined with several
layers of non-conducting material with a dead air
space between. The best refrigerators have from
eight to twelve such layers. Refrigerators so con-
structed can maintain a temperature of 40 to 42 de-
grees, whereas inferior makes maintain only 50
degrees and very poor ones 60 degrees.

The second essential is good circulation of air
currents. Low temperature in a refrigerator is a
result of the melting of ice. The air in the ice com-
partment becomes chilled and passes downward to
the compartment below, its place being taken by
warm air from the adjoining food compartment.
This process takes place in any refrigerator, but it
can be greatly improved by a type of construction
designed to accelerate and direct the air currents.
Certain types produce such perfect circulation that
the air is not only chilled but freed from moisture
in passing from one compartment to another. A﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

dry, cold air is the ideal condition for preserving
food. Fig. 20 shows the natural passage of air
currents in a refrigerator. This natural action is

Fig. 20.— Sketch showing movement of air currents in a re-
frigerator. The compartment directly below ice chamber is
the coolest; the air here has been purified by passing over
the ice.

(Reprinted by courtesy of the House furnishing Review.)

facilitated in some refrigerators by the use of in-
numerable syphons in the wall between the ice com-
partment and adjoining food compartment.

Third essential. To insure the maximum effi-
ciency, the refrigerator must be kept well filled with
ice. Therefore a refrigerator with large ice capacity
results in a heavy ice-bill, whether it is used for a
large or a small family. This ice consumption can-
not wisely be checked by wrapping the ice in paper
or heavy cloth, as this defeats the fundamental prin-
ciple of refrigeration. The only way to run the re-
frigerator economically is to keep it full of ice. If
the air in the ice chamber is kept at the lowest pos-

I foodvhpf
§ mmmight tare

§ odor,she*e

imutfcbut'
should 4
co her.e﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 121

sible temperature, it will maintain its level of 40° in
the other compartments and there will be no warm
air to melt the ice. If, however, the ice supply
gets greatly reduced, the temperature in the food

Fig. 21.— This type of refrigerator permits the best circula-
tion of air and affords the best storage facilities. Dimen-
sions: width 33 inches, depth	inches, height 48^
inches; ice capacity 75 pounds.

compartments will rise and the melting will be more
rapid than if a low temperature throughout had
been maintained.

The best policy therefore is to select a refriger-
ator of such a size that you can afford to keep it
full of ice.

For the average family who must consider care-
fully the cost of ice and secure the maximum effi-
ciency for the least daily outlay, a refrigerator of﻿122 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

65 lbs. ice capacity will give good results. In order
to insure perfect circulation of air, choose the type
having the ice chamber on one side (see Fig. 21 )„
one food chamber below it, and two food chambers

Fig. 22.— Type of refrigerator needed in kitchenettes and
apartment houses.

on the other side. In small kitchens and apart-
ments it is often necessary, for economy of space,
to get the type that has the ice chamber above and
one food compartment below. (See Fig. 22.) A
refrigerator of this type, about twenty-five inches
wide and a little over four feet high, of a reliable
make and zinc lined, costs about $24.00. The
same type with porcelain-enamel lining, will be at
least ten dollars more. The double type, which
gives the best circulation and larger storage facili-
ties, in the porcelain enamel lining will cost about﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 123

$56.00. Five dollars additional must be allowed
if you want to have the rear or end outside icing
door. This is a great convenience, as it makes it
unnecessary for the ice-man to come into the kitchen
to deliver the ice. It also enables one to use the
refrigerator six months of the year without ice, the
cold air from the outside producing the refrigera-
tion.

The improper location of the refrigerator causes
more wasted effort than any other defect of the
kitchen arrangement. Tradition says the refriger-
ator must not be in the kitchen, but in some cooler
place. In these days, however, tradition is giving
way to the necessity of conserving human energy.
Moreover, several new factors are affecting the sit-
uation, the most important of which is the great
improvement in the construction of refrigerators
with perfect insulation. The temperature within is
not affected by outside conditions, unless through
carelessness the refrigerator door is left opeu. This
is well illustrated in the tiny kitchenettes of the
Pullman system, where the refrigerators are placed
within a few feet of the kitchen range.

The best grades of refrigerators are made with
rear or end doors to allow icing from the outside.
Not only does this save the kitchen from the track-
ing in of dirt by the ice-man but it makes the re-
frigerator available six months of the year without
ice. Where the circulation system is good, the
air keeps as sweet and fresh without ice in cold﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

weather as when ice is used. It is necessary to
protect the opening outside with a fine screen.

An electrical ice-making appliance, which can be
installed in any well-made refrigerator of the right
size, has been perfected in the last few years. In
speaking of this invention an enthusiastic purchaser
said: " It is about the only thing we ever bought
that surpasses our expectation. It not only main-
tains the proper temperature to preserve food but
furnishes a supply of ice in convenient form for table
use, and saves us the constant annoyance of visits
from the ice-man. It is a truly wonderful service."

The drain pipe of the refrigerator should be
connected with a separate pipe, emptying into a
dry well in the grounds. It should never be con-
nected with the sewer pipe. Where it is not pos-
sible to make a separate pipe connection, an in-
genious little device can be made under the
refrigerator to insure the drip pan always remain-
ing in the right location under the outlet. Mark
on the floor the right location of the pan and then
tack two strips to the floor on either side of the
pan. When the pan is pushed in and out it will
always be under the outlet and the floor will never
get wet from the overflow.

Every manufacturer or salesman of high-grade
refrigerators should be able to guarantee the fol-
lowing requirements:

i. That a low and uniform temperature can be
maintained, preferably 40 to 42 degrees F.﻿SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT 125

2.	Perfect circulation, producing a pure atmos-
phere, freedom from odors and freedom from
moisture.

3.	Ease in keeping every part in absolutely sani-
tary condition, insured by seamless porcelain-
enamel lining or nickel.

4.	Perfect drainage.

5.	Economy in the consumption of ice.

To* run the refrigerator economically the fol-
lowing points should be borne in mind:

1.	Food should be cooled before putting on ice.
A screened shelf or closet above refrigerator,
makes a good temporary place for hot foods,
while cooling.

2.	Keep the ice chamber full of ice.

3.	Every time the box is filled, take out the piece
of ice remaining, wipe out compartment with
a clean cloth wet in hot soapy water. Wipe
off box. Have the new supply in one block
of ice as large as the box will carry.

4.	The ice chamber should not be used for food.

5.	Examine contents of refrigerator daily and
dispose of anything not likely to be used in a
day or two.

6.	Be careful to wipe up at once anything that is
spilled in food compartment.

7.	Butter, milk and eggs, which readily absorb
odors, should be placed in the compartment
directly below ice chamber. This compart-
ment, besides receiving air purified from﻿126 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

passage over the ice, is also the coolest compartment.
Cantaloupes, onions or other supplies giving off
odors can be placed in the other compartments with-
out contaminating the milk.

We have described, on pages 53-56, various ways
of securing cold storage during part of the year,
without ice, by building window boxes or cold
closets in the cellar. There is another form of cold
closet which can be built in one end of a porch or
pantry. It takes up very little space. Convenient
widths for the closet are from 30 to 40 inches. It
may be 15 to 18 inches deep and the height of the
porch or pantry. A constant circulation of fresh
air is secured in this closet by having a register set
in the floor, connecting it by means of a curved air
duct to the outside. A small opening, ten inches
square, is cut out at the top of the closet and equipped
with a hinged door, which when open permits a good
volume of circulation. The air passing in through
the register passes out at the top, maintaining in the
closet the temperature of the outside air. The door
of the closet may be equipped with a key, making it
a safe storage place for food. Shelves are arranged
at convenient distances apart in this closet. The
lowest shelf is about knee high, to give room under it
for tall fruit baskets. Four narrow shelves are
placed ten inches apart. It will cost $20.00 to $30.00
to build and equip such a closet, but it will pay for
its cost in short time, since it will save purchasing
ice for several months during the year.﻿IX

Lists of Necessary Equipment

ANY one who has seen the beautiful kitchen
in Washington's home at Mount Vernon
must have been impressed by the great
change that has come to the home in the last hun-
dred years in the matter of cooking utensils. The
heavy polished copper vessels suggested a great
hotel rather than a home; yet they were the kind
and shape that were then in common use. In sim-
pler homes they were made of iron instead of cop-
per, because of the saving in expense. To-day we
have the light, attractive aluminum and agate ware,
and block tin where aluminum cannot be afforded.
The size of utensils is greatly reduced, the variety
and number greatly multiplied.

In Colonial days the outfit was suited to large
families and many servants. Fireplace cooking
was the rule until the first very primitive coal
stove was invented. Now we have far more com-
plex and perfect stoves, of many types and varie-
ties, finally reaching the most complex of all, the
electrical apparatus. Hired service in the majority
of homes is reduced to one person, and time has
become a vital consideration. Under these new

127﻿128 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

conditions rapid and skilful work and labor-saving
equipment are the chief necessities. So inventions
are being constantly brought out to save loss of
time, energy and fuel. The idea of conservation
was first brought into prominence by the manufac-
ture of the fireless cooker. This is an adaptation
of the old Norwegian hay box. The idea of con-
servation of time, of energy and fuel, of all costly
commodities, is now the keynote of perfect kitchen
equipment.

There are two chief things to remember in de-
ciding upon our equipment. The first is to keep
the equipment as simple as possible and not to get
anything that we do not really need. The second
seems the opposite of this. Namely, to make our
equipment save our time and have it ample enough
so that no time is wasted through lack of efficient
tools. Families differ very much in the scale and
manner of living. Therefore any list that will
meet the average need inevitably includes many
things that are necessary to some housekeepers and
superfluous to others. The lists given therefore
are intended to be suggestive, and not to give hard
and fast rules. They are so grouped that it will
be easy to omit the equipment that is not needed
in a given case. If, for instance, bread is bought
at the bakery, all the bread-making outfit may be
omitted. The same if pie-making, cake-making
or any sort of fancy cooking is cut off the list. So
many of these things are now being made very sat-﻿LISTS OF NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 129

isfactorily outside the home, that it is often better
policy to buy than to make them.

The prices given for equipment also cannot be
completely accurate, as they vary somewhat in dif-
ferent parts of the country and there are many
grades and makes of certain articles. We have
therefore included in one list an outfit which may

Fig. 23—Standard measur- Fig. 24.—Accurate house-
ing cup used in all recipes. hold scales should be found

in every kitchen.

be purchased for the minimum price, in the other
the outfit which we recommend where economy
does not have to be considered. We advise every
housekeeper to have the full list of labor-saving
equipment of a good grade bought of a reliable
firm. The housekeeper of small income needs this
even more than the one with ample means.
Where the amount of money that can be spent
on equipment is limited, we advise buying most
of the smaller things at the 5 and 10 cent
stores, reserving enough money to buy the best
grade of expensive articles. A well insulated fire-
less cooker with aluminum utensils ought to last a﻿i3o THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

life time, a wheel-cart will pay for itself in a short
time in the energy it saves. In some homes a good
mayonnaise mixer may be more important than any-
thing else on the list, and so it goes. Whenever
any household task seems a burden, look about and
see if there is not some article on the market that
will reduce the labor or make the work more per-
fect. Even poorly cut bread may be a cause of
daily friction. How much easier to purchase a
bread slicer for 75 cents than to daily chide a care-
less maid.

Remember that labor-saving equipment is disposi-
tion-saving as well, and try to so equip your kitchen
that accurate, skilful work can be done with the
minimum strain and weariness. Too much cannot
be said in favor of equipment promoting accuracy
in measurement. Insist upon careful measurements
in all recipes. (The standard measuring cup for
all recipes is illustrated in Fig. 23.) Have weigh-
ing scales (see Fig. 24) and cultivate the habit of
using them. Weigh the flour used in bread-making,
the ingredients of cakes and puddings. Learn to use
an oven thermometer. Excellent thermometers
suited to five different cooking processes are sold for
$2.00 each. For $5.00 one may purchase a set of
three,- called the " Home Set." Such a set promotes
accuracy in baking cake and pastry; in making
candy; plain and fancy boiled icings and in fireless
cooking. The " thermometer habit " saves wasting
both time and materials.﻿LISTS OF NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 131

SIMPLEST AND LEAST EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT
FOR A FAMILY OF FIVE

Articles to group near stove:

Tea-kettle ......................................$ .75

Salt box.........................................25

Pepper shaker ...................................10

Flour dredger ...................................10

Pot covers, three.................................30

Large cast iron frying pan....................... 1.25

Small wrought iron frying pan....................60

Match box.......................................10

Box for burnt matches ...........................10

Stove cloths .....................................20

Dripping pans, two ..............................80

Griddle ......................................... 1.00

$5-55

Sink outfit:

Scrubbing pail ..................................$ .50

Scrubbing brush..................................25

Sink shovel......................................10

Sink strainer ....................................10

Sink brush ......................................10

Soap dish .......................................15

Dish mop........................................10

Soap shaker .....................................18

Glass holder.....................................10

Plate scraper ....................................10

Dish pan ........................................75

Agate hand basin.................................35

Wire dish mop...................................15

Dish drainer.....................................75

Bottle cleaning brush ............................ .50

Funnel ..........................................10

$4.28

Articles to group near sink:

Stew pans, 1 i-qt., 1 2-qt., 1 3-qt., 1 4-qt...........$2.00

Large 8-qt. preserving kettle......................2.50﻿132 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Articles to group near sink (continued) :

Pitchers, i 2-qt., I ii-qt., I i-qt., 3 small ones...... 1.45

Tea-pot .........................................50

Tea canister .....................................25

Coffee pot, or stew-pan specially reserved for coffee

making ......................................50

Coffee canister ...................................25

2 strainers.......................................40

Double boiler ....................................75

Colander ........................................50

2 meas. cups.....................................20

$9.30

Work-table, 36-inch with one drawer..............$4-5°

Stool or chair................................... 2.00

Pastry board .....................................5°

$7.00

Cooking dishes to group near work table:

2 meas. cups (duplicate set) .....................$ .20

2 small white bowls..............................30

2 larger bowls ................................... -5°

Wooden spoons (2) .............................20

Perforated cake spoon............................25

Tin sugar box....................................20

Tin flour box . ....................................20

Wire egg whip...................................15

Crank egg beater.................................35

Grater ..........................................15

Potato masher ...................................15

Biscuit cutters, 2 sizes............................20

Pie tins (2) .....................................24

Layer cake tins (3) ..............................45

Gem pans, 2 of 12 holes each......................30

Bread pans (3) ..................................60

Lemon squeezer ..................................10

Rolling pin ......................................35

Chopping bowl and knife..........................60

$5-49﻿LISTS OF NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 133

Knife box outfit to go in cutlery drawer of table:

Knife box ......................................$ .25

Can opener ......................................25

Cork screw ......................................25

3 kitchen forks ..................................50

3 kitchen knives ................................ .50

1 doz. aluminum teaspoons........................60

6 table-spoons .................................. 1.00

Cake turner......................................10

Apple-corer......................................10

Vegetable knife ..................................25

Knife sharpener..................................50

$4.30

Dishes to put food away in:

3	small agate dishes .............................$ .45

4	larger agate dishes ranging from 1 qt. capacity to

3 qts....................................... 1.00

2 kitchen platters ................................60

£ doz. kitchen plates............................. 1.00

Empty lard pails for grease, etc.

$3.05

Containers for cooked food and supplies:

Bread box with knife and board .................$1.60

Cake box........................................75

Cracker box .....................................50

Butter jar .......................................30

1 doz. pint jars...................................75

1 doz. quart jars.................................80

$4.70

Miscellaneous:

Clock ..........................................$3.00

Scissors .........................................75

Ice pick .........................................25

Garbage can .................................... 1.00

Coffee mill ......................................75

Scales, 24 lbs.................................... 2.50﻿134 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Cleaning outfit:

Floor mop ......................................$ -75

Broom ..........................................75

Whisk broom ....................................50

Dust pan ........... .............................25

Large scrubbing brush ............................25

Small scrubbing brush ............................20

2 broom covers made of canton flannel............20

2 cheese cloth dusters ............................20

Cleaning cloths made from old linen or 3 yds. muslin .45
Floor cloths (2), use old shirts or buy 2 yds. outing

flannel .......................................20

Crash oven-cloths or holders......................25

$4.00

Kitchen linen outfit:

Dish towels, 12 at 10 cents each, made of cotton tow-
eling at 10 cent9 a yd., or buy 1 doz. empty 100

lb. flour sacks at 30 cents ....................$1.80

i doz. linen towels .............................. 2.10

4 dish cloths, made of loose unbleached muslin.......20

4 roller towels, 2 yds. long, cheapest grade........ 1.44

Better grade advisable, cost $3.20.

Heavy cloth bag for paper........................30

$5.84

Chest refrigerator to hold about 70 lbs. ice.......$19-50

Fireless cooker, 1 8-qt. and one 4-qt. well, terne-

plate lining, vent valve....................... 20.00

Wheel cart..................................... 8.50

$48.00

The following conveniences may be added to a
kitchen outfit without expense.

Useful molds for steaming brown-bread and pud-
dings.﻿LISTS OF NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 135

3 one-lb. empty baking powder tins, and 1 or 2

pound coffee cans.

3 and 5-lb. lard pails make splendid containers for
dried bread crumbs, grease, etc.

Tin boxes with hinged covers are useful for
cleaning preparations, and lunch boxes.

Good sized empty cracker boxes may be pur-
chased for 50 cents apiece, and make excellent con-
tainers for cake and crackers.

Newspapers, brown paper, paper bags, wrapping
paper twine, and oiled paper have many uses in the
kitchen and should all be saved.

Salt and flour bags, ripped and washed, make
good dish cloths, and lettuce bags. Narrow strips
of white muslin stitched together end for end, make
convenient bands to wrap around the edge of berry
pies to prevent juice from overflowing.

Glass bacon jars may have covers preserved by
inserting edge of knife under cover to let air in.
The cover can then be removed easily. These jars
are useful to hold mayonnaise, white of egg, sour
cream, etc. They also make excellent jelly and con-
serve glasses.

The total cost of least expensive outfit where
stove, sink and hot-water heating systems are fur-
nished by the landlord is therefore seen to be
$61.76 for necessities (groups 1 to 11) and $48.00
for articles like the ice-chest, fireless cooker, etc.,
which some housekeepers do not consider necessi-
ties, a total of $109.76.﻿136 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Least Expensive Equipment where stove, sink
and hot-water heating apparatus must be included
in cost.

Least expensive gas stove......................$ 12.50

Hot water heating system—small laundry heater
in basement to heat water supply and furnish
heat to kitchen, see method described on pages

74-79 ..........................................................................55.50

Sink, moderate-priced white enamel, installed________30.00

Equipment, Groups 1 to 11 inclusive..........................61.76

Refrigerator, fireless cooker, etc.-, Group 12............48.00

$207.76

We recommend buying this least expensive type
of gas stove where economy must be considered,
and for the same reason recommend the laundry-
stove equipment, although the first cost of the latter
is more than the cheapest form of gas heater. This
is because the laundry stove may be utilized to heat
the cellar, because it enables one to do supplemen-
tary cooking in the cellar and because it keeps not
only the cellar dry in summer, but indirectly keeps
the whole house free from dampness. It -may be
operated at a cost of from $2.00 to $3.00 a month.
This equipment is right in all its essentials, and
includes two of the most important labor-savers. It
may be added to as time goes on. The inexpensive
gas stove may be replaced by a better one and the
one replaced may be then used for a warming closet
for dishes.

Where a kerosene or electric stove is used instead
of gas, the equipment recommended would be the﻿LISTS OF NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 137

same. Simply add the difference between the cost of
stove in each case. It will be approximately $15.00
more for the kerosene stove.

Where a coal range is to be used instead the equip-
ment will differ in two other essentials, as may be
seen from the following estimate:

Inexpensive coal range and outfit ..............$ 55.00

Water back, 30 gallon galvanized iron boiler and

installation ..............................................................26.00

Sink, moderate-priced white enamel, installed..........30.00

Equipment, Groups 1 to 11 inclusive ........................61.76

Refrigerator, fireless cooker, etc.....................48.00

$220.76

SUMMARY

It will be seen from figures given that a kitchen
already equipped with a stove, sink and hot-water
heating system may be fitted out with necessities for
$61.76, and with a moderate-priced refrigerator,
fireless cooker and wheel cart, for $48.00 additional,
a total of $109.76.

It will further be seen that it will cost from $98.00
to $111.00 (see pages 136-137) more than this to
add a stove, sink and hot-water heating system.
Housekeepers who have not studied the question of
kitchen equipment in all its bearings may think that
even this amount is excessive. It is true thousands
of women get along with much less equipment than
this, but we are introducing a new requirement in
our standard when we insist on the efficiency of
the worker. To enable women to meet this new re-
quirement we must have better sink arrangements﻿138 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

and ample hot water for kitchen use as well as good
equipment. With the equipment as given here the
kitchen is fitted out to meet the average needs of
a family of five, and with an additional laundry
equipment, costing $25.25, to do the laundry work
also.

