CHAPTER XIX
THE BRIDE’S KITCHEN
We moderns are so up to date that although we expect our women to marry they know less of the kitchen needs and the infant’s psychology than of the constituencies of the planets’ atmospheres. So to correct some of the deficiencies we are going to list in this article the prices of the necessities of the bride’s kitchen at the present, which you must remember are subject to daily change and can only give you approximate values as this book reaches you months after the data is collected.
To-day prices veer so rapidly that we can only hope that they will not veer upward before your kindly eye peruses these pages.
Whether you use electricity, oil, gas, or wood should be part of the determining factors in buying utensils. For this reason we will, as far as possible, designate the special uses of these utensils whenever possible or necessary.
May it be said at the start that aluminum and enamel (best quality) can be used on any stove. Aluminum is more expensive but doesn’t blacken up on the stove and lives longer than enamels. We will not take up copper, as it is too heavy and costly for the ordinary kitchen and takes too much labor to keep in the brightened condition in which it should be kept.
We favor glass whenever it can be substituted for kitchen utensils as the most ideal oven utensil. If your purse can stand it and its initial expense, it will save fuel, time and energy in the end and therefore money.
THE LISTS
Our omissions in this listing in any case are due to personal experience and choice and also to a feeling that there are many things that can be omitted when the kitchen is started and be put in later when exigencies appear and the income is greater.
We have purposely not added up the list to get an aggregate expenditure as it would mean little when cheaper or more expensive materials can be substituted. Therefore we have given but the individual costs which can be combined in the ways you desire. Thus the list is meant to be a nomenclature rather than a hard and fast formula, a _vade mecum_ rather than a crystallized rule of thumb.
You may consider some things unnecessary in these lists. Again, the list is a personal compilation, as lists are as yet not machine-made, and the maker has considered what are the essentials to culinary habits.
Nor have we mentioned stoves as a consideration of the first tool chest, because the architect or the landlord in many cases has decided this for you. If you need to purchase a stove your choice is usually bounded by the kind of fuel which is cheapest in the place your spouse has necessarily to live.
So, although utensils are dependent on the stove and stoves on utensils, we have omitted the stove here but if you read chapters VI, VII, VIII you will get data on ranges and can find out from the manufacturers the present cost.
CABINETS AND CONVENIENCES
Were we fitting out a kitchen we would either buy a kitchen cabinet or have one built in the home of the steel unit type. We have not included it in the list for fear of being too commanding, and it can be dispensed with if the shelving and hanging room is sufficient; though we venture to say not quite so delightful will be the kitchen atmosphere without one. The kitchen cabinet in steel costs from about $92 upward; in wood $89 up.
Devices on which to hang the pots and pans and house the knives in frictionless positions are, too, omitted, because these things vary in price with carpentering and the amount necessary to spend in room and money. It is the only way to house utensils ... in the open air where they are visible and where the arm can reach and where the back is not unrelentingly and unnecessarily bent in the performance of the manifold duties of kitchen usage.
The ice-cream freezer is not included as this is not an essential, unless you think it to be one. It is to be had in a two-quart measure from about $4.90 upward, and the gallon is available at $7.50.
In some instances we have put an article under two heads; trays, for example. This is done to show you that the two articles in aluminum or tin are equally useful and if the cheaper grade is desirable it is a safe “buy.”
The grapefruit knife may be a glaring omission--we hope it is. Yet as it is not strictly necessary we have omitted it. If this little joy is bought, the stainless steel is the best material in which to look for it. It costs about 75 cents. And as soon as the purse is large enough and the manufacturers have come to the point, stainless steel is the best in which to buy nearly every bit of cutlery, as it requires little attention and neither rusts nor stains.
Here follow the lists:
UTENSILS IN ALUMINUM
