diff --git a/include/cantera/base/AnyMap.h b/include/cantera/base/AnyMap.h
index dfccc5e81..0decf3d04 100644
--- a/include/cantera/base/AnyMap.h
+++ b/include/cantera/base/AnyMap.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <memory>
 #include <unordered_map>
+#include <functional>
 
 namespace boost
 {
@@ -68,16 +69,19 @@ public:
 
     explicit AnyValue(double value);
     AnyValue& operator=(double value);
-    double asDouble() const;
+    double& asDouble();
+    const double& asDouble() const;
 
     explicit AnyValue(bool value);
     AnyValue& operator=(bool value);
-    bool asBool() const;
+    bool& asBool();
+    const bool& asBool() const;
 
     explicit AnyValue(long int value);
     AnyValue& operator=(long int value);
     AnyValue& operator=(int value);
-    long int asInt() const;
+    long int& asInt();
+    const long int& asInt() const;
 
     template<class T>
     AnyValue& operator=(const std::vector<T>& value);
@@ -216,7 +220,17 @@ public:
 
     bool hasKey(const std::string& key) const;
 
+    bool getBool(const std::string& key, bool default_) const;
+    long int getInt(const std::string& key, long int default_) const;
+    double getDouble(const std::string& key, double default_) const;
+    const std::string& getString(const std::string& key,
+                                 const std::string& default_) const;
+
 private:
+    template <class T>
+    const T& get(const std::string& key, const T& default_,
+                 std::function<const T&(const AnyValue*)> getter) const;
+
     std::unordered_map<std::string, AnyValue> m_data;
     friend class AnyValue;
 };
diff --git a/src/base/AnyMap.cpp b/src/base/AnyMap.cpp
index 6958d06fd..1037d1c82 100644
--- a/src/base/AnyMap.cpp
+++ b/src/base/AnyMap.cpp
@@ -304,12 +304,18 @@ AnyValue &AnyValue::operator=(double value) {
     return *this;
 }
 
-double AnyValue::asDouble() const {
+double& AnyValue::asDouble() {
     if (m_value->type() == typeid(long int)) {
-        return as<long int>();
-    } else {
-        return as<double>();
+        *m_value = static_cast<double>(as<long int>());
     }
+    return as<double>();
+}
+
+const double& AnyValue::asDouble() const {
+    if (m_value->type() == typeid(long int)) {
+        *m_value = static_cast<double>(as<long int>());
+    }
+    return as<double>();
 }
 
 AnyValue::AnyValue(bool value) : m_value(new boost::any{value}) {}
@@ -319,7 +325,11 @@ AnyValue &AnyValue::operator=(bool value) {
     return *this;
 }
 
-bool AnyValue::asBool() const {
+bool& AnyValue::asBool() {
+    return as<bool>();
+}
+
+const bool& AnyValue::asBool() const {
     return as<bool>();
 }
 
@@ -335,7 +345,11 @@ AnyValue &AnyValue::operator=(int value) {
     return *this;
 }
 
-long int AnyValue::asInt() const {
+long int& AnyValue::asInt() {
+    return as<long int>();
+}
+
+const long int& AnyValue::asInt() const {
     return as<long int>();
 }
 
@@ -518,6 +532,52 @@ bool AnyMap::hasKey(const std::string& key) const
     }
 }
 
+template<class T>
+const T& AnyMap::get(const std::string& key, const T& default_,
+                     std::function<const T&(const AnyValue*)> getter) const
+{
+    const auto& slash = boost::ifind_first(key, "/");
+    if (!slash) {
+        if (m_data.find(key) != m_data.end()) {
+            return getter(&m_data.at(key));
+        } else {
+            return default_;
+        }
+    } else {
+        std::string head(key.begin(), slash.begin());
+        std::string tail(slash.end(), key.end());
+        if (m_data.find(head) == m_data.end() || !m_data.at(head).is<AnyMap>()) {
+            return default_;
+        } else {
+            return m_data.at(head).as<AnyMap>().get(tail, default_, getter);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+bool AnyMap::getBool(const std::string& key, bool default_) const
+{
+    return get<bool>(key, default_,
+                     std::mem_fun<const bool&, const AnyValue>(&AnyValue::asBool));
+}
+
+double AnyMap::getDouble(const std::string& key, double default_) const
+{
+    return get<double>(key, default_,
+                       std::mem_fun<const double&, const AnyValue>(&AnyValue::asDouble));
+}
+
+long int AnyMap::getInt(const std::string& key, long int default_) const
+{
+    return get<long int>(key, default_,
+                         std::mem_fun<const long int&, const AnyValue>(&AnyValue::asInt));
+}
+
+const std::string& AnyMap::getString(const std::string& key,
+                                     const std::string& default_) const
+{
+    return get<std::string>(key, default_, &AnyValue::asString);
+}
+
 AnyMap AnyMap::fromYamlString(const std::string& yaml) {
     YAML::Node node = YAML::Load(yaml);
     return node.as<AnyMap>();
diff --git a/test/general/test_containers.cpp b/test/general/test_containers.cpp
index 62a75fcd9..23248ea13 100644
--- a/test/general/test_containers.cpp
+++ b/test/general/test_containers.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,24 @@ TEST(AnyMap, vector)
     EXPECT_EQ(m["nested/item"].asVector<double>().size(), (size_t) 4);
 }
 
+TEST(AnyMap, getters_with_defaults)
+{
+    AnyMap m;
+    std::map<std::string, double> zz{{"a", 9.0}, {"b", 13.5}};
+    m["foo"] = zz;
+    m["foo/c"] = 4;
+    m["bar"] = "baz";
+    m["qux"] = false;
+    EXPECT_FALSE(m.getBool("qux", true));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(m.getBool("missing", true));
+    EXPECT_EQ(m.getString("missing", "hi"), "hi");
+    EXPECT_EQ(m.getString("bar", "hi"), "baz");
+    EXPECT_EQ(m.getInt("missing", 3), 3);
+    EXPECT_EQ(m.getInt("foo/c", 3), 4);
+    EXPECT_EQ(m.getDouble("foo/missing", 3), 3);
+    EXPECT_EQ(m.getDouble("foo/b", 3), 13.5);
+}
+
 TEST(AnyMap, conversion_to_double)
 {
     AnyMap m = AnyMap::fromYamlString(