Anyone need parts off this Corning Range, before it meets it's maker?
Corning Range
- Thread starter goatfarmer
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philr
Well-known member
If I was closer, I'd take the whole range!
I'm wondering if the oven thermostat is the same as in my 1971 Frigidaire range?
I'm wondering if the oven thermostat is the same as in my 1971 Frigidaire range?
redcarpetdrew
Well-known member
I always kinda liked the cleaner looks (styling) of this range. What I DIDN'T like was that dang discoloration around the burners that the older Corning tops got like this one.
RCD
RCD
If the ribbon heating element assemblies under the Corning surface work, they were what made this range cook far more evenly than the imitators. I know we can't keep everything, but this, with the proper cookmates, was an excellent range.
This one is a slide in, no side panels, or I would try to sell it. Plus it's Harvest Gold....
Are cookmates still available? or just at thrift stores?
polkanut
Well-known member
This is the type of range that was in our house when we bought it. The Corning top was DISGUSTING. The previous owner was a widower who let it got to pot, and didn't properly clean it at all. It was the second thing we changed after we switched from an electric water heater to a gas model.
"Are cookmates still available? or just at thrift stores
World Kitchen brought back flat-bottomed Pyroceram cookware under the name CorningWare StoveTop. They also sell new VISIONS amber Calexium cookware. Both have flat bottoms suitable for smooth top conventional (non-induction) ranges.
http://www.shopworldkitchen.com/corningware/stovetop?results=all
World Kitchen brought back flat-bottomed Pyroceram cookware under the name CorningWare StoveTop. They also sell new VISIONS amber Calexium cookware. Both have flat bottoms suitable for smooth top conventional (non-induction) ranges.
http://www.shopworldkitchen.com/corningware/stovetop?results=all
jerrod6
Well-known member
My mother had this range in the 1970's? It worked very well but I don't remember this kind of discoloration around the burners but perhaps she just didn't use it long enough. She used the special cleaner/conditioner every day so perhaps that prevented the stains. I still have some of the flat bottomed corning cookware someplace in my basement. Have to get it out and use it! The thing remember the most was that the burners stayed hot after you turned them off....Hot for a long time so she would turn them off long before everything was fully cooked. Nothing wrong with her stove when she switched to a down draft Jennaire that she owned for the rest of her life. Thanks for posting the picture I had all but forgotten about this stove and the pans!
I seriously wonder if the new Stove Top Pyroceram is the same as the ground flat base of the Cookmates. It is a most special, super flat and smooth base, far more machined than the base of the A series pans that came out in the early 70s. The bottoms of these pans are so smooth that you can see your reflection in them under proper lighting, if they have not been scratched which will happen if they are used on regular electric elements.
Yes, Jerrod, far more "retained heat" than regular electric cooking with the density of the pans and the cooktop surface.
Aside from the Pyroceram pans, Corning also licensed production of very flat base cast aluminum pans, sort of like Club Aluminum. They had Teflon interiors, but I remember seeing some of them at a thrift store in the 80s. A client that my brother used to house sit for had the Corning cook top and he loved to make chili in the big aluminum pot.
Yes, Jerrod, far more "retained heat" than regular electric cooking with the density of the pans and the cooktop surface.
Aside from the Pyroceram pans, Corning also licensed production of very flat base cast aluminum pans, sort of like Club Aluminum. They had Teflon interiors, but I remember seeing some of them at a thrift store in the 80s. A client that my brother used to house sit for had the Corning cook top and he loved to make chili in the big aluminum pot.
retromania
Well-known member
My parents had friends that in 1974 put a Jenn-Air cooktop with the Corning inserts in their new water front home. The lady of the house complained that they were a booger to keep clean. I wonder if the heating element was the same concept as the smooth top ranges that are out now. I remember thinking how modern! I had never seen anything like it.
I have a lot of the cookmates cookware and use it to this day, though the Corning range is long gone. I have the Club aluminum pots too and they get almost daily use. 90% of the teflon is gone but they are still good heavy pots.
vintagekitchen
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2011
- Messages
- 706
why kill it?
I know I'm in the minority, but I love my Monarch range with the Corning top. It is harder to keep clean than a modern smoothtop, but cooks better and heats more evenly.
