Monday, April 26, 2010

Bye Bye to the 1952 Thermador Oven

The 1952 Thermador oven. Can you believe how contemporary it looks? That's my pal Fred the Electrician, measuring the Thermador for her replacement.

Just a quick note as I have to schlep over to a large Hardware Diaspora to switch the electrical cord for my dryer (three prong) for the correct cord (four prong): another in a series of errors perpetrated by the folks at HD, who have only one solution for everything: "Just come on back to the store and we will exchange that for you." (Fortunately, I have nothing else to do.)

Anyway, the oven that has served my family's home since before it was my family's home, has finally gone the way of all things made by man: it has done gone and been replaced.

The Thermador fit into this cabinet that was slightly under 24" wide, which left us few options on the replacement side. BTW, look at how she was connected: no plug, just a pigtail of wires. That must have been code in 1952, when the house was built. Good thing we didn't set the house on fire, lo these fifty years of dinners.

But it still worked well enough for us to cook a turkey in it for my mother's funeral reception in December. And in March, for my father's funeral reception, my sister stayed at the house and used the old Thermador to cook the food that fed her family. The temperature gauge wasn't correct and the clock had stopped working about twenty years hence, but we did get good service from her since my mother and father bought the home that contained her in 1959.

In her place: the expensive German secret weapon. The Vengeance Oven. We fought them to make the world free for democracy and now we pay them to build our ... ovens, of all things.

It took two men to install it. Fred the Electrician and Raul his helper. Raul seems to have used some form of magic spell on the thing when he took it out of the box, which I managed to catch with my camera.

Actually, I think Raul was just removing the wrapping from the oven's handle, but at this point in my life, an oven with a magic spell has a definite appeal.

All these appliances are going to be far more energy efficient than the old ones, at least that is what the paperwork says. And we are supposed to get a tax rebate on most of them, so that should at least pay for, say, the handle on the der Ofen.

I suppose now is as good a time as any to admit that this fancy appliance is a Miele. I chose GE for the rest, because I've always thought GE appliances were so gemütliche. And they cost so many less marks than the Broiler from Berlin.

The fix is in. Now I'll have to learn do something with my oven, other than use it to store my shoes.

The Thermador looking forlorn in Fort Chapman's driveway. What a hip-looking appliance she was. And you could fit a lot of shoeboxes in her interior.

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10 comments:

Steve said...

Robin,
I'd bet that 1952 Thermador Oven may have some retro value to it. Somewhere,someone would love to have that oven in their Eichler home.

Robin Chapman said...

You are probably right. But the garage is full of stuff right now with just that potential. And won't it be fun to organize that garage sale in my free time! And, since I'm getting old and time is short, I let the electrician take the Thermador away. I'm hoping to get this house stuff wrapped up before I reach Social Security age so I can go on a nice trip around the world while I still have working feet to put up on a deck chair and cover with a blanket while I sip beef tea. But seriously: come on over to my house and go through the garage! I can make you some veery good deals ...

Steve said...

Dear Robyn,
I've been in downsizing mode myself and really don't need anymore "stuff" either. I can relate to what you're in the middle of right now. Hopefully that Lido deck is within sight at some point, and with a Long Island Ice tea. (I'm somewhat ignorant on the beef tea thing)
Craigslist would be a start to finance your cruise.
Be in touch when you can.

Robin Chapman said...

Okay steve: I'll probably see you guys next week and BTW it is Robin with an "i"!

Steve said...

Doh!!
I knew that.... It was late when I posted my comment and changed the spelling of your name.
I know someone that spells their name with y and it was automatic.

Laura said...

Hi Robin,

Don't feel guilty about having a Miele oven.

We moved into our latest home in Nov 2002. I have never had any luck with vacuum cleaners; for some reason, they just die on me within a couple of years. By February, my Hoover, less than 2 years old, bit the dust. I did a lot of internet research and finally decided on a Miele canister. (My first canister, woo hoo!) I went to the local Miele dealer and bought a "Red Velvet" vacuum for over $1,000.
When I told my husband, he laughed because he thought I was joking about spending $1,300 on a vacuum cleaner that would probably die too soon.

But it has been the best investment! With two labradors, one yellow and one brown (just so dog hair is visible no matter what color the furniture is) my Miele is still going strong. I told my husband, You get what you pay for, and in this case, we are really happy.

So, you can expect your Miele oven to outlast not only you, but probably the next owners of the home!

Enjoy...maybe make some red velvet cake???

Robin Chapman said...

Hey Laura, that is good news. I've heard their vacuums are great, and so I hope their oven is the Porsche of ovens (if I can just find the right trim to fill the gap above and below). Outlasting me ought to be a cinch at this point though ... And that Thermador must have set some kind of a record for mileage. Ah those old American made, union label products.

Unknown said...

Hi Robin,
OMG!! That 1952 Thermador oven you replaced is the exact one I have in a house I just bought for which I need parts.
Any chance you have info on whereabouts of your old oven?

Nick

Unknown said...

I really appreciate this post! We have the same oven, but have two. The bottom burners on each stopped working a few weeks ago and no one will come service them. I wasn't sure how to replace the units, but it looks like you found a good replacement. How do you like the Miele? Did it fit well into your old cabinet or did you have to construct a new one?

Robin Chapman said...

I should have put the blasted thing on ebay or at least Craig's list. But I was so focused on getting the new oven into the old oven's place I plumb forgot. This is a two year old post and I don't know what they did with the old Thermador. It sure gave good service, and even looked very modern until the very end ...