LIBERAL EQUIPMENT FOR FAMILY OF FIVE

We shall now consider the cost of equipping a
kitchen where the home-maker is not limited in ex-
penditure, and where she may choose the equipment
that is attractive in appearance as well as service-
able in the long run. This list includes many
articles that save labor and time, and which will
therefore prove an economy in operating expense.
The equipment is the one used at the House-
keeping Experiment Station, and is therefore thor-
oughly tested and does not contain any superfluous

items.

Articles grouped near stove:

1 patent gas lighter .............................$ .25

3 handi-hook pot covers, 9", and 10"...........66

1 9-inch cast iron frying pan .................... 1.00

1	5-inch aluminum frying pan.....................75

2	dripping pans 9^4 by 14........................80

2 stove cloths....................................20

Aluminum griddle, inch.......................75

Waffle iron ..................................... 2.25

Best make of cake turner.........................25

$6.91

Cleaning outfit, grouped near sink:

Ammonia, sal soda solution, etc.

Scouring soap.

Corn-meal and glycerine and alcohol lotion for hands.﻿LISTS OF NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 139

Grouped near sink:

Wooden rack or rubber mat to protect sink.......$ .75

Dish drainer and pan — 20 inches square.......... 2.75

Dish pan, oval, 19 inches long................... 1.50

1 agate hand basin, suspended at right of sink.......50

1	agate soap dish................................15

Agate sink strainer ..............................25

Soap shaker ....................................18

Dish mop ......................................10

Wire dish mop..................................25

2	vegetable brushes with handle, screw eye fastened

in each handle...............................30

1 milk bottle brush..............................75

Aluminum funnel................................15

Heart scraper for agate and iron pots and pans.....10

Rubber plate scraper ............................10

1 crank egg beater...............................50

Turbine egg beater..............................39

1 small agate stew-pan, capacity 1% cups.........50

1 small aluminum stew-pan, capacity 1 pt........ . .35

1 2-qt. aluminum shallow stew-pan ............. . .80

1 3-qt. aluminum shallow stew-pan .............. i!i5

1 4-qt. aluminum shallow stew-pan .............. 1.30

1 5-qt. aluminum shallow stew-pan .............. 1.50

$14.32

Usually grouped on shelf above sink:

Pitchers, 1 2-qt., 1 ij^-qt., 1 i-qt., 3 small ones.....$ 3.00

3 meas. cups....................................3°

Coffee percolator, 2 or 3 pt. size ................ 4.75

Coffee canister (part of stove outfit)

Tea pot ........................................60

Tea canister (part of stove outfit)

2 strainers, 15 and 25 cents, total.................40

Steamer, special type for vegetables and cereal.... 2.25
Steamer, special type of larger size.............. 3.25

$14-55﻿140 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Articles to put food away in (also serve as bak-
ing dishes) :

3 small agate dishes, capacity iy2 pts. ............$ .45

2	agate dishes, capacity 1^2 qts....................75

3	agate dishes, capacity 2 qts.................... 1.50

2 white enamelled refrigerator boxes.............. 2.00

5	agate ware kitchen plates .....................2.10

4	small oval dishes at .10.........................40

$7.20

Built-in, open-shelf kitchen cabinet and equipment,

or manufactured one selling at..............$57-50

Cutlery drawer and contents :

Knife box ......................................$ .25

2 stainless steel veg. knives........................50

2	wooden spoons ................................20

1 spatula ....................................... 1.00

1 chemists' spatula ...............................20

1 cork screw.....................:...............35

1 can opener ....................................35

3	kitchen forks at 25 cents........................75

3 kitchen knives .................................75

6	German silver table-spoons..................... 1.50

1 doz. teaspoons ................................ 1.20

1 perforated cake spoon ..........................35

I egg whip ......................................15

Apple corer .....................................10

Carving knife................................... 1.50

Sharpening steel .................................25

$9.40

Small articles hanging from shelves :

Set aluminum measuring spoons..................$ .25

Crank egg beater.................................70

2 meas. cups ....................................20

Assorted biscuit and doughnut cutters...............40

1 grater .........................................25

1 rack for baking potatoes........................15

1 nutmeg grater..................................10

Grease brush ....................................25

$2.30﻿LISTS OF NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 141

Cooking dishes group near cabinet:

4 small white bowls ............................$ 1.00

2	large yellow mixing bowls..................... 1.50

Bread mixer .................................... 3.00

Scales ......................................... 2.50

Qt. can liquid shortening.........................35

Cake mixer .................................... 400

3	layer cake tins, patent kind.....................45

1	round cake tin with funnel.....................60

2	muffin tins — 12 holes each — at 20 cents each.....80

1 loaf tin.......................................25

Pastry board....................................50

Magic cover when rolling out pastry.............65

Rolling pin .....................................39

3	pie plates, 9 in. diam......................... 1.00

3 pie plates, shallow 9^2 ........................ 1.00

Lemon squeezer.................................15

$18.14

Salad outfit:

Salad basket containing
Garlic cloves, paprika.

Salt and pepper shakers.

Small bottle tarragon vinegar.

Cost of outfitting ...........................$1.50

Miscellaneous:

Coffee mill.....................................$ 4.00

Porcelain salt box .............................. 1.00

Clock, octagonal 8-day.......................... 5.00

Scrap basket ................................... 1.00

Scissors ........................................75

Kitchen stool................................... 2.50

1	meat saw, 11-inch.............................. 2.75

Vegetable slicer.................................75

Thermometers, home set of three kinds........... 5.00

2	Russia iron biscuit sheets, 17 inches square..... 2.00

Puree strainer ................................. 1.50

1 strawberry huller...............................15

Iron kettle for deep fat frying.................. 2.35

Frying basket with handle.......................90

$29.65﻿142 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Special place provided for:

2 shelf steamer.................................$4.50

Meat grinder .................................. 3.50

Chopping bowl and knife.........................90

Egg poacher....................................80

Large tea-pot for company use.................. 1.35

2 small crocks for eggs, etc., at 25 cents each......50

2 small jelly moulds at 25 cents each.............50

$12.05

Ice cream freezer, 2-qt...........................$4.50

Ice pick .........................................35

Ice mallet ...................................... 1.25

Canvas bag for cracking ice ..................... 1.75

$7.85

Refrigerator, best make porcelain enamel lined, rear

or end icing door, ice capacity 75 lbs.........$56.00

Kitchen linen outfit:

1 doz. kitchen towels, loose mesh crash ...........$2.16

1 doz. linen tea-towels........................... 4.20

6 dish cloths ...................................50

1	roll of paper toweling, put up near sink......... 1.50

2	lettuce bags of cheese cloth.....................20

1 doz. hemmed cheese cloth squares for straining

jelly and fat .................................50

$9.06

Kitchen cleaning outfit:

1 floor pail with mop wringer ...................$2.50

1	broom, dust-pan and radiator brush.............. 2.45

2	outing flannel floor cloths.......................40

1 flannel stove-cloth — old underwear or of new ma-
terial ........................................25

Yz doz. old soft cloths for cleaning, hemmed and

marked ......................................50

$6.10

The total cost of a liberal outfit for kitchen where﻿LISTS OF NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 143;

stove, sink and hot water heating systems are fur-
nished by the landlord is therefore seen to be
$252.53. (Groups 1 to 15 inclusive.) Where the
cost of stove, sink and hot water heating systems
must also be included in the estimate and the kitchen
must be heated by an extra radiator from the fur-
nace they will cost as follows :

Stove and fireless cooker, good make of each, com-

bined or separate..........................$100.00

Wheel cart ................................... 18.00

Hot water heating system with jacket to boiler... * 55-5°
Sink, wall-type white enameled with one drain-

board .................................... 50.00

Equipment, groups 1 to 15 inclusive ............ 252.53

$476.03

SUMMARY

Cost of furnishing a rented kitchen, where stove,
sink, etc., are furnished by landlord :

Least expensive outfit — see page 137, from $61.76

to ........................................$109.76

Liberal outfit.................................. 252-53

Cost of furnishing kitchen where stove, sink, etc.,
must also be included in estimate :

Least expensive outfit, see page 137.............$220.76

Liberal outfit.................................. 476.03

OUTFIT FOR FAMILY OF TWO

The great difference in selecting equipment for
a family of two instead of for a family of five or
six is found to be in the choice of smaller sizes of
stew-pans, baking-dishes, coffee percolator, tea-pot,﻿144 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

etc. If a family of two expect to keep up the vari-
ety and standard of living of a larger family and
to entertain frequently, very much the same outfit
should be purchased as for the larger family, sub-
stituting1 a small size of these special dishes for the
larger size given on the list. It is possible, how-
ever, for young people to get along in great com-
fort with the " light housekeeping equipment" and
postpone for some time the more serious responsi-
bility of keeping house. It is almost play with
the right equipment and carefully chosen menus
to set a table for two people, whereas a more
formal living is nearly as much work for two as it
is for six or ten. We therefore refer young house-
keepers to the chapter on " Light Housekeeping,"
and advise them to begin with this outfit, adding
to it the other things later on.﻿X

Time and Labor-Saving Equipment

THE fireless cooker should be named first
among the modern inventions calculated
to economize the time and energy of the
home-maker. While it has been heralded chiefly
as a fuel-saver, its possibilities are even greater in the
direction of conservation of woman's labor. This
type of cooking is, indeed, the most satisfactory,
economical, efficient method of cooking known. It
is amazing that there should be so little accurate
information on the subject, and that so few accurate
recipes should have been given out. No thoroughly
satisfactory book on fireless cooking has yet been
published. The housekeeper is advised to select
the best make of fireless cook stove that she can get,
and devote as much time as she can to- the study
of its possibilities.

Most housekeepers are now aware that fireless
cooking is based on the principle of utilizing con-
served heat. The viands to be prepared, ragouts,
for instance, or casserole dishes, are brought to the
boiling point on the gas stove in a specially con-
structed fireless cooker utensil. The utensil fits
into a corresponding well in an air-tight, insulated

i45﻿146 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

box where the cooling is so prolonged as to amount,
virtually, to a cooking process. The process may
be intensified to any degree by means of heated
iron or soap-stone discs called radiators, which are
enclosed in the well with the utensil, and serve to
maintain as high a temperature as any given proc-
ess may require.

So much of the success of fireless cooking is de-
pendent upon having exact temperature records for
heating the radiators, that it is advisable to pur-
chase a special thermometer for this use. Exact
temperatures can then be added to recipes, and the
time of cooking noted. This data will serve as a
reliable guide the next time the same dish is pre-
pared.

When the radiators are heated on a gas stove,
waste of gas may be prevented by placing an agate
plate above the radiating disc while it is being
heated, thus covering in and conserving the heat.
Radiators not in use should be kept warm on the
steam radiator grill or the back of the kitchen
stove. In summer they will store up a high de-
gree of heat by merely being placed in the sun.
Keeping them partially warm will markedly lessen
the length of time required to heat them.

All slow-cooking processes can be carried on in
the fireless cooker at a minimum of expense. The
initial expense is only the fuel necessary to heat
the radiators, and the ten or fifteen minutes' cook-
ing required to bring the food to the boiling point.﻿LABOR-SAVING EQUIPMENT 147

As a time-saver the method has advantages even
more important.

Every woman knows that there are two things
that make cooking tedious and confining. First
the waiting around for things to cook after the
actual work of preparation has been done, as in
" watching up" the cooking of pot-roasts, stews,
etc. Second the necessity of cooking at an incon-
venient time in order to economize fuel. This is

Fig. 25.—The large utensil is an aluminum double boiler to be
used in the fireless cooker. The stew pans represented are
the most efficient type for conserving fuel.

always a problem with a coal range, and must be
carefully considered in the use of a gas oven.

From the point of view of conserving the house-
keeper's time, the most economical way of working
is to do things of the same general kind at the same
time. With the fireless cooker this is made possi-
ble. After the breakfast dishes are washed, the
noon meal can be prepared, put in the fireless
cooker, and so timed that it will be ready to put
on the table without further attention. The house-﻿148 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

keeper is then free until luncheon to use her time
advantageously in some other part of the house
except the kitchen. In the same way dinner can
be prepared while lunch is being cleared away, and
the afternoon is left free for errands, calls or a
walk in the open air. The breakfast cereal can be
cooked while one is doing up the supper dishes, and
may be left in the cooker to cook itself over-night.
(Double boiler inset for cereal cooking, Fig. 25.)

Foods, whether hot or cold, can be kept for hours
at an even temperature in the well of the fireless
cooker. In the case of hot viands there is no dan-
ger of food drying up as long as there is enough
moisture in the food compartment to preserve the
atmosphere of steam. The radiators should not
be too hot. In fact, unless the food is to be left
for three or four hours or more, the radiators need
not be used at all. One hole of the fireless cooker
may be used for hot dishes, another for ice-cream
or frozen pudding. Iced dishes will keep quite as
well in the fireless cooker as in a freezer if properly
packed in ice.

The fireless cooker may also be used for raising
bread. The well is brought to a temperature of 70
degrees F. by means of a radiator of the proper
temperature. The dough is then placed in the alu-
minum utensil and is covered and left for the neces-
sary time in the well. A small bread-mixer will fit
into an eight-quart well.

In most families it is found to be convenient﻿LABOR-SAVING EQUIPMENT 149

to can only a few jars of fruit or vegetables at a
time, and in such cases the fireless cooker may be
used advantageously in the work of canning and
preserving. Often two or three jars may be fitted
into a busy morning when a larger quantity would
be impossible. Sometimes extra fruit that will not
keep nfey be prepared in the evening and cooked

Fig. 26.—An efficient layer-cake pan which prevents cake

over night in the fireless cooker. To can fruit in
this way prepare as for other method and pack it
in jars. Adjust the rubber and cover, fill the jar
completely with hot syrup, and seal at once. Have
the fireless cooker utensil heated before jars are
placed in it, and cover completely with boiling
water. Cover the utensil and set away in cooker
over night or until cold.

When food cooked in the fireless cooker is found
to have a stale, unpleasant taste, it is because the
cooker has not been properly aired. The lids
should never be tightly closed when the cooker is
not in use, and should be kept open for several
hours after each cooking operation.

from sticking.﻿ISO THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

In purchasing a fireless cooker the following
points should be carefully considered:

1.	Durable construction. The cooker should
have a well-made hardwood or metal cabinet.

2.	Perfect insulation, of cork, magnesia, mineral
wool or asbestos.

3.	The interior lining of food compartments
should be durable and easily cleaned. Alumi-
num or nickeled copper is best for this reason.

4.	There should be a vent-valve to let off excess
steam while viands are cooking. This makes
roasting and browning possible.

5.	Cooker utensils should be of pure, seamless
aluminum.

6.	The best radiators are of soap-stone, as this
retains heat longest.

7.	Lever lock should be absolutely tight to pre-
vent loss of steam.

8.	There should be stop-hinges to prevent lids
from going too far backward.

A good size for the average family is a cooker
having one eight-quart and one four-quart well.
This size, in the best makes, costs about $35.00.

The equipment of utensils, heating-stones or ra-
diators, racks and covers that go with the fireless
cooker should all be kept near the place where the
cooker stands. The best way to provide for this
is to have a stand on which the cooker may rest,
which is at the same time a cabinet to hold the uten-
sils. The manufactured cabinets have a lower﻿LABOR-SAVING EQUIPMENT 151

compartment with two doors, a sliding shelf and
a lower drawer. These cabinets are equipped with
good castors so that the whole cooker outfit may
be moved about easily. The best makes of fireless
cookers are now mounted on cabinets.

A very serviceable cabinet may be made at home
by using ordinary wood and staining it to match
the cooker. Such a home-made stand is shown in
the illustration facing page 44. A smaller one can
be made of lumber found in the house and at a cost,
with the castors, of $5.00. The open shelves are
quite as convenient as those closed in with doors.

There are many advantages of the fireless cooker
outside of the most obvious function, the saving of
fuel, time and energy. Among these may be noted
the following:

1.	The cooking of food in a tightly sealed ves-
sel, from which no odors or steam can escape, pre-
serves as nothing else can, the flavor of meats and
vegetables.

2.	Food which absorbs water easily, and there-
fore scorches unless carefully watched, can be
cooked in the fireless cooker without any danger.

3.	Fireless cooking, when thoroughly mastered,
gives more uniform results than any other method.

COOKING BY STEAM

Great economy of time and strength can be ef-
fected by means of steam cooking. We are so used
to baking, boiling and frying our food that it seems﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

almost revolutionary to suggest a simpler method.
There is, it is true, a limited amount of steam cook-
ing done in almost every home. We all have
steamed brown bread, and once in a while a steamed
pudding. But the use of steam as a resource for
preparing all kinds of food is almost unknown.

The greatest advantage of cooking by steam lies
in the fact that it conserves in the food all the del-
icate flavors and mineral salts which are lost in
boiling, and gives us a wholesome, delicious fare
with a minimum of effort, expense and work. The
possibilities of steam for this use were first brought
to the attention of the public in the writings of Mr.
Charles Barnard, the founder of the Housekeeping
Experiment Station. While steam cooking has
been practised in some form or other for unknown
years, it still remained a practically undeveloped
resource until he convinced progressive housekeep-
ers of its value. All kinds of vegetables and fruits
are delicious when prepared in this way. One may
have steamed potatoes, rice, apples, cabbage, to-
matoes, corn, etc. Vegetables with a strong taste
should first be parboiled for ten minutes in boiling
water, and then put in the steamer to finish. Sev-
eral dishes may be prepared at one time in the
steamer and the flavors will not mingle. Food
may be placed directly in the dishes in which it is
to appear on the table, thus saving dish-washing.
A whole meal may be prepared over one burner,
thus reducing the cost of fuel to a minimum.﻿LABOR-SAVING EQUIPMENT 153

Steamed food requires no watching while it is
cooking if the proper amount of water is placed in
the water pan. The water pan must of course be
kept from getting dry, and a little experience is
needed to know just how long each type of steamer
can be safely left without attention. In homes
where meals cannot be served at regular times

Fig. 27—Simplest type of steamer. Illustrations intended
to show perforations in upper pan. One of the most val-
uable kitchen utensils.

steaming and fireless cooking are the only methods
that can be employed without spoiling the food and
ruining the disposition of the cook.

Two types of steamer are illustrated. The sim-
plest form (see Fig. 27) is suited to any family be-
cause it may be used for a variety of purposes. It
will be the only steamer needed for a family of two,
where a fireless cooker is also used. But if there is
no fireless cooker it will be best to buy the small
steamer and a two-shelf one also.

The two-or-three-shelf steamer with copper
bottom is ideal for a family of four or less,
as it will hold enough for an entire meal. For
larger families either a four-compartment cooker
of this type is recommended, or the round﻿154 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

type (see Fig. 28) of separate sections. This type
has some advantages over the square type, because
its parts are removable and one can use one section,
or two, or three.

Care must be taken to wipe out the cookers after

Fig. 28.—Compartment
steamers made of
aluminum.

use. No water should be allowed to stand in them.
If it is poured out immediately and the cooker is
dried over a waftn radiator it will keep in good con-
dition for several years.

The awkward business of filling a steam cooker
can be accomplished with ease if a small piece of
rubber tubing is kept near the sink. Connect one
end with the faucet and let the water run into the
bottom of the steamer.

Certain vegetables, such as potatoes, are better
if allowed to rest on a perforated plate while steam-﻿LABOR-SAVING EQUIPMENT 155

ing, so that they do not rest in the water of con-
densation, which collects on the bottom of the ves-
sel. Potatoes are more delicious cooked in this
than in any other way.

WHEEL CARTS AND WHEELED SERVING TABLES

Some form of serving table on wheels is an in-
dispensable adjunct to the efficient home. As a
means of conserving time and energy it almost
ranks with the business man's automobile.

Its greatest usefulness is found in homes where
there are no servants, or in large families where
only one maid is kept. Its office at meal-time is
practically that of a substitute for the labors of a
second girl. It is first moved to the china closet
and buffet and receives its load of dishes, cutlery
and linen for setting the table. It is then wheeled
to a convenient position, and the things for the ta-
ble are unloaded and put in their proper places.
Those that need to be warmed are taken to the
kitchen or the hot grill in pantry or dining-room.
The serving dishes go out to the warming-oven in
the kitchen. The table is now empty and in con-
venient position to receive the food from pantry
and kitchen. Bread and butter, milk, water, etc.,
are first placed on the lower shelf of the wheel
cart, together with a reserve of uncut bread, the
crumbing outfit and a plate scraper. Next the des-
sert and dessert plates are placed on this shelf. If
the dessert needs to be kept hot It may either be﻿156 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

placed over a water pan of boiling water, or kept
warm on a little table stove which stands on "the
cart. Thermos bottles are very useful for hot or
cold sauces or for hot or cold drinks. There
should be two of these for comfort. Last of all
the food is dished up and placed on the top of the
table. The cart is then wheeled to the dining-room
or out-door breakfast room, and the first course is
served. If soup or some relish precedes the meat
and vegetable course, these must be kept warm in
the meantime. Nickel meat platters with covers
are indispensable for this need. After each
course is finished the dishes are passed to the
hostess, who places them on the wheel cart, which
is always at her left. Before the dessert, crumbs
are removed by passing the crumb tray to each per-
son in turn. After dessert coffee is made at the
table or on a little table stove.

