Cooking on a coal range, anyone?

  • 11 Replies
  • 3284 Views
*

Rhys

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: York & Goole
  • 159
Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« on: November 25, 2017, 04:30 »
I'm buying a house and one of the biggest thrills is it has a range! (Have been told by the present owner that it works, so we shall see).





It's a naff pic I'm afraid as I lifted it off the estate agents website (I went into the code, and found the picture files.. sneeky eh?)


I'm itching to not only get to the point where I sign contracts etc. but to actually use it.


Has anyone on here any experience in using a coal fired range like this?


My late father's house had one and I managed to put it all back together before we sold hos house, but I never got to use it (mainly because it was covered over for 50 years, and needed work doing to it)



My dad's old range.


I think the first thing I'll try is making Yorkshire Puds in my grans old pudding tins.. and maybe a loaf of bread.


At least with the one in the house I'm getting, you can cook on it as well.


I've not seen any info on cooking on a coal range, so it would be interesting to hear of anyone else's experiences/memories.
"There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing, so get yourself a sexy raincoat and live a little." - Billy Connolly

*

mumofstig

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Kent
  • 57877
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2017, 12:20 »
In winter when it was lit for heating, Mum used to cook lots of stews and casseroles in hers and jacket spuds as well, and I can remember toasting bread on a long-handled fork. Kettle was always on the side and quick to boil for a cuppa! We had a gas cooker, as well, for summer and cake/bread and pie making as that gave more control of the temperature.
I also remember that my 'pocket-money job' of black-leading it every Saturday morning, was not nice tbh.

Next door was a large Irish family and theirs was even used to cook their 'winter festival' goose  - must have been a squash with the spuds and every thing else, for all of them - but that was their only means of cooking.

Lovely to look at now, of course  :)

*

8doubles

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Hakin Pembrokeshire
  • 5266
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2017, 14:30 »
Have a look for 'The Glasgow cookery book' .
I picked up an early edition for very little money , first printed in 1910 it was all range and open fire cookery at the time .

There are more recent editions  which have been 'updated', whether this has meant the loss of any range cooking tips and wrinkles i do not know.

*

Rhys

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: York & Goole
  • 159
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2017, 14:39 »
I’ll have a look for that, thanks.
I’m guessing it’ll be similar to an Aga.

*

jaydig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Worcestershire
  • 1729
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2017, 14:40 »
My nan used to have a range just like the one in the top picture.  There was a chenille cloth on the mantel above the range, with a fringe that hung down, and cast shadows on the ceiling when the gas mantles were lit. The best rice puddings ever came out of one of the ovens at the side, and there was a string mop head on the hearth where newly hatched chicks nestled if it was too cold to put them outside.  Really cheap cuts of meat were turned into wonderful casseroles, and jacket potatoes were always on hand.
The flickering of the coals made the room feel really cosy, although the rest of the house was like a fridge.
I can't think of anything that we use today that could possible give children such wonderful memories to look back on. I think in many ways we were the lucky generation.

*

Rhys

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: York & Goole
  • 159
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2017, 15:11 »
Just bought a 1920’s edition of The Galsgow Cookery Book off fleabay, was only a fiver so will see what it says.


@jaydig those memories sound wonderful! I used to love my grans coal fire and would go round on a Sunday morning to clean and make it.


Currently trawling fleabay for old books now

*

ManicMum

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Norfolk
  • 406
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2017, 09:10 »
Wonderful memories  - and what fun to try cooking on it!  We wouldn't be without a woodburner or open fire (we're fine in power cuts!) but have never cooked on a range.

An old old friend from Yorkshire remembered making jam on an open fire, running in from the harvest chores to stir it at intervals!
ManicMum

*

snowdrops

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Burbage,Leics
  • 19510
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2017, 18:48 »
My nana had a coal fired oven & cooked in it I can still remember her roast beef & potatoes & Yorkshire puds. Her bread was so different from Grandma’s who had a gas oven, both good but very different
A woman's place is in her garden.

See my diary pages here
and add a comment here

*

Growster...

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Hawkhurst, Kent
  • 13162
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2017, 20:32 »
Best ever machines ever designed!

Heat, cooking, hot water, and a pleasure to sit by!

We've lived in three houses with small Regent/No 1 Rayburns, and yes, they were the modern equivalent, but what marvellous contraptions!

(Great for porridge, use a double saucepan)!
I'd love to have one now, although the chimney's gone sadly...

*

Christine

  • Guest
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #9 on: December 07, 2017, 19:29 »
For all the good memories, there's the cleaning, the ash and the cost of coal ...

*

Rhys

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: York & Goole
  • 159
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #10 on: December 07, 2017, 19:54 »
For all the good memories, there's the cleaning, the ash and the cost of coal ...


Was cleaning my Gran's fire when I was 4 or 5 years old  ::) :lol:  (then making it, and lighting it.. and watching the newspaper disappear up the chimney!  :ohmy: )

*

mumofstig

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Kent
  • 57877
Re: Cooking on a coal range, anyone?
« Reply #11 on: December 07, 2017, 21:10 »
For all the good memories, there's the cleaning, the ash and the cost of coal ...

In fact, because of all the above plus dodgy discs in my lower back, now  ::) I'll only be lighting my stove for special occasions (and perhaps if we got a really arctic winter!) and use the 'loadsa' money I would have spent on coal to have the central heating on for longer.
Sad days to be sure, I do miss it :(



question
Range cookers

Started by mobilekat on Cooking, Storing and Preserving

15 Replies
4545 Views
Last post July 05, 2011, 21:18
by shokkyy
xx
Free range meat online!

Started by Wildeone on Cooking, Storing and Preserving

2 Replies
1890 Views
Last post March 05, 2008, 21:51
by agapanthus
xx
Slow cooking

Started by Scribbler on Cooking, Storing and Preserving

3 Replies
2822 Views
Last post June 25, 2019, 22:55
by Scribbler
xx
Cooking swede

Started by kyoto49 on Cooking, Storing and Preserving

37 Replies
19332 Views
Last post December 17, 2009, 13:38
by arugula
 

Page created in 0.149 seconds with 39 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |