Vintage Appliances: Refrigerators - General Electric, Westinghouse, Norge, Kelvinator, Frigidaire
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2024
- There have been a number of requests to see the refrigerators in the collection. While I don't have many, here's a look at the ones I've adopted over the years. Examples include General Electric, Westinghouse, Norge, Kelvinator and Frigidaire.
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The refrigerator I am still using today is an early 1950's Kelvinator almost identical to yours. It has been faithfully keeping food cold for 70 years now without a service call. Nash really knew how to build them to last. So sad we've settled for appliances that need replaced about every 12 years. Think of it 70 years and running as strong as the day it left the factory.
Hi Rob - they just wouldn't make anything that would last that long today. Your Kelvinator is a solid performer. They want us to keep buying and buying. Thanks!
Basic refrigerators cost the equivalent of about $4200 inflation adjusted though, so there is a distinct trade off for that durability. I think it is worth it, but everybody might not agree...
Built in obsolescence was not a thing. Companies were worried about their reputation and built things to last.
That speaks volumes! Can’t say that about todays junk
My Mammaw had the shorter Frigidaire refrigerator. She was the sweet mammaw who stood at 4'8". It was perfect height for her indeed. In 1973 when the massive tornadoes hit in Ky & Ohio her home was in Xenia Ohio where a horrific tornado destroyed most of Xenia her small little Frigidaire was still sitting in same spot it had been for years after tornado hit. Everything else around Frigidaire was gone. I remember her placing leftovers in empty clean glass pickle jars or jam jars in that small little frig. Love from Ky. ♥♥♥
Hi Tamson - I've heard about the terrible tornado that hit Xenia. Amazing that the little Frigidaire was still standing after all that! Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood And there was no damage to refrigerator. Sitting in same spot with all food non disturb inside. While all other items were no longer beside it, including walls or ceiling. It was amazing.
I love those baby fridges, I almost bought my mom one for her upstairs - but no I knew she would balk at such and old to her useless thing - so I bought a new one (yes new 2022) - which yes, has the 'load of bread sized freezer' built into the refrigerator part that requires defrosting. The idiot cleaning lady took forever to defrost it and it was still all built up with frost on the outside of the freezer compartment. I guess she never owned an old fridge you had to defrost. I told her - put the food in the picnic cooler - unplug the fridge, leave the door open, pick off the ice as it melts. Seems those instructions were too complex for her. And she's in her 40's she should know how old appliances work - but I guess not. Westinghouse made really cute baby fridges back in the 1930's, just the right size for a bedroom.
Very nice! That 1949 GE is one of the most reliable fridges made. Since you're interested in the history of things, I want to tell a story about that GE. The compressor on that fridge is the first new compressor design General Electric produced after the second world war. Before that, the compressors were much larger and more costly to produce. The new compressor mounts horizontally and floats on springs. It has an oil pump, a new "formvar" insulation on the motor winding coils; and other design features to make it have a very long life. GE was very proud of this design and even sold this new compressor as a retrofit for their older Monitor Top refrigerators. They called this an FEA machine.
Your Westinghouse is beautiful, too! These early self-defrosting designs were sort of experimental, and the design took some time to perfect! As a restorer and vintage repair technician, I love seeing and restoring these original designs so they work like they originally did. Many different competing patents were at play, so all the manufacturers had to engineer different ways to accomplish the same thing using different techniques. Westinghouse kept the same compressor design from the very early 1930's. It is one of the most reliable compressors, short of a GE Monitor Top. The Westinghouse design combined the thermostat and start-relay together into one module. That gives the Westinghouse a nice "clunk" when it starts up, since the relay clicks up in the upper part of the cabinet, making sound through the top of the cabinet.
That Norge is super nice, too! That is one of the latest Norges I've seen. I am 100% sure Hans will know the exact dates! I wonder if that has Norge's own Hermetic Rollator compressor design? I have a couple Norges in my collection, but they are older and have the belt-driven Rollator compressor. That is a heavy piece of machinery!
Love the Kelvinator, too! You've got such a nice collection. That model looks identical to one I restored this year. The owner chose a Light Pine automotive paint. It turned out amazing, and I love the color! I respect if you want the original white - but these do look amazing in colors. That stainless steel trim around the breaker strips in the Kelvinator is really intricate! There are particle board wood strips behind that, to support it. When replacing the wiring or insulation, that trim and the strips behind it are some of the most tedious parts to restore! Be sure that water doesn't seep in behind it at the lower cabinet opening. I would use a small discrete amount of silicone to seal just the bottom gap, to prevent that from happening.
Nice Frigidaire, too. Those were so popular! Sadly, the missing shelves are all too common! Taller bottles became popular and people took one shelf out of many of the old fridges to make room for tall bottles. Sadly, the shelves were usually misplaced once that happened! The engineers at GM designed the Meter-Miser compressor for that fridge, with a very advanced design for the day. It uses very few moving parts, however it took very sophisticated and costly manufacturing technology to build it. That is one of the reasons they were eventually replaced with a reciprocating piston design. While they are very reliable, the sheer numbers of them built means that many are still in peoples homes, and folks want them repaired. It's getting harder and harder to locate good working Meter-Miser compressors these days. I have a waiting list of repair jobs for each good compressor I come across!
That GE ice cube tray display is beautiful! I have had several CF flat top Triple Thrift fridges come through my shop. Those have (arguably) one of the most long-lived compressor designs ever made! GE had a patent on the metal-glass electrical terminals on that compressor and were the only truly 100% hermetic unit until well into the 50's. Everyone else had second best sealing designs. There are GE units like this which still have a full factory charge almost 90 years later. If you find one, the likely only problems it will have are needing rewiring and new contacts in the relay.
Thanks again for making this video! I really enjoyed it. My videos are all technical and most of the examples I work on are no where near as nice as yours. Please keep it up!
