In a November 1934 article, Agnes Heisler Barton recognized the kitchen as the most modern room in the house. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, kitchens changed more radically than other rooms. The styles of chairs and other furnishings might change, but a new appliance for cooking might easily be a brand new invention.
The modern kitchen began to take shape in the 1840s with the increased acceptance of and reliance on iron cookstoves. By the end of the 1860s, these appliances had almost entirely replaced the open hearth for cooking and could roast a chicken, bake a pie, boil water, and keep dishes warm all without exposing the cook to the danger of an open flame.
The 1880s saw the widespread adoption of another large appliance that changed meal preparation in a big way: the icebox. Early iceboxes were just what their name implied: an insulated cabinet that used large blocks of ice to keep food fresh. As gas lines were installed in urban areas, gas stoves and gas lighting were introduced in kitchens, and the increase in indoor plumbing made the preparation and cleaning portions of the meal much faster and easier.
The nineteenth century also saw an increase in the number of small kitchen items being mass-produced in factories. These gadgets helped make the work of a cook easier and more efficient. They included cast-iron apple parers that clamped to a table, and all-purpose food choppers with rotating blades that could be used to grind meats and to chop vegetables.
In the early twentieth century, kitchens were transformed by the introduction of electricity. Electric toasters, mixers, and blenders made quick work of once tedious tasks. Electric refrigerators replaced antiquated iceboxes. Electric stoves and electric dishwashers became commonplace. All of these modern kitchen appliances can still be seen in homes today.
To see the evolution of the kitchen from open hearth to electric stove, visit the exhibition Making Connecticut at the Connecticut Historical Society at 1 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, CT. For more information about the museum go to www.chs.org.
