General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

9

AKA

canner; food steamer; oven

Patents

N/A

General Description

Predominantly metal [tin? possibly zinc plated] oven has copper base; 2 turned wood carrying handles painted black.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

35.0 cm

Width

31.0 cm

Height

51.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Domestic Technology

Category

Food processing

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Toledo

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Ohio

City

Toledo

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

This example used 1910- 1961.

Canada

Example of device used in some Canadian households to safely steam and/or can food. [Ref. 1]

Function

To heat contents.

Technical

Charles E. Swartzbaugh founded Peerless Cooker Co. in Buffalo, NY in 1884. He invented both a steam cooker and a "fireless cooker". By the early 1900s, the company moved to Toledo, Ohio and was renamed the Toledo Cooker Co. Swartzbaugh was granted a patent for a steam cooker with "new and useful improvements" on Feb. 5, 1907. His patent drawing shows a funnel at the top of the cooker where water could be poured into a long tube to fill the receptacle at the bottom of the cooker. The funnel has a whistle in it that would make noise when the water level sank too low to cover the end of the tube. The water was heated by putting the cooker over a heat source (such as on a stove top). Then food was placed on the racks and steamed, or canning jars prepared [16 quart jars per rack]Swartzbaugh's improvements allowed either of the two doors to be opened to remove food/jars without disturbing items on the other shelf. The unit was designed to fit over a single burner on any gas, wood, oil or coal fired stove. Constructed of tin (? possibly zinc plated) with a large copper bottom, the cooker was efficient and very little heat escaped into the kitchen. When used for canning, the time needed was the same as for wash boiler or cold-pack methods. Steam from the boiling water in the tank permeated and thoroughly cooked food placed on the shelves. This device was more compact, safer and more efficient than steam canning carried out in large cauldrons for food preservation at home. The cooker was itself later replaced by the pressure cooker (Presto). [Ref. 1]

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

" MFR'D BY/ THE TOLEDO COOKER/ CO./ TOLEDO, OHIO, U.S.A./ PAT. APPL'D FOR" appears in raised print on both door fronts.

Missing

Appears complete.

Finish

Predominantly metal [tin? possibly zinc plated] oven has copper base; 2 turned wood carrying handles painted black.

Decoration

N/A