Hi David! Thank you so much for all the good information on these refrigerators! I appreciate your expertise as someone who has actually done repair/restoration work on these appliances. I knew that different manufacturers had different designs so that one wasn't infringing on another's patent, but had no idea of some of the specifics. All good to know! I'll have to ask Hans about that Norge. The person I got it from thought they got it new around 1962, but couldn't remember for sure. I'll have to check out your videos on the technical aspects. Thanks so much for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
@@cavalcadeoffood
I definitely enjoyed it. Hopefully you will find my technical videos interesting as well!
These early days of machinery design were truly the wild west! So many competing patents and legal battles! My 1926 Frigidiare M5-2 sat in the GM legal records vault from the mid 1930's until a few years ago due to that sort of thing! All of this is so fascinating to me!
Thanks for posting your reply and all that wonderful information !
That one refrigerator with the timer which melts the frost after opening the door at 50 counts would have been working none stop at our home with a family of 8 kids. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Betty! I'll bet your fridge at home got opened a lot with all the kids!! Thanks!
Thanks Kevin!! I really enjoyed your "tour". The GE is certainly the model we had when I was very young. I came home from school one hot day, opened the frig and put my face against the freezer. My lip stuck.
LOL! Great story, Peggy! Those little metal freezer compartments didn't hold much but they sure got cold! Glad you were able to get your lip off of it! Thanks!!
When I was 15, started a cake decorating business that I ran until I was 25. My neighbor let me "shop" in her basement. Got a kelvinator fridge, 48" Kenmore gas stove (my dad got that hooked up) a 4" counter with drawers and doors, all for free! They were the best appliances I've ever owned! Fridge kept temp perfectly, stove the same way. It was set up in my basement laundry room (about 20'x15')
Great story! Thanks for sharing and it sounds like you had some great old appliances for your cake decorating business! Those older appliances really were well made. Thanks!
We have a 1934 Westinghouse…..we are the second owners. We drove to Alpharetta, Georgia in 2001 to pick it up from the nephew of the original owner who bought it in 1934 and used it until 1986 when she passed away. It is beautiful. Only needs to have the thermostat fixed and It can be used again. I love it.
Hi Nancy - that's a great old refrigerator!
I’m looking at the Maytag Jetclean potable dishwasher. Grew up with a model from the mid 70’s. A built in and I later bought one for my parents anniversary in the late 80’s. Both were work horses!
Hi Channel123 - those Maytag dishwashers worked well! What a great gift for your parents!! Thanks!
This video made me so happy,I love vintage refrigerators almost as much as vintage electric stoves! Now I need to see your S&P shaker collection! 😉
Hi Mrs Harpold - glad you enjoyed the video. I'll have to show the S&P collection sometime. Thanks!
I love these videos, I’m 32 growing up in the poor Deep South these appliances were still used. Our neighbor who I affectionately call “nana” had one of those fridges that the door locked. To this day it still runs and they keep it in there barn
Hi James - glad to hear that there were many of these still going strong! Thanks!
Somehow I got unsubscribed and lost you and didn't even know you were still making things I just happened to see something and remembered you! Like the two of you are hard to forget. You two are wonderful people. And don't forget Marianne she counts too we had a crosley selfadoor and Grandma was so proud it was the newest thing. And you're right we had a chest freezer that we got free from international for buying a tractor we got that about the same time
Hi Beryl - those Crosley refrigerators with the shelves on the door were a big deal! I can see why your grandma was so proud. I've seen the IH freezers and refrigerators - they were well built! Thanks!
I read people thought the sheladoor was stupid, but the people who made it proudly boasted that it greatly increased the amount of food you can store in your refrigerator and I think they were popular so of course the other manufacturers all eventually jumped on the wagon and put in shelves in their doors.
I love this program.
I remember defrosting the freezer.
What a mess. Mother and I would put the news paper on the kitchen floor. WATER EVERY WHERE .
Hi B Happy! That often happened when defrosting LOL! It could be a messy job! With the water on the floor, it was also a time that we mopped the kitchen - LOL! Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood
So true 💯💯
I was thinking , you probably make the best lemon pound cake . I love coffee and lemon pound cake.
@@bhappy5510 Now I want some strong coffee and lemon pound cake.
Hooray for fridges!! 🥳🥳🥳I wish I could show you a picture of my 1936 General Motors Frigidaire. I adore it. I got it out of the Dodge house in Boston Edison district. I found out after my grandma died that because she worked in the executive dining room at Dodge she would work at the mansion when they had parties She would’ve seen my fridge. 💙💙💙 And yes I have to defrost it a few times a year but it’s well worth the effort 🧊🧊💙💙
Hi Jennifer! Hooray!! What a great story behind that 1936 Frigidaire! Funny how it was in the Dodge house but it was a General Motors product. Once you get the hang of defrosting, it's not that bad. I think some people let the frost build up so thick that defrosting becomes a real chore. Enjoy that cool fridge - it's like a piece of family history!! Thanks!
Space....The Final Frontier! I have a good sized vintage radio/Victrola/automatic piano collection, so I relate to your situation. What a fantastic collection of large and small appliances you have gathered! We had a summer cabin at Clear Lake, Ca...the kitchen featured a late 1920's Hotpoint electric range/oven...when they were up on steel cabriole legs and a 1926 GE Monitor Top Refer. Talk about small freezer compartment...just a doorless jug-sized unit...big enough for a single ice cube tray...very easy to manual defrost! That external coil sealed unit ran as quite as grandmas sewing machine. Our first really large separate freezer refer was a 1956 Philco, a very neat looking and functioning appliance.
Hi Larry - thanks for sharing the story about your summer cabin. It sounds like a wonderful place and how great that it had the old appliances still working away. As a collector you can relate to the constraints of space! LOL! Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood Where are you located? Back East I'll wager a bet! I do have a few vintage small appliances: A Hotpoint double hotplate (with the spiral ceramic plates holding the wire coil elements. (1930) Has those neat oversized snap switches a Weir mod.1094 portable heater, (early 30's), a Westinghouse single unit hot plate, (1930's), a Sunbeam waffle Iron (1954), a Magic Hostess ice crusher (1950's) and a neat little sandwich toaster by West Coast Specialty Co., Los Angeles, Ca. (late 30's). On the large side...a 1949 O'Keefe & Merritt gas range.
