Annual Cottage Stove Exchange: Frigidaire to MW Signature (Tappan)

[kevin313]

The cottage is open for another summer season and it feels so good. Every fall, when we close the place up for the long Michigan winter, I wonder (especially as I get older) what the fates have in store for the coming year and what life will be like if I'm so blessed as to be able to open it, yet again, in the spring.

About the end of February I start thinking of the stove exchange and which range I would like to install for the new season. This year, I wanted to put in a brand of range that I have not had in the cottage. So far, we've had a variety of GE, Frigidaire, Crosley, and Kelvinator ranges. What else did I have that would be different? A Norge? A Westinghouse? Then while I was looking around I saw the nice 30" Montgomery Ward Signature range, made in 1966 by Tappan. Plus, it was the easiest one to get to!!

The outgoing range is the 1957 "Sheer Look" Frigidaire Deluxe - a very nice range that performed well. That is now back in the warehouse with its friends, and I am thoroughly enjoying the Signature. It has a big, big oven with a window and features removable side, top, bottom and back panels for very easy cleaning. The cook top lifts like the hood of a car to allow for cleaning. Other than an automatic oven timer, a surface outlet and panel light, it doesn't have many other features, but so far it bakes very evenly and all four cooking elements work beautifully. It will be put through its paces this summer as we ramp up our cooking for company!

 

[kevin313]

The 2017 Cottage Stove Exchange

 

[kevin313]

Here is a Tappan ad from that period. You will see the Tappan 30" range in coppertone on the top (middle) - this is the same range as the Montgomery Ward Signature that I just installed at the cottage. Tappan called them "Tappan Time Machines." I tried setting the dial back to 1975 and held on to the stove, but didn't seem to go anywhere ;-) H.G. Wells has nothing to worry about!

 

[foraloysius]

That's a very good looking stove. I love the big oven. Happy cooking and baking for the season to come!

Louis

 

[ken]

Kevin

Glad to see another stove exchange. Look forward to seeing this every year. Good to see another Spring season finds both you and Ralph in good health and sprits. Looking forward to the many great dishes/baked goods you'll be preparing with it for us to see.

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">It would have been hard for me to put that Frigidaire back in storage. I always thought it was one of their nicest designs. I'm sure like all of your ranges, you and Ralph will be turning out one culinary masterpiece after another with the Tappan.</span>

 

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">At least you didn't put that Klunky Kelvinator back. The oven door made more noise than the hatch on Captain Nemo's submarine.</span>

 

[turquoisedude]

I love your stove exchange!  That MW/Tappan is very nice indeed - I like the controls lined up on the right side.

Happy cooking this summer!

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

Yay! Another stove exchange! Beautiful Signature (Tappan)!

 

[firedome]

always enjoy your seasonal change-out-the-stove ritual...

and also what you manage to do with it... your videos and recipes are clearly made with lots of fun and love!

Like you, in getting closer to 70 I always wonder when we close up in the fall what our next season at camp (that's what we call a cottage in Vermont) might bring, or if there will be one! Time with family & friends, sunsets, good meals, an occasional fish on the line, all seem to grow more special and precious every year... enjoy the season while it lasts everyone!!

 

[ken]

Summer

seems to go all too fast for me here in NY. Wish it would last longer.

 

[cadman]

It's also worth mentioning the white range in the top left of that ad is an over the stove microwave oven! The power supply and associated components are in the base behind the grille and the waveguide runs up inside the backsplash. Never seen one in real life, but they were the first MWO that I'm aware of that didn't require building into the wall.

 

[mattl]

Always fun to see what you bring out.  Looking forward to see what you cook on it/in it this season!

 

[dermacie]

I wish I was at the cabin

 

[frigilux]

I think the announcement of the Annual Cottage Stove Exchange deserves a bit of fanfare!

 

[norgeway]

NICE!

Did you know some of the Wards ranges around this time had a feature that turned on the fluorescent light whenever a surface unit was turned on...I know some don't like the Kenmore ranges, but I have really been enjoying the 58 I have in the kitchen now.

 

[combo52]

Yay for the annual stove exchange

But oh for the planned opalescence and scrap metal generated by this practice, LOL.

 

It is always fun to see what you use for the summer, but I may have to come up and help you do a little remodeling so you can start using some of the cool 40" models.

 

I will be curious to see how well this Tappan range bakes and browns without top heat, I have never had much luck with great baking results with electric ovens that only heat from the bottom.

 

John L.

 

[spacepig]

Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed watching this!

 

[cuffs054]

Norgeway, I didn't notice that and went back to look. What do you think the "ventilated drawer" is for?

 

[norgeway]

Re top heat

That 30 inch Kelvinator that Kevin had was a bottom heat only range I think,I think I found the secret to good performance with my Kenmore , it bakes perfectly fine IF you use a shallow enough pan, if you bake say thin layers for a layer cake in a deep cake pan, it wont brown worth beans, but use a shallow pan and it browns as good as anything, I will say it bakes biscuits and cornbread as well as anything I ever used.