July, 1919 
43 
ture and is therefore suitable for 
frying pans, saute pans, kettles, 
skillets and roasting pans. In 
fact, it is suitable for all utensils 
except those used for slow'cooking. 
While the initial cost is higher, 
all the facts must be considered: 
this metal, while as strong and 
durable as iron, does not rust and 
is much lighter. Nor does it chip, 
which is one of the drawbacks in 
using enamel. 
The idea that aluminum vessels 
are dangerous for the cooking of 
foods containing acids is entirely 
erroneous. The laboratory of The 
Lancet, the English medical paper, 
says: “We are confident that 
aluminum as it is now made by 
reputable manufacturers is a suit¬ 
able material for cooking vessels, and that it 
may communicate poisonous qualities to food 
in the process of cooking may safely be dis¬ 
missed in view of the results of the practical 
experiments which we have recorded, showing 
that the metal is not appreciably acted upon in 
cooking operations.” 
The Care of Utensils 
Cast iron should be rubbed with tallow and 
allowed to stand for a few days, then heated 
until the tallow is melted and washed in hot, 
soapy water and rinsed in hot water. It 
should then be dried and rubbed vigorously. 
Iron that is not to be used for a long time 
should be coated with tallow to prevent rust 
forming. Cast iron is reacted upon by hot 
acids and therefore tomatoes or pineapples, for 
instance, should not be cooked in such utensils. 
Tinned ware one must avoid scratching, for 
this will uncover the iron base, which will 
surely rust. Clean with hot, soapy water or by 
boiling in a weak solution of soda. It should 
not be subjected to intense heat, for the tin will 
melt quicker than iron or aluminum. There¬ 
fore avoid drying utensils of this material on 
the stove. 
The care of enamel consists mainly of 
“don'ts.” Avoid heavy blows, intense heat or 
subjecting a heated vessel to sudden cold. 
Chipped utensils should not be used, for they 
are dangerous and most certainly they should 
be discarded when the iron base is exposed. 
Aluminum is more easily cared for than we 
have been led to believe. There is one caution, 
however, and that is against the use of caustic 
alkalies such as lye and ammonia and strong 
soaps that contain alkali, as they dissolve por¬ 
tions of the metal. Pure soap or non-gritty 
metal polishes are recommended as cleaning 
agents. The discoloration that 
comes from cooking foods contain¬ 
ing iron or hard water is harmless 
and can be removed by powder or 
steel wool. When grease has been 
burned on the surface, boil the 
utensil for five minutes in a gallon 
of water to which have been added 
four or five tablespoons of oxalic 
acid crystals, after which wash care¬ 
fully with plenty of soapy water. 
Lips and Handles 
How exasperating to try to pour 
liquids from a pan held in the 
right hand with the lip on the 
wrong side! This difficulty has 
been met for both the right and the 
left-handed cook by placing lips on 
both sides of most of the later de¬ 
signs. 
The false bottom pie plate saves labor. An interesting sauce pot 
of copper is below and a copper fish boiler 
A double roaster with rack raised 
A roaster, steamer or boiler 
Handles are of various types. 
There are handles of different 
lengths on spiders, skillets and fry¬ 
ing pans. The spider had orig¬ 
inally four legs to keep it from the 
fire and an extra long handle for 
the same purpose. 
The bail handle is a wire half 
circle that extends from side to side, 
the center sometimes being coiled 
to form a convenient bulk to fit the 
hand. 
In other instances there is a 
wooden holder, while some have no 
extra means of catching hold of the 
wire. These handles have advan¬ 
tages over the long, protruding one. 
They take up less space in the cup¬ 
board and on the range and can be 
used either for the top of the range 
or for the oven. The projections on either 
side are known as ear handles and call for the 
use of both hands. 
As aluminum is such a good conductor of 
heat, it is not adaptable for handles; therefore 
other materials are used. Aluminum pans 
often have hollow steel handles. Handle rest 
ears prevent the bail handles from coming in 
contact with the sides of kettles, while wood 
is employed on other designs. Birchwood is 
the hardest and is used on all utensils that do 
not come to the table. Ebony is used for table 
utensils. 
One important feature to remember is that 
all handles should be attached smoothly to 
pans, so that dirt and grease do not lodge in 
the crevices from which it would be difficult 
to remove them. 
The Two Covers 
As to covers, there are two kinds- 
-those 
Two practical boilers in agate, which last longest of the enamel 
wares, are shown here, one for asparagus, the other for fish 
that fit tightly and those that rest on the top 
of a pan. The loose covers are for quick boil¬ 
ing and evaporation; the tight ones are used 
for conserving heat and retaining moisture and 
flavor, as in braising and the self-basting 
roasters, where the moisture gathers on the lid 
and drops over the surface of the food. 
One manufacturer offers pans and kettles 
with covers that are provided with strainers, 
which may be opened or closed. In such a 
pan one can drain the food by simply pouring 
off the water, the cover staying in place and 
holding in the solid contents. 
With these facts to guide her, the bewildered 
bride’s initial visit to the mystic mazes of the 
house-furnishing department will be much less 
terrifying. She will be more likely to furnish 
her kitchen from the standpoint of utility 
rather than esthetics. 
Esthetic Copper 
Speaking of the esthetic kitchen 
no mention has been made of cop¬ 
per because, for the average house¬ 
holder it is not a wise investment 
when the market offers so many 
more useful alternatives. True, 
nothing is more picturesque than a 
row of copper pots hung along a 
spotless white tiled kitchen wall: 
And yet, what an amount of polish¬ 
ing they require to keep in good, 
presentable condition! Moreover, 
they have to be periodically re¬ 
lined with tin to prevent contami¬ 
nation of acid foods. Only in very 
large kitchens, where a staff of 
cooks is maintained and special 
vessels used, is a complete set of 
(Continued on page 56 ) 
