The Skillet

[retromania]

Some of you may have seen my other thread about the Hoover fry pan. Well it arrived. It had never been used and came complete with owner's manual and everything. The electric cord and control was still factory wrapped in a little bag and was yellowed with from age. I am a tad bit diaappointed, but beggars can't be choosers as they used to say and I never liked that expression anyway! Anyway, it's a vintage 1973 instwad of say a 1963 or before, but there are some pluses: It's stainless steel and it written in long hand across the handle. The big lid is a copper to sort of a red color. I have never seen metal tinted this color before and at first I thought it may be oxidation, but since the piece is in mint condition I decided it was supposed to be that color. I would appreciate anyone's comment on what just described. The other plus is it has a little warming tray and the pan comes loose from the handle for easy clean up! All in all a great vintage piece! One last comment is that I didn't know Hoover was still manufacturing small appliances into the 1970's. That lets me know that they had more of a customer base for their small appliances than I thought they did.

 

[polkanut]

You will be very happy with your skillet once you use it.  On Ebay those skillets have an astrnomical asking price so you've got something great there.  I picked up a stainless steel Hoover skillet at an estate sale about 2 years ago for $2.50, and used it for awhile before gifting it to our friend's daughter and her family.  The one I bought had the stainless pan, aluminum cover, removable legs, and a tilt leg.  It didn't have the warming drawer that yours does but, it was/is a great performer nonetheless.  ENJOY. 

 

P.S. Your skillet is definitely supposed to have a copper colored cover.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I have a Hoover fondue set from the 70s: small round skillet with detachable heat control, red teflon-lined fondue pan that sits in the skillet with a handle that fits over the handle of the skillet, red lid for the skillet and a red lid for the fondue pot. It's great for keeping gravy warm on a buffet. with the cover, no film forms on the top of the gravy.

 

[retromania]

Tim,

Describe the tilt leg on the Hoover pan.

Thanks,
Andy

 

[twintubdexter]

I had that same Hoover pan years ago. It had an avacado lid with the broil element. I thought the coolest thing were those snap-off handle/legs...it made cleaning the pan so easy. The stainless finish was really very high quality.

 

[retromania]

Yes...

This is a very high quality pan. The craftamnship and attention to detail make it very interesting. That what I love about the older appliances big and small. For example, the stainless pan on this Hoover is thick! Some people say I live in the past. Not at all. I just have a deep appreciate for a lot of things retro. The qulaity and design flair, etc, etc, etc.

 

[retromania]

Tim:

The tilt leg is outlined of course in the owner's manual. In the excitement of getting this pan I forgot the owner's manual was with it. Read it last night. I had forgotten how companies would suggest so many different uses for a product or a feature that the product has. For example, one suggested use for the warming tray is to crisp up old crackers. Today, some folks would probably toss them in the trash, but I remember my mother crisping crackers in a low oven. Old crackers also became topping for a casserole. Central air conditioning has helped with that where I live.

 

[retromania]

Tom,

I remember fondue. They were fun. Our's was a burnt orange. So cool. So modern. I remember being with Mom at the A&P while she searched in vain for peanut oil to use in the fondue. I remember it wasn't there with the Crisco or Wesson. Seems we only used it a few times. That would have been in the year of 1970. It got sold at our landmark yard sale of 1977.

 

[polkanut]

I love having a tilt leg on an electric skillet because it makes so easy to take excess grease etc. out of the pan without having to lift and hold it.  I just use a turkey baster to suck up the excess grease and squirt it into my grease jar.

  Easy there guys!!!  Don't put the cover in the dishwasher though if you want to keep it looking like new.  The dishwasher detergent may harm the copper colored finish over time.  I would handwash it after each use.  

 

[twintubdexter]

I'm a big fan of off-the-stove cooking and think it's kind of fun. An electric skillet/fry pan is a versatile thing to have. I just got this on ebay, $11.99 with the dish. I've always wanted one of these Corning Electromatic Table Ranges.

 

[rp2813]

Hey Joe,

 

I have two of those table ranges.  I mainly use them as warmers.  Is that a 5-quart Dutch oven with it?  Is it regular Corning or is it the "Cookmates" series?  I found that when I put a piece of "Cookmates" on my Corning skillet, it was like it was sitting on a sheet of ice, which explains why they provided a fence for those if used on a skillet.  I haven't yet paired up my "Cookmates" pieces with a table range, but since there's a rim all around a table range, that would lessen the chances of a Dutch oven skidding right off and spilling its contents as would be highly probable with the earlier model Corning skillets sans fence.

