Frigidaire Touch and Cook Range

[philr]

I just plugged it and tried a few features, so far all I have tested seem to work. The oven temperature is off but not 100° off. It seems to be about 25° too cool. One thing I noticed, the "oven" pilot light is on and steady when I turn on the oven, then it cycles off but when it cycles back on, the oven pilot light flickers.  

 

I haven't looked much at the service information but there is probably a problem with that. 

 

I guess real cooks like Eddie would not only hate the smooth top, they'd also hate using the controls. It's not really complicated but it's not intuitive like turning a knob!

 

 I kinda like it though!

 

I didn't buy this with the intention to use it daily! I still have to see if all the burners work well and if the broil unit works. I didn't know this model still had a variable broil control! It has other unusual features like the two timed surface units.

 

This RCIE3-39CDW was the first version of the Touch N Cook ranges which were introduced late in 1973 with the "W" line and this one was made in October of that year, that's one month earlier than my RCDE3-38W Custom Deluxe. That also means it still has the timed outlet! 

 

 

The built-ins were introduced a few months later in 1974, they are also nice-looking!  Later, there was also a Compact 30 with the Touch N Cook controls and there was a free-standing version with the regular burners. 

 

[toploader55]

Oh Phil...

 

You're too kind. I could probably get used to cooking on a smooth top. Just haven't spent enough time with one.

 

I like cooking on GE Pushbutton ranges as I grew up with 2 of them. I can cook on Calrod, Corox, and Radiantubes.   Jon and I were just talking the other day when we were looking at my Flair and '66 Pull and Clean and I mentioned how much I like Radiantubes. My Grandmother had a Frigidaire and taught me most of my cooking and baking on that Range. Like anything, it takes time to understand them.

 

The T+C looks beautiful and glad you made it back safely.

 

You should open a Frigidaire Museum like ChestermikeUK's Wash Palace.

 

[jetcone]

GE pushbutton ranges

dear gawd! Grew up with one, it had two speeds "Intent to Cook" and "Sahara" - didn't matter which of the 5 or so  buttons you pushed !

 

They are what I call "push'n'pray" models!!

 

 

[firedome]

Such a cool and rare range!

really like the big "Hot Surface" indicator light. One of my few complaints is that the pilot lights on my REG-38 are small and kind of dim and are not that visible, and the red-circle like indicators that are part of the knobs down't show up all that well, so I've left the burners and oven on more than once!

I may install a couple of big old-style faceted pilot lights on top to indicate burner or oven use, particularly the latter since the light cycles on and off and sometimes apparently it's not glowing when I happen to look at it after cooking, so left the oven on all night several times! Just part of old age syndrome I guess, but I don't want to burn down the house! As we Boomers become Olde Fartes, it might be something that range manufacturers take into consideration!

Not sure I'd like cooking on a ceramic top, my son has one and haven't used it enough to get used to it, but this FD's a rare bird for sure!

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

re: Post# 850632 , Reply# 32

Think I would call GE's (& Hotpoint's) push-buttons "Cooking Over A Lighted Match" and "Hell Fire"...!

 

(Though it was something I'd seen, mainly on cook-tops, but never, myself, used...)

 

 

-- Dave

 

[turquoisedude]

"Push 'n Pray", eh???

If you ever get up to Ogden to visit, I'll happily demonstrate how a REAL cook handles 5-button GE ranges, Dr. Frigidaire....  ROFLMAO

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Looks like a fun weekend!

Trivia question: Is my memory failing or did at least one company make a smooth top range/cooktop that had the surface design (starburst or ring) that glowed either whenever the burner was on and/or hot enough to burn? If I had to say where I saw it, I'd say some tv commercial or..... (honest!) a Western Auto catalogue.

and........ I just have to ask.... Is there any particular reason you're signing "noon"* most elegantly in the third pic of reply #15?

Jim

*unless there's another meaning in LSQ?

 

[philr]

You mean this?!:

 

 

That's Jon's version of this!

 

 

[toploader55]

THANK YOU PAUL !!!

 

Looks like we'll have to collaborate on a tutorial on how to cook on a "Push and Pray" or "Saute over a Lighted Match". 

