The Beveridge Automatic Cooker

Christmas foods and other Dec. food history zoom talks are listed below. The winter scene in a horn is from a Baltimore company's trade card (3x4 1/4in.). Patented on Feb 12, 1889, this is more recent than the steam kitchens I have studied.

The Beveridge Automatic Cooker
This cooking apparatus has four vessels, three cooking compartments and a lower vessel holding water. When placed upon a stove or range, and the water brought to boiling heat, the steam generated passes up into the several compartments by means of a small connecting pipe on the inside. A greater or less number of compartments may be used as desired, and the construction is such that each compartment is entirely separated from the others, so that the flavors are not mingled in cooking various kinds of food, and food thus cooked in entirely closed receptacles retains all its nutritious qualities. A whole meal Can thus be cooked at once over one fire or one burner. This cooker is manufactured by W. E. Beveridge, No. 305 South Sharp Street, Baltimore, Md.
Scientific American Oct 14, 1893, p244.

Cooking with steam, boiling water in the bottom. Click to enlarge

Rumford Steam kitchen 1802

Bouis Steam Cooking Stove 1812

The first of six patents obtained by John Bouis (c1771-1847) was for an unusual “Steam Cooking Stove” in 1812. Born in France, he started working in Baltimore by 1800 as a tin plate worker. For the next thirty years his business was listed at seven addresses on two streets, the last fifteen years at 16 South Street, Baltimore.

His steam drawer stove was heated by a fire box on the lowest level, under a water boiler of cast iron or other metal. The resulting steam heated the items in the oven-like drawers, and the pots inserted on top.

Steam kitchen blog posts (5+) HERE

Baltimore trade cards HERE

Maryland food history HERE

Christmas foods past zoom talk tapes HERE


UPCOMING TALKS deleted

CALENDAR OF VIRTUAL FOOD HISTORY TALKS HERE

©2025 Patricia Bixler Reber
Researching Food History HOME