Lets talk quality ranges!

[mixfinder]

Gasp

In 1976 I bought the Frigidaire Touch-N-Cook range in Avocado green. It was a dream to own and cook. With no dials or knobs the backsplash was a breeze to clean. The oven was like all Frigidaire ranges, absolute perfection. I liked the cooktop. It was easy to clean because it never got dirty. I learned you have to dry it after every wipe because brown streaks would appear from the dishcloth swipes. I had Farberware and the aluminum bottoms made gray marks on the cooktop. Corningware introduced a line of cookware that was Pyroceram with metal plates attached to the bottom. Thery worked very well but it was hard to stir puddings and sauces in a square pan. Once you got the rythm going the mass would shoot out of the corner. When I moved back to the midwest I traded the Frigidaire appliances for a Pontiac Bonneville.

 

[qsd-dan]

It's a shame this thread won't be archived. I guess we'll have to keep bumping it.

 

[peteski50]

European!

Never heard of this one!
yes lets try to keep the thread going!

 

[gansky1]

The Corning was a Frigidaire product - probably a trade-off program. Ranges for Ceran tops and vise-versa. I always thought the Corian ranges were so pretty. An aunt of mine in Minnesota (not Don ;-) had one many years ago in their new house and she hated it with a passion!

 

[gansky1]

Another aunt of mine bought the Hotpoint version of the GE micro-range combo in about 78-79 when she and my uncle retired from farming and built a new house in town. She was the first in the family to get a self-cleaning oven so they intentionally let a cherry pie bubble over into the oven so they could run the cleaning cycle. After about 1/2 hour, all those women decided it was time to do their needlepoint & knitting on the deck to escape the smoke in the house!

The range worked beautifully but the height of the cooktop was limited, as was the complaint with most of these. My sister had a GE double oven (no micro) and loved the range overall but didn't like the height restrictions and access to the back burners was limited even from sides a somewhat as well.

 

[ironrite]

GE 1978

That same range, in white, with microwave was out in a neighbor's driveway a few days ago. The houses in this development, including the one where I live, were built in 1978. Those ranges must have been standard equipment for these houses. I've seen a couple kicked to the curb over the last few years. This place was remodeled and has a 1994 GE glass top electric.

Have had to replace the former vent/microwave above the stove and it was hard to find one small enough to fit. Most of the over the stove ones now are wider.

 

[norgeway]

Does anyone....

Know anything about the Monarch ranges,we had a dealer in my hometown of Lenoir N.C. and our local Hotpoint dealer sold them as his premium line until they went out of business,You know me,if it is odd I like it.

 

[bajaespuma]

My Uncle still owns and uses the 2nd version of that Corning Stove, introduced for people who didn't want to have to use Corningware pots and pans, but were willing to use PERFECTLY flat ones. It is indeed a combination of a Frigidaire GM self-cleaning oven with a Corning flat top and remarkably generic controls on a very nicely styled backsplash. My Uncle and his partner were prolific cooks so I can tell you that this stove saw mucho use.

You wanna talk high quality ranges? For me, they didn't get much better than these:

 

[bajaespuma]

page 2:

 

[bajaespuma]

If my time machine were working, I'd go back and buy that light blue 40" baby and that gorgeous 24" stove and put them together. Actually, I prefer the later lines, the Ultramatics and their ultra-retro snazzola styling, but I can't complain about any of the porcelain colors in this brochure.

 

[norgeway]

My Caloric

36 inch 1959 Caloric De Luxe!

 

[norgeway]

How About!

My 47 Norge,used this for years as a daily driver,still think it bakes better than anything I ever used!

 

[macboy91si]

Monarch

I too am curious of the Monarch range. My grandparents had one when I was growing up, it had the knobs on the backsplash with an overhang if I remember correctly? It was replaced after they gave it to my parents and my dad lit it on fire. I think it was replaced by a later GE push-button model.

-Tim

 

[peteski50]

Ranges!

Thanks all for continuing the postings. I was trying to find more pictures of smoothtop ranges but they are hard to find.
Thanks,
Peter

 

[norgeway]

My latest restoration project!!

Norge, anyone have a clue how old,this one was about to be set out for the garbage man.

 

[norgeway]

Backsplash

Cleaned up well,but the oven has some rust issues,like every other norge ive ever seen!!,I think thats why you see so few of them,but they really do bake well.

 

[norgeway]

broil element

Here is why they bake so evenly,the outer coil heats with the bake element providing balanced heat,unlike most ovens where the broil element heats at half voltage,this outer coil gets red hot,result,your biscuits are exactly the same on the top or bottom,Westinghouse had the same setup in the 50s.

 

[norgeway]

If all goes as planned!!!

And if I can afford it,I will be getting another Norge 30 next week!

 

[peteski50]

Norge!

I would say it's a early 60's rangw and seems to be in good shape.

 

[tlee618]

Very nice Hans! Interesting broiling element. Is the bake element like that too?