Fire-places and Kitchen Utensils. 259 



In the dripping-pan, a gridiron (seen in Fig. 14) 

 is placed, the horizontal bars of which are on a level 

 with the sides or brim of the dripping-pan, and on this 

 gridiron the meat to be roasted is laid; care being 

 taken that there be always a sufficient quantity of 

 water in the dripping-pan to cover the whole of its 

 bottom to the height of at least half or three quarters 

 of an inch. 



This water is essential to the success of the process 

 of roasting: it is designed for receiving the drippings 

 from the meat, and preventing their falling on the heated 

 bottom of the dripping-pan, where they would be evap- 

 orated, and their oily parts burned or volatilized, filling 

 the roaster with ill-scented vapours, which would spoil 

 the meat by giving it a disagreeable taste and smell. 



It was with a view more effectually to defend the 

 bottom of the dripping-pan from the fire, and prevent 

 as much as possible the evaporation of the water it 

 contains, that the dripping-pan was raised on feet or 

 sliders, instead of being merely set down on its bottom 

 on the shelf which supports it in the roaster. 



A late improvement has been made in the arrange- 

 ment of the dripping-pan, by an ingenious workman at 

 Norwich, Mr. Frost, who has been employed in putting 

 up roasters in that part of the country; an invention 

 which I think will, in many cases, if not in all, be found 

 very useful. Having put a certain quantity of water 

 into the principal dripping-pan, which is constructed of 

 sheet iron, he places a second, shallower, made of tin, 

 and standing on four short feet, into the first, and then 

 places the gridiron which is to support the meat in this 

 second dripping-pan. As the water in the first keeps 

 the second cool, there is no necessity for putting water 



