That black plastic disc with the long handle is the Corning valve and they were very proud of it. In theory it enabled the user to boil water in the lower vessel, either the 6 cup teapot or the 2 quart tea kettle then be able to pour the water into the upper water container of the fully assembled drip assembly. Once the drip assembly was placed back on the lower pot, the valve was pulled up and the driping began. The fly in that oinkment was that it would require the user to get up a half hour earlier to have time enough to boil the water in the large tea kettle and almost as long to boil water in that small teapot given that neither of them have a very good shape for capturing heat without burning off the handle. The 6 cup teapot becomes a 4 cup coffee maker and the 64 oz (2 qt) teapot makes 8 cups of coffee, both figuring 5 to 6 oz cups. In both cases capacity in the lower bowl is lost to the lower part of the drip assembly where the coffee grounds are.
One spring we had an ice storm that knocked out power and all of our homes were total electric. I got out my Ronson Table Range (the larger of the two models) and used it to boil water in a Revere Designers Group teakettle and then made coffee in the large Corning drip pot, keeping it over a low flame until it was finished. Then I put on coat & boots and went to the neighbors in my court and offered them hot coffee. They did not know how I did it, but were not surprised that I could do it. I learned one thing. That little Ronson thing was not meant to run full open like that to boil that much water. The fumes it put out gave me a headache. I was happy to step outside to serve the coffee. So I got to use the Corning drip coffee maker to serve others in need. I washed it and packed it away; been there, done that. NEXT!