Now I want to see your collection - larryboysen5911 !
What a cool throwback. Had fun seeing the refrigerators. Thank you 😊
Hi J Marcos - glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks!
You finally talked about your refrigerators! I was one of those who insisted that you talk about them. Thanks. One of my grandmothers had that first refrigerator you showed and used it in a small country grocery store. That refrigerator replaced another General Electric model that had the compressor on top.
Hi Gilberto - sometimes it takes me a while, but I'm glad you liked the video! The refrigerators in your grandmother's store sound great! Thanks!
Hi Ralph! Let me tell you these refrigerators made the best ice cubes on the planet! Your drinks would be icy cold! I may have to search for one of those Westinghouse refrigerators myself! I know how to defrost those babies with pots hot water lol! Thanks a million Kevin!
Hi Mama Louise! You are so right about these refrigerators keeping drinks icy cold! And great ice cubes! I forgot about using the pots of hot water to defrost - they work great! Thanks so much!
Really enjoyed!!! Hope you are enjoying the nice weather!
Thanks, Barry - glad you enjoyed! Summer is here - it has been in the 90's the past few days!
You have no idea the joy you bring the feeling i get when i see your collection is like going back in time to my grandparents house 💓
Hi BettyB - so glad it brings you joy and good memories!
Love seeing the things from the past. It reminds of those who are gone and what they used to cook. The kitchen is always filled with memories
Hi George! Thanks - the kitchen is always a place with memories!
The Westinghouse is absolutely beautiful. I love the gold-tone and blue.
Funny thing, you call the drawer in the bottom a vegetable drawer. We call it the rotter. Because that's where you put things and forget you put them there and they wind up rotting.
Hi Johnny - LOL so funny about the "rotter." I'm guilty of forgetting about produce in those drawers only to find them completely turned to mush weeks later! Thanks!
I absolutely LOVE seeing all of your collections. I'm a "kitchen-y" gal and everything related to it. And putting everything to work is a dream come true. I admire your ability to make this happen. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Valli -Thank you so much and it sounds like we enjoy all things kitchen! I appreciate you watching!
I am very happy to have my temp controlled BOSCH fridge freezer no ice build -up, defrosting nonsense.
It makes odd noises, but its great.
However i just love looking back with you...to what was modern appliances.
Thanks, Lauren! It's always interesting to see how the technology has evolved over time.
I remember my grandfather's Philco. He always called it the "ice box".
Hi whitedogfive - that seemed to be a generational term. I remember my grandparents calling their refrigerators an ice-box, too. Thanks!
Those were some of the best & very well built . Today’s junk doesn’t even compare.
Hi Robert - these have stood the test of time.
@@cavalcadeoffood yes they sure did !& they still do
I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. My favorite was the Westinghouse refrigerator. I love the way it had a butter compartment to keep it at the very right temperature. I also liked how after 50 closes of the door it would defrost the ice buildup and drain it out to the evaporator. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Kristy! Glad you enjoyed the video! That Westinghouse has a lot of fun features. Thanks!
Very cool!! Thank you Kevin and Ralph!
You're welcome, Sharon!! Thanks for watching!
Wow...those were very KOOL..HA HA...My grandmother had a 57 Frigidaire that I think was the coolest. It had the pull out shelves, freezer inside in the bottom with a narrow area for the ice trays, and the crisper was on the door that dropped down. I think around 1960 is when they started squiring off the top corners. Someone told me that Norge was a Montgomery Wards brand? I don't know who did them, but those with the shelves that spun around were kind of cool too.
Hi Scooter! Around 1957 Frigidaire introduced their "sheer look" line of appliances that were squared off rather than rounded. They were high style for the day!! Norge made appliances for Montgomery Ward, but so did Westinghouse and others. Thanks!
Time to geek out again on vintage appliances! Great video and tour! :)
So glad you enjoyed it, GSM!!
What a fun video -- my favorite is that first Westinghouse with the push-button door release. That one is so over-the-top in a good way! Thanks so much for showing us your collection. I look forward to seeing the next gadget-centered presentation. Take good care!
Thanks, Junqueboi! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Me too!
Thanks for showing those fridges! Man they are so cool! And the condition is excellent! I think my favorite one is the Kelvinator!
Thanks, TwoBrokeGuyz!!
Hi Kev!
Loved the tour! It’s amazing the Ingenuity that went into the older products compared to today? And the way they lasted is another big thing! My grandma had a Frigidaire in her basement when I was younger and that was so similar to the Norge one you have. It was so cool! I will be sure to keep my eyes open for more of those egg shelves for that fridge you have as well when I’m at flea markets. “Hi Ralph!!”
Hugs!
Jeff xo
Hi Jeff! The engineering of these vintage appliances is fascinating and they figured out a way to do things without the aid of computers. That Frigidaire fridge of your grandma's was probably from the late 50's or early 60's. Thanks for keeping an eye out for those egg holders!! Hope all is well! Thanks, Jeff!!
I really enjoyed this. As a kid my Grandma had that exact same Kelvinator and my Mom had that exact same Frigidaire.
Hi Tom - glad you liked the video! Thanks!
The refrigerator we had when I was growing up was a general electric. Mama had bought it in the early 1950s and paid $500.00 for it which was what she earned in one month as an office manager in a law office. It had a separate freezer. The refrigerator part had shelves that were half circles hanging from a central post so you could turn the self around to get things that were at the back.
Hi Margaret - those GE refrigerators featured "Lazy Suzan" shelves that would turn out - how neat that you had one! Thanks!
Love those lazy-susan shelves. They are very expensive to purchase now - in halfway decent shape. You see them for sale every so often for a good price but those examples are usually beat up and need a total restore.
Fascinating technology and beautiful design.🥰
It really was advanced technology for the time - and these are beautiful appliances. Real style!
