Choice and Care of Utensils j 343 



be kept away. This the impervious tin cake-box does, especially if we 

 add to the contents a few pieces of charcoal to absorb what little moisture 

 may accumulate. Bread grows stale by a shifting of its own moisture 

 from crumb to crust. A fresh loaf has a crisp crust and a soft crumb, 

 while in a stale loaf the reverse is true. In a tin box, especially if it be 

 unventilated, this moisture, held in the crust, soon makes a musty loaf. 

 In a stone crock, which is porous, the moisture has a chance to escape, 

 the crust becomes less soggy, and the flavor of the loaf is better main- 

 tained. In cake, where there is less difference in texture between the out- 

 side and the inside of the loaf, staleness consists in a gradual general loss 

 of moisture. Cake is therefore better kept in tin, with the addition of 

 a receptacle containing water, to be daily renewed. If cake and bread 

 be stored in the same box, the cake will take up moisture (and incidentally 

 a bready flavor) from the bread and remain moist longer, while the bread 

 will dry faster than when stored by itself. 



Granite and enamel ware 



Granite and enamel ware are made by coating sheet iron or steel utensils 

 with an enamel or glaze, a specially prepared glassy substance that is 

 either sprinkled on the steel dry in the form of a powder, or mixed with 

 water and floated on as a cream; after which it is melted by being put 

 for just a moment into a glowing furnace. Two or three coats of enamel 

 are applied successively. The quality of the enamel depends on the ingre- 

 dients used and on the number of coats applied. Manufacturers test the 

 strength of the enamel by a number of blows from a hammer of specified 

 weight, and determine its power to withstand acid by testing it with 

 acids of such strength as correspond to the strength of the common acids 

 used in the household. The enamel used on cooking utensils differs from 

 a pottery or porcelain glaze because it can (owing to its metal foundation) 

 be subjected to an immediate degree of heat in firing which would cause 

 pottery to crack. 



Durability of granite and enamel ware depends no less on the quality 

 of the steel or iron foundation than on the enamel finish. The foundation 

 should be firm enough so that it will not bend nor dent easily, since this 

 inevitably cracks the enamel. The tendency to bend makes enamel 

 spoons unpractical. The foundation should be as light as is possible 

 without sacrificing firmness and strength, since too heavy a foundation 

 puts an undue strain on the finish. 



There is a mistaken belief that if we avoid so-called " seconds " we 

 are sure of getting a good article. As a matter of fact, it is only con- 

 scientious manufacturers who test their wares and set aside as " seconds " 

 pieces that are not perfect in color or shape, or that show in the bend 



