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I recommend to install the safety yourself. If you have plumbing experience it won't take you long at all. Most of the difficulty I had with mine was due to my inexperience with plumbing work of any kind and my inability to smell, which makes working with gas more dangerous for me than for those who do have that sense.
Lori, what a stink you are with your 4 stoves! ! if that isn't a neeede! needer!
Jack, I am north of Austin off of Lake Buchanan. I have a C I have been using since 95, but really just started utilizing all of the neat thermowell and broiler features. NO I do not notice lots of extra heat. In fact we bought a Dacor convection oven to use for summer time when we designed our kitchen because I figured the Chambers would be too 'warm', wouldn't be, I just wish the oven was a smidge larger. I had also figured the thermobaker would be good for summer time baking...IT IS. Anyway, yesterday fixed supper at 10 am. , Put in large pot 4 idaho potatoes, washed and scrubbed so we could eat the skins too, frozen boneless chicken thighs, 1 cup of water and an undiluted can of cream of ch. soup. ...burned gas for 11 minutes in thermowell. (went to a funeral, rested, worked on taxes) and ate at 6 pm with a side of cold beets, (done the day before a-la Ha-sfan, with a spoonful of sauerkraut on top....I didn't even peel the potatoes this time...this is so excellent...take out a cabinet and shove that 'young' lady in when you get her...v
ok ms v, i'm doing your chicken thighs later this morning...was scratching my head for something for dinner and you hit it just right ! of course, we'll have beets too...i've cooked beets three times this week !
Hi everyone,
First of all thanks for having all this information available as a resource. Here's my situation: My wife and I are buying a house built in 1951 and we want to put in a vintage stove. We've lived in two different rentals with O'Keefe & Merrits and just couldn't imagine getting some ugly newer type stove. I was looking for something local and bought an easily restorable white Wedgewood, late 40's or early 50's, with full chrome top and blue knobs for $200 and was excited about getting started on the restoration. This 36" wide stove barely fits in the space available in our new house without modifying cabinets, unlike a Chambers which would be a bit too wide.
BUT, then I started poking around some more (because I'm kinda addicted to this vintage stove thing... you might relate to this condition) and found more web sites, including this forum, and now I'm rather taken (obsessed, perhaps?) with Chambers stoves. I like the geeky stuff like the thermowell (can't beat that alien technology [img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img] ), under-griddle broiler, the cool burner controls... But I have a couple of questions that might help me decide how to proceed and I was hoping y'all could help out.
A friend told me Chambers stoves radiate a lot more heat than other stoves while in use(a friend of his had one). Being in this hot climate of central Texas, that could be rough. But I don't really see why that would be the case unless you keep the gas on longer than needed and it therefore stays hot longer due to its ability to hold heat. The pilot lights probably keep it fairly warm but that is also true for the O'Keefes and Wedgewoods so we're used to that level of heat coming from the stove. Any input on this?
I saw in lowracer's safety shutoff description (very nice, BTW) that parts are around $200 for that modification. I could very likely do the work myself and then have it checked, because I do a lot of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work. But if I paid someone to do it, about how much would the labor be? The Wedgewood I bought already has a safety shutoff so it scores one in that category.
I've found conflicting information regarding the size of the oven. Could someone tell me definitely what size it is in a C-model?
Oh, one more thing, and this might sound a little ridiculous... but if I bought a yellow one and my wife decided later she couldn't take the color, would it be possible to trade out the panels with another one? Guess that would have to include the doors and backsplash... Since the colors appear to be more sought after, it seems that a trade might not be too difficult to arrange.
Many thanks,
Jack
Jack.
Welcome, another Texan!!!! I'm in the Lockhart area and I have 4 Chambers Stoves. It's addicting. We are very fortunate that we can often find good stoves in our area. Have you seen the yellow one for sale in Houston on Ebay?
Now, to your questions. I have not noticed a heat problem from my stoves. I first had the A model hooked up. It is white with enamel and very heavy insulated, but only one pilot. Now I have the C hooked up. It is a copper and has 4 pilots and no enamel panels. I still don't feel any heat from it. Sure, the top is warm over the pilots, but there is not anything more than normal. You're welcome to drive on out and check them out, if you'd like.
