How People Used Stoves in the Old Days

Old cast iron stoves were a lifeline for previous generations. These warm spots were the hubs of the house where meals were cooked, where chores were done, and where it was always warm – even in the dead of winter. As the hardest-working appliance in the home stoves back then had many functions. Let’s take a look at some of the ways folks used their stoves back in the old days.

Gentle Cooking

There were no microwaves back then so the stove was the was this was done using a double boiler. Using a bain Marie the food or chocolate could be heated slowly at a low temperature to avoid scorching or seizing.

Heating the Iron

Some old fashioned irons had their own heating buckets, which made them portable. This was helpful inside darker buildings where you might want to iron outside in the bright light (and closer to the clothesline). But, many women brought their irons to temperature on the stove top. Some stoves even had built-in receptacles for just this purpose. These irons were called sad irons, as sad was an English contraction for “solid”. But, certainly when electric irons came along many people were excited to no longer use these heavy and dangerous irons anymore.

Hot Water Tanks

Since the stove was being used all day it made sense to put the incidental heat to good use. A tank of water could be attached to the stove or inside it. As one used the stove normally the water would heat on its own by proximity, though one could also heat the water quickly by using more fuel. A spigot at the bottom allowed one to collect the water which was especially useful for cleaning, laundry, and bath time before modern facilities made those tasks much easier.

Not every stove had this capability as it required a large amount of space and cost more money. Many poorer families were using stoves that were portable or inexpensive and so had to boil water the old fashioned way.

To Keep Warm Of Course

The kitchen stove would have been the best place to be in the winter time. Each meal cooked on the stove heated up the space. Depending on how much one cooked stoking the stove for warmth alone might not have been needed. But, for the other rooms of the house smaller stoves made just for heating were used.

If one had a generous amount to spend a decorative stove would be purchased to not only provide heat, but to look good while doing so.

Toasting Bread

In the days before toasters were a thing, toasting bread on the stoveplates was common. A special bread rack with a handle could be used. Likewise a broiler slot was built into some stoves under the stoveplates to do the same thing while keeping the top free for other cooking. This latter style was in use well into the 1950s in some areas until the toaster took over as one of the most-used breakfast appliances. Many aspects of wood and coal stoves were initially carried over when gas and electric models started being produced.

Cooking Directly on the Stoveplates

This has got to be one of the best uses for old stoves- cooking pancakes right on the stove with no pan. Old wood and coal stoves had metal plates on the cooktop, sometimes instead of burners and sometimes in addition to them. These metal plates could be lifted out using a special tool to withstand the heat to add more fuel to the fire. But, the perfectly flat surface was also ideal for cooking directly on top of! The woman in the photo below is making 4 good-sized pancakes at once thanks to the hot stoveplates. Some larger models of stoves had as many as 10 stoveplates for maximum efficiency in the kitchen.