When the meal is over the dishes are piled on
the wheel cart. Table linen, condiment sets, etc.,
are put where they belong. The dishes, carefully
scraped, are wheeled out on the cart to the sink,
where they remain ready for washing.

This procedure, with such variation as circum-
stances require, may be worked out to satisfactorily
meet the needs of the average family. But special
thought and some additional equipment are neces-
sary if the family is large, or if elaborate meals
are served. The general tendency is toward sim-
plified living; and for such conditions the serving﻿Reprinted courtesy of "The Outlook'

Remodelled kitchen, Stamford, Conn. Note concentration of working processes by group-
ing of sink, range and pastry table. Wheel tray near sink﻿THfc LIBRARY
OF THE

DIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS﻿LABOR-SAVING EQUIPMENT 157

table is fully adequate, and the greatest possible
comfort.

LABOR-SAVING AND FUEL-SAVING UTENSILS
The following list of labor-saving and fuel-saving
utensils should be included in every kitchen outfit.
The housekeeper with the least money to spend
needs the help and saving in strength even more
than the one with ample income. If there is very
little baking of bread, cake or muffins, the bread
and cake mixers may be omitted:

Labor-Saving Equipment.

Coffee Percolator____$4.50

Bread Mixer........ 3.00

Cake Mixer.........4.00

Potato Ricer .........85

Meat Grinder .......3.50

Slaw Cutter, metal ... .50

Puree Strainer...... 2.00

Dish Drying Rack ... 2.75
Plate Scraper........20

Fuel-Saving Equipment.

There is a wide range from
which to choose. This
equipment includes gas
and electric ranges with
insulated ovens, fireless
cookers and electric fire-
less cookers; pressure
cookers and Dutch Ovens.

Steamers. Included in this
group are Aluminum
compartment steam cook-
ers (Fig. 28) and simplest
type of steamer (Fig.
27).

The following labor savers are extremely con-
venient, but are not necessities in all families:

Mayonnaise mixer .. .$2.00

Bread slicer......... 2.50

Pastry bag.......... 2.25

Rosette irons.........75

Cream whip ........ 1.00

Apple corer..........20

Apple parer.........$1.25

Cherry stoner ....... 1.50

4 vegetable cutters.... 1.00

Meat saw, 11"....... 2.75

Saratoga slicer.......30

1 onion chopper..... 1.12﻿158 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Grape Fruit Knife ... .75 Butter Ball Pats......44

Pineapple Snips......25 Aluminum egg slicer.. .35

DESIRABLE DINING-ROOM EQUIPMENT

The new housekeeping has transformed dining-
room as well as kitchen equipment. Housekeepers

doing their own work spend less on expensive china,
cut glass and table linen, and in its place buy the
attractive outfit of dining-room equipment enu-
merated below:

Fig. 29

When cooking is done in the dining-room the equipment must
be dainty as well as efficient. The electric toaster (Fig. 29)
illustrates a desirable piece.﻿LABOR-SAVING EQUIPMENT 159

Wheel Cart

from $8.50 to.....$35-00

Turn Table or Lazy

Susan ........... 18.00

Beverage Shaker ... 3.50
Casserole

nickel frame...... 5.25

Casserole, glass lining 6.75
Pie Dish, nickel plated 3.00
Sandwich Tray, 10
inch ............. 3.25

Bread Tray

nickel plated .....$ 2.75

Serving Trays, 2 nick-
el plated..................8.00

Electric Toaster ....	9.00
Electric Percolator .. 18.00
Thermos Bottle, quart

size............................4.50

Thermos Bottle, pint

size............................3-50

Thermos Food Jar...	7.00

TIME-SAVING EQUIPMENT EVERY KITCHEN
SHOULD HAVE

Clock.

Scrap Basket.

Supply of Pins in tin box
or cushion.

Steel Skewers.

Refined Cotton Seed Oil in
Quart Can. (This liquid
shortening saves time and
dish-washing in all reci-
pes which require melted
shortening.)

Absorbent Cotton in Cov-
ered Jar. (Should be
kept on hand, as a thin
layer is useful under
coffee in Percolator when
coffee is ground too fine.)
Soft-Haired Paint Brush,
i-in. wide. (For use in
greasing Pans, top of
bread, rolls, etc.)
Pad and Pencil for Jotting
down Kitchen needs.
(Best size called Tele-
phone Pads.)

SMALL KITCHEN NECESSITIES
Bag for brown paper made of denim or ticking,
size 16 by 26 inches or larger, made with a loop in
upper left-hand corner and hung on a hook in closet
or pantry to hold empty paper bags, brown paper,
newspapers, etc.

Small bag or box for twine.

Handy jar, containing cup-hooks, screw-eyes,
etc., so that each new addition to kitchen equip-
ment may be hung at once in place.﻿160 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Two nails hung together by wire and suspended
from hook. Useful to punch holes in sifting top
cans, olive oil cans, etc.

Small hammer.

Labels, convenient size for kitchen use.

Darning needle and strong twine for sewing up
stuffed fish, fowl, shoulder of lamb, etc.

Non-rustable pot-covers, either aluminum or
agate-ware, or handi-hook type. If the former,
a rack near stove to keep them in, to save steps in
getting them and returning them to their place. If
paper roll is near they can be wiped at once after
use and returned to their place.

SMALL KITCHEN CONVENIENCES

Heart scraper of aluminum for scraping agate
or iron ware dishes.

Funnel.

Dish-protector to go on faucet and prevent break-
age of china.

Corks, assorted sizes, for use as stoppers. Also
a supply of large corks for cleaning kitchen knives.

Sterilized baking testers.

Scissors. As necessary to a complete kitchen
as a frying pan. Among the uses they serve are
the following:

Cutting raisins or figs.

Cutting center from grape-fruit.

Cutting lettuce, parsley, etc., for garnishing.

Cutting thin sandwiches in fancy shapes, oblongs,
squares, rounds, etc.﻿LABOR-SAVING EQUIPMENT 161

Cutting the joint of a chicken.

Cutting angelica to decorate fancy cakes.

Cutting twine and paper.

Cutting clams for chowder.

Dicing bacon and salt pork.

OUTFIT OF PAPER FOR KITCHEN

Flat package of tissue paper for greasing pans,
etc. Should be kept in a handy place near work-
table.

Newspaper cut in quarters and kept in bag or
drawer in kitchen to be used to protect kitchen
table whenever dirty work has to be done.

Paper towelling or absorbent paper to replace
roller towel. Also valuable to absorb superfluous
grease from croquettes, fried mush, doughnuts, etc.

Oiled paper saved from bread or bought in rolls
at 5 and 10 cent store to wrap up sandwiches, cheese,
meat, etc.

Paper Bags. Either regular cooking bags, or
bags saved from groceries. Useful for warming
up muffins, rolls or biscuits. Place muffins, etc., in
bag. Sprinkle lightly with water, tie up end and
put in oven for 5 to 10 minutes. The enclosed
steam makes them like new.

UTENSILS THAT SERVE A DOUBLE PURPOSE

One of the greatest benefits that is coming to
the kitchen from an intelligent study on the part
of the manufacturer, of the housekeeper's needs is
the development of utensils that save unnecessary﻿162 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

equipment. These may serve double purposes and
at the same time conserve fuel. Such a develop-
ment is the tea-kettle of aluminum with double
boiler inset; the double boiler inset (see Fig. 25) to
the aluminum tireless cooker utensils; the triple nest-
ing compartments fitting into one hole of the fireless
cooker; and a food strainer which may serve in turn
as a steamer or a colander. All of these utensils
are very valuable additions to1 the kitchen outfit.
There are also on the market a number that are
said to serve many purposes but that do not serve
any one really well. The housekeeper must be on
her guard to buy only articles of known merit.

Fig. 30.—One of the new and highly specialized electric cook-
ers. This piece of equipment illustrates the kind of appliance
that meets many needs. It may be the main cooking unit for
light housekeeping, or it may supplement a wood, coal or gas
range.﻿XI

Light Housekeeping Equipment

THE great improvement in kitchen and din-
ing-room conveniences has made it possi-
ble for any small sized family to keep
house comfortably with a very simple outfit. When
we eliminate from the regular work of the kitchen
the cake and bread making, the making of pies,
deep-fat frying and all canning and preserving, we
find that the number of utensils needed is cut in
half. We find that with a few well chosen, effi-
cient tools we can get up very attractive meals, that
we can enjoy almost as much freedom as in board-
ing and far more home comfort.

The three essentials of light housekeeping are
the fireless cooker, steamer and chafing dish.
Therefore these three articles must head the list of
any light housekeeping equipment. If you want to
do a little muffin making or cake baking, you must
learn to bake in the fireless cooker. An occasional
roast, also, may come from the fireless cooker. If
you want to save time and avoid unnecessary dish-
washing, you must learn serving-dish cookery, plac-
ing your food in the dishes in which they are to
appear on the table, and doing the cooking in the

163﻿164 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

steamer. Not only will you be delighted with the
ease of work done in this way, but you will won-
der at the delicious flavors that are brought out in
the food. If you want to have jolly little informal
suppers and invite in four or five friends, you will
find your little outfit adequate for delightful chafing
dish spreads.

A very tiny kitchenette is all that is needed for
light housekeeping. Sometimes a big closet or
pantry in old fashioned city houses can be utilized
in this way. It ought to have good tight and good
ventilation. There are ingenious ways of securing
ventilation; but at least one window opening out-
doors is an essential. If your alcove or closet does
not afford that, you had better have your stove and
work table in the living-room. They can be en-
closed in sightly wooden cabinets that close up to
look like a desk or other article of sitting-room
furniture, when the contents are not in use. The
closet can then be utilized for storage of supplies
and for dish-washing. With the addition of a
good zinc-covered table an ordinary stationary
lavatory will answer this purpose very well. Noth-
ing is needed except that it be sanitary and that it
enable you to get rid of the waste water.

However arranged, the light housekeeping equip-
ment should include a drawer for cutlery; a drawer
for table-linen (together with outfits of paper nap-
kins, table-cloths and doilies). There should be a
convenient place for minute supplies of flour, salt,﻿LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING EQUIPMENT 165

pepper, sugar, etc., so that everything you need for
your play housekeeping is right at hand, just as it
is in the more formal kitchen. Your tiny ice chest
must keep fresh milk, butter, cream and salad ma-
terials always ready for use.

Any one carrying out this plan in the city has
the choice, in most houses or apartments, of three
fuels, gas, kerosene or electricity. Electricity would
be preferable because it is the most convenient, and
because it does not exhaust the oxygen in the air.
But except for light housekeeping, and where a low
rate prevails, it would be found more expensive.
Gas, if it can be had, is at present prices the most
practical and kerosene next. The equipment for
either gas or electricity is practically the same.

In making out a list of utensils and table furnish-
ings for light housekeeping the information given
on pages 131 to 143 will prove most helpful. Just
what will be needed is determined by the group to
be served and the standard of living to be main-
tained. The utensils to be used for daily cooking
should be adapted to the quantity of food to be pre-
pared. There should be a few articles of larger
capacity and general utility. In selecting dishes and
table silver one may safely buy at least a dozen and
a half tea-cups and saucers, dinner plates, tea-spoons
and forks. The dinner size of plates are useful when
serving refreshments for afternoon or evening par-
ties, as they are large enough to hold the cup as
well as the food to be served.﻿166 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

EQUIPMENT ADAPTED TO LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING.

Electricity is the fuel best adapted to light house-
keeping. It is so clean and convenient. Then, too,
there is such a wide range of special electric equip-

Fig. 31.—Popular type of electric table stove.

ment, adapted to every need and to every scale of
living.

Selecting the equipment is, however, no easy mat-
ter for the inexperienced. To do it wisely, one
ought to know the scale of living to be maintained
and how much storage space the tiny apartment will
afford. The very term light housekeeping seems to
suggest that there is very little work connected with
this form of home-making. There is a tendency to
start out on a plane that will involve more work
than a business or professional woman can keep up
with. Therefore it is very helpful to make a brief
survey of the resources that are adapted to the
three scales of light housekeeping, viz., the very
simple, the average and the expert. In the very
simple scale there is no effort made to get more than﻿LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING EQUIPMENT 167

two meals a day. One counts on going out for the
principal meal, or having it sent in from a cook
shop. The family group is limited to not more than
three and is usually two. For this need there is
nothing more desirable than one of the wonderful
little electric table stoves (Fig. 31) with which
one can perform three different cooking proc-
esses at one time. These stoves come equipped to
make toast, broil bacon or chops and fry eggs, inde-
pendently or simultaneously. A separate attach-
ment to be used with the stove enables one to make
waffles also. With only this one appliance and an
electric percolator, it is easy to prepare delicious
breakfasts, suppers or luncheons.

The next scale of light housekeeping involves
more cooking and serves a larger group. It would
be the normal scale for three or four adults. To
the equipment already named, one would add one or
two thermos bottles or food jars and an electric
fireless cooker with an equipment of fifteen utensils
adapted to use with the cooker. See Fig. 30, page
162. This would enable one to cook vegetables and
meats, to make cereal, and to do baking in small
quantities. This type of fireless cooker is equally
adapted to regular housekeeping needs, as its operat-
ing cost is low and all trouble of heating radiators is
eliminated. It is space-saving, economical and fills
a wide range of needs. It is a wonderful asset for
light housekeeping.

The third scale of light housekeeping more nearly﻿168 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

approaches that of regular housekeeping. As car-
ried on by business and professional women who are
very capable and systematic a great deal can be ac-
complished in a short time in tiny kitchenettes.
Many of these women have been successful home-
makers before taking up business occupations and
are used to getting results. With specialized equip-

Fig. 32.—Popular kitchenette model. Made with either right
or left drain-board or with two drain-boards.

ment and wonderful space-saving cabinets and
storage units to choose from, the fitting up of the
kitchenette becomes a delightful task. A kitchen
cabinet designed for this need is illustrated opposite
page 116. Units to go with it are provided for every
storage need. The type of sink recommended is the
one-piece seamless model, illustrated above, and is
known as the kitchenette type. In purchasing the
small equipment one selects assorted sizes which fit﻿LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING EQUIPMENT 169

into each other, nested, and take up very little space.
As far as possible utensils are purchased that meet
several needs. Most of the makers of the best
aluminum ware now make their appliance in this
way. The lists as given (pages 131 to 143) will be
found suggestive and helpful.

We see from this brief survey that one must plan
the light housekeeping equipment to fit the apart-
ment and to meet the special requirements of time,
space and skill at one's command. Also it must be
adapted to the number of persons in the group. It
is a wise plan " to go slow " in making purchases.
If one starts on the simplest scale and with the equip-
ment recommended for it, it is very easy to add to
the outfit as needs develop. A careful study of the
" Efficient Kitchen " will be found helpful in mak-
ing out the lists. The more thinking one does be-
forehand, the easier will be the adjustment and the
fewer the mistakes.﻿XII

Disposal of Kitchen Waste

ONE of the most troublesome problems of
housekeeping is the proper disposal of
garbage. Where the income is liberal
and gas is available, a recent invention has com-
pletely solved this difficulty.

The garbage is burned in a gas-fired destroyer
of excellent design. The destroyer is usually placed
beside the kitchen range, and connected with the
same flue. It is so well designed that no unpleas-
ant odors escape and the gas burners are so power-
ful that even green vegetable garbage is reduced
to ashes in a short time. The ashes can then be
removed from the receiver in the lower part of the
destroyer and thrown into the usual garbage can.
Ordinarily it takes an hour to an hour and a half
to burn up the amount the destroyer will contain.
In a small family garbage can be put into the de-
stroyer for several days till it is full, and then
burned. No unpleasant odors will escape into the
kitchen. The price of the household size is $100.
The high price makes is prohibitory for the average
family, unless several families near together own
and use it cooperatively. The garbage can be col-
lected and burned each evening.

170﻿DISPOSAL OF KITCHEN WAS*TE 171

In some communities where garbage is collected
by the city, one is not allowed to wrap it in paper.
One is also cautioned against putting into the waste-
can coffee or tea grounds or anything else that
cannot be fed to animals. City garbage is usually
sold for this purpose.

The collection of garbage is a problem that ought
to be worked out cooperatively in every small town
or city, where the work is not undertaken by the
public authorities. Even where garbage is collected
twice a week, there will be some annoyance from
decaying food. In the vicinity of Boston special
garbage bags have been made which fit the ordinary
garbage can. The bag is placed in the empty can
and the garbage put into it. When the can is ready
to empty the bag is removed with the garbage and
the can is left clean.

For those who have coal stoves or furnaces the
simplest plan of garbage disposal is to burn it up.
This must be done while the fire is hot in order to
prevent clogging the chimney with soot from partly
consumed fats.

CARE OF GARBAGE IN THE COUNTRY

Every householder ought to have a strong gal-
vanized garbage can. The best have wooden sup-
ports on the sides to prevent the sides of the can
from becoming bent in handling. Such a can costs
$5.50. Where the city authorities do not require
separate cans for the ashes and garbage, one can﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

will suffice for most families. An agate-ware pail
can be used instead of the can. The pail should be
kept in a box having a hinged cover. It is not
necessary for the box to have a bottom; it is even
a very good plan to sink the box in the ground.
Sometimes the box is placed against the back wall
of the house and painted the same color. This
makes it neat and inconspicuous. The cover is a

Fig. 33.— Illustrates two views of under-ground garbage can,
The figure at the right shows it before placed in position.
The one at the left after it has been buried in the ground.

necessity, both for sanitary reasons and also to
prevent cats and dogs from getting into the pail
and tipping it over.

Another excellent plan is to install one of the
garbage receivers designed to be sunk in the ground.
(See Fig 33.) The receiver is made of cast iron,
the size of the usual garbage can, with a hinged top.
The iron receiver with its cover is sunk in the earth
near the back door. The regular garbage can is﻿DISPOSAL OF KITCHEN WASTE 173

placed inside the receiver. One container of this
type has the cover so made that it can be opened
with the foot when the garbage is dumped in. This
saves the necessity of setting the garbage down in
order to open the cover. Other types are built into
the wall.

It is a good plan to discourage keeping a gar-
bage pail in the kitchen. This plan is often far
from sanitary, and the garbage itself draws flies.
It is better to make an iron-clad rule that no gar-
bage be kept in the kitchen, and that it be taken
out after each meal. Drain the scrapings from the
plates and other waste food in the sink drainer,
then wrap it up in a newspaper and place it in the
covered pail at the back entrance. Paper bags in
w7hich groceries come may be saved for this purpose.
See that the garbage pail is rinsed out with hot soda
solution once a week in winter and two or three
times a week in summer.

In country homes, where all kinds of waste must
be disposed of by the householder, it is a good plan
to keep two extra waste barrels in the cellar. One
is used for empty cans, bottles, etc., the other is for
waste paper, dust and other dry refuse. All empty
cans should be rinsed under the hot water faucet
and dried out on the radiator or back of the range
before being put in the barrel to prevent unpleasant
odors. Arrangements can be made several times
a year to have someone call and take the contents
of this barrel to the public dump. The contents﻿174 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

of the waste paper barrel should be burned in the
furnace at convenient times during the week, so as
not to affect its running. In summer it may be
burned in a wire refuse burner especially sold for
the purpose. In the winter, garbage may be burned
in the furnace. Often it is buried in the garden
or placed in a trench made for the purpose and cov-
ered each time with a layer of earth. Where there
is an ample garden this is the best method in the
long run, though it requires a few more steps.

If garbage is properly drained and wrapped in
paper it can be kept in the covered agate pail at
the back of the house. Once a day the pail can be
emptied in the garden. Scald out the pail often
with a strong solution of sal-soda. Where there
are coal or wood ranges, much of the light waste
can be burned up in the range. The chief cause of
unsightly back yards is failure to plan intelligently
for the care and disposal of these various kinds of
waste. If families would cooperate in this matter
the individual housekeeper would be saved much
annoying work.﻿XIII

Dish-washing and Daily Care of: Kitchen

NY operation that has to be repeated three

times a day is an important one to reduce

to its simplest elements so that it can be

done in the least time, without haste or sense of
weariness in its accomplishment. By most women
dish-washing is considered by far the most dis-
agreeable of all the home duties. They will there-
fore welcome suggestions whereby its irksomeness
may be mitigated and the time required for its per-
formance cut short.