I know I'm in the minority, but I love my Monarch range with the Corning top. It is harder to keep clean than a modern smoothtop, but cooks better and heats more evenly.
retromania
Well-known member
Kevin
Not trying to kill it. That was just my only reference point for a Corning stove top. I think they are cool-looking. I remembered also after my previous post that the lady of the house complained that it took water the longest to boil. I was 14 at the time I too discovered what she menat. I remembered I fried chicken one night for the group and my sister came in and asked why wasn't I cooking the chicken yet?! I said because it was taking the grease forever to get hot enough to start frying!!! Obviously there wasn't enough power coming in. What was the deal? The grease finally came up to temperature. It was a new modern water front home in a resort island community. Surely the power company and electricians knew what they were doing. It was like the stove top has a mind on it's own. The lady of the house had double GE wall ovens. I wish I had paid attention as to how long it took the ovens to preheat. That would have answered my question as to whether it was an issue of not enough house power. Anyone care to comment on that?
Not trying to kill it. That was just my only reference point for a Corning stove top. I think they are cool-looking. I remembered also after my previous post that the lady of the house complained that it took water the longest to boil. I was 14 at the time I too discovered what she menat. I remembered I fried chicken one night for the group and my sister came in and asked why wasn't I cooking the chicken yet?! I said because it was taking the grease forever to get hot enough to start frying!!! Obviously there wasn't enough power coming in. What was the deal? The grease finally came up to temperature. It was a new modern water front home in a resort island community. Surely the power company and electricians knew what they were doing. It was like the stove top has a mind on it's own. The lady of the house had double GE wall ovens. I wish I had paid attention as to how long it took the ovens to preheat. That would have answered my question as to whether it was an issue of not enough house power. Anyone care to comment on that?
danemodsandy
Well-known member
The Problem....
....With this first generation of smooth-top ranges was that they were more trouble to keep looking spiffy than a coil range, not less. The easy-clean promises were pretty much bogus.
The problem was the white color - it showed absolutely everything, and it would stain if not rigorously maintained with Corning Smooth-Top Cleaner and Delete powdered cleanser (very similar to Bar Keeper's Friend) for tough, burned-on spills. The smooth-top cleaner had, I believe, silicones in it to condition and seal the top's surface.
Added to that was the fact that truly flat-bottomed cookware was not easy or cheap to come by in the early '70s.
Today, flat bottoms are much easier to find, at a variety of price points. And the current generation of smooth-tops is black or dark grey, much less prone to showing imperfect maintenance.
My mother, who detested housekeeping, bought a '74 Lady Kenmore smooth-top because she believed in the easy-care promises. She did not keep it long, and she was not a lady who gave up on an appliance easily; she was appalled at the effort needed to keep it looking even reasonably clean, much less showroom new. I got it from her and used it quite a while, but eventually I also tired of the care requirement.
....With this first generation of smooth-top ranges was that they were more trouble to keep looking spiffy than a coil range, not less. The easy-clean promises were pretty much bogus.
The problem was the white color - it showed absolutely everything, and it would stain if not rigorously maintained with Corning Smooth-Top Cleaner and Delete powdered cleanser (very similar to Bar Keeper's Friend) for tough, burned-on spills. The smooth-top cleaner had, I believe, silicones in it to condition and seal the top's surface.
Added to that was the fact that truly flat-bottomed cookware was not easy or cheap to come by in the early '70s.
Today, flat bottoms are much easier to find, at a variety of price points. And the current generation of smooth-tops is black or dark grey, much less prone to showing imperfect maintenance.
My mother, who detested housekeeping, bought a '74 Lady Kenmore smooth-top because she believed in the easy-care promises. She did not keep it long, and she was not a lady who gave up on an appliance easily; she was appalled at the effort needed to keep it looking even reasonably clean, much less showroom new. I got it from her and used it quite a while, but eventually I also tired of the care requirement.
retromania
Well-known member
The Lady of the House
Had a bottle of cleanser put out by the manufacturer just for cleaning the cooktop. It was the same formula I have bought for cleaning my vintage blue cornflower Corningware. It is a white creamy cleanser with a light grit factor. Takes a little muscle, but it works. I bought a nasty and I mean NASTY piece of blue cornflower at our local thrift and scrubbed it up like new with that wonderful formula. The dirtier the better for me. I love to clean, scrub and restore!!!!!!
