The GE 'Dream Kitchen' - 6 month review

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turquoisedude

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I realized on the weekend that it's just over 6 months that I completed the kitchen renovations in Ogden! While I am no stranger to vintage appliances, the GE Kitchen Centre and wall fridge are my dream appliances and I have never had an all-vintage kitchen that is so complete. But how was actually using them for the past 6 months?? I figured it would be fun to post a kind of review of the performance and use of each appliance and the kitchen in general!
Read on...

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LW11 Wall refrigerator

Well, it's turquoise so what else matters?? LOL
Seriously, I would rate this fridge at 8.5 out of 10.
The 'counter-depth' design makes trying to get things in and out of the back of the shelves easy. I am amazed at how much useful space that a refrigerator with a fresh food section of only 8 cubic feet can hold. The Kelvy was an 18 Cubic foot model and I never seemed to get a lot into it!
I really found the ice-cube tray shelf in the freezer section useful - it made ice pretty quickly.
I had some initial problems with water accumulating in the bottom of the refrigerator section; this was due to a freeze-up in the defrost water drain channel (kept the controls too cold).
I did notice some condensation accumulating on the inside of the second refrigerator-section door (to be fair the house in Ogden has a tendency to get humid during the summer months); I think I may need to consider replacing door gaskets at some point...
I only defrosted the freezer once this summer, though. The Kelvy usually needed that twice.
The unit is incredibly quiet, too.
If I had to do it over again, though, I would have mounted the unit lower on the wall. I wanted to maximize counter space below the fridge, but smaller people (like my father) have a hard time getting to the top shelves of the fridge!

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1 WD562 N1G Washer-Dryer Combination

Sigh - I have still not managed to get my arse in gear and at least tried to make this unit work as a dryer as well! I am still looking for the wiring diagram for the machine because I am paranoid of frying the timer or other components...
As a washer, I would give the GE Combo a 6 out 10 (mostly because it is NOT working as a dryer). It washes fine and I admit that I am mesmerized by it each and every time I wash anything in it but I find it uses a LOT of water. It is not so easy to add bleach or fabric softener mid-way through a wash cycle and due to this early design, there is not much water extraction done during the 'spin' part of the cycle. Given that the dryer function uses a condensor to eliminate lint and moisture, I would very likely not wind up using this much (the humidity level in the house would probably be adversely affected by this). However, this machine did a simply amazing job on blankets. I tend to use it for table linens, too, because when they are hung up to dry, the dripping water actually keeps them smoothed out!
I had a big scare with this unit in July - a leak developed... However I traced exactly where it came from and resolved the problem (hot-water input connection was bad). She's washing again, but in limited quantities!

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1 SS60N G Pull-out Dishwasher

It's hard for me to be objective about this dishwasher because I simply love it!!
However, I rate it at 7 out 10 overall. It's an impeller model and that does introduce some limitations to washability and loading. However, I grew up with an impeller dishwasher and I have developed a trick or two on loading this type of machine! lol
The wash cycle is adequate for light to average dish soil - heavily cooked or dried-on food is not going to be removed by this machine. So, I have become a pre-rinser... I admit it...
I find that the cutlerly in particular needs the pre-rinse - the placement of the cutlery basket in the centre of the impeller does get water flow, but it is not intense.
I keep a second dishwasher (currently the 58 Mobile Maid) in the kitchen to deal with overflow dishes and utensils.
I do love the lighted control dial and the fan-forced dry cycle (but I find the dry cycle is too long at 25 minutes, so I manually advance the timer to 10 minutes). Hubby whines at the occaisional dirty knife, but I do not intend to stop using this very cool vintage pull-out machine!!

