Cannon A150 Gas Cooker

[aquarius1984]

In November the Creda Chatsworth I had in my house gave up the ghost with a dodgy thermocoupler in the oven and 2 faulty gas rings that would barely stay lit.
Try entertaining the clan here with 2 rings and a barely cool or roasting hot oven without going beetroot red at the table when all is tits up!

So it was out with the old and in with the older.

The Creda seemed well built to todays standards and was a brilliant cooker but 15 years of heavy use and a little bit of misery in its final years not being cared for took its toll.

One Cannon 150 later installed and checked - FABULOUS!

Oven is bang on with its thermostat, Gas rings of all the same power for total versatility. Very gentle simmer to a Full rolling boil. (and enough to keep the traditional chip pan up to temp)
Grill is a proper grill no weakness here- Id almost forgotten what crisp bacon and proper cheese on toast almost tasted like. Not to mention that toast done under the hot moist heat of gas is never quite the same from the toaster.

Did I mention its heavy enough too. Plenty of Steel and enamel here. Not a paint job in sight.

Excuse the camera phone pics.

 

[aquarius1984]

The grill hidden behind a fold down panel.

This feature had been on Cannon cookers since 1960

 

[aquarius1984]

Unfold the Grill and using the latch to the side as the regulator light the grill.
This latch also enables the grill to be refolded back up when not in use.

 

[aquarius1984]

Powerful.

But then it was 1979/80

 

[aquarius1984]

Its best feature IMHO.

Removable DW safe pan grids and spill bowls.

Cleaning is a breeze. Nothing to clean bung it in the dishwasher!

 

[aquarius1984]

Oven for a 24lb Turkey AND the stuffing, yorkshires, and roasties.

or the odd shortbread and berry cake.......

 

[aquarius1984]

Warming/Storage drawer.

 

[aquarius1984]

lots of nice stainless steel decals and chunky dials.

What was normal 30 years ago now seems to be TOL these days. Quality unknown to the main players nowadays, just the posh lot they know who THEY are..... cough ahem Brittania cough cough.

 

[vacbear58]

TOL these days .....

Congratulations on such a great vintage find Rob. However I must contradict you on one point and that is that Cannon back then were TOL models too - they always had a good reputation for the quality of their build. Believe me there were plenty of cheaper models around at the time which were quite flimsy - I remember very well teh Parkinson Cowan my sister had bought new in 1974.

Yours looks in lovely condition, I hope you get many years cooking with it

Al

 

[wayupnorth]

That is a cool stove, as we say on this side of the pond. I have an older 30 inch gas stove and wished I had easy to clean sealed burners like that and that broiler that is right at eye level is great where mine is where your storage is.

 

[seamusuk]

One of our local secondhand shops...

Hey Rob
I saw a slightly newer version of this locally- it had never been installed.
We don't have gas so I didn't pay much attention to be honest but it looked pretty impressive.
It was £150
Seamus

 

[aquarius1984]

Al its funny you should of raised that point, My Grandad who was a gas engineer for British Gas had said the same thing and that they were the best choice if one could afford back in the day.

However I had assumed there were semi proffessional offerings but thinking about it perhaps there was'nt back then.
Comparing it to the Leisure 5 Star Auto MkIII my parents had when I was growing up the Cannon does have a heavier more well built feel so I see your point.

Mind the Leisure was probably one of those glamour over guts jobs with its black glass and chrome trims.

Considering the Cannon has no timer or auto features not even a minute minder just shows the bells and whistles on a cheap framework for a premium price mentality has been around for quite sometime - im quite sure the Leisure was only a few pounds cheaper than the Cannon.

Not to mention the Parkinson Cowan models you mentioned which my senior school had a few of from the Era you mention. I never did like those. The Grill arrangement of a tray on nothing more than a cooling rack bolted to the splashback always felt flimsy so I avoided those like the plague opting for a newish Creda Concept Solarglo.

Im really enjoying using it, years of use? We can only see. Id like it to see me out but I know thats not going to happen so Il just enjoy it while I can. Bedtime reading on gas cooker failures made for some sleepless nights but so far so good for gas leaks and safety.

Lesson learnt, Never google such things. Mind Im quite the specialist on the Ronan Point Disaster of 1968 now LOL.

 

[peterlondon]

cannon

For a few more shekkles this stove could have a rotisserie as well.a small silver box which slid under the grill tap......as kebabs where becoming order of the day.

I also think cannon was the only stove here in the UK that had a microwave built into the main oven.
I am not a gas fan,but a very smart looking unit indeed
pete

 

[aquarius1984]

Peter

How amusing it is for you to pop up, Hope your well?

You almost got me in a cold sweat - gingerly scrolled down just in case you had posted a picture of your stove. Still not sure about those!!!! LOL.

Ironically the Cannon has a similar look I think to the Moffats especially with its fold down grill.

Rotisserie yes something I would of loved to have had, perhaps if the 155 or 160 pops up on ebay within reasonable distance and we are able to collect it then I could be tempted to Rotisserie a few chooks.
sadly the feature was not available to this model so its roasted all the way.
I tend to cook a whole chicken in my combi microwave anyway unless im also using the oven for other things too.

 

[vacbear58]

Not quite TOL

If I rememeber correctly there was a version of this cooker with timer etc. but still, that is not essential and you do get the benefits of good solid construction with this model

Al

 

[peterlondon]

oven

Thats why no mneed one of theses fab moffs,two ovens and electricly controlled food warmer drawerkI JUST LOVE IT,,,,,,AHEM,,,,MEED ANOTHER PICCIE?

 

[aquarius1984]

Yes
Cannon it seems had 3 models within a range at any one time all on the same solid base with core features.

The 150 as above

The 155 as above but minute minder and clock- possibly a glass oven door iirc.

The 160 as the 155 but also Auto oven, Rotisserie potential and Glass oven door.

 

[fido]

My uncle used to be a gas fitter and he had I high regard for Cannon products. He still has the gas stove he and my aunt got when they moved into their own house in the late '60s, I think that is a Cannon. My first house in Coventry that I bought in 1981 had a Cannon Miser fire, also a very well made piece of kit.

 

[davey7]

Could you gentlemen explain the high level broiler for an American? It seems to be a uniquely UK item.