My father worked for GE in the mid 1950s and said that GE supposedly experimentally test-marketed a GAS range in the Northeast in the 1950s,to see if one would sell under ther name.Supposedly they had one of the well-known stove manufacturers build it then put their name on it. Obviously it didn't,and GE didn't market one again until they(re-)introduced them in 1984.Any one heard of this story?
Did GE test-market a GAS range in the 1950s?
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maytagbear
Well-known member
They still do!
Last time I was at an independent appliance store... November of last year, the store had both Hotpoint and GE brand gas ranges. They've carried both for years.
I remember being startled in 1984 when I saw the first print ads for the GE gas ranges. I had known for years that GE made a gas heated dryer, but a GE gas range...well that was way different.
I wish I could convince my landlord to put one in, but right now, I'm stuck with an early 80s electric Tappan. The oven is fine, the cooktop needs help.
I've only used a GE gas range once, at the home of friends...this was an upper midlevel one, and I LOVED it. The controls were intuitive, and had great handfeel, the 12,000 Btu/h burner was niiiice, and it felt like a much higher grade of tin than other newer ranges.
In the previous two apartments, I had new Hotpoint electrics, with self-cleaning ovens, and I liked them as much as I could like an electric cooktop. I loved the beep when the oven was up to temperature.
A side note...does anyone install the "anti-tip bracket" thingie?
Lawrence/Maytagbear
Last time I was at an independent appliance store... November of last year, the store had both Hotpoint and GE brand gas ranges. They've carried both for years.
I remember being startled in 1984 when I saw the first print ads for the GE gas ranges. I had known for years that GE made a gas heated dryer, but a GE gas range...well that was way different.
I wish I could convince my landlord to put one in, but right now, I'm stuck with an early 80s electric Tappan. The oven is fine, the cooktop needs help.
I've only used a GE gas range once, at the home of friends...this was an upper midlevel one, and I LOVED it. The controls were intuitive, and had great handfeel, the 12,000 Btu/h burner was niiiice, and it felt like a much higher grade of tin than other newer ranges.
In the previous two apartments, I had new Hotpoint electrics, with self-cleaning ovens, and I liked them as much as I could like an electric cooktop. I loved the beep when the oven was up to temperature.
A side note...does anyone install the "anti-tip bracket" thingie?
Lawrence/Maytagbear
Infamous ROPER tug of war?
I'm sure about the incident, but I'm not sure about the motiviation of the following...
Does anyone remember (over 10 years ago) the huge tug-of-war between GE and Whirlpool over Roper?
If I recall, both GE and Whirlpool wanted (the then fading) ROPER to bolster their presence in the gas range market.
I don't recall GE's gasous presence prior to the 1980's.
Anyway, a HUGE lawsuit ensued and (again not sure of this), GE and Whirlpool SHARED Roper for a while.
Who knows the real scoop? My memory is very spotty on this one so don't take it for gospel. I've also imbibed a bit before the BEARS WIN THE SUPERBOWL!
I'm sure about the incident, but I'm not sure about the motiviation of the following...
Does anyone remember (over 10 years ago) the huge tug-of-war between GE and Whirlpool over Roper?
If I recall, both GE and Whirlpool wanted (the then fading) ROPER to bolster their presence in the gas range market.
I don't recall GE's gasous presence prior to the 1980's.
Anyway, a HUGE lawsuit ensued and (again not sure of this), GE and Whirlpool SHARED Roper for a while.
Who knows the real scoop? My memory is very spotty on this one so don't take it for gospel. I've also imbibed a bit before the BEARS WIN THE SUPERBOWL!
Bears and imbibing . . .
Yeah, I know all about imbibing too much due to some exiting bears . . . anyway I better get back on topic before I embarrass myself.
I remember lots of Roper gas ranges at the homes of relatives in east Texas back in the '60s and '70s, but I also think my aunt had a Roper electric rangetop in a new house she built in '66 . . . did they build electric units as well or is my memory mistaken?
