Should it stay or should it go - GE Americana

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This Americana is a J794X1 - with it's sister being the J795X1. The only difference between the two is a built in vent hood. The 794 and 795 were the only models with the Skylight window.

Tom is spot on in regards to the broiler element for this particular model. I've never seen anything like it, and learned tonight that it is also used in conjunction with the regular element during the regular baking operation. I've included a scan from the service notes to help explain how cool this element is:

swestoyz++2-25-2010-20-27-6.jpg
 
So, how does it look in the kitchen?

I don't know. It is growing on me. I think I'll eventually swap out the '58, more than likely later this spring/summer.

This weekend I'll be finishing up trim in the kitchen. Tonight is the first time a functioning range, refrigerator, and dishwasher have ever functioned in this kitchen. I'm so damn glad it is almost done. The lower panel on the KA will be painted a close grey to match the counter-tops. Should look pretty snazzy.

swestoyz++2-25-2010-20-39-50.jpg
 
Ben, poersonally I think it all looks great. I love the shot of the range with the RadarRange in the background on the left--they compliment each other extremely well in that shot. The shot with the dishwasher and range, the accent of the dishwasher control panel compliments the range's overall coppertone color. Had some friends with GE coppoertone appliances in their new kitchen and their kitchen color and wall paper were almost exact to the geeen in your kitchen. Very nice!!! I think it does look great!!!!
 
Very impressive

Wow, that's what that gaping hole in your house looks like now!

I like the fridge, but that brown stove, um not so much. I do like it's details and trim. Why not paint it yellow to match that other fridge that's banished to your garage?
 
Wow Ben

The kitchen is looking fantastic!! I love how the GE range just seems right at home there. The KDS17 is just beautiful too. Now we just need something to go in that cornflower pie plate!!LOL
 
Leon - thanks! I'll keep an eye out for your message.

LOL - yes Travis, the kitchen looks a tinsy bit different from when you were here last summer. Juuuusssstttt a bit. I'd love to have the '55 GM in the kitchen right now. Maybe this summer, maybe the next. Eventually I'll need a warehouse to save them all.... :D

Bob - funny you mention the paint. For the last 3 years, Mom has helped me throughout my home project. When we were painting the kitchen, she turned and looked at me funny when we put up the first few rolls of paint. I told her, "It will look GREAT when it is done." She has since said it was a bold, but nice choice. The Quatersawn oak cabinets just bounce off the color.

Terry - I agree! You are welcome anytime to help fill me fill up the GE with baked goodies and breakfast casseroles!
 
Congrats!!

LOVE it Ben! And love the colour also. Either range will work, but I still like the white 58 GE the best.

Love those old GE fridges! What a workhorse they are.
 
Wow!

I agree with most here.... you should keep them both.
They are both so unique in their own way, and in such great shape!
I think the older ranges are going to become much harder to find in the near future.
Your kitchen looks great by the way!
Brent
 
GE Americana over under range

I had this same model in pink when I lived in Hollywood,Florida.It works great ----EXCEPT, The push button controls can be deadly. I was off on payday one day. I worked at Incredible Universe and had just moved from FT.lauderdale to Hollywood and the day after I moved in,I was off and needed to go get my paycheck and deposit it into my checking account.I took care of all that and went home only to see the firemen putting out the fire that gutted my new apartment!!! The firemaeshal showed me a pressed in button on the Sens-A-Temp and was trying to determen how and why it had been pressed in.I thought for a minute as puzzled as a jigsaw and realised that my male cat,Kenmore,must have jumped up and accidently pushed the control button.I had my Mr.Coffee resting on that burner until the landlord finished installing the countertop to put my small appliances on.Once the button was pressed,the coffeemaker was melted and eventualy caught on fire.It was so intense that it melted the glaze off a utensel holder made of clay!The firemen were giving five of my 7 cats oxygen and two of them,Frick and Frack, died from smoke inhalation.Kenmore ran away but returned in two months to my surprise.The landlady was great and put me up in another unit until the other one was rebuilt.I wrote to GE and was told that method had been imediately taken off the market after numerous fires were set by other curious cats and children who were curious about pushbuttons.I would never have another one unless the buttons were vertical and on the back panel.
 
Wow Chuck, what a horrific story. Thankfully I don't have any cats (very allergic), but I can see quite clearly how it would be a huge hazard. I found the buttons require quite a bit of force, in comparison to the piano keys on the Speedster, to trigger. I could see though how a cat jumping up and inadvertently hitting a button easily could push it down.

Rick - love the fridge! I need to get the new gasket installed. I was waiting till the combo was in the kitchen to do the conversion, now I just need to off my butt and do it.
 
Is this oven self cleaning?

Reason I ask is my sister has a GE Over/under range from 1979 and we cannot get it to self clean anymore. Not only is cleaning a no fun job now but she used to self clean when the house was cold. She likes to keep warm so this is a disappointment. I tried to look inside the latch but could not find anything out of place. Any advice at all where to even start looking?
 
P7

No,Neptunebob,

The P7 self cleaning ovens (P7 meaning pyrolitic/7cents per killowatt hour)came out in late 1964-1965 and were only available in the 30 inch models until '66 when it was passed on to the 40 inch and 27 inch ranges and built in wall ovens.In 1965,FRIGIDAIRE introduced their's (Electroclean) but,unlike GE ovens that had a see through glass window with an asbestos sheet that you had to pull and lock prior to the self cleaning cycle,FRIGIDAIRE had the solid doors up until 1974 when they added their own shield allowing the glass see through windows.I don't mind doing a manual clean but,I always put a sheet of foil under my bake element to catch any spillage and clean less frequently.
 
Actually the P-7 oven came out in the last quarter of 1963

This is according to A Walk in The Park: The History of Appliance Park that was written by GE in 1987. PAT COFFEY
 
Don - you're welcome anytime! Used it for the first time Saturday night. Had some friends over for a spaghetti and salad dinner. The range did an awesome job. Simmered some sauce, boiled water, and heated up some French bread in the upper oven! I thought it would be best to not go hog wild and bake a dish on the first run :D
 
Your kitchen is Gorgeous, Ben

So are all the stoves--too hard to pick.

I noticed with joy that you and Dave (volvo) have identical Sunbeam mixers in your kitchens, the old black and white. How cool is that?

Think they date from the late 40's or early 50's. When I was a kid, they were everywhere, often covered in a plastic-cloth, polka-dotted "hoodie."
 
I'd keep the Americana in the kitchen Ben

It's color is much more harmonious with your gorgeous cabinets. Also I think the straight lines of Americana harmonize nicely with the straight edge design of the cabinets too. I also would get coppertone panels for the Kitchenaid and replace that beautiful GE Fridge (which is earlier than 1951) with a coppertone one from the early 60's...maybe an Aztec Copper Frigidaire Custom Imperial Frost Free or a Coppertone GE Frost Guard with a bottom roll out freezer. To me the rounded corners of the GE fridge you have in there now just do not seem to blend as harmoniuosly with the straight edge design of your cabinets as a post 1957 fridge would and the white color sticks out to me where I think a coppertone fridge would blend in more with the beautiful warm tones of your cabinets.....Just my 2 cents worth anyway......but do not get me wrong I still think your kitchen is real sharp just the way it is...PAT COFFEY
 

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