 

Paul, You know how some people just get "lost" in a kitchen while the experts know how to handle any type of situation when the equipment isn't "the Norm".

 

Cooking for One, Two, or cooking for Crowds one must be able to "adapt" to what one has to work with.

 

"Ducks, runs out to truck and sets GPS for Ogden taking the long way around Boston for Shelter from Ker Slapps".

 

[philr]

I spent a few minutes cleaning the cooking surface with Bar Keeper's Friend. I couldn't remove the staining completely but it looks better now.

 



 



 



 



 

 

 



 

 

This is a video of the minute timer. 

 



 

 

And another video... 

 

 



 

 

I still need to clean the back of the control panel glass to remove the "fog" from the displays but I am a bit concerned as I don't want to break something...

 

[toploader55]

Gosh Phil

 

That range is Beautiful.

 

[philr]

Thanks Eddie! It's a bit odd to use and I'd be afraid of staining the top but I like the red glow of the burners. I didn't think these looked like that at all! 

 

[askolover]

I didn't know

they would glow red!  Fascinating!   Barkeeper's friend removes a multitude of sins!  I use that stuff a lot in my kitchen.

 

[philr]

I just read this about Corning and PPG cooktops. 

 

From the issue of Popular Science from the month I was born!

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=FgEAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA105&lpg=&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
 

Since mine glows red, I imagine it's the PPG "Hercuvit" version (and I guess that my Gurney branded cooktop is also a PPG). The owner's manual does recommend using Comet and SOS to scrub it. It also recommends Delete and Bar Keeper's friend. 

 

http://www.ppg.visiblebyte.com/cgi-...nual_Reports/1970&image=Hercuvit.jpg&img=&tt=
[this post was last edited: 11/11/2015-01:24]

 

[jetcone]

You cant go wrong with BarKeepers !!

Wow that red glow is too cool. I never saw one run before and didn't know you could "see" the burner through the white glass!! 

 

Mister Toploader, I bought a "selfie stick" so I can KERSLAPP at a great distance now missy !!

 

And yes Phil is right I did get the secret sign wrong in the picture,-- doctrine corrects me !!

 

 

[combo52]

Cleaning Glass Cook-Tops

I would NOT use any type of metal scoring pad on any type of glass to clean it, this of course includes cleaning Corning ware, and Pyrex cook-ware etc.

 

[ovrphil]

JohnL - Then....

...I'd be interested in knowing, what is the best alternative to cleaning it, if those mentioned will ruin(?) the surface? Though I don't own a cooktop or stove like this, I'd like to know what is the advisable alternatives?

Thanks!

Phil

 

[philr]

Here's the link to the owner's manual of a later Touch-N-Cook model on the Frigidaire website (the REG-39CD with the glass oven door and no appliance outlet from 1976 or later). 

 

And 3 pictures I took of the owner's manual of the later version of the RCIE3-39CDW (the version covered in this manual has a "series II"  circuit board with the "oven programmed" light while mine is the series I) as well as a scan from a Tech Talk document that explains the differences between the series I and II. 

 

Some might be hard to read because of the re-sizing but these sections show the cleaning recommendations that were done at that time.  Note that Corning never recommended to use SOS on their cooktops but apparently, PPG did!

http://manuals.frigidaire.com/prodinfo_pdf/augusta/2001SL/003/00000131.pdf

 

[philr]

I just thought that Robert recently scanned the 1974 Frigidaire cooking appliances part of the lineup brochure. 

 

It features the "Series II" version of this Touch-N-Cook range. 

 

For those interested, here's the link!

 

http://www.automatice.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi?showdoc~1286~~
 

And here's the 1978 cooking appliances link:  

 

http://www.automatice.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi?showdoc~366~Frigidaire~
 

By that time, the Touch-N-Cook range was also available with regular burners. 

 

 

 

[askolover]

MR.clean

magic eraser works wonders on my porcelain stove finish and doesn't scratch.  Of course, we didn't have those back then.

 

[philr]

I've cleaned the displays without hurting anything. They are much easier to see now. 

