THE JOY OF THE ELECTRICAL STOVE.

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 252, 8 July 1926, Page 5

THE JOY OF THE ELECTRICAL STOVE.

A great number of people nowadays do not realise the advantages of electric ranges. Think of just having to turn a knob through 90 deg., 180 deg., or 270 deg., depending on whether low, medium or high heat is wanted, instead of having to fumble round with matches and burning one’s fingers; or even spending a quarter of an hour or more trying to light a fire with damp wood when the fingers are nearly frozen. Also think of how clean the kitchen can be kept without any flames to blacken the stove and pots; and how easy it is to clean up afterjust a wipe over the range with a damp cloth. There is no need to worry about a draught blowing the flame out. The oven is insulated so that all the heat is kept inside it. and not allowed to escape and overheat the room. From this retention of the ( heat comes one of the most important j points in running an electric oven I economically, i.e., the dinner is cook-ed-for a while on "high” heat (till | it is well heated) and then the switch is turned to “low” and left like this till the meal is cooked. Owing to the oven being heated by glowing .spirals of wire, and being almost air-tight (except for the ventilation), meat «nd other things cooked in it do not lose much weight, and are much more crisp Anvbodv interested can see fo- themselves what the cooking is like, as several firms in town give daily demonstrations on electric ranges. One make of range lias an automatic temperature control and time switch. Hie housewife can set the temperature control to keep the meal at the right heat, and the time switch to switch the current on at a certain time and off later, and then go out and do the shopping. The first cost is not excessive,‘and the running costs are verv light Manv users in the Hutt district with rances costing about £25 pav onlv about £1 per month for their lighting and use of stove. Heating. "Another verv useful electrical appliance is the radiator. It is very useful because one radiator will serve for several rooms. It can be carried from room to room, and if it has a long cord can be placed in any position in the , room It is not a wise plan to use a radiator from a light-socket if it can possiblv be avoided. The heavy current used generally burns the plunge* s in the lamp holder and destroys the temper of the springs. This causes more sparking and often necessitates both a new adapter on the radiator cord and a new lampholder. On no account should the switch on a keyhoklet (switch lampholder) be used to control a radiator. The wall switch should ahvavs be used. Sometimes one is not supplied, and in this case it is best not to use that light for anything more than a lamp. , c Radiators are also very handy first thing in the morning, during cold weatlier. A room is quickly, warmed, mid all that has to be done is to turn on a switch Often a person wislres to use a room for just a little while (to practise on the piano or do some writing, or even when one has a visitoi), and needs some quick and easy way to warm the room Hlns is w] icre electric radiator is so handy lhe average radiator consumes about GOO waits. One unit is 1000 watts per hour, therefore a radiator consuming GOO watts tor one hour uses three-fifths of a unit. This is about the smallest practicable radiator, but it gives a good heat Larger ones than this can be obtained lor' larger rooms. In America there are heaters in the form of a pile of logs for permanent installation in a mom. These nil glow, giving the effect of an old-fashioned log fire, and make lhe room more cosy. There is one stvle of radiator on the market in Wellington that gives the appearance of glowing coals It is generallv fitted with a three-heat switch to regulate the amount of heat thrown out. This type and also the previous one are much more expensive both to buv and run than the type gcncralh used in New Zealand. The old tvpe of heater, using tonv frosted lamps (each consuming ->0 watts or I unit per hour) is rapidlv behm replaced bv the parabolic reflector tvpe. with ,-n element of nichrome w>re wound in the form of a spiral, and then wound on a porcelain or similar c} mder or hollow ball, which is set in be reflector so that the heat is reflected nut in a beam something like that of an electric car head lamp. There are manv models of this kind - varving onlv in detail. Some of these ran be turned up and used to boil a kettle on. This type of radiator ranges in price from 355. up to several pounds, depending on the make, size, and finish. It is best to choose one with the cord attached straight on to the end nf the element (without an attachment plug), or one with the element a separate unit that can be screwed out of the reflector just like a screw-capped lamp. Tn the latter type the user should occasionally make sure that the element is screwed in properly. Also, the reflector should be cleaned when it gets dnstv or dirty. There is much more that could be w’ritten about radiators, but space will not permit ft. Golden Slumbers. TIRED! This is the thought in the mind of most of us when we open the bedroom door and switch on the light. And we miss a great den!, in both physical and mental comfort, if our room does not offer a smiling invitation to rest. It is light, which can give us the perfect welcome, on the threshold of sleep. But the tight must be cleverly disposed. What we crave is a soft’, diffused illumination, restful vet brilliant, free from all glare This effect mav be obtained with a WHITE LAMP in a diffusing bowl fitting. If we desire a wann colour, a colour-sprayed lamp will provide it. The same gentle flood .of ’ light which is so soothing nt the time of goin gto rest is no less cheering of going' to rest is no less cheering est morning has no menace of depression if we can, at the touch of a switch, make the room as bright as we please The luxury of reading in > bed becomes a harmless one if we use a shaded WHITE lamp in n tsble standard. Similarly, the cal) for udditional light over the dressing table is met bv a rise and fall pendant with reflectors which throw Hie light downward*