Many of these industrial inventions were thought to help make life easier. These inventions generally made life easier for men but created more work for women. These advances also contributed to the expansion of the American diet. The invention of the stove in 1834 was a major step in the industrialization of America's food supply. Before the invention of the stove, people cooked over an open flame or fireplace. Advances in the iron industry made the stove a possible invention. The stove consumed less fuel than the fireplace used previously, which became more economical for the family. Now that the stove consumed less wood than the chimney, men no longer needed to carry or cut as much wood to bring home. The stove may have reduced men's workload, but it increased women's. By the end of the day, the stove was covered in soot, meaning the women had to clean it daily. As the stove was equipped with multiple burners and an oven, women were also expected to cook more refined, multi-component dishes.