Cooking

[Stephen Hinkle]

What did people in those days at sea cook with? I do not think propane was invented at the time, so did people use Wood, Charcoal, Electricity, Gasoline, Coal, or ?

 

[Stefan Christiansson]

On the blueprints of the 1st and 2nd class Galley there are storagerooms marked "Coal" and "Coke". This would be what they used.
I don't know if they used anything else in combination. Perhaps gas would have been used as well.
Have to ask someone else to confirm if Coal and Coke were the only things used or not.

 

[Bill Sauder]

Stephen:

Most of the cooking was done with Coal for the general ranges and Coke (basically high heat yield coal) for roasted meat and game.

Soups and stews were prepared in large vats heated by clean steam -- that is steam prepared away from the main boilers so as not to impart a taste.

Bread was baked in a patent oven that used coal as the heat source but actually warmed the bread with recirculating steam in pipes.

Food ready for service was kept warm with Bains Maries: Crockpots were kept in a water bath warmed by steam.

Electrical heating units were used on a small scale for toasting and searing.

Bill Sauder