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Hello Chambers Enthusiasts!
Let's get the ball rolling by telling each other about our Chambers stoves!
Here's my story -
I first became acquainted with the Chambers products this past summer when a man gave me a Chambers Model 90C. It's white with the high "deLuxe' back on it.
It seems that the elderly lady he and his wife check in on every week was having a problem with her old stove - it had "stopped working", she said. She had purchased it new, and had been cooking on it ever since, but, at her advanced age, she didn't really have the desire or energy to sink any time or money into her "old stove." So, the couple helped get her a replacement, and she gave the man her old Chambers. Circumstances brought us together, and he ended up giving it to me. He seemed to sense that we'd give it a good home...she even had a full assortment of pots for the Thermowell, AND a Thermobaker! Wow!
Thinking the oven thermostat would need to be rebuilt, I let the Chambers sit in a spare room for many months. One day in late August/early September, I decided to see what I could do with it. I hooked it up to the gas to check it out. My thought was that it would have LOTS of problems, and I would have a LONG winter project on my hands...
To put it simply, I was wrong. After some detective work, I discovered that the oven worked fine (although I did have to re-calibrate the dial, but the top burner pilot light wouldn't work at all.
I proceeded to try fix the problem with the top burner pilot light. I found that the in-line gas filter for the pilot lights had one of the ports stopped up, causing the one for the top burners to cease to function.
I disassembled the filter (NOTE: you can NOT get new ones! Repair the one you have CAREFULLY!), cleaned it, put it back together, and, WELLA! it worked PERFECT! It's so NICE to have an appliance that is DESIGNED to be WORKED ON!!!!
So, after a LOT of clean up (the lady had let it really grungy and greasy), and LOTS elbow grease, I got the old girl up and running again...
Even though I really didn't know much about the Chambers stoves when I got it, I was, quite literally, amazed at the thing! The Chambers is so elegantly simple, yet extremely advanced in it's concept, design, and construction that even today, when the "super-colossal" stoves for sale for hundreds and hundreds of dollars in the appliance departments of the BEST stores in town are weighed in the balance with them, and they are always found wanting.....
When I first got on the Internet to see what I could find about the Chambers products, I was stunned to discover that there was no single website that was devoted exclusively to them and their owners (at least, if there IS one, I can't find it)! So, I stumbled through the web trying to find the good from the bad, the real from the fake, and the true from the false (when it comes to the Chambers ranges, there is a LOT of false information being spouted out there). Along the way since I began my love affair with my Model 90C, I have (and am) learning a lot about the Chambers ranges. I have found sources for parts, information, repairs, etc., but they have been very difficult to locate.
I simply LOVE my Chambers! It is the most AMAZING thing to cook on that I have ever experienced!
For example, cakes - even angelfood cakes - turn out SO perfect in the Chambers!
Custard pies NEVER burn or scorch, and come out PERFECT! So do biscuits, cookies,...you name it!
Soon after got our Chambers up and running, I discovered that Chambers sold a brand of roasters made by LISK for their stoves. I scoured eBay and got one, and later all three, and we cooked our Thanksgiving turkey dinner in it using the Chambers.
All I can say is WOW! The Chambers retained-heat cooking, coupled with the LISK roaster, made for one of the finest turkeys I have ever tasted! Up until we got the Chambers and the Lisk roaster, we used a NESCO electric cooker/roaster to cook our turkey in, because it just never cooked "right" in the oven of our "modern" stove using any method we tried (and we tried them all - from roasting bags to roasting pans, everything!).
Well, we don't use our Nesco anymore for anything - the CHAMBERS does all we need so much BETTER that we have no need for anything else!
We're still learning about the best ways to use our Chambers, and I hope everyone will share their experiences with folks here in this message board!
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Hey all!,
I have been a chambers Admirer for years and stumbled on a model "c" low back in a Mesa Az thrift store two days ago!. I saw just one handle sticking out from the back of the store and it gave me a start......COULD IT BE TRUE???? Brought it home after the IDIOTS at the store dropped it!!!!! It survived!!!!
Kicked out my 1920 vintage stove and have been cooking on the chambers for a few days and I LOVE IT!!!! waiting on my cook book and manual from Ebay!
Happy in AZ.
AlanT
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I just bought a C90 model from a lady from my church that was moving and needed to find a buyer. She sold me the stove for $25! I had no idea what a find this was. I am so excited about this stove and learning how to use it. Cant wait to get my hands on a manual and the cookbook.
Looking forward to the wisdom other folks can give from this board.
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CONGRATULATIONS on a GREAT find, Rose!
It's great to see that your new CHAMBERS didn't go to the scrapyard! Lot's of them do...
Do you need a manual or a cookbook? If so, let me know - you can send me a Personal Message via this board if you do...
- Todd
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Hello to all interested in the "Kitchen Cadillac" of stoves. In 1997, I retired (at 48) to my grandmother's house she inherited in 1952. It is an old, wonderful 2-story House built in 1896 and smack downtown in my small town. All my life, we had large family dinners for relatives here because Grammy was a fabulous cook. When she moved into this house in 1953, she DEMANDED a Chambers Stove. NOTHING else would do. So, now, I own a pristine, well kept, white Model 90-C Chambers stove (serial # 1-16597). I saw Todd White's website for the first time tonight and it led me here. He has done a tremendous job for all of us that can love an old stove! I think I have many extra pots etc. but am not sure, this house has portions of 5 generations of resident's belongings, so it is full of hidden surprises still. I use my Chambers for everything...my favorites are broiled steaks in the winter, and pizza from scratch. Did you know that when you crank up the Chambers oven all the way, it gets very hot (I think over 600 degrees!) which is the key to good pizza. But, as you who own them know--isn't it a great feeling to know YOUR stove will do virtually anything you want it to...and SUPERBLY! I am so happy people are savings these grand ladies of the kitchen...they never let you down and probably will still work 100 years from now!
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I am currently searching for a high back model B(I think). I have read alot of information on them and cant wait for the day I find one! I can only hope I can get a great deal too! I have wanted an old stove for quite a while but to find one that will cook well also is the best bonus.
Mel
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we bought our ca 1953 chambers used when we moved to pennsylvania in 1968. i think the broiler is iffy and the timer doesn't work, but it still works fine.
a nice thing about it is that mom found a life magazine from early 1953 with our stove pictured in an ad...very cool [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]
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Thanks so much for starting this group! I've been looking for you all!
I bought my stove on ebay and have not had a chance to clean it up and install it yet, but hope to this week. It's a white 90C, in good shape, and came with all the pots, thermobaker, etc. I'm the second owner, which I think says a lot about these stoves. Can't wait to give it a try.
Gwen