Excellent dish-washing machines have been per-
fected and have proven a great resource to those
who can afford them. They cannot be installed
in tiny kitchenettes because of the question of space.
It is undesirable to use them unless they can be in-
stalled with permanent plumbing connections. The
labor of operating the hand-power model is slight
and the time gained in performing the work in this
way amounts to a saving of a half hour or more a
day. But even without the dish-washing machine
the process can be lightened by having the right
equipment and by scalding the dishes and allowing
them to dry in the rack.﻿176 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Labor-saving Dish-washing Outfit:

Dish drying rack ...............

White enamelled oval dish pan.

Plate scraper ..................

Dish mop, with handle .........

Dish cloth ......................

^4 doz. heavy towels.............

>4 doz. tea towels ...............

Soap shaker ....................

Steel wool .....................

Soap powder....................

$ 2:75

2.88

1.50

.20
.10
.20

$11.31

In addition to the above equipment, the Wheel
Cart, already enumerated in the chapter on Labor
Saving Devices, has a most important use in con-
nection with the perennial task of washing dishes,
since it saves practically all the laborious work of
carrying utensils to and fro.

No part of the household work is done to better
advantage by two people working together than is
dish-washing. Not only is there a gain in time
through cooperation, but all sense of drudgery and
weariness is removed. It is a process that need
not at all disturb conversation as it becomes almost
automatic after it has been performed a number of
times.

It begins in the dining-room with clearing the
table. Two people remain after the meal is over.
One stands on one side of the table and passes the
dishes to the other who has the wheel cart on her
right. All the dishes being placed within her
reach, the housekeeper scrapes each dish with the﻿DAILY CARE OF KITCHEN 177

plate scraper, and piles each size by itself on the
cart. The silver is all placed on one empty dish.

The assistant meanwhile gathers up the salt and
pepper, napkins, bibs, doilies and any miscellaneous
articles that do not go to the kitchen, and puts them
away in their proper places. As the housemother
wheels the cart out to the kitchen the assistant folds
up the table-cloth, runners or doilies and puts them
away. If the table-cloth is a long one, the house-
mother assists in folding it before going out to the
kitchen.

The sink has a drain-board at the left, if there
is room for but one drain-board. On it is the dish
drainer which is twenty inches square, and has wire
supports to hold the dishes. (See frontispiece.)

In our kitchenette at the Housekeeping Experi-
ment Station we are working out the Minimum
Space problem, and therefore the single left-hand
drain-board is all that is possible. We find it in
some ways an advantage. The dishes are handled
directly from the wheel cart, instead of being trans-
ferred from it to the right-hand drain-board; and
thus an extra handling is saved.

The housemother then stands at the sink with
the wheel cart at her left. She fills her pan with
very hot water, without soap, puts the silver in one
end to soak, dips the tumblers in one by one and
transfers them to a dish on the wheel cart to be
wiped at once. She has just about time to wash
and wipe the glasses while the assistant is brushing﻿178 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

up crumbs in the dining-room and putting away the
food. Next she places the piles of dishes in her
dish-pan, being careful not to rest them on the silver
which has been left in the pan to soak. Each piece
of china is taken up in the left hand, washed with
the handle mop held in the right, and placed in the
rack on the left-hand drain-board to dry. By this
time the china is washed and water is cool enough
to plunge the hands in and wash the silver without
any discomfort. Next all left-over pots and pans
are washed, though these should be few, as cook-
ing dishes ought, as far as possible, to be washed
and put away while the preparation of the meal
is in progress. Any that have not been so done,
or any that needed soaking, are attended to last
of all when the dining-room dishes are out of the
way. Finally the water is poured out, the dish-pan
wiped and hung up, the sink-rack wiped and placed
near the radiator to dry. The sink should be wiped
out with a mild cleansing solution, and flushed
thoroughly with very hot water. The dish-cloth
and towels should be rinsed in clean water and
hung up to dry.

In the meantime the assistant has finished her
duties, and has taken the dishes from the rack and
given them the necessary wiping, piled them up and
put them away. If very hot water is used for wash-
ing and rinsing, as is usually the case, most of the
dishes dry without any wiping. For a family of﻿DAILY CARE OF KITCHEN 179

five, the entire process does not take more than
twenty minutes to half an hour.

The advantage of this method is that it offers
an opportunity to the children to work with their
mother, giving them valuable training while they
are greatly lightening a rather dreary task. Where
there are no children it cultivates in grown-ups
the habit of burden-sharing and comradeship in the
daily tasks, thus transforming the whole atmos-
phere of the home from one of drudgery to happy
cooperation and companionship in work for the com-
mon benefit.

CARE OF THE HANDS

After dish-washing or any other kitchen task
which is hard on the hands, wash them carefully in
Ivory soap suds and corn meal until all the dirt is
removed. Then wipe dry and rub a little glycerine
lotion on the hands. This keeps the hands soft and
white.*

At the Housekeeping Experiment Station we
have a white enameled sink, a zinc-covered work-
table and aluminum utensils for cooking. This
equipment greatly simplifies the dish-washing proc-
ess. The best aluminum cleanser is Steel Wool, o
and 00. Dip it in water, soap well and rub it over
the discolored surface, keeping the utensils bright
by a daily rub.

* Glycerine lotion consists of equal parts of glycerine and
bay rum or glycerine and alcohol. A bottle of this, as well as
a small jar of corn meal, should be kept on the shelf above the
kitchen sink.﻿180 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

In the daily care of the kitchen and its equipment
the following cleaning materials will be found ex-
tremely valuable. They take up but little space and
are convenient in numberless emergencies that con-
tinually arise in every household. They are the basis
for most of the cleaning preparations widely adver-
tised and selling at high prices:

Denatured alcohol.

Alum.

Ammonia.

Bath-Brick.

Black lead (for coal stove

only).

Kerosene.

Olive oil.

Rotten-stone.
Salt.

Separator oil.
Soap.

Vinegar.
Washing soda.
Floor wax.
Whiting.

The housekeeper will also need:

An apron of heavy denim

or oil-cloth.

A piece of Brussels carpet.
A chamois skin.

A few yards of cheese

cloth.

A scrub cloth.

A soft cloth.

Some Canton flannel.

Some heavy flannel.

Flannel for waxing.
Flannelette for dusters.
Rubber gloves.

A 10 cent mitt for kerosene.
A supply of cotton waste
(sold at hardware stores).

The following is a list
plements and tools:

Bottle brush........$	.56

Milk bottle brush ...	.80

Scrub brush........$	.56

Granite ware floor

pail............................1.00

of necessary cleaning im-

Refrigerator brush	.35

Radiator brush..........1.00

Vegetable brushes, 2.	.30

Broom..........................1.00

Whisk broom..............1.00﻿DAILY CARE OF KITCHEN 181

Dust-pan ...........63	Long-handled window

Hand basin.........50 brush........................1.50

Floor cloths.........50	Outfit for cleaning

18 oz. string mop.... 1.50 stove ........................1.00

Silver polish and pol-	Knife sharpener ....	1.00

ishing cloths......75	Step ladder . .$3.00 to	6.00

Window polish......50

For dining-room use:

Carpet sweeper.....$ 7.50 Vacuum cleaner----$45.00

Dustless dust cloths, 6 1.80 Waxing brush, 15 lbs. 4.00

HOUSEKEEPERS' TOOLS

A handy box of housekeepers' tools and imple-
ments can be purchased for $6.75. Or a home-
made wooden box with sliding cover can be fitted
up at a cost of about $4.00. Seven by 13 inches is
a convenient size. It should contain the following
outfit:

Long narrow hammer.

Screw driver.

Tack puller.

Awl.

Assorted tacks of the following sizes: one package of
each: 12 oz., 8 oz., 6 oz., 4 oz., 3 oz., 2 oz. Also matting
tacks, double pointed, japanned and steel, 8 oz. size; as-
sorted i-in. wire brads, i-in. wire nails, etc.; box of up-
holstery tacks; box of assorted screws in sizes from i-in.
down; screw-eyes, 1 doz., each medium and larger size;
round and square cup-hooks, 1 doz. each.

CARE OF THE SINK

The care of an enamel or porcelain sink is a very
simple matter. The bottom should be protected
with a wooden rack or rubber mat to protect the
surface from scratches. Enamel, if once scratched,﻿182 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

cannot be repaired, so it is important to prevent this.
After each dish-washing the rack should be re-
moved. The sink should be washed with hot, soapy
water, flushed thoroughly with hot water, rinsed
and dried. This will remove all odors of strong
vegetables, and will keep grease from adhering to
the pipes. Where dishes are scraped before wash-
ing and all grease is removed from frying pans
very little care of the sink drain will be necessary.
In the ordinary home, however, grease finds its way
in quantities down the sink drain, and a daily appli-
cation of strong soda is necessary to prevent grease
from adhering to the sides of the pipes. Where
daily care is exercised this need be done only once a
week. Whether daily or weekly, the process of
flushing the pipes is as follows:

Make a strong solution of soda, in the proportion
of one-third cup of sal soda to one quart of water.
Bring to a boil in an old saucepan which may be
kept for this work. Stir with a wooden stick which
can be burned up afterward. Place a tin funnel in
sink plug hole and pour down the quart of boiling
soda solution. Be careful not to let the soda get
on the hands or drain boards. In half an hour plug
the sink, fill with hot water, remove the plug and let
the rush of water finish cleaning the trap.

To clean an iron sink daily, pour a small amount
of kerosene in the sink and wipe thoroughly with
newspaper, which should afterward be burned. The
kerosene cuts the grease as nothing else will.﻿DAILY CARE OF KITCHEN 183

CARE OF FRYING PANS
If grease has not been allowed to burn in the fry-
ing pan it may be strained through a cloth or fine
wire strainer and used again. If burnt pour in
the garbage can. Under no circumstances allow it
to go down the sink drain. Wipe the utensil with
soft newspaper to remove all grease; then wash,
using plenty of soapy water, rinse thoroughly and
dry. If the frying pan is of aluminum ware it
needs no drying. Iron or tin ware should be dried
in the warming oven of a coal range or on the radi-
ator grill in a gas kitchen before being put away.
It is a bad practice to dry out wet articles in the
oven of a gas stove, as it makes it rust.

Soda solution should never be used on aluminum
ware, but is a very good thing for iron. Scouring
the inside of iron or steel utensils with any kind of
sand-soap or mineral soap makes the surface smooth
and bright.

CARE OF ALUMINUM
If aluminum is not used for vegetables with
strong acid or when boiling eggs, it will not dis-
color and needs very little care. Before using
any polish fill the utensil with water and bring to
a boil on the stove. For bad discolorations add
oxalic acid to the water in the proportion of one
teaspoonful of acid to two quarts of water. If
the stain still remains rub the surface with steel
wool impregnated with soap. Black spots made by
allowing food to " burn on " can be removed by﻿184 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

subjecting the utensil for a minute or two to in-
tense heat in a gas oven. This must be carefully
watched, as aluminum will melt if heat is applied
too long.

CARE OF BRASS, COPPER OR TIN

Rub the surface first with a cloth dipped in vine-
gar or lemon juice. Then rub thoroughly with a
paste made of rotton-stone and oil. Polish with a
dry cloth. Greasy brass must first be scrubbed with
soapsuds or sal soda solution before using special
brass polish. The acid application is used to re-
move the tarnish. Rotten-stone takes up the super-
fluous acid and completes the polishing process. If
this second process is not thorough the brass soon
tarnishes again.

CARE OF GRANITE WARE

Granite ware utensils should be placed in a cold
solution of soda in the proportion of one-half cup
soda to one quart of water. They should be
brought to a boil and boiled for an hour, or until the
dirt rinses off readily, and then rinsed in the sink
with clear water. If the stain is not removed scour
utensils with bath-brick or sapolio. In emptying
the strong soda water from the kettle in which uten-
sils were boiled, be careful to pour through a funnel
directly into the sink drain. Otherwise the soda
will act on the metal of which the sink-plug is
made.﻿DAILY CARE OF KITCHEN 185

CLEANING NICKEL WARE

Nickel can be kept bright by washing with hot
soapsuds and wiping dry. If it needs polishing use
a paste made by mixing whiting with ammonia.
The paste should be about the consistency of milk,
and should be applied with a flannel cloth and
rubbed well into the crevices. Let it dry, then rub
off the whiting and polish with a dry woolen cloth'.
There is an excellent prepared nickel polish on the
market.

Badly stained nickel can be cleaned by boiling it
in vinegar and alum mixture until stains begin to
disappear, then polishing it again. The directions
for making vinegar and alum mixture are as fol-
lows :

Vinegar and alum mixture:

2 oz. powdered alum.

1 qt. strong vinegar.

Boil the vinegar. Add the alum and stir until
dissolved. Apply hot. If the nickel has become
badly stained, it may be boiled in the mixture before
it is polished. Boil until the stains begin to disap-
pear. Mixture should be kept in a tightly corked
bottle.

CLEANING SILVER

These directions apply only to the bright sil-
ver finish. Burnished silver should not be cleaned
with any chemical. There are several methods.

1. Place the articles to be cleaned in a large alu-
minum kettle. Cover with boiling water in﻿186 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

which is dissolved one heaping tablespoonfu!
of baking soda and one tablespoonful of salt
to every quart of water. Let it come to a boil
and boil five minutes. Rinse and wipe dry.
Forty pieces of silver may be cleaned in this
way in twenty minutes.

2.	Use scrap zinc in an agate ware dish, the same
solution and the same method.

3.	In small families there need be no weekly clean-
ing of silver if a small bottle of whiting be
kept on the sink shelf and each piece rubbed
up as needed, in connection with the dish-wash-
ing process. The method of cleaning silver
with whiting is to dampen a cloth and dip it
in* the whiting, rubbing the silver over with it.
When the whiting has dried, rub it off with
another soft cloth and polish with chamois skin.
For ornamental work use an old tooth-brush.
Egg-stained or badly tarnished silver should
be rubbed over with salt before applying the
whiting.

CLEANING ZINC

Rub with a flannel cloth moistened with a little
kerosene or use scourine or Dutch Cleanser to take
off the spots. Then polish with a mixture of vine-
gar and alum.

CLEANING STEEL KNIVES AND FORKS

Scour with powdered bath-brick, using a cork
dipped in oil or water, and then into the powdered﻿DAILY CARE OF KITCHEN 187

bath-brick. Steel knives that are to be packed
away for some time ought to be very carefully
dried before putting away.

DAILY CARE OF THE KITCHEN STOVE

The gas stove should be brushed clean with a
small brush and wiped over with a cloth dipped in
linseed oil. The oil should be used very sparingly.
Use a few drops only on a flannel cloth. This small
amount will penetrate the cloth thoroughly if left
over night. And a cloth so prepared remains in
good service for two weeks, at the end of which time
it should be washed out in strong suds, dried and
given a new application of oil. Being inflammable
it should be kept in a tin box when not in use. The
drip pan under the gas burners should be washed
when necessary. With careful management this
need not be done more than once a week.

The coal range must not be cleaned while it is
hot. Let it cool down while you are at breakfast
or dinner. After the dishes are washed brush the
stove clean of crumbs, dust, ashes, etc. Dampen
the stove-cloth slightly with kerosene and rub up
the top of the stove and all nickel parts with this.
Great caution must be employed in using kerosene
near the stove. Only experienced housekeepers
should try this method.

DAILY CARE OF THE KITCHEN FLOOR

If the floor is covered with linoleum the daily
care in most cases is just brushing up with a long-﻿188 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

handled mop. Where there are creeping children
who occasionally find their way into the kitchen it
is better to mop up the linoleum daily, using a damp-
ened floor-cloth only, just to remove the dust.

The cold closet and refrigerator ought to be gone
over every day and all left-over food disposed of,
either included in the menus of the next few days
or thrown away. If care is taken in the marketing
and adapting each day's recipes to the size of the
family, there will be very little left-over food to
trouble one.

It is a good rule to cook just enough to go round
of certain things that are not good warmed over,
to cook double quantities of foods that are just as
good the second day, and always to have an abun-
dant supply of the essentials, such as bread, milk,
eggs and fruit. If a family is fond of cake and
cookies, always keep plenty of these on hand.
Where there is an abundance of the essentials it is
not noticed if there is only one baked potato to go
around, or one serving of any special delicacy.

The whole secret of wise kitchen management
is to keep your kitchen and utensils so clean all the
time that there will not need to be any grand "clarin'
up spells"; to cook the more permanent supplies
in quantity, and to carefully adjust the menus to
the daily consumption, so as not to be bothered with
" left-overs " in amounts that are only a nuisance.

The sanitary care of the kitchen includes special
attention to the containers of food. They should be﻿DAILY CARE OF KITCHEN 189

scalded out and sunned once a week in ordinary
weather, and two or three times a week in hot
weather. The refrigerator, cold closet, bread and
cake boxes should all receive daily care. The san-
itary care of garbage is discussed in Chapter XII.

Fig. 34.—Beautifully designed kitchen table. There are many
different types and sizes. All have superior and durable
white enamel finish.﻿XIV

The Laundry Problem
HE consideration of the laundry problem

does not properly belong to a study of the

kitchen and its equipment. We strongly

recommend taking all such work out of the kitchen
and making provision for it in some other way.
The kitchen is no place for laundry work. Had
housekeepers realized this long ago, cooperative
laundries would have flourished. Or at least we
should have had wash-houses for neighborhood
work, where each family might have, once a week,
the use of a room and suitable laundry equipment.

In many homes where the stationary laundry tubs
have been located in the kitchen, it is possible to have
them taken out and placed in the basement or to
have a small laundry built at the rear of the kitchen.
This plan is recommended wherever it is possible
to make the change. In every case where it has
been done, the housekeeper is enthusiastic over the
added convenience.

In building a new house it is desirable to make the
kitchen small and to build the laundry next to it on
the same floor. The room need not be large, but
it ought to have good light and a place for station-﻿THE LAUNDRY PROBLEM 191

ary or portable tubs and for an ironing board that
is always in position for work. (See Fig. 35.) A
small closet to hold the laundry equipment is also a
necessity. The chemicals for removing stains should
be kept on the top shelf of this closet. Javelle water,
borax, ammonia, oxalic acid and common table salt
are the ones most frequently used. The wash-boiler
may be heated on a small laundry stove which also
heats the supply of hot water for the kitchen, or on a
two-burner gas plate stove which can be located in
the laundry. Such a room is valuable even if wash-
ing is never done at home, as it is a place where
clothing may be brushed and cleaned and where
clothes may be pressed whenever necessary. It is a
great advantage to have a 6-inch shelf fastened to
the wall, on which the tan and white shoes of the
family may be left when drying, and where the
blacking and shoe-cleaning materials may be kept.

When one lives in a rented house and cannot
assume the expense of changing the location of the
laundry tubs, it is the part of wisdom to reduce as
much as possible the amount of washing to be done
in the kitchen. This is done by sending to the
laundry all the " flat work." Fine table linen
and bed linen cannot safely be sent out, but the ordi-
nary grades are done very satisfactorily and at mod-
erate price. The gain in reducing the volume of
washing is also felt on rainy days when it is a prob-
lem to dry the clothes.

The invention of the electric iron has made it﻿192 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

possible to have the ironing done outside the kitchen
even if the washing must still be carried on there.
Housekeepers who cannot change the tubs will
often be able to fit up a little upstairs room for the
ironing. In this room all the equipment for iron-
ing should be kept, the ironing board, the sleeve
board, wax, iron, clothes-horse, cheese-cloth or
paper toweling for pressing, a heavy Turkish
towel for ironing embroidered pieces and a hamper
to hold the clean clothes before they are dampened
and folded for ironing. Such a room will have
many of the advantages of the specially built laun-
dry.

Wise housekeepers are able greatly to reduce the
amount of ironing to be done by purchasing the
kind of underclothing and shirt-waists that do not
require ironing. There is abundant selection of
such things now to choose from, including knitted
underwear, crinkled seersucker garments and crepe
waists and dresses. Small Turkish towels may be
substituted for linen and huck towels, and paper tow-
eling for kitchen and bathroom use reduces both the
amount of washing and ironing. The idea in this
case, as in so many others, is to study out the special
conditions that affect the washing and ironing prob-
lem differently in each individual family and make
such a solution of them that you will secure the best
results with the minimum of care and anxiety.
Buy the right kind of things and make arrangements
to have an abundance of clean clothing, even if it﻿THE LAUNDRY PROBLEM 193

is not ironed, and then have everything that needs
careful ironing given the expert attention that it
needs. To secure these results with peace of mind
you will need the following outfit of labor-saving
equipment.

LABOR-SAVING LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT
Of the three chief labor-savers for the laundry,
the most important is the electric iron.

