Soapstone Heatbank or Griddle
Display: Hearth to Cookstove
Culinary Technique: fuel conservation
Date: c. 1880–1920
Dimensions: .75" h x 12" w x 10" d
Watch collection donor Mel Mickevic demonstrate this object with
Dean Christopher
Koetke, School of Culinary Arts, Kendall College,
and Victoria Matranga, exhibition curator.
Kitchenware catalogs and stores sold multipurpose soapstone disks like this one. Used as a stovetop griddle or in an oven, the stone held heat to allow for even frying and baking. The rim around the stone contained the juices and attached two handles for carrying or hanging storage. Such disks were also used inside fireless cookers—insulated cabinets that held hot pots for slow cooking—as displayed in Kendall's sixth-floor exhibit, Fire and Heat: Stoves and Ovens. The disks were placed on top and/or below the pots to retain their heat for longer periods. Today, similar stones are used for baking pizzas and cookies.