@@cavalcadeoffood: Definitely! I’m considering getting a retro-look fridge if and when my 21-year-old Frigidaire goes out. So far, I’ve never had any issues with it aside from having to change the light bulb once. Nevertheless, the price of a retro-look fridge can be prohibitive.
I recently looked at major name brand refrigerators the same size as mine (approx. 18 cubic feet) at the home improvement store. They all felt so lightweight, cheap, and flimsy. 😢
Hi Kevin I love the vintage appliances you have and shared. We had a similar fridge in our basement in my house in Brooklyn. Only ours was a fridged air
Hi Bob - glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood I enjoy your videos. I have the same interests as you. I love to cook and bake and I love and wish having vintage appliances.
Can you make an aisle by aisle pan video of your entire collection?
Ralph was giving us a little tease on the way to office.
There are so many different items between major collection items.
Hi Powerline Kid - I don't know if I'll do an aisle by aisle tour of the whole place here because I try to keep the content food focused, but I'm putting up more photos of the collection on the Cavalcade website. cavalcadeoffood.com/ Thanks!
That dishwasher beside of your first refrigerator is a Kitchen Aid...probably made by Hobart...BEST EVER DISHWASHERS! I had a '76 portable that had the wooden butcher block on top! It lasted until 2014...no repairs...EVER. I loved the racks inside..best ever design...I wouldn't give you $.02 for the rack designs they now have in dishwashers! If I could..I go back to the dump and grab my old K.A. and fix it and put it in my new kitchen...if I could!😊
Yes those kitchenaid dishwashers were all made by hobart . We had the kitchenaid from 1962 that lasted us over 30 years great machine fixed once . Worked like a charm.
Hi Marfa! Those older Kitchen Aid dishwashers are the best. I have two Superba models. The white one in the kitchen studio and a coppertone portable with a butcher block top. Both are excellent. I agree - the new dishwashers don't hold a candle to these! Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood Yes! mine was a Superba, too! Funny thing...just two weeks before mine died...I was out to lunch with some friends...and as we were going back to my car, a Hobart Van ..repairman, was outside his van and I bragged about my dishwasher ( I shouldn't have...I think i jinxed it!) and two weeks later it died the night of thanksgiving...fully loaded to the gills! Hahaha! Luckily my son emptied it and did the dishes for me! Have a great day!!!
Amazing how these videos job old memories. My grandmother lived in a very modern home for the time with a Frigidaire refrigerator with a freezer door on the bottom that you had to open the refrigerator then swing down the freezer door. There, frequently were those frozen popsicles that you had to freeze first, that we had for treats. I think that the house was built about 1959 or so and a washing machine with an agitator that went up and down. Funny how one remembers those details.
Hi Ken - glad the video brought back memories of your grandmother's home. Thanks!
Thank you Kevin for this tour . The Westinghouse Frost Free with the push button to open the door. Don’t know was open the door 50 times to start this defrost system. Thanks for this information too . Fred.
You're very welcome, Fred! Appreciate you watching!
What a great tour of beautiful vintage refrigerators! I have and am using the exact GE that you have in your kitchen! I bought her about 7 years ago for my original 1949 kitchen. The modern fridge is in the basement for the overflow...seemingly backwards to what most people do...but the newer models just didn't go. I have found that the food quality of my vintage GE is MUCH better than that of the basement fridge. Mine has the meat drawer but is missing the crisper drawers at the bottom. The kitchen came with a '58 GE electric stove, 40 inch. I did some restoration work on it when I moved in. It gets tons more compliments than the refrigerator which I never understood. I love them both! I finally getting around to re-doing the entire kitchen which had been 1980-ified. Can't wait to dapple the room with some nifty items from the era. I am also a Michigander. Maybe one day I can make the trip to see your collection. We're about 2.5 hrs. away. I just subscribed to this channel and look forward to catching up on all you have on here.
Hi Elizabeth - that 1949 GE fridge was one of their best. It keeps food beautifully well. Sounds like you have a fun vintage kitchen! Thanks for subscribing and I'm glad you enjoy the videos!
That ice cube tray display probably went with a GE Monitor Top fridge. They were the first to have ice trays. I've got a very early tray without the easy serve lever, which probably dates from 1928 or 29.. My GE fridge is a 1958 canary yellow, with all the drawers and even the mini-cube GE ice trays. Love it. Thanks for showing us your collection, Kevin. Very nice!
Hi Cynthia! One of these days I'm going to figure out what fridge that display went with! Your '58 GE sounds incredible - the canary yellow color is my favorite from that period! I've seen those mini-cube trays - what a neat idea. Thanks so much!
I have been looking forward too seeing your fridge collection they sure don't make them like that today I got a older Kenmore fridge avocado green very 70s I wish I had a yellow stove like the ones you got I really like the Norge fridge from 60s simple and works great will work for years too come
Hi Gary - your avocado Kenmore sounds great! They were built to last back then! Thanks!
I would love to have a "retro frig" to go with my O'k & M 1940s stove! the new ones (Big Chill, etc.) are so ridiculously expensive. The first Westinghouse was the holy grail of retro refrigerators!
Hi GSM! A vintage fridge would be perfect with your beautiful O&M range! They are out there - keep looking! The prices on the new "retro" style appliances are crazy! Thanks!
I have a red Big Chill, I got it about 15 years ago. I don’t know how much they cost now, but back then it was about $2000.00, I think. I have loved it. I also got the dishwasher panel, I’m not sure if they sell those anymore.
We can all remember those type of ice cube trays, pull-the-lever and the newspaper box, you don't see those around much any more. Maybe until just after the turn of the century. Pretty amazing collection that you have on display.
Hi Ken Nixox - thanks so much!
My grandmother had a Frigidaire refrigerator with the tiny freezer in the kitchen (she always called it the "icebox") and a chest freezer in the garage (she treated us to ice cream!). I think she bought the refrigerator in the late 40s and it lasted until the early 70s when she finally bought a new one. Frost free of course! Very interesting vid. Thanks.
Hi Tim - the Frigidaires like your grandmother had were very reliable. Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks!
