[Sca-cooks] how old are kettles?

[Daniel Phelps]

Was written:

>I have been trying to find any references to kettles in period, but when
>doing searches on period utensils, I've come up with mostly information
>about forks and cauldrons.
>
>Has anyone seen any information about a kettle type pot?  I realize a tea
>kettle would be out of the question, but I'm sure people heated water for
>other reasons.  It seems to me that it would be a natural development to
>have some sort of spout on a pot used for pouring hot liquids.
>
>My persona is circa 1200's, lowland Scotland.


How early you ask?  I seem to remember a picture of a reconstruction of a
pre period Greek steam powered device.  Was a metal ball with two spouts
coming out opposite sides pointing rotationally in the same direction.  The
ball was on a pair of pivots whose axis was 90 degrees to the spouts.
Water was placed in the ball and the device placed over a fire.   As the
water heated to steam it jetted out of the spouts spinning the ball.   All
in all a very odd kettle but a kettle none the less.   This would suggest,
at least to me, that the concept of kettle design is quite ancient.

Distillation would also be a good direction to look in as stills are just
rather odd shaped and often over large kettles.

Daniel Raoul, always quick with the odd connection.