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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Thermador wall ovens and cooktops

Almost six decades ago, Thermador introduced their first wall ovens and changed the face of the American kitchen. Detached cooktops allowed for a more open kitchen floor plan and made kitchens appear more spacious. The built-in oven featured a recessed broiling unit for more usable space and double-compartment doors insulated with fiberglass and ventilated so it was never hot to touch.

Often cooktops were installed on a countertop that overlooked the den/living room or on an island in the center of the kitchen. These appliances utilized a downdraft exhaust, eliminating the need for a vent hood.

My mother had a wall oven and detached cooktop in her early-1960s kitchen, and I remember that another benefit of the configuration was not having to stand at a stove that was generating heat from the burners and the oven. Cooking was much more comfortable. If my 1950 kitchen would accommodate a wall oven, I'd love to have one.

Thermador is still in business, and replacement parts for vintage Thermador appliances are still fairly easy to find, as are the vintage ovens and cooktops themselves.

From beststuff.com and businesswire.com

thermador.com
eichlerific.com
eichlerforsale.com
Swing-out table integrated with oven
eichlernetwork.com
Eichler X-100 home with double oven
eichlernetwork.com
Cooktop with separate oven
eichlernetwork.com
ebay.com - flowr84
ebay.com - flowr84

14 comments:

  1. I would love to have one of these in a future home of mine. I always drool over them when I see them in old movies.

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    1. I don't have enough wall space for one in my kitchen, but if I ever sell this house, a wall oven will be on my list of must-haves.

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  2. the second picture reminds me of Brady Bunch kitchen..on my how much i was in love with that house!!

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    1. That house was so amazing. One of us ought to do a post on it! :)

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  3. The kitchen with the swing-out table integrated with oven is the coolest. I would not mind having a kitchen like that.

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    1. Isn't that the greatest? If people could design houses like that in the 50s, why are today's architects and builders of hopelessly predictable McMansions so unimaginative?

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    2. i completely agree with u...evry home looks so bland and unimaginative and to top it all...people buy stuff from rtg or similar stores. reasons architects give - demand for bigger and "contemporary" homes. Buyers say - these mcmansions are the only ones with resale value :(..not sure if i can trust that

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    3. Yes, Sudha...and I can't understand why they don't realize that the furniture from those stores is meant to be disposable and won't last. On the other hand, vintage furniture has lasted for decades and has decades more use in it...and keeps IKEA and RTG furniture out of landfills.

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  4. Our church has 2(well 1 now) of these in its 1960's kitchen! I secretly pray and wait for the day they say "out with the old and in with new" so I can swoop down on it!

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    1. You know, very few people value "old stuff" like we do, and they really feel as if they're getting rid of "junk," so you may very well end up with it someday. Wouldn't that be fantastic?

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  5. Love all these photos, so retro cool! I wouldn't trade my 1961 ranch house for any of those cookie-cutter homes. I love my little eclectic home.

    Your midmod home photos on the sidebar are fabu, love danish modern, mid century modern, any kind of modern!
    My Heywood Wakefield pieces will still be here long after I'm gone, lol.

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    1. I'm with you. Now that I've lived in a mid-century home, I could never buy the kind of home that's being built today.

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  6. As for me, choosing the right oven is very important. The more that I use it a lot in everyday cooking. That's why I decided to choose a stainless steel oven https://kitchenfurniture.online/collections/ovens which works great for me.

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