I recognized that first 1949 GE refrigerator immediately, but I wasn't 100% sure until you opened the door and saw the freezer. When I was growing up in the '70s, we had one of those in our basement. It had originally belonged to my grandparents, but when they decided to buy a more modern refrigerator, they gave it to my parents. Since my parents already had a modern fridge in the kitchen (which probably came with the house), they put the GE in the basement to store any "extras" or "overflow" that wouldn't fit in the main fridge such as drinks (including beer) and food that was bought for an upcoming holiday or other special occasion (e.g., a turkey, pies). Anyway, that little box freezer was usually covered with a thick layer of frost--thick enough to reduce the usable space inside. As I recall, we used it primarily for popsicles and other frozen treats--even candy bars that would otherwise melt in the summer heat. (Anyone remember freezing Charleston Chews then smacking them against something to break them into bite-sized pieces?) I can't tell you how many times me and my friends would sneak downstairs to snitch something out of that fridge. (No, not the beer--the sweets!)
I forgot to mention that my grandfather was a draftsman at GE, so I know he believed in the brand and I'm guessing that he probably got some kind of employee discount when he bought that fridge.
Hi Eric - that's a great story and I think many families did the same thing buy putting the old fridge in the basement for overflow, pop and beer. Many of the old refrigerators I have collected were in basements. These particular GE fridges are well made and were very reliable! GE was making very well built appliances in these years. Thanks!
Hi Kevin,
Loved the fridge tour. We had a similar Westinghouse like the first one you showed us except the handle was a sort of a side pull not automatic like yours. Others with greater knowledge, feel free to correct me but I believe it was a hot gas defrost. That meant that after 50 openings of the door, a reversing valve switched the refrigerant flow so the freezer became instantly hot and within a very short period of time, the frost melted. Ours was a Canadian model built in Hamilton, Ontario. This unit ran continuously from 1955 (approx.) until 2013. You can be sure...if it's Westinghouse!
Hi Brian! That Westinghouse was available with a standard door (I think they probably sold more of those than the pushbutton door). I was told there was a coil to defrost, but I know that we have some people who watch who know the technology inside and out, so they can verify. The hot gas defrost would also make sense. This fridge was made in Mansfield, Ohio. As I recall, Hamilton was a pretty large industrial city at one time. Sounds like your Westinghouse ran for a good long time!! Thanks!
I have a 1969 Admiral and it still works like new. I see people buying modern junk with all these computers and fancy lights that burn out in a few years…and they spent thousands on it. I bought mine for $125. The only thing I don’t like is when it defrosts, it empties into a pan in the bottom that you have to dump out about 1x a week. But other than that it works amazing. Plus I use my metal ice trays and I absolutely love them
Hi Kevin! So glad to hear that your '69 Admiral is still going strong! Most new refrigerators last only 15 years or so (some even less). I know those evaporator pans on the bottom can be a pain, but you've got a good fridge there! Love that you use your metal ice trays! Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood All new appliances have a planned obsolescence of 7 years. Replacement parts are made for 10 years. Very sad when you think about it.
Love the vintage appliances. They were more like furniture. The Decorated the kitchen
Thanks so much, Cindy!
I also wish they still made refrigerators with a butter warmer in them. I hate having cold hard butter to try to spread on my toast. Don't forget in this era - mom was home to cook everyone breakfast and people had larger families as they could survive on one (dad's) salary. So I guess they ate more eggs back then. No one worried about cholesterol in egg yokes. Refrigerators at the time advertised you could store extra ice cubes in the meat tray - the tray below the little freezer, if you were having a party - they would keep the cold enough for a few hours, but not for long term storage.
The butter keeper is a nice feature - too bad they still don't offer things like that. Thanks!
Kevin it looks like you have a vintage Maytag dishwasher by the Westinghouse refrigerator. Made in 1980s another great machine .. I do sway towards kitchenaid s than beacause hobart made kitchenaid back in the day and hobart made the commercial appliances for the restaurant’s
Hi Bob! Yes, that is a Maytag portable dishwasher. It's a pretty basic model, but it works well. Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood keep sharing your posts love to watch
Do you have any vintage dishwasher s to show?
Beautiful collection. Pretty sure my parents had a GE pre-'57, bc the handle locked. Later known to be safety hazard. And then we either has Westinghouse or another GE from the 60s. It was very tall & super heavy. Freezer was of considerable size on the bottom. Could stuff an elephant in the frig! Great vid.
Thanks, Sallie!
Nice collection. The GE Quick Tray point-of-sale piece is in amazing condition. In my search of ephemera, it appears that the Quick Tray and the Triple Thrift campaign was first used in 1938.
Hi Powerline Kid - I was told that display was from 1938, so it must have been part of the launch of that campaign. Thanks!
I was going to tell you, that my grandpa had a natural gas refrigerator in his garage and we had one in our garage too. They were Servels. Weird to think they ran of natural gas! :)
Hi GSM! Those Servel refrigerators were always fascinating to me! They actually lasted a long, long time because there was no moving parts! Thanks for sharing that - interesting that you and your grandpa both had one!
Electrolux I think made them - Thomas Edison wanted to invent a refrigerator (unless I am mistaken) that had no moving parts and did not require electricity - an electric motor to run. I read most of these still work and if they do not, they may have an air bubble in the 'freon' line, so to fix them you have to burp them like a baby - I think rock them around to dislodge the air bubble and then the freon will flow as it should. I know some people who do not believe in electricity or I guess who do not have electricity - for religious beliefs or living off grid, you can still buy new refrigerators like this - that have a holding take full of kerosene and a flame that heats the freon and operates the refrigerator.
It sounds like his foors are about to explode under all them heavy beasts of electric appliances lol
FRIGIDAIRE with its ‘IMPERIAL’ model, in the door there was an electrically operated BUTTER KEEPER, which worked very well, but inside the door there was a gasketed FREEZER DOOR
but I must say I really love our programmes , WHER IN USA AE YOU? So if I ever get wherever, I’d stop in to say hello ! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Glad you enjoy the videos! I'm in Michigan. Thanks!
