Looking for an ID on my late Aunt's Tappan.

[1952crestwood]

Hi Members!

I was going through some pictures of my late Aunt's house and found this one of her kitchen showing her late 1970s Tappan gas range with an upper and lower oven (non-microwave model). I remember that the white back splash area lit up. I can't remember the exact year she bought this and would love to figure out a closer year of the model if someone can ID it for me. I know she already had it for at least a year or two in late 1979, if that is any clue. I have to give this stove major credit because it served her faithfully right up until the house was sold in 2005 so it had a long run and daily use throughout. I'm afraid it's the only pic I have and I know it's not the clearest so I apologize for the challenge. I have been somewhat scouting for one on ebay and other sources for several years and haven't found one exactly like it.

Thanks,
Robyn

 

[laundromat]

Check under the cooktop. If there's no id tag, check inside either oven cavity inside the door or the broiler. Also check in the backside of the range. Nice double oven range.

 

[appliguy]

Thats a good idea Laundromat except...

her aunts house was sold about 8 years ago so she no longer has access to the stove (I know Robyn personally as we live 20 minutes from each other)…is there any other way she could tell an approximate date?…PAT COFFEY?

 

[danemodsandy]

Robyn:

A similar Tappan from about 1980 was recently posted in Shopper's Square; a link is below. I will warn you that I posted my opinion of Tappans of that era in the thread, so I hope you will understand that it's my opinion, and won't be offended.

The range is in Palm Springs, CA:

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/app/4401596186.html

matching dishwasher - where's the pic? :-) Cool 1980 top of the line Tappan (from Ohio) double oven broiler range and fan. Everything works perfect, ready for dinner party, have matching dishwasher. Can deliver and install. Call or text http://palmsprings.craigslist.org/app/4394720827.html

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[1952crestwood]

No offense taken - Thank you for the input Danemodsandy.

Thanks Pat for clarifying the situation. I neglected to mention that the house was sold. Additionally it was soon remodeled inside and everything of my Aunt's in the kitchen was torn out so the stove was likely sent to the landfill back during the summer of '05.

I guess appliances are much like cars. How people view them is based on their personal history or connection with individual brands. I know with my Aunt's it really did hold up well from the late 70s right up until the house was sold in 2005 and I don't recall her ever having had to have it serviced. She used it every day, and it seemed to keep going.

Now I don't know the entire story on this one but oddly enough, the lady next door to my Aunt purchased a TOL Tappan in the spring of 1979 that looked almost just like my Aunt's but it was Harvest colored and was a convection oven on the bottom and a microwave on the top. After the lady died, I was helping her daughter clean out the house and we located the paperwork from when she had the kitchen redone and I nearly fell out when I saw that she'd paid over $1,200.00 for that stove back then. I know my Aunt's was a cheaper model as she could not have been able to afford something nearly that high and it was a standard two gas oven model.

The only thing wrong with the Tappan of the neighbor (as of 2011 when that house was sold) was the plastic handle to open the microwave was broken off and he had to Superglue it back in place. Whether that unit had problems or not during the years it was in service I don't know but it worked well during my year or so time around it.

Sounds like those two might have been anomalies in their performance, based on what experience you have with them Danemodsandy. For them to be as bad as you mentioned in that post, perhaps that is a reason I haven't run across another like my Aunt's. They all might be in the landfill by now. LOL. Anyway, I thank you for replying.

 

[1952crestwood]

Edit to my post above...

I remembered that I had a picture of my friend's Mom's Tappan. I had the color wrong as it was more of an Almond color than Harvest. I recall the receipt for this one was dated May 1979.

 

[ro25ah]

Looks like mine

I just recently moved into a house built in 1974. Almost nothing has been changed, I don't think the house has even been painted ever. The only new things as far as I can tell are the fridge and dishwasher, but here is the oven that came with my house. It looks a lot like your aunt's.

 

[combo52]

Tappan Range In Post #6

Is much newer than 1974 by at least 10-20 years.

John L.

 

[jamiel]

Yeah, those flat burner valves were an early '70s Tappan thing. Mid to late '70s the round ones (like on the Convectionaire) were used by them...that Convectionaire actually was a technically pretty sophisticated stove (only similarly sophisticated of the time were the Calorics….Magic Chef/Hardwick/Roper were cheaper/chintzier/builder-grade. Had a friend with the Convectionaire (in harvest gold) who was a good cook from about 1978-on....she had to alter recipes to get them right, but once time/temp adjusted it worked well for her for 20 years. One quirk was that it didn't have a broiling element/burner so blew hot air onto the food to broil--worked very well for browning casseroles/melting cheese/etc.

 

[combo52]

Tappans Convectionair Ranges

Were the first full sized US ranges with full convection [ fan forced ] ovens.

 

Tappan sold both electric and gas models of this range, because all the heated air came from the top of the oven you had to relearn how to cook, some things worked well and others were almost impossible to cook like a pizza because there was no easy way to ever get the bottom to brown.

 

The next full convection oven to appear was the Coloric Micro-Convection Gas Range, this oven had the heated air coming from the rear of the oven at the top and while like most convection ovens it heated unevenly is was far better than the Tappan CA oven.

 

There have only been a few limited attempts to have a full convection oven as part of a full sized range since these two earlier attempts, this is why ALL current convection ovens allow you to turn off the fan and use the oven in conventional mode so delicate and sensitive items can bake and brown evenly.

 

John L.

 

[ro25ah]

Wow

John L. You were right on! My stove is from 1993! Now I don't feel guilty about updating. Thanks!