Yeah, I know all about imbibing too much due to some exiting bears . . . anyway I better get back on topic before I embarrass myself.
I remember lots of Roper gas ranges at the homes of relatives in east Texas back in the '60s and '70s, but I also think my aunt had a Roper electric rangetop in a new house she built in '66 . . . did they build electric units as well or is my memory mistaken?
Lawrence-- both my gas and electric ranges are bolted to the wall with the anti-tip bracket. My dealer/installer said the SS ranges were heavy (especially the gas version) and needed to be stabilized.
toggleswitch
Well-known member
I thought the anti-tip bracket goes on the floor.....
exploder3211
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That bracket that i always toss in the trash? I have only ever seen em used in Modular (read Mobile) Homes... Even then people did not have them on there right.. LoL
westytoploader
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We bought a 30" GE gas range in 1992 for our old house to replace the dying early-80's over-under electric which was also a GE. Aside from being somewhat lower-end (no window in the oven, but still self-cleaning and had the mechanical clock/timer on the backsplash), it was a great range and my mom really liked it. No complaints whatsoever, nor did it ever scorch or burn anything the 6 years we used it, before we moved in 1998.
exploder3211
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Of all the stoves i have used, the GE's have always been tops.. I am not thrilled with my Whirlpool cooktop now.. Its a tad slow.. The last stove i had was an Amanna built Kenmore and it was very nice (found this i orderd a new door after it got kicked in one night)..... Grams had almost the same stove in her house.. The one in my rental singlewide was a BOL GE and it was great too.. My dad has one of those Americana (el cheapo) things from Homo Depot and its decent as well.. I love my frigidaire oven as well and the couple of frigidaire built stoves i have used, have worked well. The ones that seem to stink are Whirlpool's and Maytags...
toggleswitch
Well-known member
My understanding is GE will only do something if they can be #1 or #2. ....and by that I don't mean #2 in terms of body functions. (*LOL*)
It is further my understanding that they have been the industry leaders (in this country) in "cooking" for decades. Some of the earlier GE-branded GAS self-cleaners (pyrolytic) were TAPPAN-made IIRC.
It is interesting to note that major mannies ofered electric [including self-cleaning] ranges/cookers/ovens for decades. They came into the gas self-cleaner market much later because the mannies making gas ovens could not affort to re-tool their factories to make gas self-cleaners which are engineered differently than gas "conventional" standard-clean ovens. (The broilers were relocated to be within the main oven cavity and the secondary combustion air is, by necessity, limited; Otherwise the grease adhering to the side-walls of the oven would spontaneously burst into flames during the self-clean cycle. IIRC, the primary air intake (venturi jet) may be outside the oven cavity for some oven/broiler burners.
Anyhoo...We therefore see Whirlpool, General Electric, Hotpoint, Frigidaire and Maytag getting into gas cooking much later. Self-cleaning gas was their ticket "in". Hardwick, Magic Chef, Caloric, Royal Rose, Imperial/Slattery [found in apartments]. O'keefe and Merritt, Welbilt were big gas mannies in the past.
It is further my understanding that they have been the industry leaders (in this country) in "cooking" for decades. Some of the earlier GE-branded GAS self-cleaners (pyrolytic) were TAPPAN-made IIRC.
It is interesting to note that major mannies ofered electric [including self-cleaning] ranges/cookers/ovens for decades. They came into the gas self-cleaner market much later because the mannies making gas ovens could not affort to re-tool their factories to make gas self-cleaners which are engineered differently than gas "conventional" standard-clean ovens. (The broilers were relocated to be within the main oven cavity and the secondary combustion air is, by necessity, limited; Otherwise the grease adhering to the side-walls of the oven would spontaneously burst into flames during the self-clean cycle. IIRC, the primary air intake (venturi jet) may be outside the oven cavity for some oven/broiler burners.
Anyhoo...We therefore see Whirlpool, General Electric, Hotpoint, Frigidaire and Maytag getting into gas cooking much later. Self-cleaning gas was their ticket "in". Hardwick, Magic Chef, Caloric, Royal Rose, Imperial/Slattery [found in apartments]. O'keefe and Merritt, Welbilt were big gas mannies in the past.
