This middle class kitchen from 1900 seems very basic compared to modern kitchens, yet it has the latest appliances of the day. All the work in the kitchen was done at a large wooden table, set in the middle of the room. The surface was carefully scrubbed down after each use. Crockery was usually stored on the open shelves of a large wooden dresser, with table linen in the drawers below. Food was kept in the pantry, a large room off the kitchen. Fresh food was generally stored on stone or marble shelves to keep it cool. Food was cooked over an open fire until the invention of the kitchen range in 1770. Made of cast iron, the range consisted of a raised open fire with ovens at the side. Hooks and cranes were used to hang pots over the flames. Items were roasted in front of the fire on a spit, with a large tin underneath to catch the fat. To prevent one side from becoming overdone, either a clockwork motor or a servant boy turned the spit. In the 1870’s, closed ranges were developed, with an enclosed fire. This meant that all the heat and gases were trapped inside the range, leading to a better, more even temperature. The kitchen range was not only used for cooking food. Before the invention of piped circulating hot water, all the hot water for the household’s cooking and washing needs had to be heated on the range. It was then carried upstairs, when needed, in special cans. Few labour saving devices can be found in a kitchen before 1900. All the work was done by servants which were in plentiful supply. The lady of the house rarely entered the kitchen. Large houses were staffed with a team of servants.
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