New Radarange Acquisition- Instructions, etc. Needed

[danemodsandy]

Hello All:

Well, the Radarange RR-9T was a bust, but what to my wondering eyes should appear at Goodwill today but - a RRL-9TC Touchmatic! I nabbed it - it's not the RR-4D I'd like to have, but classic Radaranges don't grow on trees anymore. For $10, she was a steal. And if an RR-4D turns up, hey, I can always find this one a good home, right?

This is a later model than the classic RR-9T, with a different door and handle, but still classic Radarange quality. She's cleaned up and lookin' good, but there are two issues:

1) I'm having some difficulty figuring out how to set the controls. Does anyone have a manual for one of these, or can someone tell me more about setting power levels, etc.?

2) This machine was originally probe-equipped, and naturally, the probe is missing. Aren't these pretty much universal? And does anyone have one?

Below is a pic of the control panel nabbed from Cory's (eldocountry) site; I hope Cory doesn't mind:

 

[toggleswitch2]

oooh I'm drooling.

CONGRATS!

 

[swestoyz]

Wow - it has been over 2 years since I've used one. Let's see if I can remember correctly:

The Touchmatics have the provisions for two programs - or no programs at all. You would hit 'Cooking Program' to tell the Amana that you wanted to set up a program. Next you could either tell it that you want to defrost, or tell it to do a cook cycle. Say you want to defrost something, then auto cook for 3 minutes.

1. Hit Cooking Program
2. Hit Defrost
3. Next enter the time to defrost the item
4. Hit Cook (or you may need to hit Cooking Program again to tell the machine that you want the 2nd program before going this far)
5. Enter the time that you want to cook

Now if you hit start, it *should* do as you programed it to. I may be off a bit, but play around and you'll get it.

Then you can get fancy and hit Cookmatic level to adjust the cooking level - from 1 to 9. This was probably my favorite feature.

There is also the Temp Control that requires the temperature probe. You could cook to temp, then tell the Amana to hold to temp. One of my favorite features because it will display the temp on the 7 segment display. Way too much fun!

I suggest grabbing a Touchmatic cookbook off eBay or your local thrift store. Usually can get them for a dime or two, plus you'll be set for some great dinner idea for two!

I'm sure your date will just love burgers cooked in the Radarange ;-)

Ben

 

[danemodsandy]

Ben:

Thanks for the info- I'll give it a try and see what happens. I am going to keep an eye out for the cookbook as well.

Do you know how I would set the unit to cook at a particular power setting, like Warm or Medium?

Toggles- this is a placeholder machine until I find an RR-4D; if that ever happens, I'll be glad to pass this one on to you!

 

[swestoyz]

Try hitting Cook, enter time, then hit Cookmatic level, then it will want you to key a number. Once completed, hit start. Give that a shot. Button combination should be close, if not, play around as this should be pretty close.

Ben

 

[danemodsandy]

Thanks!

Ben, I really appreciate it. This thing is like the biggest digital watch ever- setting it is obviously something you have to learn.

 

[volvoguy87]

My Radarange

I have a 1980 RR-??? Touchmatic. I LOVE my Amana! I got in while living in Savannah because my housemates had a tiny POS $40.00 modern nuker. The only thing it could do consistently was screw up. It never heated anything evenly. I finally had it when it popped and burned half a bag of popcorn and left the rest unpopped one too many times. It was given away to make way for the replacement...

The replacement was my Amana, purchased for $20.00 at a local junk shop. Even without a fancy turntable inside, it just performed beautifully! It is so consistent in how well it performs, and it ALWAYS works. I love the glass tray and the stainless interior that is so easy to clean. I love that it has a light switch. I love that the buttons are smooth glass, not plastic, and are so easy to clean.

Yes, it's the size of a small SUV, no it isn't the fastest microwave ever, and yes the door really does open down. I don't think a better microwave can be had, new or used, for any price, except for similar model Amanas of course. If it breaks, I will repair it, damn the cost of parts! Yes, I know I can buy a new one for a fraction of the cost of parts for repairs, but NOTHING will outperform it! If value is measured in performance instead of just money, then the Amanas are worth their weight in gold.

Click whirrrrrrrrrrrr,
Dave

 

[bigbubbacain]

Congrats! It's totally beautiful! It's a tad bittersweet for me because I look at something like this and wish that all things were still made this way. Regarding appliances, it's been a sad year full of rude awakenings for me. For starters, my KitchenAid dishwasher that I thought was a "blue blood" turns to be more Whirlpool than K/A. My Bosch "Premium Prestige" (whatever) canister vaccuum has already had 3 hose replacements one telescoping wand replacement, and one power nozzle replacement(under warranty) in 2 years. Then there's the harsh reality that Hoover turned 100 and no longer makes anything themselves. (chopsticks anyone? Choose one vacuum from column A and one from column B, and please Missy, no off the menu orders). This is the hardest for me to understand because Ford Motor Company is also 100 years old and they're STILL there. Sorry for highjacking the thread. I had to digress a little. Anyway, I can't remember the last time I had the priveledge to use an Amana microwave with all the chrome and REAL metal construction. The sheer heft of everything about this machine was impressive enough! What a wonderful device! And to think this brand name got it's start from a bunch of religious separatists in Iowa! Well, here's hoping the microwave doesn't cook any subliminal religious messages into your food! LOL! (just kidding) Bon Appetite!

 

[danemodsandy]

Found the Key!

Thanks to Ben's input, I now know the secret of setting the Touchmatic. The basic idea is NUMBER KEYS FIRST, then FUNCTION KEYS SECOND.

To set a defrost cycle of five minutes, you key in "500" (five minutes, zero seconds), then touch the "DEFROST" key, then press the "START" button.

To set a Cookmatic level (and there are nine of them to play with), you key in the number of the one you want to use, then touch the "COOKMATIC LEVEL" key. You then key in the time, then touch "COOK", then press the "START" button.

For most cooking and reheating, there is no need to set a Cookmatic level or anything else; the unit is programmed to default to full power if no other functions are set. To boil a cup of water, for instance, you would enter "300" (three minutes), then press the "START" button.

Time is set with the last two digits representing seconds, and the first digit or two representing minutes. "200" is two minutes. "230" is two minutes, thirty seconds. "1015" is ten minutes, fifteen seconds, and so on.

This is not entirely logical. It would be more logical to press a function key first, then set the time (which is what I was trying to do), but that's not how it works.

At any rate, I'm happy - the fabulous Touchmatic is now at my command. Those who have commented on the solid, lasting quality of Amana Radaranges of this vintage are so right - this thing is built like an early-50s Buick.

Now, if anyone can help me find a temp probe and a manual.... There is a manual on eBay right now, but it's just a leetle overpriced at $25 BIN.

 

[danemodsandy]

Probe:

Below is a pic of the probe, which is NLA from Amana. I'm braced for Toggles' comments, LOL!

If anyone finds one of these babies, I'd be very interested. What I do not know is if this is the same probe that comes with the candymaking kit. Those turn up on eBay all the time.

Anyone know?

 

[maytagbear]

No!

The probe illustrated goes only up to 190F, and candymaking starts at 232F.

I use the probe to bring milk or water up to yeast temperature (115F), or to reheat casseroles, (140F).

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[danemodsandy]

Duh!

I should have been able to figure that one out. Thanks, Lawrence!