Tea kettle, 3 qts. $6.15 Quart measure 2.00 Double boiler, 2 qts. 4.05 Funnel .90 Ladle 2.25 Pie plate, shallow .53 Pie plate, deep .62 Sauce pans, 1 qt. } These 1.40 Sauce pans, 2 qts.} have 2.00 Sauce pans, 6 qts.} covers 3.75 Kettle covers, extra 1 qt. .25 2 qts. .44 6 qts. .62 Pitcher 7.85 Baking dish 1.30 Measuring cup .60 Dripping pan 2.95 Frying pan 3.60 Griddle 5.55 Roaster 7.20 Angel caker 1.85 Bread pans 1.15 Cake pans 1.60 2 Muffiners, 6 cups 1.65 Steamer--fits kettle 3.15 Trays $2.55, 3.20 Jelly cake pan 1.20 Jelly mold 2.90 Waffle mold 6.65 Strainer 1.20 Dish drainer 4.00
UTENSILS IN ENAMEL
2nd Grade Double boiler $2.20 $2.20 Colander 1.30 1.05 Funnel .50 .40 Ladle .45 .35 Pie plates .55 .40 Measure 1.00 .80 Uncovered sauce pans .55 .50 .75 .60 1.35 1.00 Basting spoons .30 .28 Tea kettle 3.00 2.55 Mixing bowls .95 1.20 Tea pot 1.75 1.60 Dipper .85 Oval dish pan 2.40 1.85 Soap dish .55 .45 Sink drainer .75
UTENSILS IN GLASS
Three kitchen glasses $ .10 Baking dish (oval) .55 Baking dish (deep) 1.50 Lemon squeezer with holes .25 Measuring glass .15 Spice jars Casseroles (according to taste as to size and depth) range in price from 2¹⁄₂ qts. at 3.00 to ¹⁄₂ qt. at 1.25 Individuals at .75 Pie dishes, shallow .90 Bread pans 1.75 Layer cake dish, 9¹⁄₈″ .90 Custard cups, 4 oz. .25 Fruit jars, 1 qt. 1.20 Fruit jars, 1 pt. 1.05 Glass butter crock, 1 qt. .45 Glass butter crock, 2 qts. .70 Glass butter crock, 4 qts. 1.00
EARTHENWARE
Tea pot (medium size) $1.50 Butter crock .50 Small mixing bowls (two) .60 Large bowl 4.50 Casseroles (individual) .50 Custard cups, per doz. 1.70
JAPANNED WARE
Bread box $3.00 Cake box 4.00 Dust pan .63 Flour bin (10 lbs.) 7.00 Boxes: Tea 1.25 Coffee 1.25 3 Sugar 1.50 Trays (2) .75 Salt box 1.75
TIN WARE
Flour sifter $ .56 Grater .30 Flour scoop .30 Biscuit cutter .25 Apple corer .18 Nutmeg grater .15 Pastry sheet (10″×17″) .70 Steamer, fits any kettle 4.25
IRON WARE
Garbage pail (galvanized) $1.00 Poker (coal stove) .20 Lifter (coal stove) .10 Ash can (coal) 5.75
WOODENWARE
Mop handle and mop $ .80 Broom 1.70 Chopping Board .75 Meat board 1.25 Bread board .75 Rolling pin .35 Pair of butter pats .35-.50 Spoon .15 up Onion chopping board (an extra board not so called in the shops) .25 Towel rack .60 Salt box 1.25 Step chair 5.75 up Table, all wood (3′) 10.00 up Knife board 1.00 up
CUTLERY
Scissors $2.25 Silver nickel 3 knives at per doz. 4.00 3 forks at per doz. 4.00 3 spoons at per doz. 4.00 Set of kitchen cutlery including One 2″ paring knife “ 3″ splitting knife “ household knife and fork (fine point) “ French bladed knife for general work “ 6″ blade for tough vegetables “ spatula for pastry “ large spatula for lifting cakes, candy, etc. Two carving knives 8″ blade, stiff 9″ flexible slicer $5.00 Measuring spoons .38
HARDWARE
Ice pick $ .20 up Meat skewers (set) .35 Metal mesh pot cleaner .20 Nut cracker .75 up Can opener .10 up Cork screw .45
BRUSHES
Bottle $ .15 Dust 2.63 Pastry .70 Refrigerator .25 Scrubbing .65 Silver 3.63 Sink .15 Vegetable .12 Stove 2.75
WIREWARE
Egg beater $ .25 Broiler (coal, oil, wood stove) $2.50 Deep fat basket 1.60 Potato masher .25 Purée sieve .85 up
FABRICS AND PAPER
Cheese cloth, per yd. $ .38 6 dish towels at .90 6 dusters at .50 3 floor cloths at .40 2 oven cloths at .15-.25 Roller towels 1.25 Roller towel rack 1.38 6 glass towels at 1.25
MACHINERY
(When possible electric. Prices here not for electric devices)
Bread mixer $4.50 Cake mixer 4.50 Meat, nut grinder 4.50 Egg beater .40 Electric fireless, 2 units Electric mixing units--Price on inquiry at electric appliance stores. Motors--Price on inquiry at electric appliance stores.
GENERAL
Pail (12 qts.) $2.38 Scales (with scoop) 7.75 Scrap basket (metal) 2.75 Large needles .35 Labels (per box) .15 Cork (per box) .15 Clock $2.50 up to 9.00 Paper-- Shelves (roll) .85 Drawer (roll) .85 Wax (roll) .50 Napkins (per 1,000) $3.00 up
A SET OF UTENSILS IN ALUMINUM SUITABLE FOR FAMILY OF FIVE
Tea kettle $6.50 Double boiler 4.05 Straight sauce pan 4.05 Straight sauce pan 2.35 Sauce pan and cover 1.40 Preserving kettle and cover 2.35 Strainer 1.20 Steamer section 1.80 Coffee pot 4.15 Fry pan 3.60 Pudding pan .80 Pudding pan 1.30 Bread pan 1.15 Tubed cake pan 1.85 2 jelly cake pans (each) 1.20 Corn cake pan 1.65 Roaster 7.20 2 pie pans (each) .62 Measuring cup .60 Mountain cake pan .85 3 boxes “Wear-Ever” cleanser 1.05
Here follows what a first-class aluminum manufactory believes to be a complete set of aluminum for the home. This shows another’s ideal of essentials.
Tea kettle $7.05 Double boiler 4.05 Sauce pan and cover 1.40 Straight sauce pan 2.00 Straight sauce pan 2.35 Sauce pan and cover 1.88 Preserving kettle, cover 3.62 Strainer 1.20 Steamer section 1.80 Coffee pot 4.15 Tea pot 5.85 Fry pan 3.60 Griddle 5.55 Waffle mold 3.65 Pudding pan .80 Pudding pan 1.30 Bread pan 1.15 Tubed cake pan 1.85 Mountain cake pan .85 2 jelly cake pans (each) 1.20 Corn cake pan 1.65 Gem pan 1.60 Roaster 7.20 2 pie pans (each) .62 Measuring cup .60 Tray 1.65 Water pitcher 6.00 Jelly mold 2.90
See