Yes indeed! I am one of those who had been hoping for you to do this video for a very long time! The Westinghouse at 3:48 (which I had briefly glimpsed in a couple of your previous videos) is the exact model that my paternal Grandmother had. As you toured the unit I could almost see the Jell-O pudding parfaits she used to keep for us in the door unit. And out of the freezer would occasionally come a pint of Howard Johnson's (memba them?) vanilla ice cream to go with her homemade cakes. Sorry for all of the rambling but I'm still a little goosebumpy.
Hi James!! I'm glad I was finally able to get around to covering the refrigerators. Nice story about your grandmother's Westinghouse. Oh how I remember HoJo's, and I miss it. We had one near our home and on Friday had all-you-can-eat clam strips! Believe me, I got my money's worth! And their ice cream was great. Thanks!!
@@cavalcadeoffood Not to belabor it but I would like to add that decades after Grandma passed and the house was being emptied and sold that Westinghouse was still running!!!
@@jamessheridan4306 wow - that shows how solidly these were built. I have to say, that Westinghouse is the heaviest fridge I've ever moved!!
Hi! The push button Westinghouse, just like my Betty, is a 1954 model. I’ve recently painted her from brown (painted with a brush!) to white again, with a new sharp black gasket (I hate gray and no one make blue anymore). I need to figure out how to smooth the rolling shelves operation and she should be ready to join my 1955 Westinghouse stove in the kitchen. I can hardly wait!
I have a scar on the side of my left thumb from defrosting my parents freezer when I was a teen back in the 60's--- the early 70's. I cut it on ice from using a pick to chop the ice.
Hi Sharon - wow! You won't ever forget the days of having to defrost the fridge!! That must have hurt! Now you have the story to tell!
@@cavalcadeoffood it did, I almost passed out. But no stitches were required. :)
Great way to puncture your freezer compartment and render your refrigerator useless. I used to just open the door, put a huge pan under the frosted up freezer and put a fan on a chair blowing room temp air into the fridge. I used an electric 'ice melter' o one fridge but I think it boiled the freon and the fridge was never the same after that. It still worked but not as well as it used to.
Hi Kevin. That's a nice collection of vintage fridges. If I had seen that Norge in somebody's garage or basement I would have assumed it was an off-brand modern budget fridge. It doesn't look that different. I know some people are set in their ways and keep eggs in the refrigerator door. A lot of Manufacturers still offer that feature.
Hi Robert - amazing how that Norge - now 60 years old - looks very contemporary. I guess the cabinet design of basic refrigerators hasn't changed that much. I can see the convenience of putting the eggs on the door, but now you wonder how you keep track of expiration dates since they are on the cartons. I guess if you use enough eggs regularly there isn't a need to worry about it. Thanks!
I grew up in a 1955 mobile home with the westinghouse frig her much like that but with a gold color panel on front under handle.
Thanks! I know the Westinghouse model you are referring to - those were good refrigerators.
In 1990 I bought a mint condition 1964 G.E fridge. It had all the metal containers. The freezer was a pull out drawer underneath with two huge ice cube trays that flipped over and emptied into one large holder tray. The freezer rolled out and had so much room , it was the greatest. A shot of freon once a year and it worked perfect. Now the underneath freezers are the rage but you couldn't find them in the 90s . A salesman assured me no one would want them again , we know that was wrong!
Isn't it funny how the lower freezers were around way back then and then fell out of fashion and now are back in demand again? Those old GE bottom freezers were great! Thanks!
My grandmother had a big green refrigerator with a huge freezer on the bottom. I always like those fridges with the freezer on the bottom. It made it easier to reach into the refrigerator food compartment on top. I have a evil side by side and I hate it. You have to reach to the floor to get things out of the bottom from both the refrigerator and freezer, such a pain and the shelves are like 5 inches wide - I hate that evil refrigerator, but I refuse to pay thousands for a crappy new stainless steel fridge that is made in china, that I know will be breaking in a few years.
I grew up with the Coldspot. It was still in use in the 70,s
Hi Karen - the Coldspot was sold by Sears. They were great refrigerators!
The Kelvinator has a "Vacation" selection on the temperature control!
Thanks, Mike!
Thank you for the Fridge Tour! My mom had a 1953 GE very similar to your 53 Westinghouse, but hers didn't have a frost free freezer. It was full width. I loved the light in that fridge that lit up the blue GE logo about eye level when the door was open. That fridge went to my grandmother next door in 1973 and it outlasted her and was still running in the 1990s. You didn't mention refrigerator dishes. The GE ones were cobalt blue and clear. They were glass or china and made to stack and were the Tupperware of their day.
Hi Jonathan! I've seen those GE models like the one you had. They were good refrigerators and I'm not surprised to hear that it was still running in the 1990's. I have a few refrigerator dishes but I'll have to save those for another episode. Some of them were made by Hall China. The ones for the Kelvinator refrigerators were especially nice. Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood Yeah, I have a Hall loaf dish that says Hall and "made for Westinghouse" It's periwinkle and white.
GM made Frigidaire, Nash made Kelvinator, interesting how American companies had such a broad range of product manufacturing, they made stuff! We all worked making stuff! Compared to now, shame. Anyway that's a whole other topic. You'd be proud of me, a recent trip to my favorite second hand store yielded a set of stainless steel waterless Lifetime Cookware for peanuts. When I saw it on the rack, gleaming under the florescent lights, in pristine condition, my heart skipped...I'm sure you know the feeling.
Hi Briney - yes, there was a bit of overlap with the automotive industry and the appliance industry. Nash (later American Motors), General Motors, Borg-Warner, and Ford all had ownership of an appliance line at one time. Great find at the thrift store! Your eye spotted something extra special in those Lifetime Cookware products!! You must have been thrilled! Congratulations and enjoy them - they are made so well!
And your breath catches in your throat for a brief second. You instantly think "I have to have that - NOW".
I have that fridgair. It recently stopped working. Can't seem to find anyone who will repair it.
