Oven love: The history of the hot box in the kitchen

Gas or electric? Fan or range? We all have a favourite type of oven. Sophie Morris checks out the options.

When we talk about mod cons in the kitchen, we might not include the oven. The clue is in the name – modern conveniences are time saving extras. The oven, surely, is a necessity?

Ovens, Ancient Greek-style

The fire would be on the ground. Then, as far back as Ancient Greece, cooks began to build hearths around the fire, out of wood, to bake bread in. They might have looked something like this, which you can build for yourself today.

By the Middle Ages, bricks and mortar were being employed to build tall hearths, sometimes with chimneys, which could direct the heat straight up to the metal cauldrons hanging above the fire. It is not known exactly when the first oven was built, but the first written record refers to an oven built of brick and tile in 1490 in Alsace, France.

Cast iron cometh

By the eighteenth century, cast iron was the favoured material for ovens. They would use one fire source to reach a number of cooking vessels, and the temperature for each could be regulated individually. These were fine for large kitchens, such as in an inn, coaching house or grand family home, but the race was on to create a simple oven which was small enough to work for the average family kitchen.

Coal, gas and electric

The first practical gas oven came onto the market in 1826, and in 1833, a coal oven suitable for home use was invented. Electric ovens were not competing with gas until the early decades of the twentieth century. Although they seemed to be more efficient and reliable than their gas counterparts, the same could not be said of the electricity supply itself.

Aga love

Of course there are nostalgia-filled folk out there who yearn for old times, and use a hefty cast iron ranges such as the Aga, with which it is very difficult to be precise about temperatures and timings. You either love or hate the Aga, and there are some environmental issues to be addressed with an oven that is permanently on, too, but it holds a special place in the heart of many British cooks all the same – and it looks good.

What sort of oven to you have in your home? Do you swear by gas, or prefer electric?

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