A correction,Toggleswitch
Whirlpool got into the stove business in 1952 when RCA purchased the Estate Stove Company.Estate was known as Ameica's oldest stove manufacturer. They became known as RCA Estate ranges and in 1956,when RCA merged with Whirlpool, became known as RCA Whirlpool. I remember many RCA Whirlpool gas ranges from the 1950s.
Maytag produced the Dutch Oven gas range in the 40s and 50s.
This stove was a serious competitor of the Chambers.Unlike most gas ranges,the burner controls were on the backguard,like an electric range to keep kids from turning on the stove(not a good design for gas ranges)Maytag stopped producing ranges about 1960. In the 80s they purchased the Hardwick Stove Company and reintroduced gas and electric ranges.
Whirlpool got into the stove business in 1952 when RCA purchased the Estate Stove Company.Estate was known as Ameica's oldest stove manufacturer. They became known as RCA Estate ranges and in 1956,when RCA merged with Whirlpool, became known as RCA Whirlpool. I remember many RCA Whirlpool gas ranges from the 1950s.
Maytag produced the Dutch Oven gas range in the 40s and 50s.
This stove was a serious competitor of the Chambers.Unlike most gas ranges,the burner controls were on the backguard,like an electric range to keep kids from turning on the stove(not a good design for gas ranges)Maytag stopped producing ranges about 1960. In the 80s they purchased the Hardwick Stove Company and reintroduced gas and electric ranges.
Hardwick was an aging company that needed to modernize, but did not and Maytag's purchase of it was one of the stupid business decisions that drove Maytag into the ground. Maytag's food freezers were made by Amana. They should have gone back to Amana for refrigerators instead of Admiral, another out-moded company on the skids. Poor Maytag. R.I.P.
toggleswitch
Well-known member
Thanks! Anyone have a picture of such an old Whirlpool stove in gas?
I would love to find one of the Amana-made Maytag freezers or refrigerators.
Maytag intro'd their line of gas ranges in October 1949 which were sourced from Globe American Corp. in Kokomo, IN. New AGA standards for gas ranges in the early 50's brought the burner controls down to the front of the range. Sales were so-so until 1958 when the ranges were abruptly absent from all Maytag sales literature. Presumably, Globe American just shut their doors and no more ranges were produced. Newton made several appeals into the early 60's for dealers with range parts on the shelves to send them back in an effort to get them to customers that needed them.
Maytag intro'd their line of gas ranges in October 1949 which were sourced from Globe American Corp. in Kokomo, IN. New AGA standards for gas ranges in the early 50's brought the burner controls down to the front of the range. Sales were so-so until 1958 when the ranges were abruptly absent from all Maytag sales literature. Presumably, Globe American just shut their doors and no more ranges were produced. Newton made several appeals into the early 60's for dealers with range parts on the shelves to send them back in an effort to get them to customers that needed them.
toggleswitch
Well-known member
Didn't Whirlpool also buy Roper which was (primarily) a stove manufacturer?
I vaguely recall that Roper was split up with the name going to Whirlpool and the plant going to GE back in the mid '80s. That was GE's entree into lower-end gas stoves...agree with the comment above that they sourced self cleaners from Tappan early on.
Believe that Estate ended up as Whirlpool's electric stove division throughout the years, but believe that WP used Caloric/Raytheon for gas stoves for a long time.
Believe that Estate ended up as Whirlpool's electric stove division throughout the years, but believe that WP used Caloric/Raytheon for gas stoves for a long time.
toggleswitch
Well-known member
~but believe that WP used Caloric/Raytheon for gas stoves for a long time.
YEP.
YEP.
I think the geneaology was that Tappan was absorbed by WCI, Caloric/Sunray/Glenwood by Raytheon (both Caloric and Tappan had early self-cleaning gas stoves). Roper, Hardwick and Magic Chef were on the "continuous cleaning" (boy is that ever a misnomer) bandwagon. Roper ended up split between GE (plant) and Whirlpool (name), Hardwick and Magic Chef with Maytag. Chambers ended up with Kitchenaid (pre-Whirlpool) Vesta was also a WCI stove brand.
