DEVELOPMENT OF COOKING DEVICES 



153 



180. Fireless Cookers. FIRELESS COOKERS are constructed 

 of materials which are poor conductors. They are usually 

 vessels of box-like construction with thick walls constructed 

 of poor conductors and provided with closely fitting covers of 

 similar construction (Fig. 116). The food to be cooked is 

 usually brought to the desired temperature and then quickly 

 placed in the fireless cooker. The cooker largely prevents 

 the loss of heat; therefore the food may be maintained for 

 many hours at an approximately constant temperature. A 

 fireless cooker intended for baking is usually provided with 



FIG. 116. A fireless cooker. 



one or more blocks of soapstone. These are cut to fit the 

 cooker. Soapstone is used because of its great capacity of 

 holding heat, i.e., its high specific heat (Art. 120). When 

 baking is to be done, the soapstone is heated to a high tem- 

 perature and placed in the cooker with the article to be baked. 

 The temperature of the interior of the cooker is soon raised 

 to the temperature necessary to bake the food. 



The chief purpose of fireless cookers is to save fuel. They 

 are very successful and, when properly handled, they effect a 

 considerable saving of fuel and at the same time lighten the 

 labors of cooking, since they require little or no attention while 

 the cooking is in progress. 



