Gas stoves are different, because they have open flames on top of the stove, whereas the original stoves have hidden flames. Modern gas stoves were developed already in the 1820s, but these were isolated experiments. At the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, a gas stove was shown, but only in the 1880s did this technology start to become a commercial success. The main factor in this delay was the slow growth of the gas pipe network. Gas and electric stoves have largely replaced solid fuel stoves. 