Hi Kevin love your vintage showroom 😊 and look forward to your videos I was wondering if you had any vintage washing machines? I love vintage appliances and you have an amazing collection thanks for sharing with us
Hi Diana! Thank you! I don't have any vintage washing machines - it's something I don't collect. I don't have any room for them! LOL
My husband’s grandma had a Philco refrigerator until the late 1990s. I don’t think our grandmothers’ old refrigerators failed. I think their children encouraged them to update them.
Love this one
You should do a series with Hans
That would be fun!
I had a repairman over today to reattach the stove vent that fell down after only a few months of installation. He made a smart remark about my 1993 stove and dishwasher,. I said yes they are old, they work, and they don't break down! He said one brand of new stoves allows a 100 degree temp drop in the oven before it cycle back on to heat the stove. Unbelievable to me. Any way , thanks for the tour of wonderful old appliances.
Hi Fred - hang on to those 1993 appliances! In the 30 years since those were made the life expectancy has reduced! Amazing that you could lose 100 degrees before it would call for heat again. Not good if you are baking! Thanks!
Buy the stove that drops 100 degrees, and wonder why your souffles and cakes always fall. How can companies stay in business manufacturing lousy products. I've seen a lot of videos on people who bought new expensive (thousands of dollars) appliances and a few weeks or months later they were having issues. Unbelievable.
hey there awesome video. love the Westinghouse fridge. always found the magic counter button to be an interesting system. regarding the missing egg holders, there's a channel on here called Vintage 55 Restorations, and the guy that runs it is usually able to either fabricate or find parts, so you can try reaching out.
🙂
hope that helps
Hi John! Thanks for the tip - I will check out Vintage 55. I figured one day I may find another of these that was not working and just get some parts off of it like the egg holders. But I'll see what Vintage 55 might have. Thanks!
Great video thank you
You're welcome, Dave! Thanks for watching!
Love ❤️ 😍 💖 ❣️ 💕 💘 you guys.
Thanks so much, Nanna Bou!
love your collection. i wonder why the current producer never produce those stove that like in the 1930s to 1940s. I love those small oven compartment. it make it more sensible and allows us to make alots more different food cooking
Hi Ducky - they don't manufacture things the same way today. It would probably cost too much to make them they way they did back then. Thanks!
Love this!!! I was so intrigued to learn what went into the designing of vintage refrigerators. Do you have vintage radios or clocks? Your collection is so impressive. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Beth - I have some vintage kitchen clocks and table radios. After 40 years of collecting, you end up with an assortment of things! Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood Do you plan on any videos to show your vintage clocks and table radios? I would love to see these.
I like being a food friend!
Hi John! I'm glad you're a food friend!! Thanks so much!
Such lovely designs. It's a real shame you can't get anything even resembling that level of class nowadays.
Fun fact for anyone that watched the show I Love Lucy, maybe you remember the fridge she had, It was a handled Westinghouse Frost Free.
Hi Fellow Tractor - they really put a lot of thought into the design and style back then. Westinghouse was a sponsor of I Love Lucy. Thanks!
I so agree, back then when people made them, the engineers, didn't just make them to last but also added in the 'style' and 'pretty' factor before the item went into production. Think of cars back from the 1920's to mid 1960's they had a lot of nice added touches to make them that much more enjoyable to look at. These added touches were not necessary and did nothing but please your eye and looked nice. Now things are all square - no nice touches, all either stainless steel or plastic which to me is so ugly. I have 2 huge industrial (well not that huge as you can get them in triple doors) stainless steel commercial freezers, but I have them for durability and practicality not for their looks that is for sure. If I wanted a nice looking commercial freezer / refrigerator I'd go for one of those old all wood ice box models - the walk in ones, of course. But then again I'd need a huge house to put it in, or maybe a separate room to house it ! Ok, in my next life I'll have that.
that dishwasher next to that westinghouse we owned at our last house
Hi Captain Char! That's a great dishwasher! Thanks!
Hi, Sad to say my sister had to get rid of the GE fridge, exactly like yours recently. It still worked. I have the original ice tray handle that was also a bottle opener. One used it to grab the ice tray from the freezer with it's claw/hook. Then you used the hook end to release the cubes from the tray, using leverage to pry out the ice. It has the GE logo on it, and is pictured in the original user manual I found online.
Hi Longhairbear - too bad she had to get rid of her old GE. Those were pretty well made and I still see quite a few working to this day. I've never seen the ice tray handle - glad you saved it! Interesting design and way to get the ice cubes out of the trays. Thanks!!
Look long enough you can find crispers for your refrigerators, people turn the old fridges into smokers and beer dispensors and sell off the shelves and crispers. The GE thriftsavers were very popular - and sold in the 1930's and 1940's and heavily advertised how thrifty they were to run. Many of them are still for sale on ebay and I would think most of them are still working. They were not too big, but like you said extremely heavy - made of steel or maybe it was cast iron - by how heavy they feel to move.
Thanks - I often see old crisper drawers around that people kept after the refrigerators stopped working.
I was gifted a 1950 General Motors Frigidaire for Christmas. We are trying to figure out the 1 dial setting. I believe it has # 1-5 and then A B C on it. We had it on 1 but it froze everything in the fridge. Turned it to 2 but it started running so figured it was just going to get colder on that setting. Going to just keep adjusting it I guess through trial and error. Trying to find info on it but falling short. Would appreciate any help you could give me!
Like I mentioned before, we had a Gibson. I've never seen one since.
Hi Jane - I don't see many Gibson appliances out there, and they were made in Michigan where I am. I have a Lady Gibson range, but would love to find a fridge one of these days. Thanks!
I believe the Norge must be around 61 62 or so, The Westinghouse you showed with the ribs on the door is a 49, in 49-50 they used those ribs We had a 50 with full width freezer my Grandparents bought it new in 50 The Frigidaire is also a 1950, my parents first fridge
Thanks, Hans! I knew you would have a good idea about the years!
