jenk

From an article on a cooking with a wood stove:

Ms. Grube also discussed period-specific practices for determining the stove’s readiness. Ms. Nieves conducted what Ms. Grube called “the paper test” by inserting a piece of paper into the oven after the fire had been going more than an hour.

“When the edges of a piece of paper curl up, it’s just right for breads and pastries” and has reached approximately 360 degrees, Ms. Grube said.

A similar method for determining oven-readiness — “the arm test” — involved reaching into the lighted contraption.

“If you can keep your arm in and count to 10, but no longer, it’s reached about 375 degrees,” Ms. Grube said. “If you can’t keep it in 10 seconds, it’s reached 400 or hotter and you have a fast oven.”

I am appreciating my electric stove (with built-in thermometer) a bit more.