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Range and Oven

I am embarassed to admit I don't know the model number by heart! The range and oven are classic 50's GE - push button surface unit controls and a set of separate oven function and temperature controls.
Overall, I rate this at 8 out 10 (mostly because the sucker doesn't clean itself - roflmao).
The surface units heat up surprisingly quickly (one is the GE High-Speed unit that they claimed was as fast as a gas flame...) BUT with only 5 heat settings, you have to be mighty careful! However, my folks had a 60's GE cooktop with the 5-pushbutton controls in our old country place so I know 'which button to push' (it's 3 BTW)! LOL
I love the stainless cooktop surface, but it gets really hot so again, caution is required.
The oven is not a huge one - the oven cavity is about the size of an 'apartment size' one, so larger roasting pans or cookie sheets just don't fit. Fortunately, I don't use such items that often (and I do still have my Kelvinator 30-inch range and a portable roaster). I had no trouble calibrating the oven thermostat that I had to replace - I find that the oven heats nice and evenly and retains heat well. I like to bake "fussy" cakes like angel food and chiffon - this oven copes very well with them. I don't use it often, but the broiler is remarkably even heating too.
I do find that I am paying more attention to and more time on cleaning up spills and splatters in the oven. I can't let this one get too dirty or Hubby will shoot me! lol
I know this may sound crazy, but I really enjoy cooking on standard electric surface units again!!

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Overall kitchen plan and layout

I worked out a lot of designs on paper before I even thought about ordering cabinets so I really did get a kitchen that 'works for me'. It took me a while to figure where things should be best located, even though I had planned this out on paper! I started out with a 'minimalist' counter strategy - keeping few items out on the counter. Hauling stuff like the Mixmaster in and out of cupboards got old fast, though! Anyway, the kitchen begs for turquoise and turquoise accessories...
If I had to do it over again, though, I would have listened to my first instinct to have a second built-in dishwasher by the small sink in the 'food mixing section' (if I had known that I was going to acquire the Pink Frigidaire or the GE Turquoise front-loaders, that would have sealed the deal!).
Overall I rate my design at 8 out 10.
That centre island is my favourite place to work!!

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'Maid's Quarters'

I keep the Mobile Maid against the far wall and roll it over to the smaller sink to use. Thinking that I may just sub out the GE with that Viking top-loader of mine for a while. Or perhaps a KitchenAid Electra top-loader... ;-)

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Turquoise Accessories

I kinda loaded up the counters, but what the heck. I can't believe that I managed to find a turquoise phone!! Must get that hooked up...

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I think of your kitchen often, it's beautiful and I love the way you married the vintage and the new components together so well. I love my vintage appliances too, but have to have some modern conveniences - ice maker, microwave, etc. How I would have loved space for two dishwashers and combo washer-dryer in the kitchen!

I'm glad to see another person who loves their coil-top range - I can't imagine cooking any other way now. You are so right about that button number "3" - always a good starting point! I'm working on restoring a 1959 Frigidaire Custom Imperial range in turquoise, it's almost done and ready for it's unveiling soon...

Also glad to see the high score on the combo as well. The fun factor boosts it's rating without a doubt. Even the later designs didn't spin between wash and rinses (only a final spin at the end) and then still only about 300 rpm so it was really the nature of these machines to wash very well and performance fell off the charts after that wash-water drained out ;-)
 
Paul, thanks so much for the update!! I too think about your kitchen often!! I think it would be such a fun place to gather and cook in!!
 
Simply beautiful.

Outstanding.
Two things. First, condensing dryers don't put any humidity into the air, at all. I wouldn't worry about that.
Second, if you really want to, I think we could work out a scheme to test out the timer without blowing things up. Let me know.

Great work!
 
Your kitchen is beautiful, and what a great place to stash a MW oven yet its still right at hand when you need it. Very well thought out. alr2903
 
Greg:

" I'm working on restoring a 1959 Frigidaire Custom Imperial range in turquoise, it's almost done and ready for it's unveiling soon..."

At some point (now or when you unveil the Custom Imperial), could we get the Word According to Greg on what constitutes a proper restoration of a vintage range like that? Your standards are obviously very high, and I think it would be useful to the rest of us to know what you think is important when putting a vintage range back into primo condition.

Thanks!
 
what you think is important when putting a vintage range bac

Don't let him fool ya - it's all held together by duct tape and bubble gum ;-)

BTW - Paul, great to hear that the kitchen is working out great! My biggest scare would have been the fridge, but it appears you have adjusted well. Lovely set-up!

Ben
 

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