Oven
Some ovens heat materials using the combustion of a fuel, such as wood, coal, or natural gas,[3] while many employ electricity.
The earliest ovens were found in Central Europe and date back to 29,000 BC.
[5] In camps found in Mezhirich, each mammoth bone house had a hearth used for heating and cooking.
[8] Tandır ovens used to bake unleavened flatbread were common in Anatolia during the Seljuk and Ottoman eras and have been found at archaeological sites distributed across the Middle East.
This type of bread is still central to rural food culture in this part of the world, reflected by the local folklore, in which a young man and woman sharing fresh tandır bread is a symbol of young love.
However, the culture of traditional bread baking is changing with younger generations, especially with those who reside in towns and prefer modern conveniences.
[10][11] During the Middle Ages, instead of earth and ceramic ovens, Europeans used fireplaces in conjunction with large cauldrons.
After the Middle Ages, ovens underwent many changes over time from wood, iron, coal, gas, and even electric.
The wood-burning stoves saw improvement through the addition of fire chambers that allowed better containment and release of smoke.
These were first used around the early 1700s, when they themselves underwent several variations including the Stewart Oberlin iron stove that was smaller and had its own chimney.
Other improvements to the gas stove included the AGA cooker, invented in 1922 by Gustaf Dalén.
Foods normally cooked in this manner include meat, casseroles and baked goods such as bread, cake and other desserts.
More sophisticated ovens may have complex, computer-based controls allowing a wide variety of operating modes and special features including the use of a temperature probe to automatically shut the oven off when the food is completely cooked to the desired degree.
The controls are set and actuated to toast the bread to the desired doneness, whereupon the heat elements are switched off.
