Electric Skillets

[kevin313]

So many of us collect all kinds of small appliances and out of all the different ones I've picked up over the years, my favorite and most used is the electric skillet.

We took a look at some of the skillets on display.

 

[frigilux]

Loved this episode! Watched it on your YouTube channel and left a comment.

 

[justjunque]

Wonderful episode!

Thanks Kevin!
I love how you make everything seem so fun. And if you're crazy for collecting, you certainly have a lot of company!
The electric skillet was such an indispensable part of our kitchen when I was growing up. I can't believe I don't currently have one! Actually, I can't say that. We have one that was a wedding present in 2002. However, it's never been taken out of the box. I do know that it has the non-stick coating. Rather than use it, and have the coating inevitably wear off, I might just leave that one brandy new in its box, and pick up a nice vintage one to actually use.
You've got me thinking back to some of the tasty things Mom and I used to make in the skillet. I'm remembering it being great for things that would simmer in a sauce of some sort.
You have one on the left side of a middle shelf, with a lid handle that sticks out over the side. That looks like the one I remember Mom having. I was hoping you were going to pull that one off the shelf. Now that I think about it, it may have had a broiler element in the lid. Is that possible, or am I mis-remembering?
And I wonder if you have a Hoover in your collection. I know they made skillets too.
Thank you again for this delightful episode, and for reminding me that I need an electric skillet!

Barry

 

[philcobendixduo]

I really enjoyed that episode.....

.....on electric skillets! My Mom had one of those early Sunbeams with the permanently attached control handle and the glass lid.
Her next one was another Sunbeam with the metal lid and the removable control.
Third and final one (which I now have) is a Farberware round skillet much like yours but without the fancy base.
The problem with both Sunbeams (and many others, I'm sure) is that the bottoms (outside) get crusted with baked on grease that is impossible to remove.
I could never understand how grease got baked on underneath the pan.

 

[ea56]

The grease got baked on the bottoms of these electric frying pans because they frequently weren’t thoroughly washed on the bottom and the slight coating of grease that remained after rinsing got cooked onto the surface the next time it was heated up and used.  

 

Allow this same process to repeat itself day in and day out and  you ended up with a baked on patina of the kind you didn’t want.  My Mom’s Presto was like this, but not too bad.  I washed the dishes then and tried to keep up with getting the grease off the bottom of the pan.  And I used to use an SOS pad on it at least once a week.

 

My Uncle Ray used to take Aunt Imogene’s frying pans out to his work bench periodically and go over the bottoms of them with the wire brush on his electric drill that he held in place with a vice so he could really give them a good going over and remove all the burned on grease.

 

Eddie

 

[vacerator]

Cool Kevin!

Funny story; My parents recieved a Farberware skillet for their wedding. My dad took it hunting and poured cold water in it while it was still too hot. The heating element shrank away from the pan and it never heated right afterward. My mom complained until he replaced it with a new Sunbeam.

 

[circlew]

Baked on grease

Sunbeam used to sell a carbonized grease remover in their service centers to clean the bottoms of skillets, griddles, etc. This product is now sold as Carbon-Off, and is available at restaurant supply places. It comes as a spray or brush on gel.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Yes, the skillet was the last piece washed and was slid into the dishwater that had a weakened detergent or soap solution so there was a skim of grease on the top. The grease attached itself to the outside of the skillet which was not washed as well as the inside. 

 

The instruction books were so interesting.  In the days before toaster ovens, you could invert a cake cooling rack in the bottom and cook a TV dinner at 420F.  Our Sunbeam high dome buffet model had these amazing instructions for cooking up to 4 TV dinners at once.  You put a cup of water in the pan and then stacked 4 TV dinners, alternating them wide and narrow at 90 degree angles then cooked each dinner for 10 minutes on the bottom in the boiling water, lifting them out and repositioning bottom to top until all were done. I am sorry that I did not thoroughly read the instruction book when I was a kid for fun ways to use the pan. I don't think we used it much after we got the electric range. Ours never got baked-on grease on the bottom.  It was placed in the sink and washed by itself  while everything else was in the dishwasher.

 

I have the Corning Ware Electromatic skillet and dutch oven. I use the dutch oven for matzo ball soup. I love it that the simmer setting is so marginal that when I add the dumplings, knaidlach, quennelles, balls and put the cover back on they poach for 20 minutes before little tiny bubbles start rising between them and they have grown to huge fluffy matzo balls. The secret to big fluffy dumplings is not let the water boil before the balls have fully risen.

