While
the coal-fired range was much more dangerous and laborious than
its modern equivalent, it was absolutely essential to the Victorian
household. The integral appliance functioned not only as a cooker,
boiler, and toaster, but also as a means of heating the home and
providing hot water for bathing. If not properly tended, the engine
of the house could explode without warning, and its highly inefficient
design required it be fed coal 24 hours a day, since as much of
seven-eighths of its heat went up the chimney. Maintaining the
infernal beast was more of an art than a science, as it featured
no dials for adjusting its temperature, and the most accurate
way to check the heat was to put one's hand inside.