Friends of ours had a Tappan Convectionaire self-cleaning gas oven from about 1978---actually a nice stove but a little weird--no broiler element, never could use her recipes because she'd adapted them to shorten cooking time. She finally got rid of it about 20 years later.
Same friend's house was built with a "Suburban" brand built-in gas wall oven and cooktop...
Friends of ours had a Tappan Convectionaire self-cleaning gas oven from about 1978---actually a nice stove but a little weird--no broiler element, never could use her recipes because she'd adapted them to shorten cooking time. She finally got rid of it about 20 years later.
Same friend's house was built with a "Suburban" brand built-in gas wall oven and cooktop...
toggleswitch
Well-known member
I remeber that one. Instead of two burners, top and bottom (broil and bake) and a convection fan in the rear as most ovens do, this one had the fan hidden and the oven's heat came from a series of holes in the top of the oven cavity.
Heat and fan would stop when the door was opened.
The best you could hope to do was "mimic" broiling [and IIRC that is EXACLTY what the instruction manual called it] by turning up the heat all the way and putting the pan of meat right under the series of holes, through which the heat was conveyed/delivered.
Heat and fan would stop when the door was opened.
The best you could hope to do was "mimic" broiling [and IIRC that is EXACLTY what the instruction manual called it] by turning up the heat all the way and putting the pan of meat right under the series of holes, through which the heat was conveyed/delivered.
toggleswitch
Well-known member
Here is a free-standing Gas self-cleaning "dual-fuel" standard sized oven ( 30" / 75cm) THAT WORKS ON 120V.
It has standard gas oven and broiler burner tubes. Broiling is done with gas as is surface cooking.
There has bbeen a small 120 v electrical heating element added to the bottom of the oven. Gas pre-heats the oven to within a few degrees of "target" temperature. Electric element swithces on; gas is cut off. The electic element will maintian the oven temeprature. Should the door be left open for a period of time, wherby the temperature falls below a certain nubmer of degrees below "target" the gas element will again fire-up to bring the oven back to the range where the electric element can maintain the temperture.
Quite an interesting gimmick. Great for those who can't run a heavy-duty 220v line for a standard "dual-fuel" or pure electric range/ cooker.
Remember here, on a 120v line, the wattage that can be squeezed thorough a 20a appliance circuit is quite limited.
Same wattage on lower voltage has a greater ameperage, requiring heaver gauge (thickness) wiring.
Watts = volts * amps
Watts/volts = amps
3500w / 240v= 14.6a
3500w / 120v= 29.2a
This cooker only requires a 15a 120v dedicated circuit so I'd say it's 1,400 to 1,800 watts, max.
http://www.geconsumerproducts.com/p...s/appliances/cooking_products/dualfuel_06.htm
It has standard gas oven and broiler burner tubes. Broiling is done with gas as is surface cooking.
There has bbeen a small 120 v electrical heating element added to the bottom of the oven. Gas pre-heats the oven to within a few degrees of "target" temperature. Electric element swithces on; gas is cut off. The electic element will maintian the oven temeprature. Should the door be left open for a period of time, wherby the temperature falls below a certain nubmer of degrees below "target" the gas element will again fire-up to bring the oven back to the range where the electric element can maintain the temperture.
Quite an interesting gimmick. Great for those who can't run a heavy-duty 220v line for a standard "dual-fuel" or pure electric range/ cooker.
Remember here, on a 120v line, the wattage that can be squeezed thorough a 20a appliance circuit is quite limited.
Same wattage on lower voltage has a greater ameperage, requiring heaver gauge (thickness) wiring.
