Evolution of kitchen
I often wonder how quickly technology changes in a short span of time.When I was a kid our cook used to prepare food in a clay oven which worked on charcoal or woods. Toy replicas of such clay ovens were very popular among little girls in those days.
The next happening thing was the kerosene stove.
As we all heard the proverb that change is the only constant in life - cooking gas quickly replaced it.
Though the microwave did not replace the gas oven, it joined as an auxillary system or backup.
Now the induction has joined the brigade too.
It is pretty interesting to observe that whenever ( in most cases actually ) the new technology replaced the old one - it implicitly highlighted the division of class. For instance, owning a kerosene stove was considered to be a priviledge of the rich until it became dirt cheap so that everybody could afford, and the same happened in case of gas cooktops and microwaves. Similar analysis can be construed from the examples of gramophones and radios, b&w and color tv-s, desktop and the laptop, land and the mobile phone, and many more.
( As inductions are cheaper than microwaves the above observation does not hold true in this case. )
Comments (10)
I couldn't resist that. When I was a kid gas stoves started to make their way into the American home. Cooking became easier, hence, the statement when anything was made easier or you made a wise decision you would hear "Now your cooking with gas"!!
Time has faded that saying too. I still use it because I think it's funny.
I suppose it is pretty much a regional thing
Ever since I can remember - mid fifties - my parents had an electric stove. When I went solo that is how it stayed. Microwave came but as you said, never replaced the stove. Today I have a two plate gas stove but only for emergencies. We have a lot of interruptions.
a lot of people here ( mainly the working class and street food vendors ) are completely switching over to inductions due to the rising cost of the lpg.
but i read in a medical journal that it is not good for health if someone consumes on a regular basis. burning wood releases polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons which is carcinogenic ( causes cancer ).
sometimes i wonder - what next? a laser-guided cooking appliance??!!!!!