Nearly there - the 56 GE Oven is now restored

[turquoisedude]

It's taken me long enough, but I finally made the time yesterday to re-wire and install the new oven thermostat in the range for the 1956 GE kitchen centre. And the good news is that it works! I am surprising myself at my rewiring skills - no sparks, flames, or blown breakers! Can you believe that the bulbs for the pilot lights and the oven light were the original ones and that they still work?
So, the moment has now come to plan the installation - I'm going to order the new kitchen cabinets this week and if all goes well, the 'new' kitchen should be done by Christmas.

I must say a huge thank you to pantera for all his help with getting the thermostat and other parts for me sent to a US address and then forwarded to me in Canada - I don't know how I would have solved this problem otherwise! Thanks again!

Also, I want to thank 58limited for also offering to be a 'mail drop' for me. As it turned out, I am glad that I didn't burden you with this during hurricane season! Welcome back and if there's ever anything I can help you with, let me know.

 

[turquoisedude]

Pristine oven interior

Never been used in 52 years! Seems almost a shame to start now, but what the heck. I may just start using those roasting bags to prevent splatters...

 

[panthera]

Beautiful!

Yay! Good for you!
And, yes, those roasting bags are a big help.

 

[bajaespuma]

Tricks of the trade

I grew up with GE ovens like that; not only do they bake well, but they're pretty easy to clean. One thing you might want to do from the start, since that bake element pulls out, is to line the bottom of the oven with heavy duty aluminum foil. You'll save yourself a lot of work and wear and tear on the oven. Also, you might want to see if the broiler element comes out as well. You can line the top of the oven with a very shallow aluminum grill pan, cut to fit. The top is the hardest part to clean. Does this model have a removable door?

 

[customline]

Excellent......

Beautiful oven. I hope you have many years of enjoyment with this one.

 

[turquoisedude]

Foil is definitely my friend

I will definitely be lining the oven with foil. The broiler element can also be removed so I will definitely do what you suggested about putting a shallow foil pan on the 'roof' - the oven liner trays they sell in the dollar stores here should do fine.
I think the oven door is removable - I can't remember if I tried it or not.
I am very pleasantly surprised about how well these older models were insulated - no small wonder they bake nicely!

 

[turquoisedude]

About roasting bags...

For some reason they don't seem to be that popular in North America. I remember seeing a lot of advertising for them in the late 60's but then it faded. I know my UK relatives love them and according to my partner, they are widely used in New Zealand.

I found how to re-calibrate the thermostat, if necessary - this weekend's plan is to get a good oven thermometer and test the temperature range.

 

[toggleswitch2]

~For some reason they don't seem to be that popular in North America.

Perhaps self-cleaning (pyrolytic) ovens here simply makes them unnecesary.

Probably not the healthiest thing in the world, either.

 

[turquoisedude]

I did wonder about that myself - I mean, plastic and high heat aren't exactly the best of friends... I have some old recipe books from the 1920's that suggest roasting meats in a parchment bag. I've never seen a parchment bag, though.
Self-cleaning ovens have got to be the greatest advance in technology - pity they only started making them in the mid-60's though! My ultimate dream range had been the GE Americana (the 65 model) with the lower self-clean oven and the upper stainless one. Still, I am sure that I will love the 56 once I get it installed!

 

[panthera]

are plastic bags healthy?

I spent some time trying to track down any info on food dangers related to these nylon and polyester oven bags today and was unable to find one single article or criticism regarding health related problems.
Checked both in German and English, Germans are far more skeptical of new things and the öko freaks far, far greater haters of anything plastic than normal people. Still couldn't find a single problem.
Seems to me, at the temperatures involved, there would be no reason for any sort of cross-contamination through breakdown...temps. are just not high enough relative to the materials used.
Has anyone found anything otherwise? Obviously, it would be a real shame to get such a beautiful oven dirty if it can be avoided.

 

[turquoisedude]

It may seem naive, but if they really weren't safe, I can't imagine they would be permitted to be sold. As you say, Keven, the German standards are pretty high.

I am already formulating a new strategy on how to keep the "new" oven tidy - I'll give the oven more regular scrubbing and if I have a really big roast to make, I'll use the 47 GE Roaster Oven instead!

 

[oldhouseman]

Keven

I checked the New England Journal of Medicine and didn't see anything. I am one of those people who is very uneasy about using plastics. I do not use a microwave and avoid plastic storage containers. I have a specific lung disease (sarcoidal) which is affected by microwave use and some plastics. When I stopped using a microwave my lungs improved and the same with plastic food containers. I have used the oven bags with no problems but I changed to glass jars for food storage. Wax coated cardboard containers for the freezer.

Paul, I would hesitate to use the oven bags. They are great for helping to keep the oven clean.