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4000 BCE
The Earth Oven
Earth ovens were used about 35,000 to 31,000 years ago by hunters and gatherers. They are the first documented oven. They were used to cook and bake many things but plants were cooked the most. Earth ovens are pits in the ground and they rely on hot rocks to cook the food. Earth Ovens -
800 BCE
The Clay Oven
The clay oven was used mainly by women in the Iron Age. They were still in the ground like earth ovens but they used fire and had a clay dome that went over them with a circular opening on top. A piece of metal sat over the opening and food was placed on it to cook.Clay Oven -
The Five Plate Stove
The Five Plate Stove was created in 1726 by the Germans. It was made of five iron plates. It was used for cooking and heating houses. The Germans liked them because they had multiple places for smoke to exit making it harder to see the house versus a chimney with one smoke exit. Five Plate Stove -
The Gas Stove
The first gas stove was invented in 1828 by James Sharp. Although it was invented in the early 1800s, they did not become popular until the early 1900s. The gas stove was using gas instead of coal and James Sharp argued that it was better than coal because there was no smoke damage to food or the kitchen. Gas Stove