THE FACTS ABOUT ELECTRIC RANGES 
These Simple Principles of Construction , Maintenance and Use 
Should Be Understood Before Purchasing 
ETHEL R. PEYSER 
T HE electric stove is the most de¬ 
pendent on geography of all our 
kitchen implements. Because it consumes 
a large amount of electricity, the rate of 
this as a fuel will decide whether or not 
we can use the electricity-consuming 
stove. This decision, in turn, is affected 
by the rate of electricity for cooking in 
every different locality in the country. 
d he vogue of the electric stove is due 
to the convenience and sureness with 
which the cooking is done, the control 
which may be exercised and the positive¬ 
ness of results. Furthermore, the clean¬ 
liness, lack of odors and gases, and the 
easy installation and convenience of plac¬ 
ing are other important reasons why the 
electric stove has come to stay, if elec¬ 
tric companies cooperate with the stove 
companies to give a cooking rate. 
Points About the Stoves 
As with the gas and wood stove, the main 
principles must apply in picking them out, 
with but few additions and omissions. The 
electric stove is not bothered with its own de¬ 
terioration by the combustion inside it of oils, 
woods, coals, cokes, etc., but has, of course, to 
be well wired, rust protected and insulated 
against mishap and fire. Accidents are con¬ 
tingent on anything that uses any fuel. With 
electric stoves it is unnecessary to have large 
or small storage systems, which makes elec¬ 
tricity a convenient fuel for the small “rabbit 
hutches", in which the wealthiest and poorest 
are forced to live in these days of homelessness. 
Then again, if we employ electricity, whether 
it is more costly or not, we 
don’t have to put in so 
strenuous a flue system 
when building a house, 
but just a hood over the 
stove as a vent to carry 
off cooking odors and a 
special wiring system. We 
do aw'ay, too, with the 
draughts necessary for coal 
or wood types and all the 
contingent engineering 
niceties, which harass and 
wear us if they are not 
perfection. 
The body of the stove 
should be built of non- 
rusting iron. Armco rust- 
resisting iron is often used 
in the best grades of 
stoves. It is free from 
impurities which invite 
corrosion and rust and has 
proved a valuable material 
out of which to make a 
good stove body. On some 
stoves the tops are made of gray iron 
castings which, with the black body and 
its polished iron trimmings, make a 
very stately and harmonious article with¬ 
out sacrificing anything of practical 
utility. 
The top of any stove is the place upon 
which are placed the utensils for frying, 
boiling, etc. This is true whether the 
fuel be coal, gas, electricity or what-not. 
The top of the electric stove is no va¬ 
riant to this rule. It has the spots upon 
which to place the utensil and these spots 
are called the heating units. Heat, of 
course, is communicated in varying de¬ 
grees between the units. These units are 
of cast or wrought iron. The tops of any 
electric stove must be of cast iron or some 
such non-warping rigid material which 
takes readily to cleaning. The heating 
element should be safe from molestations 
and the top of the stove must be smooth¬ 
ness itself to hold the utensils with perfect ease 
and steadiness. 1 he units’ wire connection 
must be enclosed to protect the heating element. 
I he top of the usual electric stove has about 
four cooking “holes” or plates, or heating ele¬ 
ments. In some cases the electric connection 
is made by the heating units being equipped 
with pluglike sets of fingers (as our ordinary 
lamp plug) and fitting into a socket under 
itself. In other cases, if it be a three-heat 
stove, the three wires are directly connected 
with the heating element and all that has to 
be done in case of bad connection is to raise the 
heating element and unscrew the wires. In 
other styles when bad connection occurs one 
must search the surface beneath the plug, a 
little more complicated 
operation, but still the 
manufacturers of this feel 
it is an added protection 
to wiring. 
The surface units, too, 
must come off easily so 
that no extra tool is needed 
to pick them up. 
Ovens and Broilers 
There are two kinds of 
ovens used in the electric 
stove, from the point of 
view of heat retention. 
One of them does not re¬ 
tain the heat completely 
enough to call itself a fire¬ 
less cooker oven yet does 
retain heat to a great de- 
This type has jour 
cooking plates, an oven 
and , a plate warmer. 
Courtesy Edison Elec¬ 
tric Appliance Co. 
The connection of the heating unit can be made b\ 
finger-like prongs, as in a lamp socket, the prong: 
fitting into sockets below. Estate Stove Co. 
Or, in other makes, the connection in the 
heating units is effected by three wires at¬ 
tached to the plate. Bramhall Deane Co. 
