the french chef

[maytagmike]

I just received today a dvd of julia child doing the french chef put out by pbs. the washer and dryer set that she has in the kitchen is a frigidaire custom Imperial set just like my mom had being in black and white I don't know what color the set is. my mom's was coppertone. Neat seeing them again. Mike

 

[tolivac]

I have a Julia Child cooking DVD from the earely 60's-was filmed in monochrome-In one of the episodes she was making Chocolate Moouse-She was creaming butter and chocolate in a Sunbeam Mixer-she puts her spatula into the bowel-and the beater chops it in half-the peice flying across the set!She would say-"Now we are going to creme the butter and chocolate in the machine-"Got mine from Ollies of all places.

 

[capecodlaundry]

That is hysterical...I can just imagine the camera and crew looking like what just happened? Those were definitely the long gone days of quality PBS programming hosts and content for shure. I belive they were taped in Cambridge or Boston, MA. The Frigidaires were definitely a plus to the set but does anybody recall if she ever used them other than as props?

It would be cool to have a link to that very episode as well as the Frigdiares the most interesting design of washers from a main stream company.

 

[mixguy]

Keeping the mistakes

Julia laughed about those moments as she had at least one other mixer mishap with a spatulaand a KitchenAid mixer and could not turn the mixer off fast enough! I once had a "wave" of swiss buttercream "slap" me turning on the Hobart mixer not realizing it was left on speed 3 when it should have been on spped 1 before I switched the motor on. It made for a good laugh!

 

[philr]

Here's a picture showing the washer/dryer set. They are from 1963. The dryer is a Deluxe and the washer is either a Deluxe or a Custom Deluxe. 

 

[maytagbear]

That was a

borrowed kitchen. I am pretty sure that it was Boston Edison (remember the yellow cars and vans with just "Edison" on them?)

The studio at WGBH had burned down, and some of the early "French Chef" episodes were filmed in other kitchens. A few at Boston Gas, and a few at Boston Edison.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[mickeyd]

Hi Mike ~ and Phil

Heard so much about this infamous machine, glad to see it, finally. Thanks. It almost looks like the 62, except for the handier control dial. Mine is a hockey puck, while Julia's has the bigger open loop, ring thing going on--way better. Mine is sometimes hard to grab. Think hers is a Deluxe. Her angle looks more acute but the light could be widening mine. Her Master Chef series is on PBS here, every Saturday Noon; I never miss it. Just crazy about that woman. Thanks, Phil, for a long desired image.

 

[whirlcool]

I believe these are 62' models. My parents had the Custom Imperial line of this set. It had the chrome loop style handle too. These are my favorite washing machines of all time. Those lights on the panel are so bright you can use them as night lights!

The 63'models had a more flat and upright panel on them and didn't have the huge lights.

 

[philr]

1962-63-64 Frigidaire washer and dryers...

The 1962-63 models were very similar. As MickeyD said, the 1963 has a different timer knob. the Deluxe and Custom Deluxe models with an "A" suffix had a smaller panel with no provision for a light, the regular Deluxe and Custom Deluxe models without the "A" suffix had a translucent white panel without a light behind it.

 

At some point during the previous model year (1962), you could get Deluxe washer and dryer models with a fluorescent light behind that panel (models with an "L" like WDL-62, DDL-62 and DDGL-62) but I don't think it happened with 1963 Deluxe or 1962-63 Custom Deluxe models.

BTW MickeyD, did your 1962 Custom Deluxe washer originally had a fluorescent light? My documents don't show it as available on Custom Deluxe washers. What's the model number of your washer?

 

The fluorescent light was standard in the Imperial and Custom Imperial in 1962-1963 but not available in other models.   Also, there was no Custom Deluxe dryer in 1962-1963 so the 2 speed Custom Deluxe washer (which was otherwise identical to the Deluxe from that year) had to be matched with a Deluxe dryer. 

 

 

Here's some pictures from the 1963 Tech Talk manual.

 

The first one has an error on it, WCD and WCDAR models are reversed but it's how it's shown in the manual. 

[this post was last edited: 8/16/2013-03:20]

 

[philr]

Here's one where I corrected the info.

 

[philr]

Here's another 1963 model from Canada (it's Paul's WDAC-63). It's the same as the US-made WDA-63 above but it adds the rinse temp selector.

 



 

Now the cover of the Tech Talk manual showing the Custom Imperial model with 1962-style timer knob. 

 

[philr]

And now an ad showing another 1963 Custom Imperial washer with the same timer knob as other 1963 models.

 

[philr]

 

 

A video of Ben's 1963 Custom Imperial washer with the later-style knob:

 



 

And the early-style Custom Imperial knob again from the 1963 Tech Talk manual (on the WCI and WCIR models). 

 

[philr]

Now dryers!

 

A picture from Ben showing a Custom Imperial dryer with the early-style timer knob. 

 

[philr]

The cover page from the Tech Talk showing the dryers. Again the Custom Imperial models show the early-style knob.

 

[philr]

Another image from the same manual showing better views of the 1963 dryer control panels. 

 

[philr]

More info about the mid-year change for timer knobs. 

 

 

 

[philr]

Now, 1964 US models that look like Paul's 1963 Canadian model (with the added rinse temp selector). 

 

[philr]

Other 1964 models that look like 1963 models...