Kitchen Range, Coatbridge, about 1900

Closed kitchen range from Flloyd St, Coatbridge. This came from a flat dating to about 1900 and was still in use until the 1990s. Compared with the open fires they replaced the closed range is a cleaner, more efficient use of fuel for cooking and heating.

It was powered by coal and would be built into the hearth of a chimney - kitchen hearths were often larger and protruded from the wall in order to accomodate a range. It incorporates a hob and oven compartments allowing a variety of different cooking processes to be carried out at once. Concealed at the rear there would often be a 'back boiler' water tank fitted, with the water being heated by the range allowing a more readily available (and energy efficient) source of hot water to the household.