I have a green kelvinator fridge in my. I don't know how old it is I wish I did, I have an absolutely massive chest freezer too made by mcgraw-edison. I'm convinced the the freezer was put in and the house was framed around it 😆 very much enjoyed the video like I do with all of them. Any ideas how I could figure out the manufacturer date on my appliances?
Hi CDNCarGuy - glad you enjoy the videos. Sometimes it's hard to date the appliances, but one way is to search for old advertisements online for your refrigerator. Sometimes you can identify what you have and see what year the ad was published (in a magazine or newspaper). Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood do you know the range of years hamilton beach made the model g stand mixer? I picked up what I believe (still unknown for sure) is a eaton's department store brand stand mixer but is I recognized as a hamilton beach and sure enough it is a model g.
I heard a lot of people kept those old chest freezers, as they no longer fit up the stairs, so it is better to just keep using them as they are too impossible to move and too large - so you may be right, they put in the freezers and finished up building the rest of the basement around them. You can find some really cool online sales for very old walk in - or very large commercial reach in refrigerators, that were put in a back room and I swear the room was finished being built around them - I think a lot of country stores or deli's had them. A lot of them had separate compressors off in another room.
I want what my mother's friend had the refrigerator on the wall! at good height for her!
Hi Nora - those wall refrigerators were made by GE and they are neat! I don't know why they don't have designs like that today. Thanks!
Look on Facebook Marketplace. I see them on there all the time. Some are not working, but they are easy to fix. Don't forget the wall mount hardware, or you won't be able to hang it.
Love history,
My parents bought their first freezer, an upright in 1960.
The refrigerators really bring back memories. Seen many like them growing up. Between parents, relatives and friends homes.
The second apartment after my husband and I were married had a massive old refrigerator in it. They were old run down apartments, but had started life as luxury apartments.
The shelves in the fridge were semi circles and turned out for finding things.. Biggest fridge we ever had. Our fridge now if the biggest we have ever owned and it is not as big as that one. Not built in, but against a wall.
We were so broke we only had enough money for that weeks food. 9/10s empty after buying groceries. Totally empty before shopping.
Hi Dawn - thanks for sharing that story about the fridge in your first apartment. That may have been a GE because they featured the swing out shelves that were half-circle shape. Thanks!
After my parents' divorce, I have a few memories of my Old Man sitting in a kitchen chair and using a hair dryer to defrost his refrigerator and chipping away with a butter knife and a bucket to throw the ice into. Granted he did this only at best twice a year so there was always a lot of ice and it was a production.
Hi Jokerz - sounds like it was a job your dad didn't enjoy. Most people hated having to defrost the refrigerator so they would only do it when they had to. If you defrost them every couple of months then you never get much of a build up, but it's a pain. Thanks!
A lot less freezer room when they were all frosted up!
Amazing how much frost could build up around that freezer compartment! Thanks, Herman!
If you replace the seal on the Nordge, that would be a great video!
Hi Herman - I'll try to remember to record putting on the new one! Thanks!
WHY is the GE not running and full of food!!! you know it will keep fresh food better than any new one lol I really dont know about the Norge except i wish i had it !!! Its beautiful
LOL! I use it as a spare - but I can only have so many fridges plugged in at one time! LOL! That Norge is a pretty one! Thanks!
I love how there are nuclear bomb tests going on casually in the background while this is being filmed.
Thanks for watching!
I had a fridge with freezer on bottom foot pedal open and it had a hot gas defrost cycle not an element. Wish I could remember the name of the thing.
I've seen photos of those refrigerators. Why do I think they were made by either GE or Frigidaire? Thanks!
@@cavalcadeoffood General Electric monitor tops from the 1930's had a push the foot lever to open the door. It was advertised to keep your hands free - as they would be full of food to put in the fridge, yes open the door with out using your hands. In one leg of the fridge towards the bottom of the floor, was the foot lever you stepped on to open the door.
I have a Nesco Roaster circa 1947 Model 109. The unit is missing the clock knobs that set time, start time and stop time. Does anyone know of anyone who sells vintage parts that I could buy from. Even if they have only 1 knob I can make a casting mold and produce replacements. Your help will be appreciated.
Hi Michael - I don't know anyone who supplies these kinds of old parts, but keep an eye on Ebay. Many people part-out old appliances, especially if they don't work, and sell the knobs. Good luck! Thanks!
A lot of those electric roaster clocks or just oven clock timers are missing their knobs. Turn them the wrong way and they unscrewed and fell off, never to be seen again.
Where can you find the missing drawers , and the tray under the freezer?
Hi Ray - it's very difficult to find parts like that. It's easier to find another of the same model and take parts from it.
The first one. The freezer did not get to a very low temp. Also the thing needed to be defrosted very much was mess and pain.
Do you have vintageDishwashers..?.I see you have vintage Kitchenaid dishwasher from thee 1980s
Bob - I only have three dishwashers. I have a white Kitchen Aid Superba in the kitchen studio (you can see it in the cooking videos) that I found still in the original shipping crate. I also have a coppertone Kitchen Aid Superba portable with a butcher block top that I use from time to time. Both are great machines and wash extremely well. Thanks!
What!?! A butter keeper in the 50s Westinghouse!??!! This is my pet peeve, I rarely can have the perfect temperature for spreadable butter. Why or why don't they do that today?
The butter keeper was a great feature!
I was looking forward to seeing the refrigerators! What were the two smaller ones between the larger fridges? I've seen some vintage fridges that have lazy Susan's which I think is a great idea. Thanks for showing your collection.
Those are roasters.
It’s GE who made the lazy Susan shelves.
Hi TuckerSP2011 - you may have been looking at a couple of vintage electric roasters in between the refrigerators. From the time I recorded this until today, there is now a small 1960's Kelvinator refrigerator that I've put in that space. General Electric featured the Lazy Susan style shelves. Thanks!
Just an FYI, these old fridges have to have the doors completely removed when disposing them. If kids hide in them, there is no way out.
Herman - yes, I believe here it is unlawful to throw out an old fridge with the doors still on. Thanks!