About the Book
Excerpt from The Economy of Gas as a Fuel for Cooking Purposes: As Shown by Actual Tests I have also copies of tests that were very carefully made a few days ago - madeas carefully as I knew how to make them, of the difference in cooking between a regular range and a No. 7 gas stove. The articles cooked were twelve in num oer, and were cooked so that they were all ready to place upon the table at once. The range used was a No. 8 Peerless Range. The articles were weighed before cooking, and also after'cooking, and the percentage of loss in weight, and the time required, were carefully ascertained. For instance, a 3. Pound blue fish weighed 2 pounds and 1 ounce after cooking in the range, being a loss of 32 per cent. Time, 31 minutes. In the case of the gas stove, it weighed, after cooking, 2 pounds 6 ounces. To be more explicit, I; took 2_blue fish, each weighing 3 pounds, and cooked one in the range and one in the gas stove, with the results I state. The time required for the cooking of the fish in the gas stove was 35 minutes, 4 minutes longer than the time required for cooking it in the range. The loss was 20 per cent, or a saving of 12 per cent. In favor of the gas stove. A rib of beef weighing 9 pounds 7 ounces, weighed 6 p0unds,8 ounces when cooked in the range; a loss of 32 per cent. The time was 1 hour 37 minutes. In the gas stove the time was 1 hour and 25 minutes; loss, 17 per cent. To show how close these tests are with some made in England, I Will state that the average was found to he 33 per cent. Loss in cooking in the ordinary way, and 15 per cent; on the gas stove. My tests show a loss of 32 per cent. On the range and 17 per cent. On the gas stove, another very close comparison. A 3 pound 1 ounce chicken, cooked in the range, weighed 2 pounds and 2 ounces when cooked; 'loss 30 per cent.: the time was 1 hour and 6 minutes. In the gas stove, time 1 hour; weight when cooked, 2 lbs. 10 oz. Loss 14 per cent. A 1 pound 2 ounce beefsteak weighed, when cooked in the range, 13 ounces loss 25 per cent. Time 1 1 minutes. An equal weight of beefsteak cooked in the gas stove weighed when, cooked 15 ounces; time, 8 minutes loss, 16� per cent. Each of these articles, as I have said, was weighed carefully before cooking, and was weighed immediately after being brought out of the stove and out of the range. Lamb chops weighing 1 pound and 1 ounce, weighed 11 ounces after being cooked in the range; a loss of 35 per cent.; time 12 minutes. In gas stove, an equal weight of lamb chops, after cooking, weighed 135 ounces; time, 10 minutes; loss 15 per cent. There was also in each case 3 pounds and 5 ounces of sweet potatoes, 3 pounds and 8 ounces of white potatoes, 3 pounds and 12 ounces of cauliflower, and 4 pounds of tomatoes. These articles were all cooked in a steamer. Bread baked in the range, 5 pounds and 2 ounces, in 46 minutes in the gas stove 37 minutes. Sago pudding, 3 pounds 5 ounces, 27 minutes in the range; in the gas stove, 28 minutes. Lemon pie, 2 pounds 14 ounces, 30 minutes in the range; on the gas stove, 22 minutes. In these articles no change of weight was noted. There were also prepared, sauces for the fish, the beef and cauli flower, The total time from the lighting of the fire in the range untiltime, 30 minutes were required to heat the oven, leaving 2 hours and 10 minutes asthe actual cooking time. The weight of the seal; includ ing the lighting of the fire, was 44 pounds. At the end of that time the fire was ready or more coal. The 44 pounds of coal, 'at $5. 50 per ton, cost 1018055 cts., the kindling wood one cent, making a total of 1 11991, cts. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