Had a bottle of cleanser put out by the manufacturer just for cleaning the cooktop. It was the same formula I have bought for cleaning my vintage blue cornflower Corningware. It is a white creamy cleanser with a light grit factor. Takes a little muscle, but it works. I bought a nasty and I mean NASTY piece of blue cornflower at our local thrift and scrubbed it up like new with that wonderful formula. The dirtier the better for me. I love to clean, scrub and restore!!!!!!
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Scrubbing, Cleaning and Restoring....
I enjoy it too - but not every time the range is used, as a matter of necessity.
I can clean a traditional coil-top range after normal use back to showroom condition much faster and easier than a vintage smooth-top.
P.S.: To make ranges of all kinds much, much easier to clean, I recommend the following:
If you are frying, use wide, heavy-duty foil to make a "tent" for the backguard. Fold the foil lengthwise, using enough to run the entire width of the backguard. Just sit it in place, and fry away. The foil goes into the recycle bin, and your knobs and clock don't have to be cleaned at all. This is especially helpful on the clock, which won't have that "weeping" streak down the inside of the glass from grease and cleaner where the glass has holes in it to permit the shafts of the time-setting knobs to pass through.
I enjoy it too - but not every time the range is used, as a matter of necessity.
I can clean a traditional coil-top range after normal use back to showroom condition much faster and easier than a vintage smooth-top.
P.S.: To make ranges of all kinds much, much easier to clean, I recommend the following:
If you are frying, use wide, heavy-duty foil to make a "tent" for the backguard. Fold the foil lengthwise, using enough to run the entire width of the backguard. Just sit it in place, and fry away. The foil goes into the recycle bin, and your knobs and clock don't have to be cleaned at all. This is especially helpful on the clock, which won't have that "weeping" streak down the inside of the glass from grease and cleaner where the glass has holes in it to permit the shafts of the time-setting knobs to pass through.
Why scrub Corning Ware when you can just put it in the self-cleaning oven? If you are going to clean it by hand, why not spray it with oven cleaner?
Andy, the Corning units were not high wattage and were slow to heat anything, but they were especially slow to heat non-Corning cookware. What type of pan were you using? The main problem with most of the Corning smooth tops was that people were using metal utensils on them and that is not how they were designed to operate, but people were not told that, just like they were not told that the stainless steel burner grates on those Caloric gas ranges in the early 70s would heat tint and have a rainbow appearance for the rest of their days.
Andy, the Corning units were not high wattage and were slow to heat anything, but they were especially slow to heat non-Corning cookware. What type of pan were you using? The main problem with most of the Corning smooth tops was that people were using metal utensils on them and that is not how they were designed to operate, but people were not told that, just like they were not told that the stainless steel burner grates on those Caloric gas ranges in the early 70s would heat tint and have a rainbow appearance for the rest of their days.
Corning Range For Parts
Kenny does this range have the Frigidaire built oven?, for the first few years GM Frigidaire built ranges with the Corning Cook-Top. I can't quite tell from your picture if this is the GM built range. In any case the surface elements and controls would be good for anyone that wants to keep an original style Corning Cook-Top working, these parts are NLA.
These original style Corning ranges cooked very well if used with the correct cookware and they could boil water and fry chicken just fine.
Andy your friends new home might have been in a 208 volt area and the builder forgot to order 208 volt appliances, but more likely as others suggested they were using the wrong cookware, because even a 240 volt range on 208 will only be 25% slower.
Kevin as you have found these early smooth-top ranges can cook very well, but they certainly don't cook any more evenly or better than the current smooth-top ranges and the current ranges are MUCH faster as the wattage on the larger burners is at least 1000 watts more powerful than your vintage range.
Kenny does this range have the Frigidaire built oven?, for the first few years GM Frigidaire built ranges with the Corning Cook-Top. I can't quite tell from your picture if this is the GM built range. In any case the surface elements and controls would be good for anyone that wants to keep an original style Corning Cook-Top working, these parts are NLA.
These original style Corning ranges cooked very well if used with the correct cookware and they could boil water and fry chicken just fine.
Andy your friends new home might have been in a 208 volt area and the builder forgot to order 208 volt appliances, but more likely as others suggested they were using the wrong cookware, because even a 240 volt range on 208 will only be 25% slower.
