Furnishings

What furniture and fittings would you have found in the kitchen of Victorian and Edwardian houses?

The key items of furniture were a work table, two or more Windsor-style armchairs, and a dresser. There would be a rug on the floor.

Utensils were needed for making a wide range of recipes, as well as bottling, preserving, jam-making, and pickling. Some households also made wines and cordials.

Mrs Beeton suggested the following as a list of basic kitchen utensils:

		£	shillings	pence
1	Tea-kettle		6	6
1	Toasting fork		1	0
1	Bread grater		1	0
1	Pair Brass Candlesticks		3	6
1	Teapot and Tray		6	6
1	Bottle-jack		9	6
6	Spoons		1	6
2	Candlesticks		2	6
1	Candle box		1	4
6	Knives and Forks		5	3
2	Sets of Skewers		1	0
1	Meat Chopper		1	9
1	Cinder-sifter		1	3
1	Coffee Pot		2	3
1	Colander		1	6
3	Block-tin Saucepans		5	9
5	Iron Saucepans		12	0
1	Ditto and Steamer		6	6
1	Large Boiling Pot		10	0
4	Iron Stewpans		8	9
1	Dripping-pan and Stand		6	6
1	Dustpan		1	0
1	Fish and Egg Slice		1	9
2	Fish Kettles		10	0
1	Flour Box		1	0
3	Flat-irons		3	6
2	Frying Pans		4	0
1	Grid-iron		2	0
1	Mustard Pot		1	0
1	Salt Cellar		0	8
1	Pepper Box		0	6
1	Pair of Bellows		2	0
3	Jelly Moulds		8	0
1	Plate Basket		5	6
1	Cheese Toaster		1	10
1	Coal Shovel		2	6
1	Wood Meat-screen		30	0
	Total	8	11	1

 

Some households would also have had:

• coffee grinder
• copper saucepans
• skillets
• skimmers
• sieves

There were also:

• moulds for jelly
• preserving pan
• bread tins
• milk bowls