 

For me it's hard to justify using any electric cooking device when I have a gas cooktop, which is much cheaper to use.  Combined with a heavy simmering plate, the burner has to barely be on at all to provide even heat for something that prefers not to be cooked over an open flame.

 

Both of those Corning items for $11.99 was a real steal!  I've seen the Dutch ovens alone going for close to $50 on eBay.  At that price, they were probably going, going . . . still there.

 

[twintubdexter]

Ralph,

I have to admit that using my gas cooktop is a lot more economical, although I like using things that are thermostatically controlled. My Thermador cooktop has those star burners and if something boils over they are difficult to clean even though they are sealed. When we bought the house on Dry Creek in San Jose I replaced the avacado GE cooktop that had the controls in the hood with a KitchenAid that had halogen burners. It was great for a klutz-cook like me.

 

[retromania]

Tim,

Thanks. I did hand wash it. I remember a set of canisters my aunt had by Mirro that were tinted a cooper color. They scratched easily. I probably won't use the lid a lot unless the recipe calls for a cover. I want to preserve it.

 

[launderess]

Have A NIB Broil King Buffet Range

Purchased when a local houseware store was going out of business that has yet to be used,and of course the NIB Sunbeam electric covered frypan which arrived recently and it to has yet to see action.

With the gas range cheaper and handy have just not found the cause to use either. Though if the owner's manual is to be trusted one can bake cakes, do roasts and other feats with the Sunbeam so will have to look into that further.

Unlike using the gas oven on my range the stove top doesn't heat up the entire kitchen/house, so there is less of a need to add further to my electric bill by using either of the above mentioned appliances. Lord knows between the internal heater of my Miele washer, and the many ironing/pressing appliances really have no need to push things electric useage wise. *LOL*

 

[danemodsandy]

Your Lid Is....

....Anodized aluminum.

Anodizing is an electrochemical process that can be used to dye or color aluminum, among other purposes. Anodized aluminum is much more resistant to acid than untreated aluminum (the original Calphalon was made entirely of anodized aluminum for this reason), but it is fairly sensitive to alkali, which means that automatic dishwasher detergents tend to attack it. The damage shows up as a fading of the color and a "cloudy" appearance. Alkali damage is not always immediately apparent; you may think you're getting away with the dishwasher a time or two, but the damage will almost certainly appear sooner or later.

Anodizing aluminum to a coppery color was a very common "deluxe" feature for midcentury small appliances and kitchenwares. Most of it has not survived well, since most people are not well-informed on care requirements. I have a five-piece set of Mirro Alumilite molds in the copper color; it took nearly two years to find all five pieces in unfaded, undamaged condition.

Tim is correct that handwashing is the way to protect the finish. Here's a link to the Wikipedia article on anodizing if you want to know more:

[this post was last edited: 8/28/2012-20:27]

Anodizing - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[kimball455]

Kenmore/Hoover frypan

I managed to get two of these fantastic Hoover frypans from Ebay and essentially the same pan but with a Kenmore badge too. I had one in the 1970-80's until somehow the handles fell apart. It is a great product and one that I use often.
Harry

 

[retromania]

Yes...

It is a great pan and a beauty to look at!!!

 

[retromania]

Also....

Friend Peggie that brought me her mother's Hoover electric fry pan also brought me for use, but not for keeps her (Peggie's) blue cornflower casserole with Pyrex lid. Came complete with a matching heating element trivet tray whatever with black handles. It can be used on the buffet or you can fry in it. I have not read the owner's manual for that yet. Peggie said she received it as a gift at a bridal shower when she married in 1973. The same year her mother got the Hoover fry pan. Said several of her mother's friends went in together and gave it to her. I asked her since her mother never used the Hoover pan, was she sure the pan was not also a wedding present that she forgot to take with her?! She said no. Said she never used the blue corn flower for anything but a casserole dish and only at holidays. Said the heating tray part has never been plugged in. It's big. I complimented her on taking such good care of it. No scratches. No staining. I asked her was she sure she used it and she said ohhhh yessss. Mainly at holidays. I asked her did Steve not want it in the divorce settlement a few years ago and she just rolled her eyes!!