A good electric iron for family use weighs six
pounds, and should be connected with undetachable
cord at its base. It takes an electrician to deter-
mine whether an electric iron is well made. There-
fore this implement should not be bought on the ad-
vice of some irresponsible agent, or because it looks
all right. It should be of a reliable make. A
poorly constructed iron that is always getting out
of order may cost so much in repairs that it would
pay to throw it away and buy a good one. Further-
more, it always gives out just when you need it most,
and cannot be repaired except by sending for an
electrician. For all these reasons it is important
to have a serviceable implement or none at all. An
electric iron of the best type costs $6.75.

The using of an electric iron has many advan-
tages :

1.	If used in the kitchen it does not interfere
with the use of the cook-stove.

2.	It saves the time and energy spent in walking
to and from the stove to re-heat the ordinary
iron.﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

3.	It acts as a sort of pace-maker to maintain a
rapid rate of work. As it is easier to keep up
to the pace of the iron than to constantly turn
the current on or off, the natural tendency is
to accelerate one's rate of work.

4.	It makes it possible to do the ironing whenever
it is most convenient, instead of selecting the
time when the fire in the range is at its best,
or when the exigencies of cooking permit.

5.	It enables the worker to- choose a cool location
for her work, since the electricity does not af-
fect the temperature of the room.

6.	Ironing may be done sitting down if a stool of
the right height is kept on hand.

7.	It is very convenient for pressing the garments
• of the family, especially summer dresses.

8.	The cost is negligible, since an electric iron soon
pays for itself in the time it saves.

THE VACUUM WASHER

While electric washing machines are a great com-
fort in any home where they can be afforded, and a
necessity and economy in large families, they are,
generally speaking, beyond the average means. No
one, however, need be without some form of serv-
iceable washing machine, since excellent small
vacuum washers are now on the market, at prices
ranging from $1.50 up to $6.00. The advantage of
these small machines is that they can be used with
any outfit. They are equally adaptable to set tubs﻿THE LAUNDRY PROBLEM 195

or portable tubs. Most of them give best results
when used in connection with a boiler placed on a
laundry stove of the right height. The washer is
used while the clothes are in the boiler on the stove,
and the temperature is thus maintained at a higher
degree than would be possible in the tubs. After
the first boilerful of clothes is finished, the clothes
are put through the rinse water, and the washer is
used also in the rinsing. These washers are inval-
uable in emergencies and for washing blankets,
which one dare not send out unless one knows of
exceptional laundries or cleaning establishments.

In well-appointed laundries the ironing-board
rests on an iron foot which supports it firmly, ex-
tending part way under the board so that it is kept
firm and immovable. Such ironing-boards cost
about $15.

The same result can be secured in the private
home by an ingenious method of fastening the board
at one end to the side wall of the room by hinges.
When in use it is firmly supported. At other times
it is folded back against the wall. Figure 35
shows how such an arrangement looks both in posi-
tion for use and when folded back. If desirable it
may be enclosed in a wall cupboard when not in use.
With this and an electric iron it is possible to do
the ironing in any room that may be conveniently
used for this purpose, and the outfit is always ready
for immediate use. It is made by fastening a strip
of wood one inch thick and three inches wide to the﻿196 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

under side of the ironing board by means of a hinge.
A strap hinge fastens the ironing-board itself to a
brace on the wall. When in position the leg rests

against the wall. When folded up the board is
fastened to the side-wall by means of a hook and
eye.

A Clothes Boiler of copper, or at least with cop-
per bottom and of the best grade of block tin, is
another desirable addition to the light laundry out-
fit. Used in connection with the vacuum washer,
or even where clothes are washed by the paraffine
method, it is indispensable. A very instructive
government bulletin gives directions for fitting a

|ii

Fig. 35.—Ironing board, which, when not
in use, can be folded back into a shal-
low cupboard built in for it.﻿THE LAUNDRY PROBLEM 197

bottom to this boiler, making it a valuable utensil
for canning fruit and vegetables. While it cannot
be considered a necessity for light laundry work, as
can the three appliances already described, it is a
most valuable and useful addition to the laundry
equipment, and a necessity when clothes are washed
by the ordinary method.

Three portable, galvanized iron tubs (where sta-
tionary tubs are not installed) ...............$ 3.75

Bench wringer ................................. 13-S°

Three dozen clothes-pins and clothes-pin bag or

basket ......................................75

Clothes line. The best kind is rope. Keep in a bag

when not in use. Cost per 100 feet........... 1.00

Six-foot piece of rubber hose, % inch size, fitted at
one end with screw threads to attach to faucet.

Saves all trouble in filling portable tubs....... 1.75

Enamelled-ware dish pan for washing out small
pieces, or for use in starching, or carrying

clothes back and forth from the boiler........ 1.00

Clothes horse .................................. 2.25

Clothes basket .................................. 1.25

$25-25

In addition to the above special laundry equipment, cer-
tain kitchen utensils are necessary, and may be borrowed
from the regular kitchen outfit for occasional use. If wash-
ing is done regularly at home, it will be better to buy a
separate set of the following articles:

Enameled saucepan, capacity 5 to 6 qts., for making

starch ......................................$ -75

Tea-kettle, enamel ware ......................... 1.25

1 tablespoon (for measuring and stirring) .........50

1 teaspoon (for measuring and stirring) ...........10

1 agate or tin measuring cup......................20

1 quart measure..................................25

$3-05﻿198 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

ELECTRIC LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT

The electric washing machine and the electric
ironer' are wise investments for the woman who
wishes to be independent of the laundress. This ma-
chinery is too expensive to be turned over to any
but intelligent workers, and is of doubtful value ex-
cept to those who are able to do' or to superintend
their own laundry work. Many intelligent house-
keepers prefer to do their washing and ironing with
the aid of this wonderful equipment than to be
harassed by the laundress problem. Others would
rather turn the work over to an old-fashioned laun-
dress and let her work in her own way. The instal-
lation of machinery means that one must be capable
and willing to train the laundress. There are pro-
gressive and unprogressive laundresses. Thus the
personal equation as well as the returns from the
money invested must be considered when purchasing
laundry equipment.

With such an outfit it is possible to be quite inde-
pendent of the laundry question. One can send the
entire washing out, or part of it out, or have it all
done at home. It is perfectly possible to do one
thing one week and try another the next without
serious adjustment. The expense of the outfit is
not large, and in these transition days, when the old
resources are failing and the new ones have not
become fully established, it is the part of wisdom to
be fully prepared for any emergency.﻿XV

The Business Side of the Kitchen

EVEN more important than the work of
the kitchen is the business side of the
kitchen. This involves such an orderly-
record of costs, of work done and experience
gained, as will serve as a guide in administering the
family budget, and finally in achieving the results
which are the object and goal of all effort toward
real home-making.

The business management of the kitchen falls
logically into three main divisions: The keeping
of accounts; the purchasing and care of supplies;
and the keeping of kitchen records. The last
includes favorite recipes and useful memoranda,
more especially the sort of information that cannot
be found in books or libraries. Of such are data
relating to new and untried equipment; addresses
and exact names of reliable tradesmen, valuable
equipment or desirable brands of supplies; memo-
randa of the particular needs in your special cir-
cumstances, which perhaps, as they may not apply
to any other conditions, will never find their way
into* print.

Account-keeping for the home is made exceed-
199﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

ingly simple nowadays because the whole business
world is organized on one of two systems, either
that of cash payments or monthly settlements. Ac-
counts cannot be allowed to run on and on indefi-
nitely as they did a few years ago. Frequent
settlements at regular intervals make it easy for
the housekeeper to form the habit of paying bills
at a certain time each month, and making out a
monthly statement of the various ways in which
the money has been spent.

In learning to live wisely on a given income, the
first step is to make in advance a theoretical budget
apportioning one's income as seems best to the
various departments of living expense. Then keep
track of the actual expenses, and compare the
amounts spent with the theoretical budget decided
upon. It often happens that what seems best in
theory does not work out well in practice. After
a few months' experience it is possible to make a
division that is much better suited to the individual
need.

For instance, economists have worked out an ap-
portionment of income which is a safe guide for
most housekeepers as a starting-point: So much
for rent; so much for operating expense; so much
for food, for clothing, for the "higher life," etc.
But when one attempts to* actually make this ap-
portionment, it is often found to be impossible to
maintain the standard of living and keep within the
prescribed limits. Original thinking is therefore﻿BUSINESS SIDE OF KITCHEN 201

necessary in applying these standard percentages to
individual and special conditions. In working out
a wise apportionment of income, no one thing is
so valuable as a careful record of what the daily
living actually costs. Therefore a simple system
of monthly account-keeping must be adopted by
every family. The system should not require too
much work. But, to be effective it should keep
track of every important detail.

The best and simplest system that we know has
been used at the Housekeeping Experiment Station
for nine years. It never takes more than ten
minutes to jot down in a small cash-book the daily
cash expenses; or more than two' hours a month
to check up the totals of the monthly statements
of the tradesmen with the order slips, make out
the checks and balance the check-book. Although
in several instances bills have been presented that
have already been paid, it has always been possible
to locate without delay the necessary receipt. In
one case it was necessary to find a receipt for china
purchased three years before the duplicate bill came
in. The labor of hunting up the envelope contain-
ing the record of this purchase required exactly ten
minutes.

The system has one inflexible requirement which,
like the laws of the Medes and Persians, " changeth
not." That is to deposit in the bank all the money
that comes into the family till, whether it is salary
or dividends, an unlooked-for windfall or merely﻿202 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

a birthday present. The amount of the deposit is
entered in the left-hand column of the ruled page
of the check book opposite the checks. Together
with the entry a memorandum is also made stating
the source, or any necessary information relating
to the deposit. Each deposit, added to the amount
of money already in the bank, shows the total
amount that has been deposited. The right-hand
column of this blank page in the check-book shows
a corresponding record of all money paid out.
Each check stub should give the name of the person
or firm to whom the check is made payable, and a
memorandum of what it is for, as clothing, coal,
etc. At the foot of the page a total is taken of
the income column and the expense column. The
difference between the two represents the amount of
cash actually on hand. This balance is carried for-
ward to the top of the income column of the next
page.

We keep our record with the bank just as care-
fully as if it depended upon us alone to know
whether or not the balance is correct, and we check
up our balance with the bank every month or two.
Usually the bank balance is larger than ours, be-
cause several checks which we have drawn have
not yet been presented for payment. To make a
list of the checks which have not been returned we
place a blue pencil check mark opposite each check
stub that has come back. Then we take the num-
ber and amount of the stubs which have no mark﻿BUSINESS SIDE OF KITCHEN 203

after them and deduct the total of these from the
balance shown by the bank book. This gives us
the " true balance " and should be exactly the same
amount as our check book balance shows at that
date.

It is exceedingly easy, however, to make a mis-
take in addition, to forget to put down a deposit,
or even to make out a check and forget to fill in the
stub. So it sometimes happens that we have to go
over our entries very carefully and check up each
with the bank record, and then go over the totals to
see whether we have made an error in addition or
subtraction. It usually happens that the mistake
has been made by the housekeeper and not by the
bank. The bank must be accurate and balance up
its cash to a cent each day in order to transact its
business. If the bank makes mistakes, it is a
pretty reliable sign that its business is not being
well done, and that it is not a safe institution to
have dealings with. Reasoning of this kind once
caused us to withdraw our account from a bank
which had a high reputation for stability, but which
had made a mistake of several dollars in its bal-
ance. The bank failed a few months later. It
was discovered that its funds had been used for
speculation for several years and its methods had
become lax. One cannot be too careful nowadays
in the matter of accurately keeping accounts.

In addition to the check-book, which is our com-
plete record of all family expenses, we have only﻿204 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

to keep a small cash-book for certain items that are
too small to pay by check. The cash account is
made part of the check-book system by simply
drawing a weekly cash check to cover the amount
we think we shall need. The total of this check
is entered on the left hand side of the cash-book.
Every item of expense paid out is entered on the
right. We try to group the expenses as we go
along because the record is of value to us just in
proportion to the training it gives us. For instance,
suppose we spend $5 on a trip to the city. Our
entries may read like this as we jot them down at
the end of the day:

June 15. Carfare ........................$ .05

Ticket ..........................60

Lunch ..........................40

Telephone ......................10

Ribbons ....................... 1.25

Hat ........................... 2.00

Ticket ..........................60

$5.00

Or it may read:

June 15. Trip to the city.................$x-75

Clothing ....................... 3.25

Total ............$5.00

In the former case we have not taken pains to
separate the expense of the trip itself, which would
always be practically the same, from the amount
spent for clothing. The record is over-loaded with
detail and gives no information of value. In the﻿BUSINESS SIDE OF KITCHEN 205

latter, we have analyzed the account. This analyz-
ing of items soon becomes a habit; and it is the
most helpful habit that we can cultivate now-a-days
wThen conserving the income is only possible through
an exact knowledge of values. The old idea of
economy in everything is being replaced by definite
knowledge of what not to do. Certain expenses
inevitably follow certain decisions and cannot be
controlled. Therefore our account-keeping rescues
us from many difficult positions, and enables us to
know with certainty what we can do and what we
ought to avoid.

The cash account, then, is kept exactly as is the
check account. At the bottom of each page a
total is taken of the amount of cash drawn out;
and of the expenses on the opposite page. The dif-
ference between the two* represents the cash on
hand and is brought forward to the next page. At
the end of the month the expenses are grouped
under the proper heads, such as clothing, wages,
food, etc., and added to the amount spent for these
items through checks. This gives us a complete
record of the various ways in which money has
been spent, and is one of the chief objects for which
accounts have been kept. The totals are filed on a
card and can be compared at any time with the ex-
penses of a previous month. In this way we learn
to spend our income to the best advantage, to pro-
tect ourselves from other people's carelessness, and
always to discriminate intelligently between what﻿206 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

" it were good to do " and what we are financially
;able to do.

PURCHASING SUPPLIES

Each department of household expense has its
'Own problems and must be dealt with, in the light
of experience, in such a manner as to get the best
results. In this book we shall consider one de-
partment only, that relating to the needs and re-
quirements of the kitchen.

In order to get the best value for the money ex-
pended for food supplies, the housekeeper may
pursue one of two general policies, either of which,
intelligently followed up, gives good results.

The French system consists of buying in very
small quantities as food is needed. By this plan we
pay a slightly higher price, but avoid the care of
storage, the risk of deterioration and all tempta-
tion to careless or wasteful use that comes with
having abundant reserve supplies on hand. Very
many housekeepers have no choice in the matter,
since those who must move often or live in apart-
ments cannot store anything not absolutely neces-
sary to be kept on hand. For this very large class
of home-makers we recommend our Standard List,
which is given on pages 209 and 210, and which
amply provides for both the daily needs and for
emergencies.

The other plan is to buy in quantity and thus
obtain a substantial reduction in price. For house-
keepers who live in the country and can have a good﻿BUSINESS SIDE OF KITCHEN 207

cold storage cellar, it will pay to make a practice of
buying not only groceries and canned foods in
quantity, but the winter supply of vegetables, apples,,
oranges and grape-fruit. It may even be an ad-
vantage to put down eggs in water glass if one lives
in a community where eggs ever get as low as 20
to 25 cents a dozen.

It is important, however, to know both how to
select and how to care for food in storage. The
cold cellar must be properly ventilated, and also
protected from excessive cold. One must know
how to choose a satisfactory grade of supplies that
will keep. Fruit and vegetables must be frequently
gone over and all decayed articles removed. At
least an hour a week should be given to this work
by the householder in person, since one cannot en-
trust it to an ordinary maid or leave reserve supplies
open to careless use.

If this plan is carried out in connection with a
home garden it will prove a great economy. With
good management a moderate-sized garden plot
will yield a great part of all the vegetables a family
needs for winter use, and many of the fruits and
vegetables for canning. The labor of caring for
such a garden is not great, and is better worth
while than any other department of home work
that we have, since it keeps the whole family out of
doors and happily occupied.

KEEPING TRACK OF SUPPLIES
Whatever purchasing system may be adopted,﻿208 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

whether supplies are bought in quantity or in small
amounts as needed, it is important that the renew-
ing be done in a methodical way. In the entire
realm of home economics there is no more prolific
source of wasted time and energy than that caused
by a hand-to-mouth habit of buying.

Let us suppose that the cook or housekeeper is all
ready to make a batch of apple pies. At the last
moment she discovers that there is no lard in the
house or no nutmeg. Then ensues a hurried trip
to the corner grocery. Or perhaps a telephone
order must be sent and the cooking delayed until the
goods arrive. Probably it is a late hour of the
morning when everybody is telephoning, and the
line is busy. As a result of this lack of foresight
twice as much time is consumed as the actual cook-
ing operation requires. The work is done in an
atmosphere of worry and confusion and the whole
morning's schedule is thrown out of focus.

At the Housekeeping Experiment Station we
avoid all this by merely keeping a pad and pencil
hung up in the kitchen on which orders are made
out in advance. We plan to keep a certain amount
of supplies on hand to cover daily needs and emer-
gency needs. Whenever a can is used a memo at
once goes on the pad to replace it. When the tea
canister or coffee canister gets down to two-thirds
a new supply is purchased. We never wait for
anything to be actually gone before replacing it.
We telephone orders once, twice or three times a﻿BUSINESS SIDE OF KITCHEN 209

week as the need requires, trying to consider the
convenience of the grocer as well as our own and
not to ask unnecessary deliveries.

No great amount of storage space is needed for
a supply such as we recommend. At the Experi-
ment Station the supply is kept in the kitchenette
itself, a room 6 ft. 6 by 11. There is no regular
storage pantry, but the east wall of the kitchenette
is fitted up with open shelves above the work table
on which we keep all articles needed for daily use
and emergencies. The amount of money needed
to purchase the given list is also small; and the
added efficiency through time saved in the planning
and preparation of meals is very great. This,
therefore, is one of the wise investments for house-
keepers of small means as well as those of abun-
dant income.

STANDARD LIST OF KITCHEN SUPPLIES

Granulated sugar .. 5 lbs.	Molasses .......... 1 qt.

Lump sugar ....... 1 "	Flour:

Powdered sugar ... 1 "	Bread...........25 lbs.

Brown sugar ...... 1 "	Pastry ..........10

Coffee ............ 1 "	Graham ......... 5 "

Tea .............. 1 "	Rye ............ 1 "

Baking powder..... 1 "	Cereals:

Corn starch ....... 1 pkg.	Oatmeal ........ 3 "

Cream tartar ......lb-	Hominy ......... 1

Baking soda....... 1 lb.	Unpolished rice .. 3 "

Tapioca ........... ipkg.	Yellow corn meal 1 "

Eggs ............. 1 doz.	2 kinds of un-

Butter ............ 2 lbs.	cooked cereals.

Lard ............. 3 "	Macaroni......... 1 pkg.,

Lemons ........... 3 to 6﻿2io THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Canned Goods:

Corn........... 2 cans	Bacon .......3 lb. strip

Peas ........... 2 "	6 Beef tablets.

Shrimp ........ 2 "	Currants ....... 1 pkg.

Tomatoes ......2 "	Small can pimentoes.

Salmon ........ 2 "	Evaporated cream 2 cans

Peaches ........ 2 "	Sardines.........2 "

Cherries .......2 "	Stuffed olives.. .2 bottles

Plum pudding ... 2 "	Seeded raisins .. 1 pkg.

Chicken ........2 "	Grated pineapple. 1 can

Shredded codfish 1	lb.	Hawaiian pineapple.

Dried beef. .2 glass jars

Salt.

White pepper
Pepper corns
Bay leaves

Clove .....

Thyme ____

Soup Flavorings:

Marjoram .... 5c. worth

... 1 can Celery........" "

. 5c. worth Onion extract.
. " " Evaporated carrots. 1 lb.
. " " Celery salt.
. " " Evaporated turnips. 1 lb.

Condiments and Seasonings:

Extract of Vanilla.
" " Lemon.
" " Almond.

Salad materials:

Paprika ..........1 can

Garlic cloves.. .5c. worth

Tarragon 'vinegar...

.......,........1 bottle

Olive oil .........1 gal.

Cider vinegar......1 qt.

Mustard ..........1 can

Spices:

Cinnamon.

Ginger.

Mace.

All-spice.
Nut-meg.
Red pepper.

Miscellaneous:

Poultry seasoning.
Imitation maple syrup

extract.

Currie powder.

Gelatin .........2 pkgs.

Refined cotton seed oil.

Dried apricots......1 lb.

" prunes ......" "

" mushrooms . ." "
3 lbs. Milk crackers.
1 lb. Saltines.﻿BUSINESS SIDE OF KITCHEN 211

The housekeeper who arranges to keep on hand
a Standard List like the foregoing can avoid the
most prolific sources of worry, delay and wasted
energy. An orderly method of keeping track of
supplies soon becomes a habit. Mechanically, al-
most without thought, needs are jotted down in
advance. The day's orders are telephoned at a
convenient hour before the line gets busy. Best
of all her day can be planned to the best advantage,
and she is never at the mercy of fate when emer-
gencies arise.

