What device is Philo Penfield Stewart credited with inventing in 1825?

The cast-iron cooking stove

Philo Penfield Stewart is specifically recognized for creating the dedicated cooking stove, marking the point where cooking apparatus began to separate functionally from primary room heating sources. In 1825, Stewart invented the cast-iron cooking stove, which incorporated essential features resembling later ranges, such as enclosed ovens and multiple heating surfaces integrated into one cast-iron unit. This represented a substantial technological leap because it allowed cooks to perform simultaneous tasks like baking and simmering with more precise temperature regulation than was ever possible over an open hearth. Furthermore, the dense cast iron acted as a thermal reservoir, stabilizing temperatures by storing and steadily releasing heat, which minimized the need for continuously adding fuel.