Kevin as you have found these early smooth-top ranges can cook very well, but they certainly don't cook any more evenly or better than the current smooth-top ranges and the current ranges are MUCH faster as the wattage on the larger burners is at least 1000 watts more powerful than your vintage range.
firedome
Well-known member
Sandy
that foil over the backsplash when frying is a great idea! Just last week we made Pffrench Fries in the cast iron frying pan on our '58 GE and it made a huge mess that took quite a while to clean up, and, frankly, we have rarely fried for just this reason... but, hmmmm, this tip could be deadly!
We did come up with another solution to the frying mess, which, however, will have to wait for another post.
that foil over the backsplash when frying is a great idea! Just last week we made Pffrench Fries in the cast iron frying pan on our '58 GE and it made a huge mess that took quite a while to clean up, and, frankly, we have rarely fried for just this reason... but, hmmmm, this tip could be deadly!
We did come up with another solution to the frying mess, which, however, will have to wait for another post.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Roger:
If you fried on a '58 GE Stratoliner or Liberator without protecting the backguard, I fear for you!
Cleaning all those little picky details on that backguard is a phenomenal PITA. The pushbuttons alone could take forever.
I hope I've saved you from further pain. There is nothing more beautiful than a clean GE range from this era. There is nothing more daunting than a dirty one.
If you fried on a '58 GE Stratoliner or Liberator without protecting the backguard, I fear for you!
Cleaning all those little picky details on that backguard is a phenomenal PITA. The pushbuttons alone could take forever.
I hope I've saved you from further pain. There is nothing more beautiful than a clean GE range from this era. There is nothing more daunting than a dirty one.
I'm not sure on the Frigidaire oven, I don't think so. I remember the early Frigidaire smooth top ranges, pretty sure this one isn't one of them.
retromania
Well-known member
Thanks!
A load of thanks to all of you that commented on the slow performance of that Corningware cooktop. I obviously was the cookware. I don't recall right off what I was frying in, but it was probably an iron frying pan.
Sandy,
Thanks for the tip about the foil. I do hate the clean up after frying chicken. That's why I don't fry except a few times a year anymore. Of course I fix all our ole southern favorites with the chicken: Rice & gravy. English peas. Squash casserole and pear salad.
A load of thanks to all of you that commented on the slow performance of that Corningware cooktop. I obviously was the cookware. I don't recall right off what I was frying in, but it was probably an iron frying pan.
Sandy,
Thanks for the tip about the foil. I do hate the clean up after frying chicken. That's why I don't fry except a few times a year anymore. Of course I fix all our ole southern favorites with the chicken: Rice & gravy. English peas. Squash casserole and pear salad.
philr
Well-known member
Kenny,
Can you show a picture of the oven and the interior of the oven door as well as a closer view of the clock.
Can you show a picture of the oven and the interior of the oven door as well as a closer view of the clock.
Clean up after frying
When I got mom her Sunbeam electric skillet, she would always put paper on the table, place the skillet in the middle of it and do the browning of whatever was going to be prepared in the skillet. Once the cover was on and the temperature turned down to the "E" in simmer, the skillet was placed on the counter or the work area of the stove, the paper disposed of and the table set. Making pancakes did not involve splatters so it was done on the counter.
When I fry latkes, I do much the same, covering the top of the dryer with paper and then doing the frying in my vintage Sunbeam.
When I got mom her Sunbeam electric skillet, she would always put paper on the table, place the skillet in the middle of it and do the browning of whatever was going to be prepared in the skillet. Once the cover was on and the temperature turned down to the "E" in simmer, the skillet was placed on the counter or the work area of the stove, the paper disposed of and the table set. Making pancakes did not involve splatters so it was done on the counter.
When I fry latkes, I do much the same, covering the top of the dryer with paper and then doing the frying in my vintage Sunbeam.
retromania
Well-known member
Oh yes.
Let's talk about what a clean up I had after the latkes!! Well worth the fuss. Thank you again Kevin for sharing the recipe. I will incorporate Sandy's foil tent next time. Might make some this weekend even tho my girth doesn't need it.
Let's talk about what a clean up I had after the latkes!! Well worth the fuss. Thank you again Kevin for sharing the recipe. I will incorporate Sandy's foil tent next time. Might make some this weekend even tho my girth doesn't need it.
I'll get a few pics later this week, Phil.
Clock
Closeup of the clock
Closeup of the clock
Oven
Inside of the oven.
Inside of the oven.
full size
The whole thing!
The whole thing!
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