ORDERING SUPPLIES

A strong prejudice against ordering by telephone
has developed in the past few years, some authori-
ties even going so far as to charge up against the
telephone the entire responsibility for the high cost
of living!

It is true that serious abuses are possible in homes
where supplies are carelessly telephoned for by any-
body and everybody, without any subsequent check-
ing up. Nevertheless, in spite of sensational warn-
ings against the practice, there is much to be said
in its favor. The evils of the system have crept
in through ignorance or lack of training on the
part of the housekeeper and dishonesty on the part
of the merchant. As neither the one nor the other
defect is inevitable, there is no reason why either
should be permitted to discredit a convenience that,
properly used, may be quite as valuable to the
housekeeper as to the business man.﻿212 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Housekeepers are realizing that they must learn
how to purchase wisely, and that a knowledge of
the reliable brands of food is part of the educa-
tion necessary to successful home-making. Every-
where courses in marketing and food values are
being given to women's clubs. Merchants are be-
ing called to account for dishonest dealing and are
suffering loss of trade if they persist in taking ad-
vantage of ignorance. On the other hand those
who can be trusted to properly fill orders are meet-
ing deserved success. Where the housekeeper
knows her end of the business and the merchant
can be relied on, the use of the telephone means a
great saving of time and energy at both ends of
the wire. Competent market men, for example,
know more about meats than the average house-
keeper can learn in a lifetime. If this knowledge
can be enlisted in the interest of the home, and if
the housekeeper is willing to pay the slightly higher
price such honest and intelligent service is worth,
the use of the telephone will be the greatest possible
benefit.

When all is said and done, it is simply a problem
in mathematics. Conditions vary in different com-
munities, and the only way to test them is by
experiment. Let the housekeeper first try going to
market for a month, keeping a careful record of the
time and car fare consumed by this method.
Then, when she knows the market conditions, and
the best places to purchase to advantage, let her﻿BUSINESS SIDE OF KITCHEN 213

select a reliable butcher and grocer and a good
place to buy fruit and vegetables. Let her give her
orders by telephone at a certain regular time each
day, and carry out this plan also' for a month, care-
fully comparing the results of the two systems one
with the other. She can then readily judge which
is the better plan in her particular case. She may
find that marketing once a week and paying cash
prices, combined with the telephone system for
other days, will be more effective than either plan
for her needs. If the family is large and the chil-
dren grown up, the money saved by cash marketing
may far out-weigh every other consideration. The
question may be decided by each individual on its
merits, since able housekeepers have proved it is
possible to get the right kind of supplies by either
method.

CHECKING UP SUPPLIES

In Chapter IV on Built-in Conveniences we have
spoken of the importance of having a shelf or closet
at the back entrance to receive daily supplies as
they are left by the tradesmen. Near this closet
should be hung a bill clip, so that the slips ac-
companying each order may be checked up before
the goods are put away, and the slips placed in the
clip until the end of the month. The total amount
on the slips should then be checked up with the total
of the monthly statement. If any mistake has been
made in the order, any wrong charge or any short-
age of goods, or if the goods themselves were un-﻿214 the efficient kitchen

satisfactory, the dealer has been called up at the
time of delivery, and the matter corrected. A note
of the correction has been made on the slip. Credit
slips are kept with the charge slips, so that every-
thing can be quickly checked and verified before
making out the check.

Tradesmen who do- not have telephones are given
instructions to leave a certain order of bread, eggs,
or what not, daily or weekly. If any change is
made, a note is left near where the goods are de-
livered, giving the necessary instructions to increase
or reduce the order. If slips are not left with the
orders, a card is nailed up against the wall, on
which each delivery is marked. At the end of the
week or the end of the month the amounts are
totaled up and paid. We have a general under-
standing with all dealers that as long as they leave
us first-class goods we make no change in the order,
but that any inferior or imperfect goods will be
returned. We pay promptly and make a point of
giving a certain definite amount of trade that can
be counted on. In this way we get the best service
with the least expenditure of our own time and
effort.

THE KITCHEN RECORDS

In order that the best methods may be carried
out in the kitchen, and that the one who does the
work may have in available form the recipes, menus
and directions relating to the various details of her
business, it is necessary to have some place in the﻿Built-in kitchen cabinet, utilizing wall space to advantage for storage of
supplies. Bread box with board and knife above it﻿THE LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS﻿BUSINESS SIDE OF KITCHEN 215

kitchen in which may be kept a complete set of
reference cards for kitchen records.

Very few home-makers realize how much time
is lost through failure to keep accurate, tested
recipes adapted to the size of the family, in a con-
venient place and ready for constant reference.
Somewhere in most houses this information is
stored, but it is not available when needed. Very
much of the cooking, for example, is done by guess-
work. More food is prepared than is needed, and
is then either wasted or requires special thought
and care to warm over.

There is a very simple way of controlling the
situation. Make out for kitchen use a set of card
recipes of all foods used contantly, even including
cereals. Adapt these rules to the number of per-
sons in the family. Keep the cards alphabetically
indexed in a small oak box which sells for $1.50.
Such a box is technically known as a " jogger." A
4 by 6 card is the best size for the purpose, and it
should be of a good grade of card-board. Each
recipe card ought to contain the following informa-
tion :

1.	List of necessary ingredients.

2.	Directions for mixing.

3.	Directions for baking, with exact baking tem-

peratures and exact time required for baking.

4.	Number of persons rule will serve.

5.	Exact time required for mixing.

6.	Cost of materials.﻿216 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

The following shows a tested recipe card with
full directions:

RYE MUFFINS

1.	Mix and sift dry ingredients. Add gradually the
milk, egg well beaten and melted butter.

2.	Heat oven to a temperature of 420 degrees F.* by
turning on both burners for about seven minutes, using
thermometer to test. Turn both burners as low as pos-
sible to maintain this temperature. Place muffins on
lower shelf and bake for 20 minutes. They should be
well raised by this time and commence to brown. Turn
on heat full for 5 to 7 minutes, when muffins will be well
browned and ready to take out.

3.	Rule makes 12 muffins.

4.	6 minutes are required for mixing.

5.	Material costs 10 cents.

Such a record is valuable for the following rea-
sons :

1.	It enables one to perform the work in the
shortest possible time.

2.	It is possible to see at a glance the special con-
ditions governing each single operation, so that a
person of intelligence may be able to group to best
advantage a number of tasks that may need to be
watched up at the same time.

3.	It prevents wasting time in looking up details
that cannot safely be trusted to the memory.

4.	It assures perfectly cooked food and therefore
prevents waste of valuable materials.

* Where thermometers are not used directions for paper
tests may be substituted.

I cup rye flour;
1 cup white flour;
% cup sugar;
1 teaspoonful salt;

1 tablespoon melted butter;
4 teaspoons baking powder.

1 cup milk;

1 egg;﻿BUSINESS SIDE OF KITCHEN 217

5.	The baking temperatures worked out for one
kind of food as a rule apply to all recipes of the
same class. Thus the directions for rye muffins
apply to all other kinds of muffins, and need not
be repeated.

6.	It prevents small amounts of different kinds of
food being left over, to either be wasted or take
time and thought to serve again in some palatable
form.

7.	It is a valuable record that can be used by any
one as a guide for the same kind of work. Details
slip from the memory, and a careful habit of mak-
ing and preserving records is the greatest asset
that any home-maker can have.

Another serious loss of time, resulting also in
much damage to valuable property, is caused by
failure to keep careful directions for the care of
equipment. The cleaning of metals, care of hard-
wood, etc., are important tasks. Yet either no di-
rections at all are given for their performance, or
it must be given verbally to each new maid or out-
side houseworker who comes in. Such directions
should be recorded on cards and kept in a con-
venient place in the kitchen for constant reference.
Any housekeeper can make a set of these cards for
herself by purchasing strong bond letter paper 7 by
11. Or the directions may be written on heavy
cards 5 by 8 in size.﻿XVI

The Home-maker's Quiet Corner

THIS little book has been written in vain
if it has not been made abundantly clear
that the business of real home-making is
a problem for heart and brain rather than one de-
manding mere physical toil for its solution.

However necessary it may be for the mother of
a family to master the practical details of her busi-
ness, it is, in the final analysis, an administrative
problem. Therefore the Efficient Kitchen will
fall far short of its purpose unless the home-maker
can have somewhere in the house a quiet corner
where she can be free to do the thinking and
planning necessary to coordinate the household
machinery and make it run effectively.

The Quiet Corner corresponds to the business
man's office. It should if possible be a separate
little room away from noise and interruptions, and
should be conveniently fitted up with writing table,
book-shelves and files. Here the day's work is
planned, accounts are kept and the indispensable
housekeeping records are made and filed away in
convenient form for handy reference.

The cost of fitting up such an adjunct to the
218﻿THE QUIET CORNER	219

Efficient Kitchen may be anywhere from about
$15.00 to $150.00. But whether the expense be much
or little, the equipment should be of the right kind.
The " jigglely " little " ladies' desks " that look so
ornamental are the wrong kind. Much to be pre-
ferred is a plain kitchen table with two drawers,
which may be purchased unstained for $4.50.
$16.00 will buy a very complete outfit including a

paw h iiiul'

Fig. 36.—Least expensive equipment
for the Homemaker's Quiet Corner.

kitchen table and chair to match, a scrap basket,
scissors, two letter files and a good supply of paper,
pencils, memorandum pads, etc. (See Fig. 36.)
The table and chair may be painted or stained oak,
green or cherry to match their surroundings.

We have already spoken of the advantage of a
card system for the kitchen records in constant
use. These kitchen records will be merely part of
a general card and filing system covering all de-
partments of the household needs, to be made out,﻿22o THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

consulted and filed in the Home-maker's Quiet
Corner. The family account-keeping, for example,
is very simple and consists of comparatively few
items. Nevertheless it covers an immense amount
of detail. To tax the memory with a multitude of
facts that, in themselves are unimportant, is a great
mistake and has been a main cause of the terrible
waste of energy seen in many homes. " Mother "
is expected to be constantly at everybody's beck
and call, and to be an encyclopedia of useful in-
formation for the entire family. She must not
only remember the details that properly fall to her
own work, but she must make good the short-
comings caused by carelessness of other members
of the family. If she does not in self-defense
adopt a simple and accurate system of keeping track
of things she becomes a hopeless burden bearer.

We all know homes where the mother is con-
stantly interrupting important work to hunt up
some missing article for one member or another of
the family; where hours are lost hunting for
things that are needed but have been tucked away
somewhere. No one can find them but " Mother "
if she has put them away, and if she trusts to an
over-burdened memory which fails her at the most
critical times. If she has a system, however, she can
say: "Your winter flannels are in the cedar chest
in a package labeled ' T's Winter Flannels,' " or
"The gloves are in the right-hand upper corner of
my bureau drawer." Many women are naturally﻿THE QUIET CORNER

systematic and have worked out for themselves
simple and effective ways of conserving their time.
Many others have good memories and can always
remember. These two classes of women need very
little help; but there is a still larger class who are
neither systematic nor gifted with good memories,
but who would become the best kind of home-
makers if they would carry out a systematic plan
of keeping records of all information by means of
a card system.

We have spoken of the need of having accurate
recipes and direction cards in the kitchen. This is
the first step toward starting a valuable system
which may be applied to other departments of the
house-work. The next step is to get the " card
habit" and free one's thought from all unnecessary
detail. The two sizes of cards best adapted to the
use of the home are 3 by 5 and 4 by 6. Card index
trays, such as librarians use, come to fit in ordinary
drawers. These index trays are about fifteen
inches long. You start the system by writing out
on an index card the subject you want to keep track
of. These subjects may be: Household Accounts;
Addresses, Personal and Business; Linen Supply;
Miscellaneous Information. Then every fact that
needs to be remembered may be written down on
a card under its proper grouping. In a short time
it becomes a habit to jot things down, and finally it
becomes almost mechanical to keep track of every-
thing by means of the cards.﻿222 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

When one or another needs to know where things
are, or what kind and size of stockings to buy for
John, or where you can get the best grade and size
of bedding, you simply consult your card record,
and save the time of looking up all these details.
Until you begin to think about it you will not
realize how much time you formerly wasted just
because you failed to make unimportant matters
automatic.

Duplicates of all recipe cards should be kept in
the Quiet Corner; for it is here that you plan your
meals, and here that it will be of most service to
have recipes grouped in a suggestive way. For
instance: you have under one grouping Supper
Dishes, giving a list of the supper dishes that have
been found best adapted to the tastes and need
of the family. Another grouping is devoted to
Quickly Prepared Meals. Another to Emergency
Dinners, etc. These groupings come to you in the
form of suggestions from friends or magazine arti-
cles. You jot them down, try them out, and add
them, if found worthy, to your " tried and true "
card recipe index. Often they cannot be dupli-
cated because they have never been written down
by any one before. For that reason one ought not
to keep the original card in the kitchen, but should
have a set of duplicates for kitchen use. It is also
not necessary to have on the kitchen card all the
detail that may be desirable for the permanent file.
The cost of food and the time required to prepare﻿THE QUIET CORNER	223

it are needed when one plans the day's work. In
the actual doing of it one has more need of baking
directions, exact amounts of ingredients, etc.

The most important feature of the card system
is to have a small oak " jogger " to be kept on one's
desk to hold memoranda that will serve as a guide
to the immediate day's work. Any special work
for a certain day is written, say, on a card marked
Tuesday. Perhaps Tuesday is the regular wash
day; but bread must be set at night and peas soaked
for Wednesday's pea soup. A glance at the card
will serve as a reminder to maid or housekeeper.
There are duties that change every day even though
certain days are set apart for special tasks. These
directions are written out as they are thought of,
and each morning a card of special directions is
given to the maid, together with the menus for the
day. Perhaps the laundress' comes once a week
and you must remember to tell her to take special
pains ironing the fine white dress, to set the color
in E's new gingham dresses, not to starch the cur-
tains too much. So as these ideas occur to you they
are written down on the Laundress' card. An-
other card is kept for the man who comes once a
week to mow the lawn and do odd jobs about the
house. You jot down on Brown's card:

Fix screens to cellar window.

Loosen library windows that stick.

Mow lawn.

Transplant iris.

New pane of glass in vestibule.﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Suppose you happen to be out when Brown
comes, or an unexpected caller arrives. It is not
necessary to see him, or to tax your mind with
the list of little things that will help in making the
next week go smoothly. All you have to do about
Brown is to leave the card for him.

In the same way a card keeps track of the er-
rands that must be done next time we go to' the city
to shop. On it sizes, addresses, etc., are written
down, so that these do not have to be specially re-
membered. All these cards are filed alphabetically
so we can take them out of the " jogger " when we
need them. As soon as a list is done with it is
destroyed, and a new card started. If one or two
items still remain to be attended to they are trans-
ferred to the new card.

The cost of card trays and joggers for both
kitchen and Quiet Corner will be about $5.00.
There will be two joggers, one holding 4 by 6
cards, and a smaller one for the desk holding 3 by 5
cards. There will be two< card trays or oak drawers
filled with index cards, one 4 by 6, for the original
recipes kept in the office, and one tray fitted out
with 3 by 5 cards for miscellaneous information.

The following memorandum shows the complete
cost of fitting up the Quiet Corner (or Office as
it is more prosaically called in many households)
with the necessary furniture, filing arrangements,
etc., required for making and keeping such house-
hold records as we recommend:﻿THE QUIET CORNER	225

1. Least expensive outfit for the Quiet Corner :

Kitchen table, stained oak, cherry or green .......$ 4.50

Scrap basket................................... 1.25

Ordinary chair to match table................... 2.00

Scissors ............................ ........... 1.00

Two letter files..................................7°

Pencils, paper, pads, etc......................... 1.50

Joggers and card trays as itemized above......... 5.00

Total.....................................$1595

Instead of the inexpensive letter files in the above
list one may purchase two inexpensive vertical files
resting on a base. It consists of two sections and
the base, and sells for about $6.00. It is similar
to the one illustrated on page 226. It is a great
convenience in any home, as it keeps important
papers and letters in the most compact and con-
venient shape.

At the Housekeeping Experiment Station we
have a more elaborate equipment because our needs
are both private and professional. The outfit is
wonderfully complete and satisfactory, and is espe-
cially adapted to the needs of professional women,
club women and teachers doing research work.
It is illustrated on page 226. (See Fig. 37.) The
filing cabinet contains hundreds of topics bearing
on kitchen equipment, schools and their relation to
the home, municipal problems, etc., etc. All this
information has been gathered through personal ex-
perience and observation, or from newspapers and
periodicals, and therefore cannot be found in any
library! It is carefully indexed by means of the﻿226 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

card system, and can be referred to at a moment's
notice.

Our equipment, including a type-writer and type-
writer desk, a revolving desk chair and the files,

D

Fig. 37.—A more elaborate "office" equipment for the home-
maker, thoroughly practical and desirable.

costs about $150. This will be found to be an in-
vestment that well pays for busy people.

We have spoken of the importance of having
a separate room for the Home-maker's Quiet Cor-
ner. This may seem an impossible luxury to the
unselfish housemother, who is apt to allow all
needs to take precedence of her own. Yet peace
and quiet at times are all-essential to the success
of her work, and must by some means be secured.

We knew of one harassed mother of nine who
now and again achieved a quiet hour in the midst
of most wearisome toil, by donning a certain well-
known sun-bonnet as a signal to the members of
her household that she wished to be let alone!﻿THE QUIET CORNER	227

Absurd and pathetic as this incident is, it never-
theless suggests a solution of the difficulty that is
within the reach of all.

For the Home-maker's Quiet Corner, like much
else that the new housekeeping stands for, is in
reality a way of looking at things — an attitude
of mind. If it is once clearly recognized that
thinking and planning is the main business of home-
making, and if all the household is taught to recog-
nize this fact, it will not be difficult for the mother,
whether or not she has a separate " office," to be
as free from interruptions in her special corner of
a bed-room or living-room, as if barricaded behind
locked doors. The main thing is to make definite
provision for the mental aspect and mental require-
ments of her work. Only through a right attitude,
through recognizing the high importance of thought
and intelligence in working out the household prob-
lems, is it possible to win through " villain kitchen
vassalage " to glory.﻿XVII

Progress Since 1914

THE first edition of " The Efficient Kitchen "
was issued in 1914, the year of the World
War. Soon after it appeared tremendous
economic changes took place. The price of build-
ing materials, household equipment and skilled
labor rose to unheard-of heights. The wages of
skilled labor became higher than ever, yet the ef-
ficiency of the average worker became markedly
less. Everything contributed to make the cost of
building and remodelling homes almost prohibitive.

It was thought, after the war was over and peace
was won, that prices would gradually decline, become
normal, reasonable and stable. But year by year has
passed since Armistice Day without any reduction in
the high cost of building. Prices not only remain
high but fluctuate. Contractors dare not give close
estimates for doing work, as strikes and shortage
of material arise unexpectedly and often wipe out
all profit. They are unwilling to undertake altera-
tion work except on a time and material basis.
While it is possible to secure a contract price for
building a new home, one should have very careful

228﻿PROGRESS SINCE 1914	229

specifications drawn up by an architect in order to
prevent the substitution of inferior work and ma-
terial.

If the homemaker desires a convenient, well-
planned kitchen it is more important now than it was
ten years ago to study carefully the resources avail-
able in up-to-date equipment and the proper ar-
rangement of the working centers in order to reduce
labor and secure the greatest return for the money
invested. In this new edition of " The Efficient
Kitchen " a careful survey of the latest equipment
has been made and all changes in price noted. We
find marked progress in the perfecting of much of
the labor-saving appliance which in 1914 was still
in the experimental stage. The New Housekeeping
ideas called for a changed point of view regarding
work in the home. The logical result of a new way
of thinking is the development of new resources con-
forming to the new needs. America is never slow
in responding to ideas that appeal to thought and
invention. It is not surprising, therefore, that won-
derful progress has been made in ten years in the
design and perfection of appliance and in the storage
equipment for the service room. Ten years ago the
average kitchen was the most neglected and most
poorly equipped room in the house. Today it rivals
the business office in the beauty and convenience of
its furnishings. There is a bewildering array of
labor-saving equipment to choose from. Architects,
contractors and manufacturers are responding to the﻿230 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

new idea of making the work-room of the house
convenient and beautiful.

THE KITCHEN GROWS SMALLER

The roomy kitchen is rapidly giving place to the
specialized kitchenette. This has come about partly
from choice and partly from necessity. High
rentals and lack of domestic workers have made this
change practical and desirable. A more careful
study of the storage facilities is necessary; for every
bit of space must be used to the best advantage.
Ten years ago, if one wanted cupboards and cabinets
conveniently planned, it. was necessary to have them
made to order. Today there is a wonderful array
of ready-made cabinets to choose from, of wood or
of enamelled steel.

