Non-conduction of heat is the principle employed in the fireless cooker." This is obtained by a box having a packing of some non-conducting material three or four inches thick all around, and utensils with very tight covers. It can be of simple home construction, such as a box lined with fine ay, feathers, ground cork, saw dust, excelsior or crumpled aper; or one of the many patented cookers now on the market. Some of these cookers provide only for the retention of the heat already in the article when put into the box. In such cases the cooking must be done in a considerable volume of water. But the later models are provide< with soapstone or iron radiators which are heated over the stove and then transferred to the cooker. In this way dry cooking, baking and roasting can be done successfully

A combination gas stove and fireless cooker is one of the latest conveniences. The oven is arranged as a fireless cooker, the article is set in, the gas lighted, and when a certain temperature is reached the gas is turned off and the oven closing tightly becomes a fireless cooker.

Another contrivance is the electric fireless cooker in which the current is shut off automatically.

The advantages of a fireless cooker are economy, convenience, and in many cases better cooked food. Their disadvantage is that the meal must be started two or three hours or more before it is served, which is not always convenient.

The economy is greatest when high priced electricity or gas are the fuels used for cooking. A twenty minute burning of gas provides for an extended cooking of from two to ten hours. The saving varies from three-fourths to two-thirds.

The convenience of the cooker is greatly appreciated by the busy housewife or one who is compelled to be away from the home. An entire dinner can be put into the cooker in the morning, given no attention whatever during the day, and with 10 m work is ready to serve.

The quality of the food is often improved by the long cooking at the lower temperature. This is especially true of meats, dried fruits, vegetables and cereals.

Caution - After meats have been in the cooker long enough to allow the temperature to drop to that of blood heat they must be removed immediately and either cooled quickly or else reheated. Otherwise decomposition sets in very rapidly at this temperature, and if the meat be eaten later may cause serious trouble.

Fireless Cooker Substitute

A good substitute for a fireless cooker will be found in a thick earthen casserole. The food to be cooked is placed in the casserole, which is then covered and set in a hot oven. As soon as the dish and contents are thoroughly hot, the fire is either turned out completely, or turned very low, and the heat retained by the earthen dish cooks the food.