Stoves without thermostats

[Chetlaham]

Has a stove without a thermostat ever existed? One where the temperature of the stove is controlled by varying the intensity of the heating elements?

I know in the USSR cooktops achieved varying temperatures by putting the elements in series/parallel or switching sets in and out instead of an infinite cycling switch- but has this ever been done with ovens?

 

[lowefficiency]

>> Has a stove without a thermostat ever existed? One where the temperature of the stove
>> is controlled by varying the intensity of the heating elements?

There sure was, and they were quite popular!

You had your choice of 100W, 75W, 60W, etc for the elements, and they sold replacements in various wattages at most hardware stores.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Early gas ovens did not have thermostats; the cook turned down the flame. Magic Chef was among the first with the Big Red Wheel oven regulator.

Westinghouse ranges in the 1920s had a non cycling circuit breaker type of control. The desired temperature was set on one side of the scale of the control and the heaters were switched on. When the red pointer on the opposite side of the scale reached the arrow at the set point, the current snapped off. The door was opened, the food put in and the door closed. The breaker was reset and the current came back on. The cook had to pay close attention to the oven while baking, but it did provide controlled heat. The insulation helped to hold the temperature steady so a glance at the red arrow told the cook when to reset the breaker. I saw this range at the John and Mabel Ringling home in Sarasota. It was next to two large gas ranges that were probably used for banquets in the winter when the circus was home. The ovens on those had three linear burners with valves at floor level that could be adjusted to regulate the oven heat. The Westinghouse was probably a God-send in the summer heat, even with the breeze off the Gulf.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Didn't some of the early legged GE/Hotpoint ranges have a 3 heat setting switch for the oven, along with a temperature gauge?

I'd like to visit the Ringling mansion. I have been to the museum and grounds but we did not get to go in the home.

 

[mrboilwash]

We`ve had them too. There were usually two separate rotary switches (0-1-2-3) one for top and one for bottom heat.
One of my older cookbooks from 1953 mentioned them as oldfashioned, but a 1963 baking book still gave directions on how to use them.
Usually both top and bottom was preheated for 10 min on "3", then you turned down the top heat to "1" or "2" but left bottom heat on a full "3".

They were called "Schalterbacköfen" (switch stoves) in Germany. Interestingly Google only comes up with Backofen Schalter which means oven switches.
It`s amazing you get 10,000 hits of switches but nada on those long forgotten electric stoves, but we`ve had a similar situation on syndets and hybrids as well some time ago...

 

[Chetlaham]

Easy Bake

Those were nice, and still are!

Gas stoves- I've heard of those- neat and simple.

Hotpoint- I'm really curious of those existed!

 

[Chetlaham]

Schalterbacköfen

Tell me more about these stoves!

I've been thinking of designing such a stove- one where a selector switch governs the temp.

 

[fan-of-fans]

This model has the three heat switches for the upper and lower elements, but I guess it is a thermostat on the side of the oven. Also those burners are odd. Anyone know what kind those are?

https://www.ebay.com/i/201536887190...7&rk=2&rkt=8&sd=152641393153&itm=201536887190

This unit is similar but it has Bake, Broil and Preheat settings with one knob instead, and the same thermostat on the side. Strange the burners on this one too are Chromalox? Thought the Calrod elements were Hotpoint's trademark, so fact it doesn't have them is odd to me.

https://www.ebay.com/i/233037728913...7&rk=5&rkt=8&sd=152641393153&itm=233037728913

 

[Chetlaham]

Look what I found

Anyone know what stove this applies to? It looks like everything is switch controlled.

 

[thomasortega]

In Brazil, until today many stoves (actually most of the models on the market right now) don't have thermostats.

I mean, gas stoves, no electric

The flame is modulated and, believe it or not, they can be very accurate.

 

[thomasortega]

In Brazil, until today many stoves (actually most of the models on the market right now) don't have thermostats.

I mean, gas stoves, not electric

The flame is modulated and, believe it or not, they can be very accurate.

 

[mrboilwash]

Chetlaham, wish I could tell you more but unfortunately have never had a chance to use one of those in person.

