The Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow!

[firedome]

We have been looking for vintage appliances for our soon-to-be retirement house.
1st priority was within desired makes, certain important features over color but...
somehow, with a lone exception, everything that we've "Harvested" so far has ended up Gold!

FD REG-38
GE JP-661
GE JV-650
KA KDC-17
FD GC W-2

The lone holdout is a Coppertone '69 GE JK-29 oven.
And we may decide on a vintage fridge, not sure yet, but looks like it'll have to be Gold!
Now we can't wait to build a place to put them!
All we need is some of the Service Owner's manuals & instructions, so if anybody knows of any please let us know!

 

[supersuds]

The GE cooktop looks awesome.

 

[lordkenmore]

I also really like the GE cooktop. Since reading about it here, the thermostat controlled burner idea has really appealed. And the selectable burner size also appeals. During a downsizing phase a few months ago, I dumped a pan I sort of liked, except it was too small for normal electric burners. I thought about keeping it in case I ever have a compatible stove, but the question was whether I want to store and move the pan until that day arrives?

I also can state without reservation that there are real plusses to a separate cooktop/wall oven. It is nice being able to get stuff in and out of the oven, check stuff, etc without having to bend constantly. I've been stuck with normal ranges for nearly 20 years now, and I don't think it's coincidental that I only use ovens when absolutely necessary (baking). Stuff that "can be cooked" in the oven is generally cooked elsewhere.

 

[firedome]

Have to agree...

with the sentiments of separates vs. range. The same issue of range ovens being too low vs. the aging back, plus beside putting things in and taking them out, it's just nice to be able to conveniently observe cooking and baking while under way without stooping, so it's likely the cooktop - wall oven combo will win out, since the wall ovens can be mounted at the height that works best, and the FD range will end up back at camp where it started out. More space between burners on the cooktop would be nice, but you can't have everything!

 

[firedome]

The Thermostatic burner

also comes with a griddle, shown in pic #5.

Does anyone know what the rectangular box (light?) above the Coil Select knob does?

 

[pulltostart]

Roger

I think the light is an "On" indicator light for the cooktop.  It works regardless of which or how many burners are used.

 

lawrence

 

[turquoisedude]

Of course you'll need a Harvest Gold refrigerator, Roger!   I know someone here in La Belle Province who has a stunning side-by-side.... Just sayin'....  

 

[tomturbomatic]

Congratulations on the collection!

The Griddle setting is also GREAT for 12 inch skillets. I used to use it a lot with my Farberware 12" skillet. It heats only the outer ring and what that means is that the center of the pan where the sensor is located is the same temperature as the outer edges of a skillet or griddle.

 

[firedome]

Tom ...never thought of that...

that's great application for a 12" skillet!

Paul - yes a Harvest Gold fridge does seem to be the obvious next step... Phil saw a nice s x s Frigidaire in Scranton not long ago. I was tempted. For some reason I'm much more leery of vintage fridges for daily use than other appliances. The alternative is to paint a new (efficient?) one.

 

[lordkenmore]

>For some reason I'm much more leery of vintage fridges for daily use than other appliances. The alternative is to paint a new (efficient?) one.

I'm not sure how leery I am about reliability. But energy use would be a concern for me, at least for the Harvest Gold era (vs. older manual defrost) Painting a newer refrigerator is one solution.

Personally, if I were setting up a kitchen, I probably wouldn't care, as long as there wasn't huge clashes between appliance colors. Then, most of the kitchens I've used haven't had matching colors, and the most memorable kitchen (my mother's) was memorable not because of appliance colors, but because of the colors of paint she chose for the cabinets and walls.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Indicator light and ovens

Yes, I first learned about those lights when I was introduced to electric stoves when I was in HS. TBH, I think the concept is stupid. All it does is tell you that something, somewhere is on and MAY be hot. I said back then that there should be an indicator light for each knob and some kind of temperature sensitive light built into/around each burner so that the light would go on whenever the temp was hot enough to burn.

@lordkenmore

I never thought of it that way, but I think you're right. The only baking I ever did was in my mom's kitchen in the upper oven of her Magic Chef. I never decided not to bake; baking just never made it onto the radar. I'm willing to bet that the fact that baking = pain in a 'normal range' had a lot to do with it.

I've already stated on other threads that the only 'range' I'll ever willingly buy is a Roper Charm or something similar... but I never made the connection between that and the fact that I never bake. Thank you.

 

[firedome]

Re: burner indicator lights...

actually there is one for each burner, they are the arrow shaped things that are above each rotary knob. That's why I wondered what the rectangular one above the
Coil Selector is for.

 

[firedome]

Re: burner indicator lights...

actually there is one for each burner, they are the arrow shaped things that are above each rotary knob. That's why I wondered what the rectangular one above the
Coil Selector is for.

 

[kevin313]

Roger -

I think the harvest gold looks great! I've always liked harvest gold, avocado green, and the brown tones, maybe because fall is my favorite season and those colors remind me of a spectacular October morning here in beautiful Michigan! Regardless, your collection looks wonderful!

 

[pulltostart]

Roger

Here is a listing on Ebay for a similar Hotpoint cooktop from roughly the same time.  Typical for the General Electric/Hotpoint relationship, the Hotpoint cooktop does not have the Sensi-Temp, but does have the coil select feature.  The red indicator(s) associated with the individual controls are visible, just as you describe, but there is still the master "On" indicator.  I suppose the larger indicator can be more easily seen from across the room.

 

I looked at all of my catalogs and they make no mention of both types of indicator lights, they all simply say that the cooktop you have does include an indicator light.

 

lawrence

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vtg-NO...605?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9b61e6e5

 

[firedome]

thanks guys!

Kevin - fall is my favorite season too... so now I'm thinking maybe I need a Poppy Frigidaire fridge and an Orange dryer (wonder if there is such a thing?) to go with the Gold and Coppertone!

Lawrwnce - thanks for that link - very interesting to see the HP version... I think I like that arrangement with the controls in the center, otherwise it's very similar! In the '50s HP was sort of a more deluxe line but by the 70s as you say it seemed to assume the role of the slightly lesser sibling.

 

[firedome]

WOW !

I just looked at Lawrence's actual eBay link... that nut wants $1500 for the slightly less deluxe HP version of what I just paid $50 for, and I got a TOL hood to boot... Yikes!! Some folks have just plain taken leave of their senses!!!

 

[philr]

Roger, did you try the 1-18?!