 Since
cast iron was produced for the first time, some 500 years ago,
civilised man has been aware of its properties for transferring
heat. Cast iron – literally iron that was too large to
be wrought and therefore had to be cast in a mould – was
being commonly used for large construction from the 18th century
onwards and Abraham Derby’s work at Coalbrookdale, constructed
the iron bridge in cast iron sections to span the River Severn
at this time. As a material, cast iron was relatively cheap
to produce, and it was soon recognised as the ideal material
for kitchens and fireplaces in the house of the burgeoning artisan
and middle classes of the 19th Century.
The first heating appliances to be made in cast iron were ranges
for the kitchen and register grates for the living room. The
range, with a proper chimney, situated in a kitchen or scullery
was beginning to replace the open fire of the living room which
had been the only source of heat for cooking and warmth for
over five or more centuries. The range was made of cast components
and led to the development of the saucepan and other cooking
pots that we know today. The register grate, which contained
the burning coals or wood behind cross bars, often included
a small hob for heating a kettle. It was large enough to warm
the room but small enough for its limited fuel to be affordable
by the impoverished householder.
|
