poker
The poker (also known as poker, poking iron or fire hook ) is a tool for changing the location of hot fuel in a wood or coal stove . Preferably made of non-flammable material, mostly metal, it is an essential part of the fireplace tools .
construction
A poker consists of three parts:
- the top:
- The tip consists of one or more prongs - at least one prong is always bent more or less at right angles from the shaft so that the material to be fired can also be pulled back towards the user,
- the shaft:
- The shaft serves to protect the user of the poker from the heat radiation of the oven, in that the spatial distance reduces the intensity of the heat radiation to an acceptable level. The length of the shaft must be adapted to the depth of the combustion chamber and the strength of the heat radiation from the furnace
- the handle:
- The handle simplifies the handling of the poker and can further reduce the conduction of heat from the tip via the shaft to the user's hand. The handle can be designed with special insulating materials such as leather or fabric. In poker with a simpler design, either a thickening of the shaft at its end serves as a handle or the handle is simply missing - in this case the rear part of the shaft is used as the handle.
Main use
With the poker, heating material can be repositioned in the combustion chamber of a wood or coal stove . When adding a log, you can use the poker to push the log exactly into the middle of the embers in order to accelerate the burning process. Likewise, if the heating material should burn too quickly, you can rearrange it so that it burns more slowly and in a more controlled manner.
Other uses
Crushing the material to be fired
With the poker, divisible items to be fired (e.g. firewood , coal or wood briquettes ) can be cut up by means of targeted blows in the furnace's combustion chamber.
Examine the ashes to find embers
The ashes can be turned over with the poker to determine the state of the burn.
Operation of the oven door and the grate
In some ovens, the poker is also used as a "cold hand", i. In other words, the poker can be used to open and close the hot oven door or operate the oven grate without risk of burns . In this case, the poker is supplied by the manufacturer of the oven and then fits exactly into its controls.
Handling of the "oven rings" on the heating surface of the oven
Ovens, fired with wood, peat , coke or coal , which are used to prepare food, are often equipped with openings on the base of the cooking vessels, which are closed by rings (oven rings) lying one above the other. By removing individual rings, the opening in the oven plate can be the size of the saucepan. adapted to the frying pan so that it comes into direct contact with the fuel in the oven. To remove and insert the rings, the poker is designed so that the rings cannot slide over the shaft on the hand or arm (risk of burns!). The point of the poker must also be able to be securely hooked into a small opening in the ring so that the rings do not fall off, which could break the brittle cast iron material.
Cleaning the grate
Poker can also be used to incombustible residue or with coal resulting slag from the grate to beat.
Blowing on the fire
There are poker in which the shaft is hollow, i.e. not made solid, and which has an open end on both sides. The upper end (the handle) is made with a mouthpiece - the lower end (the tip) with a nozzle . You can then rekindle the fire with a powerful puff of air directly into the embers.
