'Retro-Grading' the microwave in Ogden

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About 2 years ago, I bought a very cool late 60's Tappan microwave oven from Blackstone (Fred) in Springfield, MA. It was just like the first one our family ever owned, so I had to have it. Funnily enough, I don't remember using it that much - my big introduction to microwave cooking came when we bought a huge Litton-Moffat with multiple power levels, a two-stage timer, and a temperature probe...

Well, Phil was in Ogden on Friday and he's been nagging at me to get this into the kitchen, so we did! It's a heavy beastie - I was glad of the help wrestling it free from the ever-growing hoard of appliances in the loft above the garage.

Well, here it is, at last!

 

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This is what I DO remember about this microwave - the stainless steel interior.

 

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The timer and controls were simple and basic. My poor father just hated the Litton-Moffat and it's Beaumark successor because of the 'bloody electronic pad timer' as he called it... He cooked more than a few baked potatoes for 333 minutes... LOL

 

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I just love that 'atom' emblem! Ah, the promise of better living through controlled thermonuclear reactions in one's kitchen...

 

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The lineage of this microwave is most interesting... You all saw the front panel is proudly branded 'Tappan' right?

But it seems this machine was made for O'Keefe and Merritt... Huh??

And Litton obviously had a hand in the engineering. I guess a badge of 'Tappan-Litton Systems-O'Keefe and Merritt' cost too much to glue on... LOL

 

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I forgot about that quickly enough when I started testing... I knew the microwave still worked, but I had to show this. A light-up timer dial!

 

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And this I just love! I wish I could somehow created a lighted proton that chased around the nucleus of the atom. Of course I could use one of my vintage Fedtro extend-o-lets to plug this in and see if their 'atom' emblem lights up... Hmmm... Maybe not...

 

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So, after a cleaning off the shmutz accumulated from two years of storage, I had to try one last cooking test before sliding out the 86 Kenmore...

The Tappan passed the test, I am happy to report.

 

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And it looks pretty darn good in place in the island!

So, who wants to bet that Hubby doesn't even notice this when he gets back from the UK next week???

 

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But wait! There's more....

Fred had a few 'extras' for me...

First and foremost - the manual to this microwave!!

 

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So neat that they referred to microwave energy as 'electronic cooking'.

 

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Plus bonus Blackstone promotional material!

Hey, where have I seen a West Bend perk like that before??

 

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AHA! Now, since I have the perk, maybe West Bend will send me the Blackstone washer and dryer for 9.99....

Wonder what 'form letter' I'd get in response that inquiry? LOL

 

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Fred also gave me a few of these early 60s Blackstone promo postcards.

The woman in the photo reminds me of a certain hop-headed Manhattan socialite from a 90s TV show. In fact, I think there was actually a conversation between the woman and the girl in this photo...

Little Karen Walker: What should I color next, Mumsie?

Mrs. Walker: Oh, honey, Mumsie's higher than a kite now and I don't care. Say,
why don't you go out and ask strangers for a ride? Mumsie wants to try something that dippy Mrs. Draper told her about with the spin cycle.

Oh, I have way too much time on my hands... LOL

Fred, thank you again for the oven and all the goodies! I hope you did get that 2012 Canadian penny I finally found for you!

 

[ovrphil]

Very cool - I want one of those lighted dial models, and we'll get those +trons or -trons to rotate around the nucleus.

You have the coffee pot, too!

Any vintage m'wave would look good in your kitchen, that's a beauty.

Blackstone? Nice thing about aw.org - always learning something new.. were those specially produced for a certain year or ..like some car companies...came and went.

I always liked many of the 60's ads - and kept a scrapbook in the 60's, of some of my favoirites.

Electronic cooking - yep, atomic age was fun. Thanks, Paul - enjoyed it!

 

[danemodsandy]

Paul:

"So, who wants to bet that Hubby doesn't even notice this when he gets back from the UK next week???"

If you defrost something, Chris will probably notice the "clunk" as the MW cycles while he's still in the UK! ;-)

 

[classiccaprice]

Hooray for 60's Microwaves!

I'd better switch pages, my '68 Amana R-2 is getting jealous.

 

[philr]

Paul, your MW looks nice in your kitchen where it belongs! Now I could do a thread about all what you gave me last week but I didn't even have the time to get the stuff out of my car's trunk (and it's full or almost!).
I'll have to do later this week! The only thing I did since friday was to install the "small load" solenoid in my WCI-65 (and that was during the night!).

 

[classiccaprice]

Question... My R2 has a glass pan in the bottom, and so did later RadaRanges I've owned... Was this just an Amana thing?  Did Tappan and other manufacturers not do this?  Just wondering.