Video tour of 1963 Westinghouse Terrace Top

[kevin313]

I've had a lot of requests to showcase some of the vintage appliances we use on CoF so I'm trying to do "appliance tours" within the cooking videos when I can. For small appliances, mixers, blenders, etc., we can tour those in a couple of minutes, but for something like a range it really needed an episode of its own. Many have asked about the Terrace Top range we have in our Detroit kitchen, so here's a tour of this wonderful appliance!

 

[toploader55]

Love it Kevin.

 

[supersuds]

Thanks for the exploration of this stove, Kevin. It's a neat design!

Is the indicator light for the oven combined with the top right surface unit? What if you're using them at the same time?

 

[kevin313]

John,

No the indicator light for the oven is on it's own. It only comes on when the oven is heating. The other indicator light is for the surface units and it comes on whenever any of the four burners are on.

 

[frigilux]

Awesome, Kevin! Thanks for the video of this very interesting range.

 

[philcoford]

Thanks Kevin and Ralph, great video as always, I remember one of those in our neighborhood which was built in early 60's, but to see yours just gleaming and being used is just awesome. If memory serves you have another Westinghouse range in tradional style with the same cool knobs but along the back.
Scott

 

[gansky1]

What gracious, easy living

Love the tour, thank you!

 

[ea56]

I'm so envious Kevin, that beautiful Westinghouse Terrace Top range is the bomb. I would love to find one for our kitchen. I always enjoy your videos so much, and the hand that Ralph and your sister have in the making of them. Thanks much for sharing your beautiful stoves with us.
Eddie

 

[gorenje]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the video.

This really is a range with a very special design. Cool!

BTW, I have always been intrigued by the hobs with the particular "spirals".
It is something I see only in America. I guess it is possible to remove it and clean underneath.

Ingemar

 

[vacerator]

Yes Ingemar,

they are called plug-out elements. You lift up, un plug with a tug, then lift out the chrome reflector dish to clean.
Later ranges have lift up tops to clean underneath as well.
When Frigidaire was a General Motors concern, their elements were double wide, and more even heating, and cookware didn't rock about as easily on them.
Today the calrod or coil elements are found on budget priced ranges, and under glass radiant ribbon elements on the up level ones.
In the 80's a few makers offered solid disk European style burners. Jenn-Air for one.

 

[kevin313]

Thanks, Ingmar.

The burners of the stove pull out, and then there is a "drip pan" underneath, which I normally have covered with aluminum foil (for easy cleaning). When things boil over or spill, it makes it very easy to clean. Some of my older stoves doing have burners that come out completely, but they lift up instead so you can get to the drip pans underneath. Glad you liked the video.

 

[mixguy]

Ralph

Ralph commented about the durability. no range will last if care and attention are not exercised during use. Pots and pans need to be placed on the burners with care. Kevin, it shows you are a careful and attentive cook to keep your kitchen looking new.

 

[petek]

Great video guys.  Electrical outlets are still available on most new stoves in Canada but they seem to be slowly dwindling.  I use mine a lot on the left side because our house being older 50's built doesn't have enough like newer builds do these days. 

 

[gorenje]

Thank you Mike and Kevin for the explanation.

Mike, yes right, I had in mind the solid disks. Those were once in use in Europe for electric ranges or for the combined electric & gas ranges.

Kevin, the aluminium foil is for sure a good habit to keep it clean and to prolong the durability of the range.

 

[foraloysius]

Wonderful video and a beauty of a range.

Ingemar,

Electric ranges (or cookers) were sold in the UK too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tricity-B...472528?hash=item2a7b6e9a90:g:kgcAAOSwCU1Yn0gP

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BELLING-C...161736?hash=item51f3c58f48:g:164AAOSwZQRYY9oD

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-Retr...443651?hash=item1ec124f543:g:bfUAAOSwux5YLAcF

 

[beekeyknee]

Kevin,

Thank you for explaining the features of the Westinghouse Terrace Top range. Very interesting. Just out of curiosity, how many ranges to you have in your collection? Do you have other appliances in your collection? That's probably a stupid question.

Kevin and Ralph, I enjoy and look forward to Cavalcade of Food. The dishes you prepare look delicious and I'm sure they are. We need Taste-a-Tube. LOL. Thanks for all of your recipes over the years.

Greg, Kevin or anyone that knows. Was "Gracious, Easy Living" a catchphrase for Westinghouse?

B.

P.S. I may regret this, but let's start a Catchphrase thread from old advertisements. If it's already been done, then someone say so and we'll forget it. I'll start it and if it's been done or there's no interest, then let it fade away.

 

[triumphdolomite]

Kevin
Having been watching your Cavalcade of Food episodes for a while now I've been looking forward to an in depth look at your Terrace Top. It's a great looking cooker and I'm looking forward to your next stove swap at the cottage.

In the UK through the 1960s and 70s radiant rings were the most popular, although earlier cookers had solid hotplates as did lower budget cookers more recently. Over here I think Belling had the best idea with drip trays, there were two slide out trays under the hob which could be slid out as soon as the spill occurred and wiped clean, as shown in the picture of my 1973 Belling Classic Double Extra. I got this two years ago, unused from new. It has a double oven with the main oven being fan assisted, If I remember correctly the was one of the earliest mainstream fan ovens available in the UK.
Ian

 

[petek]

The solid burners were sort of  flash in the pan in Canada and I assume the states as well.  Here one day gone the next pretty much.  They didn't , at least to me, even look that attractive. Occasionally one will show up in the Habitat Restore and the plate itself often looks sort of messy from burned on stains. 

 

[foraloysius]

There used to be a sort of black polish for solid burners. But there were also special lids for solid burners. Actually you can still buy them.