When you consider how cheap the average household cooker is today, and the function it performs, it is hardly comparable with the early inefficient forms of cooking of centuries gone by. The first records of anything resembling a functional oven go back to 1490 in Alsace, France. Of course, people had been baking and cooking in various ways long before then; but this brick and tile construction, which included a flue, is considered to be the nearest thing to what we consider to be a conventional cooker cum oven.

Way back in 1833, Jordan La Mott invented the coal stove, aptly named ‘baseburner’. In 1837 the first gas stove came into being-merely a compartment that could be controlled by adjusting the gas flame by increasing or decreasing the size of flame. The electric cooker made its first appearance in 1891 and was considered more hygienic, albeit less efficient, than the gas oven.

Soon households were ripping out their traditional large metal ranges and creating more space in their living rooms and kitchens by installing the latest electric and gas cookers with increasing types of functions and controls. Despite the early dates of both fuel types being invented, the general public could not afford to purchase these luxuries until the 1920’s and 1930’s. Whilst these models were seen as modern accessories in their day, they were very basic in both appearance and function, compared with the designs you can choose from today. If you mentioned, self clean and easy clean at that time, no one would have known what you were talking about.

The proportion of cookers and ovens using gas and electric in the average household is almost the same. Proof enough, that despite the claims and counter claims of the respective manufacturers with regard to superior efficiency, cooking results and benefits, both forms are regarded as being equal. Indeed it is a matter of personal preference and each individual usually leans one way or the other.

Designs of cookers have come a long way since the early enamelled versions of yesteryear. Four rings and a cooking chamber were all they comprised of. These were normally simple functionary pieces of equipment and were usually stand-alone, not integrated into the kitchen design. Although household cooking is not practised as often nowadays with the availability of cheap food outlets and restaurants, this ever popular appliance is still seen as the main item in most kitchens. With the increasing number of cooking programmes appearing on television over the last few years, home- cooking is enjoying something of a renaissance.