Name that range

[pulltostart]

Look at the photos of the kitchen and tell me who manufactured that range.  The photos aren't clear enough for me to identify the badge, and I don't recognize the styling.

 

lawrence

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[turquoisedude]

That's different!  Not common at all to see a grouped set of surface unit controls like on this one.  Very 80s-looking - I'm going to guess a WCI-built product, perhaps a Gibson.... 

 

[weed30]

Pretty cool looking! I'm not sure of the mfg but here is an article that has some nice examples from different makers.

 

 

Smooth-top white ceramic cooktops started showing up in kitchens in the 60s & 70s - Click Americana

You touch it on. The oven. The surface cooking units. The temperature. Everything. Introducing the first Touch-N-Cook Range in history.

clickamericana.com

 

[appnut]

I'd say it has a Kenmore brand name badge on it. WCI, Roper, Tappan.

 

[lorainfurniture]

I’m guessing kenmore built by roper

 

[jamiel]

That tall backsplash almost says Canadian, but it's awfully well-optioned--perhaps one of the WCI brands out of the Quebec plant?

 

[circlew]

I know what it's not, but not what it is. I thought maybe Kenmore, but couldn't find one like it in the catalogs online. Possibly Caloric, as the control panel looks sort of like the one on my neighbor Marilynn's mid 80's Caloric.

That house looks like a mobile home that's had bricks laid up around it. Knew of a couple people in Mississippi that did that to their double-wides.

 

[DADoES]

 
Extraneous material cropped to fit.  First pic is blurry as-is.

 

[steved]

Amana?

Looks very similar to this mid-80's Amana range.

 

[combo52]

Sears Kenmoe Micro-Electric Smooth-Top

This was built by Roper from around 1978-82, This is a very TOL range that is worth more than the house it is in, LOL

 

We have the same range in the museum kitchen with conventual  burners.

 

It is a really neat range and ours works fine, I would give the GE-HP and Caloric MERs a little higher marks for construction quality overall, however I am very glad to have this rare range in the museum.

 

John L.

 

[pulltostart]

John,

If you are correct, is there a storage drawer under the oven, or that just a panel (like the GE product had)?

 

lawrence

 

[gansky1]

1979 S/S

 

 

 

 

[pulltostart]

Gan,

Thanks for the post - that description says that there is a storage drawer.

 

I might have to ask my realtor about going to look at this house (at least the range).  Might want to try to buy it (without the house).

 

lawrence

 

[repairguy]

Go get it before it goes in the dumpster with the rest of the kitchen!

 

[combo52]

Sears Kenmoe Micro-Electric Smooth-Top

Hi Lawrence, This was the only the only MER that still was able to have a storage drawer under the oven, it was however only about 1/2 half the front to back size of a regular drawer , it was large enough for the broiler pan that came with the range + some more stuff .

 

While a great piece of history I would not want this range as an everyday driver, Roper electric ranges were just not that well built, the one we have is the only one of these that I have ever seen where the MW function works.

 

Do come visit and roast a chicken etc in it and you can experience the superior results this type of combination cooking can achieve, where is nothing on the market today that cooks as well as these ranges cooked, Last night I had two friends over and I roasted two Cornish Game Hens in just 20 minutes in the Thermidor MEO and they were perfectly done moist on the inside and crisp on the outside.

 

John L.

 

[pulltostart]

John,

If I were to get this, it would be my daily driver; however, I drive very little.  I mostly boil water for coffee and bake pizza or a casserole.  If the quality isn't good in general, how dependable should the surface units and the conventional bake/broil functions be?

 

lawrence

 

[combo52]

A few pictures of our micro electric Roper Kenmore

Hi Lawrence, the burner function is pretty reliable except for the cheap plastic knobs that may break at some point, lol

The basic oven baking function was also pretty reliable except this age stove uses a thermostat and heat relay you’re not gonna find easily if something goes wrong.

 

[DADoES]

 
Bake function always involves microwave energy?

 

[combo52]

Hi Glenn, Bake always has the pontental for Hi or Low MW energy but you have to set the timers for MWs to be used, many times you would not want the MW power.

 

Note the dual door latches and double mesh door seals on the door.

 

John L.