THE DINING-ROOM DISAPPEARS IN MANY HOMES

Not only have kitchens become smaller, but the
tiny space allotted to the kitchen must often serve
for dining-room as well. In many cases an alcove
at the end or side of the kitchen is equipped with a
built-in table and benches in the Pullman style. . This
is called " the breakfast alcove," or " Pullman-
nook." We find this frequently in city kitchenettes
and also in country kitchens. This idea, too, was
born of conserving space. It has been welcomed by
the woman doing her own work, because of its con-
venience. In many homes each member of the﻿PROGRESS SINCE 1914	231

household has a separate breakfast and luncheon
hour. It therefore saves many trips, in serving
" meals at all hours," to eliminate the dining-room.
If, indeed, the landlord has not already eliminated
it!

Even in larger houses and in families employing
help, we find " the breakfast alcove " equally prac-
tical, since it can be reserved for the use of house-
hold workers. Such a comfortable rest corner is
needed whether one employs resident or non-resident
help. If it is not advisable to instal built-in equip-
ment, one can use a drop-leaf table, and two or more
chairs. Breakfast sets, as they are called, come in
painted, unpainted and hard wood finish for a rea-
sonable price.

One cannot, however, feel that the tendency to
conform to space-saving ideas is altogether good.
While it is possible to eliminate the dining-room,
the " breakfast alcove idea " ought to be carried out
in conjunction with an out-of-door breakfast porch
or specialized sitting-room. At least one meal a
day should be served in restful and beautiful sur-
roundings. It is quite possible to furnish the living-
room so that it may meet this need and be available
the year round for meals in which the family join.
There are many kinds of furniture to choose from
in furnishing a combined sitting-room-dining-room.
These include gate-leg tables, nested tables, and ad-
justable table tops, as well as wicker and mission
furniture. The kind of furniture would, of course,﻿232 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

depend on the size of the family as well as on per-
sonal preferences.

In a great many homes it would be possible to
have really delightful out-of-door dining-rooms with
growing plants to add beauty. Back yards could
be so developed as to furnish lovely vistas of trees
and green lawn. The rest and joy that beautiful
surroundings bring is quite as real a need as con-
serving time or money. As we realize this we will
find that it is possible to bring it about.

THE UNIT STORAGE IDEA

One of the great difficulties ten years ago in
recommending new ideas and adequate storage fa-
cilities for the kitchen was the fact that everything
of this kind had practically to be made to order.
This involved a good deal of time and thought in
planning and made it necessary to hire skilled cabinet
makers to carry out the ideas. There is now a large
variety of well-made storage equipment on the mar-
ket of fine appearance and good workmanship.
Moreover, the idea that has made it possible to satis-
factorily meet this need is one that has long been
in use in business offices and stores, the Unit Storage
idea.

In its simplest form, the home has for a long time
made use of such units in the form of sectional book-
cases. Those who have tried the sectional book-case
prefer it to any other portable kind; because one
can buy just what one needs and add to it as one's﻿PROGRESS SINCE 1914	233

library increases. When one moves, it can be taken
apart, packed in strong cartons and carried to the
new home. Since it may be installed in long lines
across the entire width of the room or set up as
single units to fit smaller spaces, the sectional book-
case adapts itself to the new home as well as it did
to the old. The only difference being that it is now
assembled in a new way to fit the new space require-
ments.

The business man has for a long time been able to
avail himself of the Unit Storage plan in equipping
his office with filing cabinets. Home-makers may
be very grateful that this new idea has been devel-
oped in cupboards and cabinets to meet every storage
need of the kitchen. While these cabinets are ex-
pensive in first cost, they are very well made and
will last many years.

Those who cannot afford to purchase this beau-
tiful and convenient equipment can carry out the idea
in home-made cabinets on the same plan. The possi-
bilities of home-made furniture have been brought
to the attention of the home-maker through Miss
Brigham's book on " Box Furniture." In planning
units for camps and inexpensive homes one can use
ordinary packing boxes of the right size; or the units
may be made of lumber to match the trim of the
kitchen. The open shelf system, described on pages
49-53 " The Efficient Kitchen " is also an inex-
pensive method of obtaining Unit Storage. The shelf
may be a long one or may be made up of several﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

shorter lengths to give the needed capacity and to
utilize the wall space to best advantage. Thus we
see that convenience is not dependent upon the price
of material used, but upon the idea itself.

HOW TO USE THE UNIT IDEA TO BEST
ADVANTAGE

One must decide, at the start, upon the make of
cabinet one is to instal; for they should all be pur-
chased from the same manufacturer so that they will
match in design, height, etc. One usually begins
with the kitchen cabinet. To this one adds units in
which to store china, utensils, brooms and cleaning
outfit, a cupboard above the sink, a cereal and plate
warmer (Fig. 6) and ironing board cabinet. These
may be grouped near the kitchen cabinet, or as sep-
arate units, conforming to the idea of scientific
grouping described in Chapter III.

ELECTRICITY REPLACES DOMESTIC SERVICE

While labor-saving electric appliance for the home
has been on the market for at least twenty-five years,
it is only within the past ten years that it has come
to be regarded as a substitute for domestic service.
The rapid development along this line dated perhaps
from the shortage of help during war time. Women
who had never done their own work before were then
forced to do it, and began to welcome equipment
that lightened the burden. The money formerly
spent for household workers was now spent in instal-﻿PROGRESS SINCE 1914	235

ling this wonderful new equipment. It proved to
be an investment that paid. Electricity has enabled
the housekeeper to overcome the drudgery and bur-
den of housework; to shorten her working hours
and to devote more time to outside interests. By
securing and using the ballot, women have now a
means of actively co-operating with men in freeing
the home from trust control. We therefore find
a very different attitude regarding the purchase of
labor-saving equipment. It is now considered in the
light of a paying investment and not as a luxury
that only the rich can afford.

In a recent report by the Smithsonian Institute
a strong plea is made for the extension of electric
power service to country districts, so that farm
women may universally avail themselves of elec-
tricity. This report advocates the installation of
electric equipment costing over $1,400, because it
would enable the farm woman to do her work with
half the labor and thus be a paying investment.
Predictions are made by competent authorities that
electric power consumption will, in 1937, be six
times what it is today.

ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT IS TODAY WELL
PERFECTED

The following equipment has reached an almost
perfect development in the last ten years and can
now be selected on a record of service. Just how
much of it one instals should be decided by the﻿236 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

amount of work to be performed and the value of
the home-maker's time. Under right conditions
each appliance will be found a profitable investment.

The operating cost of these items of equipment is
not high, except for ranges and hot water heaters.
In giving the list we have placed at the top those
which are most needed in every home.

Electric iron.

Small electric appliance—percolator, toaster, etc.

Electric washing machine.

Electric vacuum cleaner.

Electric waffle iron.

Electric fireless cooker.

Electric fan.'

Electric radiator.

Electric dish-washing machine.

Electric range.

Electric ironing machine.

Electric refrigeration.

FURNISHING THE HOT WATER SUPPLY

The improvement in equipment for heating the
water supply of the house, during the past ten years,
has been chiefly in three types of appliance.

I.	In the simple type of laundry and tank heaters
illustrated on page 75, Fig. 7. There has been a new
kind of section invented which can be installed in
such heaters and which is not affected by the chem-
ical action of any kind of water. The result is clean
hot water, free from any discoloration or deposit.

II.	A great improvement has been made in the
type of heater illustrated on page 81, Fig. 10. This
type has now been perfected, as illustrated on page﻿PROGRESS SINCE 1914	237

83, Fig. 11, into what is called Automatic Storage
Systems, which come both in gas and electric ap-
pliance. As we stated in describing this type of
heater, it is constructed on a better principle than
the type of heaters outside the boiler, because it con-
serves heat better. Realizing this, manufacturers
have spent a good deal of money perfecting the
burner and automatic attachment. By this auto-
matic device the heat of the. water is maintained at
any desired temperature. The gas is lighted, the
thermostat set, and when the cold water reaches the
degree of heat desired, the gas is automatically shut
off. When the temperature falls below the given
point the gas lights again automatically, always
maintaining the given temperature. The tanks
should be insulated. A heater is on the market
which has an insulated tank with beautiful gray
enamel finish, attractive enough so that the tank may
be located in the kitchen.

III. Great improvement has been made in kero-
sene hot water heaters, increasing their efficiency
by using two burners instead of one. This kind of
heater is used especially in country districts where
gas is not available and by those who cannot afford
the extra operating cost of electric heating. They
give very good results if the directions for care and
cleaning are followed.﻿238 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

HEATING THE WATER IN WINTER BY MEANS OF
FURNACE COILS

On page 73 attention is called to the loss of heat-
ing efficiency if the furnace is used to heat the water
supply of the house by means of coils located in the
furnace or attached to the furnace. Still the prac-
tice is very general of making the furnace perform
this extra service. Some heating contractors esti-
mate that it requires 20 per cent more coal to run a
furnace so equipped. Nevertheless, it is true that in
many parts of the country the period of intensely
cold weather lasts but a short time. During the rest
of the year the furnace does not need this extra
capacity for house heating, and can perform both
tasks. It will, of course, cost more in fuel, but no
more in time and labor. We therefore find that the
practice has many advantages for climates where the
temperature is variable throughout the winter. Fur-
naces now come equipped with two-cored openings
for the installation of coils. The plumber charges
from $12.00 to $15.00 to furnish and instal coils.
In some localities where there are lime deposits from
the water, the coils must be renewed every three to
six years. The renewal costs usually five to seven
dollars.

For steam and vapor furnaces a special type of
casting, with coils inside, is attached to the furnace.
This costs, installed, approximately twenty-five dol-
lars.﻿PROGRESS SINCE 1914	239

CHANGES IN WALL TREATMENT AND FLOOR
SURFACE

The small kitchen needs superior paint and more
constant renewing of paint than large kitchens; for
the cooking vapours are concentrated in smaller
space. When mixed with dirt, and especially with
soft coal dust, this greasy film is very hard to re-
move without damaging the appearance of the paint.
A new method of starching the kitchen wall has been
developed, which enables one to clean the paint semi-
annually with little effort and without marring its
appearance. After the paint is dry, a thin solution
of starch is applied to the walls, using a very wide
brush, like a whitewash brush. During the year the
dirt settles in this starch and may be removed by
washing off the starch with warm water in wrhich a
solvent is dissolved. The paint is now fresh and
clean. The starch treatment is again applied and
protects the walls until the next cleaning time. This
work may be done by a painter or can be done by a
member of the family.

A superior method of laying linoleum has also
been perfected in the last few years, by which lino-
leum is laid over lining-felt. The felt is pasted to
the floor and the linoleum pasted to the felt. The
edges and seams are sealed by cement, so that no
water can get under the edges through careless mop-
ping. By this method, a softer, warmer floor is
secured and the wearing quality is greatly increased.﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

It is also possible, by using this method, to lay
linoleum over concrete floors, using it as a rug, and
leaving a uniform border of concrete around the
edge. The cost of laying linoleum in this way is
ninety cents per square yard, which covers the cost
of lining-felt, paste, cement and labor. This addi-
tional cost is justified for rooms which receive very
hard wear, and can be considered a permanent in-
vestment.

The practice of using rubber mats for the kitchen
is now quite general. Small rugs may be purchased
for $1.50 each; or one may buy rubber matting by
the yard and cut it in suitable sizes to protect the
floor in front of the different centres. Separate
rubber stair treads, costing twenty-five cents each,
are useful to use in the sink to protect the surface.

APPEARANCE AND HIGH COST OF EQUIPMENT

The new equipment is beautiful, easily kept clean,
well designed and very expensive. There seems to
be a universal demand for equipment that is attrac-
tively finished. Plain but equally serviceable models
of stoves, cabinets, etc., do not sell well. For those
who can afford the beautiful finish and the details
that add to the appearance but not to the intrinsic
usefulness of an article there is every reason to pur-
chase it. But there are many who select equipment
judging by appearance alone. Instead of looking up
the record of the manufacturer, or making any study﻿PROGRESS SINCE 1914

241

of the construction of a given piece of equipment,
they are carried away by external appearance and a
slightly lower cost. A special caution for the inex-
perienced is therefore necessary. Do not be be-
guiled by a plausible salesman into purchasing any-
thing bat the best of its kind. There is usually not
much difference in price between the best and an
imitation of the same thing. Either buy the best or
purchase sensible, well made, plain apparatus that
carries a guarantee for honest construction.

Let no home-maker be discouraged who cannot
afford the beautifully designed storage cabinet, one
unit of which is illustrated on page 116. We have
time and again fitted up kitchens conveniently and
inexpensively by converting an old piece of furniture
into a well-planned storage cabinet. When painted
or varnished to match the trim of the kitchen it was
attractive in appearance as well as convenient.

THE KITCHEN OF THE FUTURE

All women look forward to the day when modern
invention will free them from the multiplicity of
details summed up by the word " housekeeping."
It is especially desirable that home-making cares be
simplified for mothers and professional women.
Neighborhood co-operation could do much to bring
this about. Groups of families could unite in solv-
ing problems of laundry work, cooking and market-
ing. Kitchenettes would not need, then, to be﻿THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

equipped for carrying on so many tasks. In some
localities it has already been demonstrated that soup-
making, baking of roasts, bread, pastry and cakes
can be done as well in central kitchens and just as
economically. In other localities well-cooked meals
are prepared and delivered hot to individual fami-
lies by using the wonderful thermos containers.
When co-operation thus simplifies the work of the
individual home, kitchenettes can be planned to carry
on only the lighter tasks of assembling, storing and
serving food. More time could then be spent in
serving food in an attractive way. The home would
not lose by having some of its burdens removed.

SOFT WATER FOR KITCHEN AND LAUNDRY USE

An adequate supply of soft water is very advan-
tageous for many home processes. When soap is
used with hard water it leaves a deposit which sticks
to the enamelled surfaces of the lavatory, bath tub,
kitchen sink, and laundry tubs. This deposit greatly
increases the labor of keeping this equipment clean.
Hard water also considerably increases the danger
from lime scale in the coils of the hot-water heater,
ultimately causing the replacement of expensive
plumbing equipment. In laundry work, this lime
sediment settles in the fiber of the fabric, and unless
removed by careful rinsing weakens the fiber and
ultimately destroys the clothing. It is therefore both
a convenience and an economy to have an adequate﻿PROGRESS SINCE 1914	243

supply of soft water. There are three ways of se-
curing this. The first is the old-fashioned method
of building a cistern to collect the rain water from
the roof. A simple pitcher pump connected with
the cistern will furnish soft water for kitchen and
laundry. This method is comparatively inexpensive.
The second system requires the installation of a
pressure pump which forces the cistern water
through the hot-water system and to the faucets at
the kitchen sink, lavatories, and laundry tubs. This
equipment costs around $200.00. It is very impor-
tant that the cistern be well constructed and equipped
with an efficient filter. The third method of secur-
ing an adequate supply of soft water involves the
installation of a water softener of the zeolite type.
The city water supply passes through the softener
and is thereby freed from the destructive salts of
lime and magnesia. This type of softener is rather
expensive but extremely satisfactory except for ex-
cessively hard waters. It costs in the neighborhood
of $250.00.

Prices for Convenient Reference

HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS

Group I:

1. Automatic Storage Systems:

Gas, installed ..................$100.00 to $150.00

Electric, installed—if price of tank is included

$110.00 to 125.00

b. Instantaneous-gas .................$155.00 to 215.00﻿244 THE EFFICIENT KITCHEN

Group II:

i. Water back in kitchen range, 30-gallon boiler. .$ 27.50

2.	Coal-burning heater, 30-gallon boiler....................55-5°

With improved water section............................61.50

3.	Circulating water heater—indirect or outside

boiler ....................................................50.00

Direct, with gas burner inside boiler....................40.00

4.	Circulating water heater—kerosene with boiler:

One burner ............................................................60.00

Two burner............................................................70.00

Group III:

Water heated by means of furnace coils for fur-
naces equipped with core openings, $10 to.. 26.00

The figures given above include average cost, installed.
Accurate estimates should be secured from local plumbers,
as there are many makes of appliance and installation costs
vary. In localities where hard water causes corrosion
insist on estimates which specify brass pipe in connecting
appliance to boiler.

AVERAGE COST OF RELIABLE ELECTRIC
EQUIPMENT

Dish-washing machine, household size ..........$145.00

Fan, for ventilation as well as cooling air....... I7-5°

Fireless cooker, with equipment................. 35-00

Hot-water heating system, electric, installed (price

of tank not included)...............$95-00 to 105.00

Iron, 6-lb. size ................................ 6.75

Electric Ironing Machines:

44" roll, electric driven, gas heated roll......$160.00

44" roll, electric driven, gasoline heated roll.. 190.00
44" roll, electric driven, electric heated roll. .. 215.00

The installation will cost from $10.00 to..... 15.00.

Percolator .................................... 18.00

Radiator, for supplementary heating, 10" size.....

Range, different sizes...................$60.00 to 225.00

Refrigeration or ice-making appliance........... 195-00

Table stove with special attachments............ 12.50﻿PROGRESS SINCE 1914	245

Toaster.....................

Vacuum cleaner, bag-stick type

Waffle iron ..................

Washing machines ...........

..........$ 9.00

......... 40.00

.......... 15-00

$110.00 to 165.00

To some of these appliances the cost of installation must

be added.

1924 PRICE OF BUILDING MATERIALS

Cement and composition flooring, includes base-board and
laying per sq. foot, 50 to 60 cts.

Flooring, 6-inch No. 2 flooring, if floor is to be covered
with linoleum, $4.50 per 100 feet.

Flooring, hard-wood, 2^-inch % N. C. pine, flat-grained,
kiln-dried, $8.50 per 100 feet.

Glazed tile (price includes baseboard and laying), $1.25 to
$I-75 Per square foot.

Kalsomine, one coat glue or varnish sizing and one coat
kalsomine, 20 cts. per square yard.

Linoleum, best grade inlaid, new patterns, $3.00 to $3.50
per square yard.

Linoleum, best grade inlaid, discontinued patters, consid-
erable reductions.

Linoleum, printed, D grade, 85 cts. to $1.25 per sq. yard.

North Carolina pine flooring—see Flooring.

Paint for walls, floor, etc., per sq. yard, 20 to 80 cts.

Rubber mats, $1.50, or cut in strips, $1.25 per yard.

Rubber mat for sink, stair treads at 25 cts. each.

Washable oil cloth paper, sold by roll, average price per
sq. yard, 40 cts.

Zinc, sold in sheets, strip 30 inches wide by 6 ft. costs

$3.00.

AVERAGE PRICE OF SKILLED LABOR

Carpenters ..........

Electricians..........

Expert to lay linoleum
Expert to hang shades

Painters.............

Plasterers ...........

Plumbers............

Tinners .............

$1.00 per hour and up.

1.65 per hour.
1.00 per hour.
1.00 per hour.
1.35 per hour.
J-35 Per hour.
1.50 per hour.
1.50 per hour.﻿﻿GLOSSARY

The vocabulary of the new housekeeping is often
a source of confusion to housekeepers. Unfamiliar
words are used, or perfectly familiar words are used
in a new sense. Certain technical or trade words are
also necessary in describing processes or giving direc-
tions for construction.

Built-in-Conveniences.— As used in the Efficient
Kitchen refers to shelf room, closets built into the
wall, etc, and such other home-made contrivances as
a carpenter can instal.

Cleat.— " A strip nailed or otherwise secured across
a board, post, etc., for any purpose, as for supporting
the end of a shelf" (Century Dictionary). In this
book cleat means a narrow strip of wood nailed to
the wall, from which brooms, mops, etc., may be sus-
pended.

Fixed-Equipment.— Refers to the kind of equip-
ment that must be permanently located, such as sink
stove, etc.

Grill.— A flat perforated metal shelf to fit over the
top of a steam or hot water radiator in kitchen or
dining-room. Used for drying kitchen ware and keep-
ing dishes warm in kitchen where there is no kitchen
range.

Insulation.—" That state in which the communica-
247﻿248

GLOSSARY

tion of heat to other bodies is prevented by the inter-
position of a non-conductor: also the material or sub-
stance which insulates."

Pantry.— Technically " an apartment or closet in
which provisions are kept or where plates and knives
are cleaned." In this book the term refers to the smaii
intervening room between kitchen and dining-room,
often called " Butler's Pantry."

Radiator.— Defined in the Century Dictionary as
" Anything which radiates: anything from which rays
of heat emanate or radiate. Also a part of a heating
apparatus designed to communicate heat to a room
chiefly by convection but partly in some cases by
radiation."