 



 



 

I've also boiled water with a Vision, I know these aren't what's supposed to go on a smooth top but I just wanted to see through it!  I also tested the oven on various temperatures from 250 to 425 for an extended period of time and it's constantly 25° too cool. I have read there's an adjustment for the temperature and that it needs to be adjusted with a non-metallic screwdriver but I haven't looked at the back, haven't seen an illustration and I don't have a non-metallic screwdriver at the moment! 

 

 



 



 

 

[jetcone]

Thats odd!

Why can't you use Visions on glass, its glass on glass!  That doesn't sound right.

 

You are falling in love with that range mister !! It is pretty and I can't believe how the controls brightened up- how could you let me use  a dirty stove-  !Phillipe !!!!

 

Is there a light above the stove or is that the light from the control panel ? Nice glow and the white top really makes things light up !!

 

 

 

[combo52]

Proper Cook-Ware For A Smooth-Top Range

Visions like regular Corning Ware is not flat enough for great contact and fastest performance. The best utensils for any smooth-top range that heats [ this recommendation does not apply to induction ] is the modern multi-ply SS CW that is SS on the bottom. The only glass-ceramic CW that is at all suitable is the old Corning Cook-Mates that are ground completely flat [ Phil I have lots of CMs if you do not have any ], but with metal CW it must be completely flat and remain so when heated.

 

I would not use pans that are copper bottomed or plain aluminum on the bottom because if you overheat a pan badly some of the metal from of the pan can melt on to the surface of the CT and become a permanent stain.

 

[countryguy]

How do you set the heat for the elements? using the numeric touch pad?

 

[philr]

Gary, that's right. You have to touch the pad for the burner you want to turn on, then the display next to it shows "0" and then you have to touch one of the numbers from "1" to "9" on the center section of the touchpad. "1" being "warm" and "9" being "high". While this works like an infinite switch by cycling on and off the burner but it has just nine heat selections.

It works the same for the broiler control but with "1" being "Rare" (high) and "5" being "Well" (low) and there are just 5 selections.

The numbers on the touchpad are also used to set the oven temperature, the clock, the oven start and stop times, the minute timer and the surface timer (the two left surface units can be set to turn off automatically).

John, I don't have any Cookmates and the few flat-bottomed utensils I have have aluminum bottoms (I also have a copper-bottomed Revere Ware set...) so I really don't have anything good to cook on this (and that Stainless Steel Presto I got from you works great on Radiantubes but I don't think it would make good contact on a smooth top!).

 

[combo52]

Frigidaire Touch-And -Cook Range

9 surface unit heats is more than enough as is 5 broiler heats, you would really only ever need 7 surface unit temperatures and about 3 broiler settings for any possible cooking operation.

 

[philr]

I didn't complain about that John! In fact, just having a variable broil is already something for me! I have quite a few ranges that have a variable broil but most of those I used daily at home (until about two months ago) didn't have that!

 

 

 

[Unimatic1140]

Moving this great thread from SS into the Super Forum!

 

[mattl]

PhilR...

We bought a Corning range in Oct. '73 so it had to be one of the first of it's kind. The Corning top did not glow red as this one does so it had to be a different design. We kept the Corning till if I recall '88, but it went out the door when I remodeled the kitchen. Biggest issue is that it REALLY needed the Cookmate Cookware and it had a tendency to break if bumped wrong or dropped.

I bet this range would perform very well with some Cookmates, hope you can find some. I think the variable broiler was used by Frigidaire on their ranges, my '59 CI has that for the latter oven. BTW Barkeepers Friend and Bon Ami work well on these tops.

I think you'll have fun with this range, enjoy!

 

[frigilux]

I babysat the kids of the local Frigidaire dealer when I was in junior high/high school. They switched out appliances regularly and everything was top-of-the-line. I flipped out when I first saw and used their Touch 'N' Cook; it was so futuristic. In fact, it may be the reason I prefer electronic controls on appliances.

Their washer with the infinitely-variable pulsate and spin speeds was another big hit with me. No wonder I had such a virulent case of Frigidaire envy, LOL.