Today's Stove Rescue

[mattl]

Tom, yes the Heat Minder has been replaced.  it lasted maybe 3 years and my mother had it with it acting up and had the repairman replace it with a standard unit.  Now, the interesting thing.  I was renovating a house a couple of years ago and they had a Frigidaire CI cooktop in the family room with a charcoal grill next to it ( INDOORS!!).  I pulled the cooktop out and am temped to pull the heat minder unit out of it and see if I can retrofit it into the range.  this is a stainless steel cooktop with the remote mounted controls.   I might still have the original numbered indicator from the range in a junk can somewhere, I know it's be pretty hard to find that.

 

Also, do you have a model number for that Mirro pressure cooker?  I'd love to find one if it would fit in my range.

 

[wireman]

VERY cool find! Wish we could've found something that nice to replace our 1969 Frig. Custom Imperial 40" range in our kitchen. We STILL have the 1954 green Figidaire 30" that I assume was orig. to the house. When they remodeled the kitchen and finished the basement, they installed the 30" in the basement next to the dryer for entertaining and canning.

Before I moved in; Greg had remodeled the kitchen around the 1969 40" range. Unfortunately, the ovens stopped working; so I ended up using the 1954 30" in the basement, which works GREAT! I wasn't having much luck finding parts for the 1969 (wasn't aware of some the resources I now am!) So we replaced the '69 with a new 2007 40" Kenmore. Though it works OK, miss the thick coil burners (more even heat) and the flourescent tube to illuminate the cooktop. I swear it only weighs 1/2 of what the 1969 did. The drawer under the stove doesn't glide in and out smoothly like the one on 1969 did; we store a lot down there and the lighter metal wants to flex rather than glide!

SO, if you CAN find an older stove in good condition or that is repairable, DO it! I'd still love to find a 1950's turquiose pushbutton 40" GE like the one I first cooked and baked on...

Good Luck with that Frigiaire; they are built to LAST!

Duane

 

[eortmann]

I LOVE MY STOVE 1954 Frigidaire Imperiial Rt-70G

I was SO excited to see that you have the same stove that I do!! I search all the time for anything pertaining to this wonderful range, but rarely find anything or anyone who knows what I am talking about. We are in Oregon. I was lucky enough to find mine in great working condition and well taken care of. I was not able to get any accessories with it though - not even the deep-well insert I have been on a search for several months. If you ever run across any info or a source for accessories, please do let me know.
I found a fantastic brochure a while back on ebay, but was outbid at the last minute. I didn't think anyone else would have been so interested so I should have watched the auction closer. If you look on youtube there is an old 1950's tv commercial that is just a riot. It is not our exact model because the front knobs are a little different, but it is very close. I think it might be a 1952?
You are going to LOVE your stove too I am sure. Our ovens run a little hot so we just keep a thermometer in there that we can read for now. I plan to have an old stove guy I know out to take a look at some point, but we have been remodeling the kitchen around the stove for several months now so I have been waiting for the other work on the room to be done before he comes by.
Again, great to see you rescuing this beautiful and worthy piece of American craftsmanship!

 

[eortmann]

A question

PS - If anyone knows how to change the bulbs in the burner switches, please do let me know. I have tried and tried to figure out how to get to them. Two are burned out and don't light. I have taken the dials off from the front and done some cleaning and restoring of the lettering, but can not get underneath them from the front OR the back of the range....

 

[norgeway]

I CAN TELL!!!

That Kitchen is GEORGEOUS!! I believe yours is a 53 but not sure, I may have a manual but will have to hunt for it!

 

[kevin313]

Erin,

Thanks for sharing the photos of your BEAUTIFUL Imperial 70! I hope when I get mine installed it will bring me as much joy as yours has brought to you. I do have the owner's manual - I could scan it and send it to you if that would help.

Keep your eyes open for the deep well - I do see them come up on ebay from time to time. I am looking for the black plastic salt and pepper shakers that came with the stove (they sat on the ledge above the surface light).

Congrats on having such a wonderful centerpiece for your kitchen!

 

[mattl]

I've been looking for the pressure cooker insert for the deep well, now that I know it exists.  I was lucky enough to pick up a manual for the pressure cooker on ebay last week, but all I need is the unit itself.

 

While I was looking for the PC on ebay I came across several deep well pots.  There are a few listed now, they don't look like the one I have in my '59 but mine looks very modern like the rest of the stove.  Here's a link to one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hi-Speed-Thrift...894?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0e224726

 

[eortmann]

Thanks!

You guys are just great! Glad you like the kitchen. It has been a loonng and difficult project, but we really do love it. I am hoping to get a blog dedicated to it once it is actually finished. Down to trim, paint, one light fixture and steam cleaning and returning the couch that we moved out a year ago when we started - then the room might truly be COMPLETE!!
I appreciate the comments and offer for the manual. Luckily, I did get the manual with the stove. I thought to ask the guy and he went and dug it up. I just wasn't as lucky on any other pieces.
I kind of went back and forth with the year between 52, 53 & 54 until I saw this ad that was supposed to be from 54. I have seen a lot of these that are super similar other than the front knobs have the little groupings of two and the light-up window. Those are the ones on the ad. I will see if I can attach it. Sadly, you can not read all of the lettering because this is a poor copy I grabbed after losing the auction. I need to track down the winner and see if they will sell me a proper scan
I have kept an eye on ebay for the deep-well pot, but never found one. Do any of you know if they are interchangeable or if I have to find one that is from the exact year and model we have?
THANK you again!

** I wasn't quite correct on my list of items still in progress for the kitchen. I also have been looking for a cool vintage stove hood or fan. Any ideas on something like that? I have not even found examples of one to look for...

 

[polkanut]

Erin,

Keep an eye out for a vintage NuTone range hood. Hans "Norgeway" has one I believe, and he loves his. I know there are several members here that have vintage range hoods and wouldn't trade them for anything!

P.S., Welcome to AW.org.

 

[kevin313]

Erin,

One thing to watch for when shopping for the deep well pot is the Imperial 70 has a black ring handle on the top. Sometimes you will see one with a white ring handle on top, while it is essentially the same pot, the white handle goes with the Imperial 45.

You own the top of the line Frigidaire range for that year ('53 or '54)!

 

[bajaespuma]

Aferim!

Very jealous! I've always wanted a stove with a deep well cooker that was working! Frigidaire electric stoves are the BEST! Use it in good health. Thanks for the pictures, both of youse.

 

[swestoyz]

Both of you have beautiful ranges. Each may be the only time I've seen this model with the door window for the main oven. Very cool.

About 5 years ago I stumbled across this beautiful Stratford Yellow '54 Frigidaire range at an antique salvage center in Dubuque. They were asking a ridiculous price at the time (somewhere in the 800 dollar range). I bought their '57 Keyboard Control 30" GE instead. I did however get a photo of a very cool color chart to coordinate the range with the kitchens from the time, courtesy of Dupont!

IIRC, '54 was the first year for colored Frigidaire appliances. Can you imagine a stratford yellow WO-65-2?

 

[swestoyz]

Dupont 1

 

[swestoyz]

Dupont 2