Cottage stove

[kevin313]

Like so many folks in the Detroit area, I have a cottage "up-north," and I wanted to post a pix of my stove in hopes that one of you GE experts might help me identify the year. I have always thought it was a '59, but then I saw the photos of Hans' new '57 and so now I'm not sure. My stove has the small pushbuttons on the top. I've had it for about 4 years now, and it cooks/bakes beautifully.

 

[kevin313]

a closer shot

here's a closer view of the dash

 

[kevin313]

the stove in the kitchen

Here's a shot of the east half of the cottage kitchen with the GE stove

 

[pulltostart]

Your range is georgeous! And appears to have been well-cared for, too. I think it is either a '57 or '58. If it were a 1959 I believe it would have black on the console, at least in the area of the clock/timer.

If you sell the cottage or decide to get rid of the range - please put that information on this website.

Lawrence

 

[kevin313]

Thanks, Lawrence. It would be great to know what year this model of range was offered, and the name of the model. I don't think it was the top-of-line in the 30 inch size, but I'm not sure what GE called it.

I'm not planning on selling the cottage (unless someone makes me an offer I can't refuse - which is unlikely in this depressed Michigan real estate market!).

I have another older stove in my cottage "canning kitchen" which is made by Hotpoint - I'll try to take a picture and post when I'm up there this weekend.

Thanks again!

 

[rp2813]

Although my knowledge is limited, I would tend to agree that your stove is likely 1957 or later. I think the stove that Hans got is a more TOL model but yours appears to have a lot of the same styling as his '57. Need a '57 fridge? Hans has one!

Cute place. I always hoped I would have a little getaway somewhere and imagined all the original 1949 appliances from my mom's kitchen in there. I had the Westinghouse fridge, stove, Laundromat and mixer, and a NOS box of vintage crescent shaped red plastic drawer pulls poised for deployment. Alas, it was enough of a financial feat to buy a 50's cracker box in suburbia and a little cabin or cottage is likely going to always be nothing more than a dream. You must really enjoy having a place where you can escape. I'm totally jealous!

 

[kevin313]

Thanks, Ralph. Having the cottage is a blessing/curse - it's yet another house to have to take care of and worry about. Just the same, it takes just under two hours to get there from my primary home, yet it is a world away. It serves as a retreat that I would someday like to never return from!

Regarding the stove, my pushbuttons are small. The ones that Hans has on his new stove are large. I didn't know when GE made the change - or did they produce both big button/small button controls at the same time depending on the model? The oven controls are the same as Hans', so I'm guessing they are within the same period of time.

Thanks for you help!

 

[pulltostart]

Kevin,
I'm looking at 1957 and 1958 GE literature, and don't find your exact range in either publication. However, as has been noted here many times before, GE had more variations than "Carter has pills". I still say your range is not a 1959 because GE used a black component on the console and they introduced a "deluxe" clock/timer that looked different from the past 2 years. The J-304 was the TOL 30" range, complete with keyboard controls and a meat thermometer and a plug-in griddle. The '57 suffix was 'P', the '58 suffix was 'R'. The next 30" range in the line-up was a J-303, but it did not have the pedestals and the glass panel at the rear of the cooking surface. Clearly, your model would be something between a 304 and a 303, but I do not have anything that shows it or references a model number. It would be interesting if you could find a model number (possibly on the lower front, concealed by the storage drawer), it should tell you/us more.

Lawrence

 

[kevin313]

Lawrence,
Thanks for all your information and research. When I'm at the cottage this weekend, I'll look at the stove for a model number.

Thanks again!
Kevin

 

[alr2903]

Kevin nice stove. On the shelf bottom left is that a little wire trivet, used with pyrex cookware? You don't happen to have a vintage cottage washer do you? alr2903[this post was last edited: 8/11/2010-01:19]

 

[kevin313]

alr-

Yes, I use that trivet for Pyrex cookware and I also have some Corning "Visions" cookware that also requires one of these doo-dads.

My cottage washer is very, very vintage -- a Maid Brite washing board, a bar of Fels Naphta soap and a old metal tub!! Unfortuantely, I don't have room for a washing machine there, otherwise I would love to have one.

 

[alr2903]

Kevin, sometimes washboards are the very best appliances, i have my mom's old "busy bee" washboard. You know with this group we always have visions of fabulous stashed away appliances. Your stove is very nice, what a looker. arthur

 

[mr_sparkle]

I love the light up panel on it - I think id use it as lighting in the evening maybe with just another table lamp - it really gives a lovely homely appearance!

Your all so lucky that your American appliances are so beautiful, I do not know of many English appliances that light up in such a way!

Also really like the 50's style counter on the right of the stove - so much nicer than modern kitchen furniature!

 

[lordkenmore]

"Unfortuantely, I don't have room for a washing machine there, otherwise I would love to have one."

No space at all, or no space for regular washer and hookup?

If the latter (which seems to be the case most often when there's "no space"), this situation is really a good excuse to get a wringer machine, twin tub, or small portable!