The cooking utensils are an important part of the kitchen furnishing. In fact, few people realize their influence on the quality of the food prepared in them.

The essential qualities in a utensil are that it shall be substantially made; be smoothly finished and without grooves or joinings; and that it shall be free from deleterious substances.

The materials from which cooking utensils are made are iron and steel (plain or enameled or tinned), copper, aluminum, nickel, silver, tin, clay, as in stone-ware, earthenware, etc.

Iron and Steel utensils are generally made substantially and finished smoothly, but because of the weight and the tendency of the metal to discolor and impart a taste to many food materials, iron has not proved satisfactory for all cooking utensils. However, in cases where high temperature is necessary there is no other metal that is so satisfactory as iron, so we still use polished iron or steel for our frying pans, omelet pans, frying kettles, etc.

Enameled-ware: Nearly every utensil used in the kitchen can be found in this ware, which, when it is good is both sanitary and satisfactory. The perfect ware is firm without grooves or joinings, and the enamel is flawless. With proper care such utensils will wear indefinitely. Owing to the demand for cheap articles, the market is flooded with a poor quality of enamel-ware. In this inferior ware the enamel. cracks and chips off readily. Now it is reasonable to suppose that some of the fine particles of this hard, sharp substance find their way into the food and naturally must cause trouble in the alimentary canal. This is a very serious as pect of the matter, and no housekeeper should risk the health of her family by using imperfect enameled utensils. It must, also, be remembered that intense heat and scraping with a sharp instrument will crack and break even the best enamel. Therefore care should be taken not to let saucepans boil dry, and also not to scrape them with a sharp knife or spoon to remove any hard substance. If anything sticks to the utensil let it soak in warm water and then clean with a ring dishcloth. If a substance burns on the pan put a little sal soda or some wood ashes in the water and place the pan on the fire for a few hours. Be wise and purchase only the best quality of this ware.

Aluminum: If the housekeeper could get properly made aluminum utensils she could hardly ask for anything more satisfactory. It is one of the lightest metals. It will stand great heat. The utensils can be made perfectly smooth, and be kept as clean and bright as silver. Aluminum is not attacked by the foods cooked in it. It is true that hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and alkalies do attack this metal, but since these two acids do not enter into our foods, and alkalies only in the most dilute forms, there is no danger from them. When aluminum utensils were first put on the market the housekeeper anticipated great results from them. The beauty of the metal, its lightness, and the ease with which it could be cleaned all appealed to the woman's heart. But the finely finished, substantial utensils were expensive, and there was a demand for cheaper grade. Unfortunately many of the manufacturers supplied this demand with thin, poorly finished utensils, which did not hold heat, and which, because of the poor finish, were difficult to clean. The result of this is that aluminum utensils are not in as general use as they would have been had the manufactured article been of first-class quality. Judging from one stewpan that has been in daily use for the past twelve years, I should say that a first-class quality aluminum utensil would wear as well as steel. It is almost as easy to clean as a piece of china. So although the first cost may seem high, a good piece of this ware is really an economy. It must always be remembered that this metal is soft and that alkalies dissolve it. It should not be cleaned with any coarse, hard substance, or soda. Wash it in hot water and soap then rinse well and wipe dry. Whenever it is in need of polishing, use whiting or silver soap.

Nickel: Utensils made of nickel are substantial, smooth, wear well, and are easily kept clean. The first cost is considerable, but when their long life is taken into consideration they are not expensive.

Copper Lined with Silver. Stewpans of hammered copper, with a thick lining of pure silver are ideal utensils for fine cookery. The copper means regular heat and the pure silver insures the food against any deleterious substance. This combination is a comparatively recent invention and is known as bi-metallique. These utensils will last a lifetime and for that reason cannot be considered an extravagance. They are heavier and a little more difficult to keep clean than are aluminum or enamel utensils, but on the other hand the possibility of keeping the food at a regular, steady heat is an advantage worth considering, for in the preparation of some foods, perfection depends upon keeping an even temperature throughout the entire time of cooking. One of the disadvantages of the lighter utensils is the difficulty of keeping the food, in process of cooking, at the same temperature during the whole process.

Earthenware. The employment of earthenware for culinary purposes dates back to prehistoric times. As the metals have been discovered and worked, they have gradually taken the place of clay in the manufacture of a large proportion of the cooking utensils. However, for foods that are served in the dishes in which they are cooked there is nothing that quite takes the place of earthenware. For this purpose the French fire-proof china is the most satisfactory. It stands great heat. It does not discolor and it comes in all sorts of attractive shapes. A brown earthenware, lined with white, comes in all shapes for baking and other purposes. The color and glaze is beautiful. Covered dishes of this ware are made in round and oval shapes, and in sizes of less than a pint up to several quarts. These dishes are known in this country as casseroles. Why they have been named casseroles, when that term means stewpans and saucepans, is a mystery. In France these dishes are called terrines, and they are employed for cooking, very slowly, meats, fish, birds, etc. The casserole is brought to the table and the food is served directly from it. These dishes are so pretty and save so much labor that I employ them, not only for cooking meats, birds, and poultry, but also for stews, ragouts, puddings, fruits, etc. I do not think that the small hole in the cover gives sufficient ventilation, so I place a steel skewer across the dish before putting on the cover. I have given a good deal of space to the description of this dish, because it has so many possibilities for the woman who does her own work, and its use saves much time and labor.

In the selection of earthenware for use in the kitchen see that it is smoothly finished and that it is not lead glazed. The shape of mixing bowls is important. The sides should curve down to the bottom. In such a shaped bowl it is easy to beat up mixtures and the bowl is easily cleaned out with spoon or pallet knife.

The number of really labor saving mechanical appliances that have been invented for the kitchen are few. Food choppers and bread mixers are helpful. As yet no practical dish washer for a small establishment has been invented. There are some dish washers that are very good in large establishments, where there is an abundant supply of hot water.

The real progress in the kitchen has, been made on the sanitary side. The plumbing is better. The finish of the room is simpler and better, utensils are made with practically no joinings or grooves, and the surface is finished smoothly, thus leaving no place for the lodgment of food or dirt.

It seems as if electricity might, in the near future, do the beating of breads, batters, ice creams, etc.