Watts = volts * amps
Watts/volts = amps
3500w / 240v= 14.6a
3500w / 120v= 29.2a
This cooker only requires a 15a 120v dedicated circuit so I'd say it's 1,400 to 1,800 watts, max.
http://www.geconsumerproducts.com/p...s/appliances/cooking_products/dualfuel_06.htm
I remember that it did a wonderful job gratineeing french onion soup, of all things. Carole Mary was a good baker (I'd go to her house because I enjoyed grating the carrots for her carrot cake, plus she had a wonderful poppy seed cake) and she got the "mostest of the bestest" stove at the time.
These houses were built in about 1957 (typical baby-boom community) and there were only so many things you could do with the kitchen...an option when built was the built-in oven/cooktop. I'm not sure if there was a dishwasher option (they were scattered around the kitchens of most everyone). My mom had a Sears portable dishwasher made stationary, then next to it an old GE 24" stove (couldn't have a 30" stove because the pass-through to the back door would have been way too small) with a Westinghouse exhaust fan right over. Other people had either a 30" or even a 40" stove, and a dishwasher built in under a peninsula separating the kitchen from the dining room. Others (like Carole) had a portable dishwasher that stood in front of the sink (until she remodeled). Above all this was a vaulted cathedral ceiling, indirect lighting (I still like the airiness of these houses) big picture windows in the living room... ah memories.
These houses were built in about 1957 (typical baby-boom community) and there were only so many things you could do with the kitchen...an option when built was the built-in oven/cooktop. I'm not sure if there was a dishwasher option (they were scattered around the kitchens of most everyone). My mom had a Sears portable dishwasher made stationary, then next to it an old GE 24" stove (couldn't have a 30" stove because the pass-through to the back door would have been way too small) with a Westinghouse exhaust fan right over. Other people had either a 30" or even a 40" stove, and a dishwasher built in under a peninsula separating the kitchen from the dining room. Others (like Carole) had a portable dishwasher that stood in front of the sink (until she remodeled). Above all this was a vaulted cathedral ceiling, indirect lighting (I still like the airiness of these houses) big picture windows in the living room... ah memories.
My brother has a magazine ad from 1969 that shows what looks like a Caloric range that is self cleaning and is gas (don't think they had dual fuel then) it was an over-and-under range. The neighbors also had a range like this since about 1980 that had the microwave oven on top and gas self cleaning below. They just remodeled their kitchen this past year and I think it still worked but replaced it because it just looked 70s. The gas self cleaning oven was a little on the small side from the thick walls and the door did not have a window. There was no storage drawer either, just a solid panel. Later on, the company much have changed the mechanism to have a storage drawer.
I can remember some time in the 80s at Sears where they had both electric and gas self cleaning ovens on display the end of the aisle and the units looked much different from one another, as if from different manufacturers. The gas oven, which may have been made by Tappan, had about a 3 inch metal band across the top of the oven, as if it were an afterthought, making the oven cavity only about a foot high. It would have been impossible to cook a tall cake or even a turkey in there. It didn't seem until maybe 1990 that self cleaning gas ranges had the same size and amenities as electric ones did. Now I hear even today, expensive brands like Wolf and Viking don't offer gas self cleaning. Maybe because chefs like Emeril have workers to clean their ovens.
I can remember some time in the 80s at Sears where they had both electric and gas self cleaning ovens on display the end of the aisle and the units looked much different from one another, as if from different manufacturers. The gas oven, which may have been made by Tappan, had about a 3 inch metal band across the top of the oven, as if it were an afterthought, making the oven cavity only about a foot high. It would have been impossible to cook a tall cake or even a turkey in there. It didn't seem until maybe 1990 that self cleaning gas ranges had the same size and amenities as electric ones did. Now I hear even today, expensive brands like Wolf and Viking don't offer gas self cleaning. Maybe because chefs like Emeril have workers to clean their ovens.
I remember friends had a rental house with a double oven gas self-cleaning range (Caloric) I beliveve if I remember correctly--kinda like a Gas versoin of a GE Americanan. I saw this range about 1978 or 1979. Anyway, I do remember that when you decided to self-clean, it locked both the oven door and the broiler drawer below and went through the cleaning cycle. I think the upper oven may have had removeable panels that went in the lower oven. Was quite impressed with it. I remember when they moved to a house they bought, they werre lammenting the new house was all-electric.
