Mid Modern Electric Stove - 4 Burner Green - $395 (Methuen, Salem, NH)

[rp2813]

My aunt remodeled her kitchen around 1970 or so.  At that time, our own kitchen still sported the 1949 vintage Westinghouse stove and refrigerator that my parents bought new when they were married.

 

Even at only 20 years old, those two appliances were older than anything any of our friends and relatives had in their kitchens (little did we know that the stove would still be in place and fully functional nearly 40 additional years later when Mom passed on).  My aunt said that based on the durability and reliable service my mom's stove and fridge were still providing, she was going to make her new kitchen all-Westinghouse as well.  Even the laundry pair, which at the time were receiving poor ratings from CU -- at least as far as the top loader was concerned.

 

That's what she didn't realize -- by 1970 Westinghouse wasn't putting out the same level of quality that they were in 1949.  I was saddened by her decision because I knew she wouldn't be getting what she thought she was.  I never heard her complain about anything needing repairs, but she and my uncle never had any children so nothing saw hard use. 

 

[danemodsandy]

My Grandmother:

Bought a Westinghouse fridge in Almond sometime around 1978 - absolutely hated it for years afterward.

It was not unreliable - it was cheap in feel, like you had to be careful handling anything adjustable.

Of course, by this time, WCI had its meathooks deep into Westinghouse.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Self-Cleaning using ONLY the Broiler?

Not what would make any sense... Heat RISES!

My gas range uses only the baking element, which would make sense here if the upper & lower elements are not cycling separately or on simultaneously... (which is what self-cleaning ovens often do...)

But in my book, pointed out that W-H uses higher temperatures w/ shorter cleaning times; I've seen how the burner pans are cleanable in the S/C ovens of various makes of ranges, such as this one, too...

-- Dave

 

[tomturbomatic]

Westinghouse had the catalytic material in a metal enclosure above the broiler element with little pin holes punched in the pattern of the broiler element. The hot smoke entered the catalytic chamber at the hottest points and was "de-smoked." The strong infrared radiation from the broiler element cleaned the oven well.

 

[sel8207]

very similiar looking range

Seen this one on ft. myers (tampa) craigslist. Seems new and reasonably priced. Don't think that they got any offers on it when they were asking 500$. They're asking 300 now. Les

Loading…

tampa.craigslist.org

 

[sel8207]

another pic

very clean oven. Even looks like it has the opening in the back of the oven for the rotiserie option. Wondering what that strip across the top of the oven door is for and can someone i.d. this type, I mean what level of g.e. Les[this post was last edited: 2/7/2014-22:05]

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

A General Electric w/ the raised edges & the last of this design (knobs on the back panel, instead of the push-buttons for the burners along the sides)... Giving way to the typical wholesale run on the standard design of this and the many other electric ranges, from this era, onward...

-- Dave

 

[danemodsandy]

Les:

That Avocado GE is a J 757, the top-of-the-line 30-inch range GE offered in the early '70s. It had every bell and whistle GE made: P*7 self-cleaning, Sensi-Temp automatic burner, griddle, rotisserie, and the automatic meat probe thermometer. The one in your photo is identical to the one shown in the 1972 GE catalog. This model was designated a "Custom," GE's ad-speak for its TOL range and oven models.

The frame on which these were built was a variant of the Americana frame - these are basically Americanas with the upper oven removed and replaced by a control panel. Most other GE 30-inch ranges of the era used the standard frame introduced for the 1957 Straight-Line Design restyling program.

The strip above the oven door is trim. When Americanas were introduced, that space above the oven door was used for either the Sky-View oven window, or P*7 controls, depending on model and year. Later, the space was not needed for either one, so trim was used to fill in that area.

A J 757 in White would be my absolute all-time dream 30-inch range. I own a J 370, the next model down, and it's a very, very nice range. But a J 757 would definitely get my attention. [this post was last edited: 2/8/2014-08:36]

 

[NYCWriter]

OMG!

I want that avocado green GE range in the worst way!

DARN my limited electrical service!!!

 

[combo52]

Green GE P-7 Range

Sandy,is correct that this GE range has every option except they also made this exact range with the Micro-thermal-p-7 oven.

On GE ovens they never had an optional rotesrisse, there ranges either had it or did not.

 

[danemodsandy]

John:

I referred to "bells and whistles," not options. You're absolutely correct that GE didn't do much with options. There were a few models available with P*7 and without it, and my J 370's griddle was optional, but that was about it.

Unless I'm mistaken, there was one important difference between the J 757 and the J 856 Versatronic version - the Versatronic didn't have the storage drawer, because that space was occupied by the microwave's workings.

Right?

 

[ovrphil]

original posting gone from CL but reply 23 and 24 - it's still available...

...thinking that GE is very nice, too....so here's a bigger view of it's non high dev image.

 

[combo52]

GE Versatronic Range

Yes Sandy you are correct, there was no storage drawer on Versatronic GE ranges, even though it looked like there was a drawer, it was actually a removable panel that concealed an air-filter that helped keep excessive floor level dust and lint out of the cooling fins for the magnetron tube. There was also two fuses and a circuit breaker behind this panel.

The other big difference was Versatronic ovens never had windows. This not only saved energy when baking and cleaning but also gave the range a much better cleaner less cluttered look. If anyone ever spots a 1965 or later TOL GE Hi-Low or single oven 30" range that does not have a window in the lower oven door HIT THE BRAKES as you have probably found a Versatronic range.