The evolution of the kitchen
The development of the kitchen in the western world has been directly linked with the development of the cooking range or stove. Until the 18th century, open fire or charcoal were the sole means of heating food, and the architecture of the kitchen reflected this. When technical advances brought new ways to heat food in the 18th and 19th centuries, architects took advantage of newly gained flexibility to bring basic changes to the kitchen. Water on tap in private homes only became available in the western world during industrialization and even later. Before, water had to be collected from the nearest outdoor source: well, pump, or spring, and then carried to the kitchen and heated or used in some other way.
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