Sears Kenmore ranges
In the late 1800s and early 1900s Sears had a stove and range foundry in Newark,Ohio named the Wehrle Company that built coal,wood,and gas stoves and heaters.
Roper built Sears gas ranges for many years-who built their electrics? I think some were built by Preway.Also read that Canadian Sears Kenmore electrics were supposed to be built by Kelvinator.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s Sears had a stove and range foundry in Newark,Ohio named the Wehrle Company that built coal,wood,and gas stoves and heaters.
Roper built Sears gas ranges for many years-who built their electrics? I think some were built by Preway.Also read that Canadian Sears Kenmore electrics were supposed to be built by Kelvinator.
oxydolfan1
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Right now, I have a Magic Chef (the only tragic chef in my kitchen is me...), and if I move, and have to replace the new kitchen appliances, which is probable, I'll probably get Kenmore...but I really like the GE's best of all, because they seem so roomy inside.
My main concern is that I wind up with self-clean rather than continuous clean (I really do believe they are continuously dirty, rather than clean...)
My main concern is that I wind up with self-clean rather than continuous clean (I really do believe they are continuously dirty, rather than clean...)
Oh, oh, did I roast something I wasn't supposed to.....
My younger sister has a late 70s GE self cleaning electric over and under range. You place the panels from the upper oven into the lower one and self clean everything. When it gets cold is usually a good time to self clean because it warms up the house nicely. She was complaining to me once that they had a mouse problem and she was finding "evidence" under the cooktop. I told her go ahead and self clean and any mice will stay away.
She started the self clean and the worse odor erupted, we had to open the windows!. Now I am wondering, could we have roasted a mouse that maybe somehow got trapped between the insulation? I would think they would run away as soon as it got too hot. Or could we have just cooked the "evidence". It's cold, she wants to self clean, and I don't know what to say. Any thoughts on this.
P.S. I will try to get that magazine photo when I figure out how to scan.
My younger sister has a late 70s GE self cleaning electric over and under range. You place the panels from the upper oven into the lower one and self clean everything. When it gets cold is usually a good time to self clean because it warms up the house nicely. She was complaining to me once that they had a mouse problem and she was finding "evidence" under the cooktop. I told her go ahead and self clean and any mice will stay away.
She started the self clean and the worse odor erupted, we had to open the windows!. Now I am wondering, could we have roasted a mouse that maybe somehow got trapped between the insulation? I would think they would run away as soon as it got too hot. Or could we have just cooked the "evidence". It's cold, she wants to self clean, and I don't know what to say. Any thoughts on this.
P.S. I will try to get that magazine photo when I figure out how to scan.
toggleswitch
Well-known member
I'm thinking burning hair smells bad. Otherwise it should theoretically smell like any other roast........
With any luck you just toasted a nest and not a slow one.
Are you sure there was not some plastic in the storage drawer that sacrificed itself to the god of pyrolysis?
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=pyrolysis
With any luck you just toasted a nest and not a slow one.
Are you sure there was not some plastic in the storage drawer that sacrificed itself to the god of pyrolysis?
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=pyrolysis
Roper also made electric ranges........most Kenmore cooking back then (gas & electric) was Roper.
Another fact about George...
I don't think that Westinghouse made a gas range but I have to wonder why. George Westinghouse also founded Equitable Gas here in Pittsburgh along with Duquesne Light. If anybody should have come out with a dual fuel it should have been Westinghouse.
P.S. My sister self-cleaned her oven again (nice way to warm up the house) and this time no bad smell.
I don't think that Westinghouse made a gas range but I have to wonder why. George Westinghouse also founded Equitable Gas here in Pittsburgh along with Duquesne Light. If anybody should have come out with a dual fuel it should have been Westinghouse.
P.S. My sister self-cleaned her oven again (nice way to warm up the house) and this time no bad smell.
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