Who made this? (Considering the set)

[elginkid]

Interesting 50's kitchen set, and look, there's a sprayer too. Is anyone familiar with the company that produced the cabinetry, or who the dishwasher manufacture was farmed out to?

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[appnut]

OMG!! That's the original rotorack dishwassher sold by American Kitchens (D&M). there's an advert for it as a POD occassionaly. the dishwasher alone is worth it!! The racks look in pretty good shape too!! It's an impeller-based rotorack.

 

[qsd-dan]

The seller even says the dishwasher still works. Holy crap!!

That's definitely a very reasonable starting bid!

 

[volvoguy87]

We'll see what happens.

I'm trying to convince Wes to get this set. He didn't hate this dishwasher (thus far he has flatly refused to allow a dishwasher to be hooked up in the house).

Wish me luck, I REALLY hate washing dishes,
Dave

 

[rollermatic]

the inside of that dishwasher

looks exactly like the modern maid impeller dishwasher i have. only mine has blue racks!

so close too, indiana is a hop skip and jump. but no room for me to take it.

Mike (dishwasher crazy) are you there, you love electric sink combos. this would be perfect for you. i'm gonna e mail you about this now.

 

[frontaloadotmy]

elgin/volvo

you guys shoud get that set; it is quite fancy! Fancy things
are very nice!!

 

[laundromat]

Ajax bum bum,the blue dot cleanser!

get out the Ajax cleanser!!Time to scrub!!!

 

[turquoisedude]

The original roto-rack!

Wow - I hope someone gets it! If I know dishwashercrazy, he's probably on the case by now!!

 

[elginkid]

That doesn't mean it'll get to make it into the kitchen necessarily! Or if it does, not on a permanent basis. Dishwashers just don't look right in an 1892 kitchen. I know that houses were remodeled, but gas lights don't look right in a 1950s kitchen, so that just wouldn't do, now would it?

 

[elginkid]

Well, I bid on it, but aren't impeller dishwashers NOT known for their amazing cleaning ability? (That's Dave's take, don't shoot the messenger)

 

[turquoisedude]

They do fine!

I grew up with an impeller dishwasher, have been using a GE Mobile Maid impeller model, and have that 56 GE pull-out impeller installed as the 'daily driver' and honestly, I think they do a fine job! You do have to be careful about loading and you can't really expect them to 'scrub' baked on food from casserole dishes, but they are not as bad as you think.
Good luck with the auction!!!

 

[dishwashercrazy]

OH My God.....

Thanks Pete for the email heads up.

Yes, I definitly need to check this out, but I hate to be bidding against fellow club members.

 

[rollermatic]

mike, all is fair in love and war!

if you want it don't worry, bid on it! you are the electric sink combo guy here! i couldn't bid if i wanted to, no room for it! we all say we want this or that but if someone is really interested i'm sure they'll let you know!

it has your name written all over it!

 

[volvoguy87]

This one.

Now now, no need to get into a bidding war. SOMEONE here had better get it, come heck or high water. Wes won't get home from work until after 9:00 tonight EST. I'll let him know to email Dishwashercrazy. Then you two can work something out so you aren't artificially driving up the price.

I've never seen a Roto-Rack or an impeller dishwasher in person before,
Dave

Personally, I wouldn't mind a Kitchenaid KD-12.

 

[mrcleanjeans]

The American Kitchens was the BEST impeller dishwasher for cleaning,even better than the Hotpoints due to the upper rack rotating to make sure not a dish was missed.

 

[elginkid]

I e-mailed Mike. Our hobbies are already too expensive to be fighting and paying way more than we need to for things that inevitably will require more money once we get them. If this were a TOL turquoise or pink automatic washer and dryer, I might feel differently.

Wes

 

[rollermatic]

sorry volvo

i did not realize you had bid on it when i said that to mike. usually we all say "oh i must have that" but we don't obviously you said "i must have that" and you did!

maybe you and mike could split ownership, one of you take it during the summer months, the other one at winter!

good luck to both of you, someone needs to grab it. and when you get it if it needs an impeller i just bought a couple this year so i think i know where to get them. it's a d&m machine, very easy to work on, i rebuilt mine this past summer.

 

[circlew]

History of American Kitchens

After some research I've assembled this brief history of the manufacturer of American Kitchens products. The following information was taken from www.coachbuilt.com and www.connersvillechamber.com. I have only included the parts concerning the cabinet and appliance divisions.

1898 - Central Manufacturing Co. founded in Connersville, IN
by E.W. Ansted, making parts for carriages.

1929 - Central purchased by Cord Corp., makers of Auburn, Cord
and Duesenberg automobiles.

1932 - Cord buys controlling interest in Aviation Corp. (AVCO).

1933 - Steel Kitchens Corp. relocates to Connersville from
Waukegan, IL. They make sinks, cabinets and refrigerator
bodies.

Mid 30's - Central is making steel cabinets for Sears and
Montgomery Ward.

1937 - Cord Corp. bankrupt. Sold and re-organized as American
Kitchens Div., Auburn Automobile Co.

1939 - Sam Regenstrief becomes president of Rex Mfg. Co. of
Connersville, owned by Ansted family, then making steel
refrigerator cabinets for Philco and Stewart-Warner.

1940 - Re-organized as Auburn-Central Mfg. Co.

1942 - Re-named American-Central Mfg. Co., production shifted
from consumer products to military products. Makes Jeep
bodies during the war.

1944 - Rex Mfg. Co. sold to Philco.

1945 - American-Central purchases Steel Kitchens Corp.,
converting it back from war production to stamped metal
cabinets, sinks and appliances, and begins making
refrigerators for Admiral Corp. of Chicago.

1945 - AVCO buys Crosley Appliance Co. from its founder,
Powell Crosley Jr.

1946 - American-Central bought by Aviation Corp. (AVCO), its
former owner. Re-named American Kitchens Div., AVCO Mfg.
Co.

Early 50's - AVCO introduces Crosley Kitchens line of cabinets,
built alongside American Kitchens products.
Dishwashers added to line.

Mid 50's - Dishwasher business expanded, selling re-branded
units to Sears, Whirlpool and Westinghouse.

1959 - AVCO sells most of Connersville operations to Sam
Regenstrief. Re-named Design & Manufacturing Corp.
(D & M). Eventually made dishwashers for Admiral,
Chambers, Frigidaire, Gaffers & Sattler, Hotpoint,
Kelvinator, Modern Maid, Philco, Preway and Welbuilt.
Has 25% of dishwasher market by 1972.

1987 - D & M sold to White Consolidated Industries

Hope this makes sense to everyone. Bendix appliances were also owned by AVCO for a time before being sold to Philco, but I didn't include Bendix in the timeline as it doesn't directly relate to American Kitchens.

 

[dishwashercrazy]

Thank you Tom......

for this informative history of American Kitchens, and it's transition to D&M.

Does manufacturing of the Homart (by Sears) Electric Sink/Dishwasher tie into the American Kitchens history as well? I'm thinking not - I can't recall right now.

Mike