Corning Ware Tabletop Smoothtop

[gadgetgary]

Anyone remember these?????

The control knob goes from Off to 500 degrees. Is perfect for that flat-bottom cookware, and, you only have the counter to clean, not the entire stove-top.

Gary

 

[gansky1]

I bought one of these on Ebay a while back and was surprised at how well it works! I wasn't expecting too much from it being 120v and smoothtop, but it's awesome.

I've been snatching up a few tabletop food warmers at sales for a friend of mine who loves to entertain with finger food and appetizers rather than a full meal. Keeping everything hot was a problem but what was old is new again and for a couple of bucks the NIB warmers solve the problem!

 

[toggleswitch]

Nifty gadget, Gary.
Or should I say nice toy GadgetGary

Practical and fabulous.

 

[steved]

I have one too

I bought one of these at a Kitchen Design Center that was going out of business for 10 bucks...... its FABULOUS for entertaining when the girls stop over for bridge.....

 

[jasonl]

One-pot cooking

WOW, that looks neato for cooking something right there on the spot, with a controlled thermostat at that.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I have one of the original electromatics with the white base and the black plastic handles & legs. It came with both the skillet and the 4 qt dutch oven. I have managed to find three of the new wood grain ones like this and a lot of Corning Ware with the baby smooth bottom. Several years ago during the winter, John took my mid-50s Frigidaire 30" range up to Robert and, while I had all of the stoves downstairs, I used the Corning electromatic for boiling pasta and other short operations until we put my other stove in place and the Corning cooker performed beautifully. The dutch oven makes great soup. The secret to the performance is that heat is passing between two like materials so efficiency is not lost by having materials with differing rates of heat transfer. The heating elements are like ribbons underneath the heater surface so the heat is very even, which is important because pyroceram does not spread heat worth a d...

 

[peterh770]

Is there any market for a 4 burner Corning smooth in-the-counter cook top? We have had one installed at my father's house since the kitchen was remodeled in the very early 70's.

It never was a fast cooker; water took forever to boil. OTOH, it took forever to cool off once it did get up to temp. And then you had to look for the smooth bottom Corning cookware and not the curved bottom ones.

 

[gadgetgary]

Electromatic

Here is a pic of the electromatic plate.

 

[panthera]

me too

I have one of these at my folk's place in the 'States. Love it - but one little warning. These babies draw power big time. Had it on for several hours boiling water on Christmas day. After two hours the current had overheated the wiring in a junction box and we spent the Christmas week looking for an electrician.
The eveness in cooking with corning ware is truly fantastic. You can actually sauté using these - or warm milk without scalding.
Bummer that they aren't grounded, though. Double insulated they are not.

 

[gadgetgary]

Controls

Even has a setting for Welsh Rarebit
Hmmmm ..might have to 'Google' that tasty recipe

Gary

 

[gadgetgary]

And the dial

Very interesting....

 

[jasonl]

Beer in the recipe

I did a Google and the Food Network site has a recipe for it and it uses BEER (that's should wake up our Texas and Louisiana members).

 

[jasonl]

Don't you just love stuff with "o-matic" in the name?

 

[gadgetgary]

Google It

My My jansol, you are speedy with those fingers.

Yay!

 

[veg-o-matic]

Jason, you make me blush...

veg

 

[appnut]

A very cool gadget gary.

 

[gadgetgary]

appnut

Bob,

Thanks(blush)

 

[appnut]

Gary you're welcome. You ain't half bad yourself!!!

 

[panthera]

four burner

I kind a doubt there is a market for them - they were just too slow. Somehow, Corning just didn't quite have things right on them. But I have seen ones in perfect condition set in as heat-proof and mess-proof countertop inserts next to the cooker. They are easy to clean and you don't have to worry about the heat damaging anything. Look great, too.
I seem to recall that the transparancy to IR which the glass-cermics of today have (Vision) was not yet perfected back then.

http://i

 

[jamiel]

Are the flat-bottomed Corning Ware pots still available? That combination would be interesting to cook with.

 

[panthera]

from various makers

You can get all of these things either at ARC or the Salvation Army...or new from various makers.
I suggest the original white flat bottom "corn-flower" series - they were sold by the billion and are virtually indestructable, unless you take to them with a wire brush.
The vision wear stuff from the 80's and 90's also works well on these, and the color is nice. I do not like the teflon lined stuff they made towards the end, but that is just me.
Warning: The lids - both of the original and the Vision are NOT glass-ceramic, just pyrex. Put them down on a hot ceramic plate and they will explode.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Actually dear Panther, the Corning pieces with the ground flat bottom for use on their thermostatically controlled heating units are rarer than hen's teeth in the US and prices can reflect that in many markets. The redesigned pans that appeared in the 70s with the"A" prefix, while having flatter bases come no where near to being substitutes for the ground flat bases on the COOK MATES pieces.

Was there any European Corning Ware cookware production? I know that Pyrex was made in England and that ARC-O-ROC (SP?) pyroceram cookware with the round shapes and the detachable handles came from somewhere in Europe.

 

[toggleswitch]

..and it does not glow exept for the *pilot* light!

Acquired one of these Corning tabletop-cooktops recently.

It really is a unique and fabulous piece. So different from today's vitro-ceran!

 

[panthera]

Tom, all over the place

Corning was one of the suppliers to the PXs over here. When the US troops went back to the 'States they all left stuff behind. You can pick up the flat bottomed corning and later generation vision cookware here for a song.
It is not impossible to find in the 'States - you just have to go every single day and be good friends with the folks who sort the stuff. I am not over there too often, but the folks at ARC and Salvation Army already know me as a cheerful and willing translater and volunteer - it helps.

 

[gadgetgary]

Boiling Water

This Corning cooktop will boil water, but takes some time since it is only operating on 110V. I use a chicken fryer pan(deep sides) on top of it to boil corn on the cob(with a touch of milk and sugar in the water). Works perfectly and flawlessly for the corn.

 

[mixfinder]

Cooking In Corning

In 1975 I purchased a new Frigidaire smooth top range with touch pad controls.

I had Farberware cookware and decided to try Corning, which was recommended.

At that time you could buy Corning cookware with a thin metal substance fused to the bottom.

Mine had the Spice of Life decals which co-ordinated with the Avacado Frigidaire Appliances.

The sides of the Corning cookware met the bottom with a more angular and less coved side of the normal Corning casserole.

The pans heated well but the lids were heavy glass and trying to set one askew to allow potatoes and pasta to boil without foaming was impossible, the lid always slid back over the pan forming a seal and hence a boil over.

Likewise, using the glass lid to hold back food while draining cooking water didn't work either as it would always slide back in place over the pan.

When making a sauce that required stirring, I had to be VERY careful not to have the contents hit the corner and go shooting out the pan like a plume.

Later Corning pans were made for the cook top in a round configuration, but by then the Corning Top was long gone.

The new glass top ranges are a dream to clean and care for.

I spent hours keeping the Frigidaire Corning Top range looking like it had never been used.

Kelly