The term is used in The Efficient Kitchen to apply
to the soap stone or iron discs which are used as the
heating agents in fireless cook stoves. Also used to
designate the steam or hot water coils used to heat a
room.

Stove.— Defined in the Century Dictionary as "A
closed or partly closed vessel or receiver in which
fuel is burned, the radiated heat being used to warm
a room or for cooking." In common usage the word
" stove " and " range " are used interchangeably, but
manufacturers of coal stoves and ranges make a tech-
nical distinction. A " stove" has the collar for the
smoke-pipe in the top at the end opposite the firebox
and has two oven doors on opposite sides. A " range "
has the collar for the smoke-pipe at right angles to
the firebox, in the middle of the top at the back, and
has but one oven door.﻿GLOSSARY

249

Thermos Bottle.— A bottle having a double wall so
insulated as to retain the heat or cold in the liquid
placed in it.

Vent Valve.— A safety or poppet valve placed in
the cover of a fireless cook stove to allow steam to
escape when the pressure inside is sufficient to lift the
valve. The valve makes roasting and baking possible,
without the necessity of opening the cooker to release
the surplus steam.﻿﻿INDEX﻿﻿INDEX

Account Keeping, 199, 206,

220, 221
Administration, 9, 11
Agate ware, 127, 133, 140, 160,
184

Alcohol, denatured, 96
Alcove, breakfast, 230-231
Aluminum, care of, 179, 183-
184

double boiler of, 147
lining to fireless cooker, 150
steamer, 154
tea-kettle of, 162
Analysis, of expenses, 205

of processes, 37-39
Asbestos, 75, 76, 82
Architect, 14, 15, 18, 19, 26,

229
Ash can, 90
Ash sifter, 114
Automatic, 82, 83, 84, 86, no,
222, 237, 243

Bags, 135, 142, 159, 173
for cracking ice, 142
Barrel, 173, 174
Boiler, clothes, 191, 195, 196,
197

hot water, 72, 74, 75-82, 85,
86, 237
Brass, care of, 184
Bread, box, 42, 43
cutting of, 39, 130
slicer, 157
Breakfast,

alcove, 230
sets, 231

Cabinet, 233
for fireless cooker outfits,

150-151

251

Cabinet, Cont.

for ironing board, 234
kitchen, 116-118, 230, 234
built-in, oppos. page 214
space saving, 168
Card system, 215, 218, 221-
226

cost of outfit for, 225
Care of aluminum ware, 179,
183-184

Cellar, cold closet in, 56, 207
Cement, cost of, 245
Chemicals, for cleaning, 58, 60,

180, 185, 191
Children, 10, 60, 61, 62, 188
Cistern, for soft water, 243
Cleaning, cloths, 17, 59, 60, 61
implements and tools, 59,

60, 180-181
materials, 180
Cleaning outfit, 17, 60, 134,
234

cost of inexpensive, 134,
142

special place for, 47
Cleat, 60-62
Closet, 58, 59, 126
cold, 54-56, 126, 188, 189
for children's wraps, 61, 62
for cleaning outfit, 17, 58,

60

for groceries, 48, 213
for incoming supplies, 57,
213

for keeping dishes warm,
68 .

for light housekeeping, 164
for provisions, 52-53
for wraps, 17, 47, 61-62
Cloths, for cleaning, 17, 59, 60,

61﻿252

INDEX

Coal, for cooking, 63, 65, 89-

91

for heating	water supply,
70-79

provision for	storage, 62-63,

114

supply governed by monop-
oly, 6
Coal box, 47

Coal range, 64-66, 86, 87, 89,
90, 91, 113-114, 137
separate flue needed for, 25
Coal stove (see Range), 91,

171, 187
Coat-bar, 61-62
Cold storage facilities, 53-56,
126

for vegetables, 47, 56, 126
Concentration of working
processes, 14, 44
illust., page 156 a
Conserving energy, 9, 15, 37,

42-44

heat, 77, 237
Containers, 42
for cooking supplies, 118
for cooked food, 133
sanitary care of, 188-189
Copper, care of, 184

Dining-room, 230
Dishes, for cooked food, 41,
132, 133, 140, 141
grouping of, 43
Dish-washing, 15, 16, 175-179,
182

care of hands after, 179

facilities for, 15

getting dishes ready for,

176-177, 182
outfit to lighten, 176
simplification of, 175-179
Dish-washing machine, 175
electric, 236

Electric Appliances, 94, 97,
98, 235, 236
current, 83

Electric Appliances, Cont.
dish-washing machine, 236,
244

fan for ventilation, 244
fireless cooker, 94, 115, 143,

145, 157, 162, 167, 236
hot water heating system,

86, 244
ice-making equipment, 124
iron, 97, 191, 193, 194, 195,

236, 244
ironing machine, 197, 236,
244

laundry equipment, 198, 236
percolator, 236, 244
radiator, 236, 244
range, 94, 98, 114-115, 157,

236, 244
refrigeration, 124, 236, 244
stove, 65, 66, 105
toaster, 158
waffle iron, 245
washing machine, 194, 198
Electricity, 26, 96, 115, 165
displaces domestic service,

234-235
for cooking, 93-94, 127, 166
for light housekeeping, 166
to light kitchen, 12, 26
wiring for, 97-98
Equipment, price lists of, 131-
143, 157-159
considerations in choosing,

f6.

coordination of, 37-43
cost of inexpensive outfit of,

136

cost of liberal outfit of, 143
for dining-room, 158-159
for light housekeeping, 144,

163-169
for small family, 143-144
labor-saving, 9, 129, 130,

145-159, 229
miscellaneous, 134-135
of Colonial kitchens, 127-128
perfected, 235-236
principles governing selec-﻿INDEX

253

tion of, 96, 128-129, 161-

162

promoting accuracy, 130
scientific grouping of, 40-42

Fireless Cooker, 96, 106, 112,
* 129, 134, 137, 145-149, 153,
167

advantages of, 151
advantageous use of, 145-
148

as a fuel saver, 128, 146
care of, 149

combination gas stove and,
112

cost of, 134, 143
development of, 92
essentials of good makes
of, 150-151

location of, 42
stand for, 150-151
used with gas stoves, 106
used with kerosene stoves,
94, 105
Floor, 31-35, 239, 245
cement, 34-35, 245
cost of, 32-33
hardwood, 33, 246
treatment of, 33
Floor covering, 31-33, * 239-

240
Flue, 17, 25
Food warming, 66, 68
Frying pans, care of, 183
Fuel, 16, 62, 65

choice of, 88-98
Furnace, heating water sup-
ply, 73-74, 84, 238

Garbage, 47, 170-174
box to conceal, 172
collection of, 171, 174
daily care of, 173-174
Gas, advantages of, ix, 91-93,
105

for burning garbage, 170
for heating hot water sup-
ply, 80-86

Gas, Cont.

for light housekeeping, 165
for lighting kitchen, 26
Gas heaters, 80-85, 237
cost of, 243-244
different types of, 80-85,
237

Gas kitchen, 67
Gas oven, 67, 107-108, 109
Gas ranges and stoves, 67, 91-
93, 106
choice of, 107-112
cost of, 108, 109, IIO, III
construction of, 107
Gas and coal combination

ranges, 112-114
Granite ware, care of, 184
Grill, 67

Hands, care of, 179
Heat• control, iio-in
Heating systems, 57

the home, 105
Heating water supply, 70-87,
243-244
by means of coal range, 64-

65, 105

by means of coils in fur-
nace, 73-74, 84, 86, 238,
244

by means of gas heaters, 80-

85

by means of kerosene heat-
ers, 85

by means of laundry stoves,

74-79, 236
cost of, 243-244
Home-maker, x, xiii, 1, 4, 10,

11, 18, 19
Home-making, author's ex-
perience in, vi-xii
controlled by circumstance,
10

successful, 11
Hot water heater, location

and care of, 79
Hot water heating (see Heat-
ing water supply)﻿254

INDEX

Hot water supply, 70, 76, 79,

82, 84, 86
Housekeeping Experiment
Station, ix, xi, 76, 77, 152,
179, 201, 208, 225

Ice-making Appliance, 124,

236

Insulated ovens, 111
Insulation, 82, 119, 123, 238
Iron, electric, 191, 236, 244
Ironing (see Laundry work),
192
board, 195

illustration of, 195-196
labor-saving equipment for,

193-194, 195-196
reducing amount of, 191,
192

upstairs room for, 192

Jacket for hot water boiler,
72-73, 75. 76, 77, 78, 79,
82, 85
Jogger, 224, 225

Kalsomine, cost of, 29, 245
Kerosene, 86, 112, 113, 187,

237

advantages as a fuel, 94, 96,

165

for cleaning, 182, 187
heaters, portable, 66, 85-86,

237, 244
law regulating specific grav-
ity of, 96
safety of, 96
to heat kitchen, 66
to light kitchen, 26, 27
Kerosene ranges, 105, 112-.

113, 136

repair parts to, 95
Kitchen, advantages of small,
13-14, 190, 230
artificial lighting of, 26-27
as a training school, 11
awkwardly arranged, ix
business side of, 199-217

Kitchen, Cont.

care in planning, 9, 17-19,

229-230
choice of methods and ma-
terials for, 19, 20
concentration of processes,
in, 16, 44 (illustration,"
page 156)

cost of building materials

for, 228, 243
cost of furnishing, 135-138,

142-143

cost of skilled labor in

building, 243
cost of wall finish, 28-30
flue connection of, 17, 25
finish of walls and ceiling

of, 27-30
grouping of equipment in,

9, 37-44
heating of, 16, 64-66
in Colonial days, 12
large, 12, 13

needs of modern, 4, 13, 14-
19, 26

of the future, 229, 241-242
outfit of paper for, 161
places for utensils in, 51-53
plumbing, 17, 103-104
lists of equipment for, 127-
144

records, 214-217
relation to flues, etc., 25-26
relation to other rooms, 21-
23 .

selection of fixed equipment

for, 99-126
selection of labor-saving

equipment for, 145-162
size of, 13, 14, 20-21, 230
small conveniences for, 160-
161

small necessities for, 159-

160
table, 116

remodelled, illustration fac-
ing pages 44, 130, 156
with butler's pantry, 21-22﻿INDEX

255

Kitchen, Cont.

without closet facilities, 48-
49

Kitchen cabinet, 17, 47, 116-

118, 140, 214
Kitchen floor, 31-35
cement preparation for, 34-
35

daily care of, 187-188
linoleum for, 31-35, 239-

240
tile for, 35
treatment of, 33-34
Kitchen walls and ceilings, 27-
3°

cost of wall finish, 28-30
tile for, 30

treatment of old, 29, 239
Kitchen windows, arrange-
ment of, 17, 23-25, 164
Kitchen woodwork, 35-36
Kitchenette, 20, 28, 51, 52,
102, 123, 142, 164, 168,
230

illustration of, 94, 130
of Pullman system, 123
refrigerator, 122
sink, 100, 168

Labor-saving, viii
equipment, 9, 129, 145-162,
176

laundry equipment, 193-197
Laundry (see Ironing and
Washing), 190-198
arrangement for, 17
cost of outfit for, 138, 194-
197

problem solved, 198
soft water for, 242-243
small upstairs, 20, 191
Laundry heater, 75-77, 86, 136
advantages of, 75, 76, 136
best location for, 79
care of, 79

cost of installing, 76, 136,

143, 244
cost of maintenance, 77, 136

Laundry tubs,

portable, 191, 197
stationary, 190
Laundry work,

not adapted to kitchen, 190
reduced in amount, 192-
193

solved by cooperation, 190
Lighting, 23

artificial, 26-27
Light housekeeping, equipment

for, 163-169
Linen, dining-room, 44, 158

kitchen, 134, 142
Linoleum, accuracy in meas-
uring, 31
advantages as a floor cover-
ing, 31-33
cost of, 245

superior method of laying,
239-240
Lists,

of articles to group near

range, 40
of articles to group near

sink, 40
of articles to group near

table, 41
of articles requiring special

storage, 42
of advantages of electric

iron, 194
of advantages of gas as a

fuel, 93
of advantages of gas stove,
108

of cleaning chemicals, 180
of cleaning cloths, 180
of cleaning implements and

tools, 180-181
of desirable dining-room

equipment, 157-159
of electric equipment, 236,

244-245 ^

of groceries, 209-210
of housekeeper's tools, 181
of hot water heating sys-
tems, 86, 243-244﻿256

INDEX

Lists, Cont.

of labor-saving equipment,

157-158

of laundry equipment, 197
of necessary kitchen equip-
ment, 131-143
of paper outfit for kitchen,
161

of requirements of fireless

cookers, 150
of requirements of refrig-
erators, 124-125
of small kitchen con-
veniences, 160

Maid's Sitting Room, 20, 66
Mats, rubber, 240, 245

Newspaper, kitchen uses for,

135, 159. l6l> J73, 183
nickel ware, care of, 185

Operating Cost, 84, 87, 96
Ovens, elevated, 109, 112
enamelled lining to, 108
gas, 107, 108, 109
portable, 69, 95, 108, 109
Oven thermometer, 90

Plate and Cereal Warming
Closets, 68, 69, 234
illustrated, 68
Paint, for kitchen floor, 33-34,
245

for walls, 29, 245
for woodwork, 35-36
Paper, washable oil-cloth, 30,
245

Pantry, butler's, 21-22, 42, 43

storage, 209
Percolator, 166
Place, for coal bin, 63
for kitchen fuels, 62
for kitchen utensils, 51
Planning the kitchen, 12-36,
229

Plaster, 19, 27-28
Plumbing, 85, 99, 101, 103
Pot covers, 160

Price lists, of building ma-
terials, 245
of cost of electric appliance,

159, 244-245
of hot water heating sys-
tems, 243-244
of labor-saving equipment,

. 157-158, 159. 244-245 .
of necessary kitchen equip-

ment, 131-143
of skilled labor, 245
Principle, in choice of con-
tractor, 20
in choice of equipment, 96,
128

in choice of materials and

methods, 19
in grouping equipment, 4
of banking, 203
of conservation, 5
of scientific grouping, 44
of engineering, x
of kitchen construction, 14
of kitchen efficiency, 44-55
of kitchen management, 188
Processes, automatic, 9
analysis of kitchen, 37-40
analysis of dining-room, 43-

concentration of working, 44
coordination of, 16, 44
housekeeping, 10
Provision for keeping food
cold, 17, 47
for keeping food warm, 17,

47, 57, 66-69
for kitchen waste, 47
Pullman, kitchenette, 123
style, 230

work, 230	•

Pump, pressure, 243

Quiet Corner, cost of equip-
ment for, 225-226
need of a, 219-228

Radiator, for keeping food
warm, 69﻿INDEX

257

Radiator, Cont.

to heat kitchen, 66, 143
of fireless cooker, 115, 146,

148, 150, 167
pantry, 68
Radiation, prevention of loss

by, 75, 81, 82, 85
Range (coal), advantages of,
89-91, 105
connected with flue, 25
cost of, 91, 114, 137, 143
cost of installing, 91
daily care of, 187
description and uses of, 89-
.91

displacement of, 89
economical management of,

72,	89, 90, 9i, 105
equipped with chute, 90
equipped with thermometer,

90

kitchen heated by, 64-66
wastefulness of, 65, 72
water supply heated by, 71-

73,	137

Range, coal and gas, 114
electric, 98, 114-115, 236,
244

kerosene, 95, 96, 105, 112-
ii3

gas (see Stoves)

Records, advantages of care-
ful, 204, 214-217, 219
complete, 205

for care of equipment, 217
kitchen, 199, 214-217
of cooking, 216
of cooking temperatures, 146
of fuel expense, 74, 77, 78
of heating cost, 74
topics included in, 199, 215
Refrigerator, 17, 43, 47, 118-
126, 137, 142
chest, 134, 165
circulation of air in, 119-

120, 122, 125
daily care of, 125-126, 188
different types of, 121-123

Refrigerator, Cont.

drain pipe of, 124
equipped with ice-making

appliance, 124
equipped with rear icing

door, 123-124
essential requirements of,

119-121, 124-126
for light housekeeping, 165
how to use economically,

120, 125
location of, 22, 44, 123
Refrigeration, 47

electric, 236, 244
Rest corner, 231

Salad Outfit, 141
Sal soda, 182, 183
Scientific grouping, 37-45
Scissors, 141, 160-161
Serving dish cookery, 163
Shelf, 22, 47, 50-53, 54-62, 117,
233

advantages of open, 49, 51,
233

advantages of narrow, 22,
45

above sink, 51
above work table, 49-51
best height for, 45
for kitchen utensils, 51-52
for sink solutions, 51
in coat closet, 61-62
in cold closet, 54-55, 126
in provision closet, 52-53 .
special, 42

suspended from edge of, 45
warming, 67, 69
Sink, 16, 18, 47, 99-105, 136-
137, 143
articles to group near, 40,

131-132, 138-139

care of, 104, 178, 181-182
convenient height for, 99-
100

drain-boards of, 101-103,

168, 182	,

group near, 40﻿258

INDEX

Sink, Cont.

illustration of, 100, 168
kinds of, 100-103, 167
location of, 39, 99
outfit, 131

protecting metal parts of,
182

sanitary installation of, 99,

103-104
trap to, 103, 104
weekly care of, 182
Silver, cleaning of, 185-186
Standard type of kitchen, 4
Standardizing work, 3
Standard list of groceries, 209-
210

Starching walls, 28, 239
Steam cooking, 151-155
advantages of, 152
economy of, 152
Steamers,

care of, 154

different types of, 42, 92,

153-154,164

illustration of, 153, 154
Steel knives and forks, care

of, 186-187
Steel wool, 179
Storage conveniences, for fuel,
47

for groceries, 48-51
Stove, 16, 38, 47, 64, 65
coal (see Range), 89-91,
105 *

daily care of, 187
electric, 105, 166
gas, 92, 93, 105-108, 108-

112, 136, 191
heating by means of, 64-66
kerosene, 65, 94, 95, 112-113,
j36

supplementary, 76
wood, 88
Supplies, care of perishable,
207

cash purchasing of, 213
checking up, 213-214
closet for incoming, 57

Supplies, Cont.

keeping track of, 207-209,

211-214
purchasing of supplies in

small quantities, 206
purchasing of supplies in
large quantities, 56, 206-
207

standard list of, 209-210
storage of, 164, 207
returning imperfect, 214
Supplementary appliance, 91,

105

arrangements, 107
cooking, 136
System, card, 223, 226
efficient, 9

of account keeping, 200-
201

of keeping track of things,
221

of purchasing supplies, 206,
207

of telephone ordering, 211

Table, gate leg, 231
nested, 231
surface, 15
tops, 231

work, 16, 47, 50, 116, 132,
189

Tank (see Boiler), 83, 86, 87
Tea making, process analyzed,

38-39

Temperature, of a refrigera-
tor, 119, 121, 123, 124
of fireless radiators, 146,
148

of ovens, in

of water in automatic heat-
ers, 83
Thermometers, 130, 146
Thermos bottle, 156, 159, 167
Thermostat, 82, 83, 84
Tile, for kitchen floor, 35, 245

for kitchen walls, 30
Time, loss of, 217
Tin, care of, 184﻿INDEX

259

Tools, for housekeeper, 61,
181

Trap, 103-104

Unit Storage, equipment, 38,
58, 69, 116
idea, 232-234
Utensils, care of, 183-187
choice of, 96, 128-129
serving double purpose, 161-
162, 197

Vacuum Cleaner, 236, 245

washer, 194-195, 196
Valve, 150 (see Glossary)
Ventilation, 16, 207
of cold closet, 55, 126
of fireless cooker, 149
of kitchen, 23-25, 164

Wall, arrangement of space,
49, 234

avoid breaking up wall

space, 50
economical use of wall

space, 116, 118
in closet, 53
treatment of, 27-28, 239
utilized to best advantage,
49

washable paper for, 30
Wash boiler, 191
Washer, vacuum, 1q4-195
Washing (see Laundry work),

Washing, Cont.

cost of outfit for, 138, 197
Washing machine, viii, 198-

236, 245
Water, soft, 242-243
Water box, 70

Water back, 71-72, 86, 91, 244
Water softener, 243-244
Wheel cart, 103, 130, 159
cost of, 159
use in kitchen, 176-177
use in serving meals, 156
use in setting table, 155, 156
Windows, 17, 23-25, 50
Wood, advantages as a fuel,

88-89
Wood work, 35-36
Work shelf, 22

dimensions of, 22, 50
Work table, 45, 50, 116-117,
132

articles to group near, 41
best dimensions for, 50
cost of, 116

with supply shelves above,
49

Zinc, care of, 186
cost of, 186

for drainboards, 101, 103
for kitchen table, 115
for work shelf or table, 22,

so, 69
in silver cleaning, 186
lining of, 57

THE END﻿﻿This book is a preservation facsimile produced for
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