 

I use the 1956 Sunbeam with the dial in the end of the handle once a year to fry potato latkes. The Farberware 12" buffet server was the star of a friend's party when I took it full of sweet and sour meatballs which it kept nice and warm all evening.

[this post was last edited: 6/10/2020-13:58]

 

[appnut]

Kevin, a great segment.  You writing on the board what the episode subject is, is reminiscent of the mystery guest signing in on What's My Line.  

 

[ea56]

Kevin,

We watched this video last night on the 50” TV in the living room last night.  Heretofore I’ve always watched the”Cavalcade of Food” videos on the Macbook or iPad, boy what a difference.  I really was able to enjoy this video even more than usual.  I just spoke into the Crapcast, I mean Comcast mote, “You Tube, Cavalcade of Food and bingo there you were!

 

Your Electric Skillet collection is magnificent and as always your video was excellent.  This was my husband David’s first exposure to “Cavalcade of Food” and he really was impressed.  He said, “Eddie we have to go there!”  

 

Thanks for providing these wonderful windows to our past, I’ll never cease to enjoy them. BTW, you’re lookin good my friend, not that don’t always, but did you drop a lb or two?  I know I’m always trying too, LOL.

 

Anyway keep up to great work!

 

Best,

Eddie

 

[ozzie908]

I have a Sunbeam version

I think its from the 80's as its a cream colour and has a brown line running around the lid. Its not been used for a long while now as I put it in the shed with the other things I stopped using, But I used to put it in the dishwasher and that got it nice and clean and grease free. Itsgetting on as the non stick is wearing off, I keep it incase the hob breaks or I don't have enough space as you can guarantee if I got rid of it I would need it.

Austin

 

[firedome]

have always liked electric skillets...

and have had our LusterCraft for 49 years now. It was West Bend's TOL brand and it's built like a tank.

 

[justjunque]

Non-stick coating

We have one that was a shower or wedding gift, circa 2002. For whatever reason, we've never taken it out of the box. It has a non-stick coating on the cooking surface.
I remember hearing that these coatings, and specifically Teflon, released toxins into the air and food when heated.
Does that apply to all non-stick coatings, or only Teflon? I'd have to pull this pan out of storage to verify what type of coating it has.
I don't know if I should just use this pan and not worry about it, or look for an older one with just a stainless steel cooking surface.
I'd welcome any thoughts on the subject. Thanks!

Barry

 

[tomturbomatic]

Teflon is a chemically inert substance, so much so that artificial heart valves were made from it. It is only dangerous when heated to temperatures above normal cooking range (570F) at which point it starts to break down.

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[justjunque]

Tom,

Thank you.
It just seems like I remember hearing so much warning about it back in the day.
It's entirely possible that it was overblown at the time.

Barry

 

[sarahperdue]

Electric skillets

Are fantastic! One of the best forgotten appliances from my grandparent's generation. I've had almost every style of Sunbeam and now have a mid-century Farberware.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Barry, Alarmists love to fear monger just about anything.

 

Sarah, I have Farberware electric frypans.  In 1976, I saw in an old appliance parts store, a square cast aluminum Farberware frypan, but it was not  intriguing enough to cause me to part with scarce money since I already had the two.

 

[justjunque]

I'm definitely going to try it!
Whether it's the NIB one that we already have, or if I pick up a vintage one somewhere, (I do love vintage!) I have to try making something in an electric skillet.
Like I said earlier, it was an indispensable item in Mom's kitchen when I was growing up. And, like you said Sarah; somehow I just forgot about them. Kevin's video was the spark for me.
I'll have to look for some good electric skillet recipes for noobs.

Tom;
Amen to that! I don't even watch the "news" any more. Haven't in years. It's like they just want to see how much they can scare people any more.

Barry

 

[luxflairguy]

My Mon had a early 60's GE square electric skillet with a removable thermostat.
My biggest memory of that was the setting up of the pan. It came out and was placed on the counter along with the 3 sided aluminum "fence" aka splash guard that was always used with the skillet. She always complained about how it took "SO" much time to set up and take down, as she had to wash the pan, and the splash guard everytime! It got very limited use as we got older... Greg

BTW: I have a great oil filled electric skillet a "kitchen nutrition" that Hans Craig gave me! Slow to heat up but is a steady heater after that!