There is a museum in Hamburg I visited last year which is run by very nice people who seem to live for vintage appliances just like us on AW.
I could imagine they might be helpful on specific questions if you get in touch with them.[this post was last edited: 7/4/2019-15:11]

https://www.electrum-hamburg.de/

 

[Chetlaham]

Thanks!

If it works for gas, I guess it could work for electric.

 

[Chetlaham]

Another fixed temp, but for the burner only. I really want to try this for a stove:

http://bookingritzcarlton.info/wp-c...ectric-stove-temperature-control-switches.png

 

[henene4]

Electrum Hamburg

Gonna have to make a sunday expedition there since I can get to Hamburg for free on my student ticket.

Fun fact: Many induction cooktops do not have any thermal control besides the usual safety guards and just cycle and&#92or vary power.
On both the IKEA branded probably Whirlpool made and the BSH induction cooktop we had on the lower 2/3 of the power scale they would cycle their lowest power modulation (you can audibly hear the system cycling on and off) while above that the continous power would increase.

On ovens I know that some ovens broilers were not temperature guided, but that was more lower end models.

Also, to this day, many gas ovens over here do not have temperatures per se but settings from 1 through 7 or 8.
And obviously ovens without electric igniter or pilot light could not cycle.

And on the modern side of things I heared rumors that the eco bake settings on new ovens often have a mix of time and temperature based heating.

 

[combo52]

Reply # 8

Is a GE and it has a thermostat.

 

It would be easy to take any electric range and use two infinite switches, one for the broiler element and one for the bake element and control the heat manually, but why brother. 

 

I can't believe that any serious oven in Brazil today does not have a thermostat, it would simply be too dangerous and take way too much attention to cook in.

 

I guess the only good thing about not having a thermostat is every oven would be self-cleaning, LOL

 

John L.

 

[Chetlaham]

Big thanks! Is the thermostat adjustable, fixed or a high limit?

Self cleaning- perhaps- but the idea is that on the highest setting the heating elements would only output enough heat such that it would equal the heat loss at say 450*F. Same for the lower settings.

Down side would be preheating time- which honestly I don't know how to calculate- but would imagine take some time.

The prospect of an oven without a stat if very elegant and beautiful IMO. I want to build one if I had the ability to do so- could tinker around with a range and a variac come time.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Chetlaham, Your lack of knowledge about ranges and wiring diagrams is painful. We have explained to you about oven thermostats and gas ovens without thermostats, but you either don't read or don't comprehend and have led this thread on a goose chase. I think you might have been confused by the oven switches for the top and bottom elements that allow a cook to vary the intensity of the heat, but not the temperature, so that if the oven was full of pans of food the pans right under the top element would not be burned because it could be either turned off completely or operated at a minimum input.

You say that you would like to try the control in #13. It is not an oven control. There is nothing special about it. Most GE and Hotpoint ranges had the 5 heat switches for the surface units and, while they did not look the same, early Westinghouse & Frigidaire ranges had them, too, but you jumped the track from talking about ovens without thermostats to surface unit switches that allow a certain fixed wattage input without the need for thermostats.

Henne, those numbers from 1 through 7 are known as gas marks and they correspond to oven temperatures. You will see them used in British cookbooks.

 

[Chetlaham]

"Chetlaham, Your lack of knowledge about ranges and wiring diagrams is painful."

Ok, so which part is that which triggered you?

"We have explained to you about oven thermostats and gas ovens without thermostats, but you either don't read or don't comprehend and have led this thread on a goose chase. I think you might have been confused by the oven switches for the top and bottom elements that allow a cook to vary the intensity of the heat, but not the temperature, so that if the oven was full of pans of food the pans right under the top element would not be burned because it could be either turned off completely or operated at a minimum input."

And what have I said the leads you to think I do not comprehend? TC 80 thermo- how do I know TC does not mean thermal cutout as in a high limit? I've never seen one of these ranges in person nor do I know anything about them beyond what has been stated thus far hence why I am asking about them.