I don't know what to tell you about the safety. My C came with it already installed. I didn't have one with the A.
My C is 37 inches wide, 26 1/2 inches deep and , 36 inches to the top of the stove and 42 if you add the copper backsplash.
I don't know aobut trading out panels. The problem is not only finding panels that fit, but also finding them locally. It's usually easier to sell your stove and buy another. Or, be like some of us and own several. [img]wink.gif[/img]
http://static.flickr.com/54/121037456_a39910b6e7.jpg
Let me know if I can help.
Lori G.
[email protected]
Hi Jack,
The basic Chambers has 2 pilot lights. The later model C's have 4 pilot lights. The O'keefe & Merrit or Wedgewood have 4 pilots. About the same amount of heat put out by the different brands. The OKM and Wedges were "CP" stoves and were required to have Safety valves on the Ovens and Broilers, so that is already on them. I prefer the OKM & Wedge top burners for their "simmer" funtions. The "standard" oven funtions and thermostat operation is the same as the Chambers. You can't "Cook with the Gas Turned Off" or use the "Dutch Oven" type of cooking on the OKM/Wedge. Decisions Decisions!!
It you are planning a vacation, come to:
http://www.hootnholler.net
At Hoot 'n Holler you can prepare your own meals using the Chambers methods of cooking on a 1950 Chambers Freedom Red Model C. Bring plenty of Beer and the Innkeepers will probably give you a cooking lesson!
And check out the Chambers Literature here:
http://stores.ebay.com/The-Uncertain...an?refid=store
Hey, thanks for all the replies! Yes, Lori I saw the yellow one in Houston (eBay) due to your earlier post, and I was very close to bidding on it. In the end, though, my wife really doesn't want yellow and I don't really have time to go to Houston in the near future. So it went for only $350 which seems like an excellent buy. Thanks for the offer to come see your fleet of four, Lori. That's quite an impressive array of metal! I hope your subfloor is good and strong! The slow cooking in the thermowell sounds great, Ms. V.
I do like those simmer caps on the OKM and Wedgewood stoves. It's looking like I might go ahead and do a quickie restore on the "Wedgie" so we have something in the near term, and then I can take my time on a Chambers restoration when I do find the right one.
A random question on surfaces, has anyone used nickel instead of chrome on a cooking surface? I kind of like the way it looks better and was thinking about doing that on the Wedgie. Although I hate to change the look from original. Was nickel ever used on older stoves?
Oh boy, I just saw Lori's post re. the white B-model in Houston! Now I have to figure out if I want a B!? Does the B only have two pilot lights because it doesn't have one for the oven or griddle/broiler?
Sam,
Nice cabin on the lake. Are those Cutco knifes I see in the kitchen?
Gasseous
Gasseous, are you a fan of the Cutco knives too? I have a block full of them and can attest: they cut fingers better than any other knives I own! I honestly never had a problem with Kitchen Clumbiness until I bought them - my dull knives were very forgiving!
t.
Jack,
Did you see this one on Craigslist in Austin?
Chambers Model C Stove - Central Austin - $800
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Reply to: [email protected]
Date: 2006-04-10, 10:43AM CDT
Great Chambers Model C gas range in good condition. white, circa 1950 with thermo-well, griddle, broiler. Clean, everything included except for the well pots. Buy it within 24 hours & I'll deliver it to your house!!!!
I drove all the way to Tulsa to pick up this stove for a house I was buying. The deal fell thruough and I don't have a good place to store it.
this is in or around hancock center area
(wow, somehow i logged in last time as an alternate identity!)
Lori, you're on top of it! I had checked earlier in the day and there were no new ones around Austin. I got photos of the one in Houston and it is really clean looking. Still haven't had time to look into the differences between a B and a C model...
Robbi,
Yes I too have a block full of Cutco knifes... I have had them for the past 10 years or so and have never had any problems with them being dull... However, I agree with you on the cutting of fingers... you had better be ready to cut something when you pick them up... I also have their hunting knife... sort of on the expensive side but well worth it... Like the Chambers I am in the midst of restoring... never have to replace it...
Gasseous