▁houses ▁were ▁modified ▁to ▁his ▁instructions , ▁and ▁became ▁free ▁of ▁smoke . ▁ ▁Following ▁on ▁from ▁this ▁success , ▁Thompson ▁designed ▁a ▁kitchen ▁range ▁made ▁of ▁brick , ▁with ▁a ▁cyl ind rical ▁o ven ▁and ▁holes ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁for ▁the ▁insert ion ▁of ▁p ots . ▁When ▁not ▁needed , ▁the ▁opening ▁could ▁be ▁covered ▁over ▁leaving ▁the ▁fire ▁to ▁sm older ▁g ently . ▁This ▁kitchen ▁range ▁was ▁much ▁more ▁fuel ▁efficient ▁than ▁the ▁prev ail ing ▁open ▁hear th ▁method ▁and ▁to ▁a ▁great ▁degree ▁sa fer . ▁His ▁range ▁was ▁widely ▁adopted ▁in ▁large ▁cook ing ▁establish ments , ▁including ▁at ▁the ▁soup ▁k itch ens ▁that ▁Thompson ▁built ▁in ▁Bav aria . ▁However , ▁it ▁was ▁too ▁big ▁and ▁unw ield y ▁to ▁make ▁much ▁of ▁an ▁impact ▁on ▁domestic ▁cook ing . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁witness ed ▁a ▁steady ▁improvement ▁in ▁st ove ▁design . ▁Cast ▁iron ▁st ov es ▁replaced ▁those ▁made ▁of ▁m ason ry ▁and ▁their ▁size ▁sh rank ▁to ▁allow ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁domestic ▁kitchen . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁the ▁modern ▁kitchen , ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁a ▁cook ing ▁range , ▁was ▁a ▁fi xture ▁of ▁middle - class ▁homes . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁Mary ▁Ev ard ▁invent ed ▁the ▁Rel iance ▁Cook ▁Sto ve , ▁which ▁was ▁divided ▁in ▁two ▁with ▁one ▁half ▁for ▁dry ▁b aking ▁and ▁the ▁other