The following list will show what articles are necessary for the
kitchen, and will be quite an aid to young housekeepers when about
commencing to furnish the utensils needed in the kitchen department,
and may prove useful to many.
3 Sweeping brooms and 1 dust-pan.
1 Whisk broom.
1 Bread box.
2 Cake boxes.
1 Large flour box.
1 Dredging box.
1 Large-sized tin pepper box.
1 Spice box containing smaller spice boxes.
2 Cake pans, two sizes.
4 Bread pans.
2 Square biscuit pans.
1 Apple corer.
1 Lemon squeezer.
1 Meat cleaver.
3 Kitchen knives and forks.
1 Large kitchen fork and 4 kitchen spoons, two sizes.
1 Wooden spoon for cake making.
1 Large bread knife.
1 Griddle cake turner, also 1 griddle.
1 Potato masher.
1 Meat board.
1 Dozen patty pans; and the same number of tartlet pans.
1 Large tin pail and 1 wooden pail.
2 Small tin pails.
1 Set of tin basins.
1 Set of tin measures.
1 Wooden butter ladle.
1 Tin skimmer.
1 Tin steamer.
2 Dippers, two sizes.
2 Funnels, two sizes.
1 Set of jelly cake tins.
4 Pie pans.
3 Pudding molds, one for boiling, two for baking, two sizes.
2 Dish pans, two sizes.
2 Cake or biscuit cutters, two sizes.
2 Graters, one large and one small.
1 Coffee canister.
1 Tea canister.
1 Tin or granite-ware teapot.
1 Tin or granite-ware coffeepot.
4 Milk pans, 1 milk strainer.
1 Dozen iron gem pans or muffin rings.
1 Coarse gravy strainer, 1 fine strainer.
1 Colander.
1 Flour sifter.
2 Scoops, one for flour, one for sugar.
2 Jelly molds, two sizes.
1 Can opener, 1 egg beater.
1 Cork screw.
1 Chopping-knife.
2 Wooden chopping-bowls, two sizes.
1 Meat saw.
2 Large earthen bowls.
4 Stone jars.
1 Coffee mill.
1 Candlestick.
2 Market baskets, two sizes.
1 Clock.
1 Ash bucket.
1 Gridiron.
2 Frying pans or spiders, two sizes.
4 Flat-irons, 2 number 8 and 2 number 6.
2 Dripping pans, two sizes.
3 Iron kettles, porcelain lined if possible.
1 Corn beef or fish kettle.
1 Tea-kettle.
2 Granite-ware stewpans, two sizes.
1 Wire toaster.
1 Double kettle for cooking custards, grains, etc.
2 Sugar boxes, one for coarse and one for fine sugar.
1 Waffle iron.
1 Step ladder.
1 Stove, 1 coal shovel.
1 Pair of scales.
2 Coal hods or buckets.
1 Kitchen table, 2 kitchen chairs.
1 Large clothes basket.
1 Wash boiler, 1 wash board.
8 Dozen clothes pins.
1 Large nail hammer and one small tack hammer.
1 Bean pot.
1 Clothes wringer.
An ingenious housewife will manage to do with less conveniences, but
these articles, if they can be purchased in the commencement of
housekeeping, will save time and labor, making the preparation of food
more easy--and it is always economy in the end to get the best
material in all wares, as, for instance, the double plate tin will
last for years, whereas the poor kind has to be replaced in a short
time; the low-priced earthenware is soon broken up, whereas the strong
stoneware, costing but a trifle more, lasts almost a lifetime.
In relation to the economy and management of the kitchen, I might
suggest that the most essential thing is cleanliness in cooking, and
also cleanliness with your person as well as in the keeping of the
kitchen.
The hands of the cook should be always thoroughly cleansed before
touching or handling anything pertaining to the cooking. Next there
should never be anything wasted or thrown away that can be turned to
account, either for your own family or some family in poor
circumstances. Bread that has become hard can be used for toasting, or
for stuffing and pudding. In warm weather any gravies or soups that
are left from the preceding day should be boiled up and poured into
clean pans. This is particularly necessary where vegetables have been
added to the preparation, as it then so soon turns sour. In cooler
weather, every other day will be often enough to warm up these things.
In cooking, clear as you go; that is to say, do not allow a host of
basins, plates, spoons, and other utensils, to accumulate on the
dressers and tables whilst you are engaged in preparing the dinner. By
a little management and forethought, much confusion may be saved in
this way. It is as easy to put a thing in its place when it is done
with, as it is to keep continually moving it to find room for fresh
requisites. For instance, after making a pudding, the flour-tub,
paste-board, and rolling-pin, should be put away, and any basins,
spoons, etc., should be neatly packed up near the sink, to be washed
when the proper time arrives. Neatness, order and method should be
always observed.
Never let your stock of spices, salt, seasoning, herbs, etc., dwindle
down so low that some day, in the midst of preparing a large dinner,
you find yourself minus a very important ingredient, thereby causing
much confusion and annoyance.
After you have washed your saucepans, fish-kettle, etc., stand them
before the fire for a few minutes to get thoroughly dry inside,
before putting them away. They should then be kept in a dry place, in
order that they may escape the deteriorating influence of rust, and
thereby be quickly destroyed. Never leave saucepans dirty from one
day's use to be cleaned the next; it is slovenly and untidy.
Do not be afraid of hot water in washing up dishes and dirty cooking
utensils. As these are essentially greasy, luke-warm water cannot
possibly have the effect of cleansing them effectually. Do not be
chary also of changing and renewing the water occasionally. You will
thus save yourself much time and labor in the long run.
Keep a cake of sapolio always on hand in the kitchen--always
convenient for rubbing off stains from earthenware, tin, glass, in
fact, almost everything but silver; it is a cheap and valuable
article, and can be purchased at nearly every grocery in the United
States.