Identifying a vintage stove

Roamer1971

11 years ago

I have this vintage stove that I'm trying to identify. The glass plate on the backsplash looks as if it may have said Tappan at one time. I sent pics to a stove guy, though, asking about parts and he swore it's an O'Keefe and Merritt. It does more closely resemble an O'K & M than a Tappan, but the sides are made differently than the pics I've seen.

I haven't yet been able to find any sort of model number on it, but I haven't torn it apart yet either.

Any ideas what I might have? Sorry I didn't clean it up before the pics.

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Comments (14)

breezygirl
11 years ago
I don't have any idea. I hope you figure it out! I think you may also find help over on the Appliances Forum. I'll link it below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Appliances Forum
bayareafrancy
11 years ago
It doesn't look like any OKM that I've ever seen.

let us know if you ever find out.

:-)

Francy
Vintage stove nut
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arlosmom
11 years ago
Our house had a Tappan Delux in the kitchen when we moved in (still regret not keeping it). While definitely not the same model, it looked very similar style-wise to your stove:
onedogedie
11 years ago
Handles look O'keefe & Merritt but the linked blogger thinks Tappan and O'keefe might have been affiliated once ...

Here is a link that might be useful: November post lists Tappan models
Roamer1971
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks everyone. I suspect it's a Tappan from the time that they were affilliated with O'Keefe and Merritt. I sent a pic to the Tappan Talk site a while back and they couldn't identify it either. Must be an oddball of some sort.

I'm debating about fixing it up and keeping it or washing my hands of it and moving on. Will decide after I clean it up, I guess. It will be hard to find replacement parts if I can't identify it.
artemis78
11 years ago
If you decide to keep it and those handles are the same size as the OKM ones, I might have an extra of that broken piece (if I can find it!) I also don't think it's actually an OKM, though--it may just be sporting some inherited handles!
EATREALFOOD
11 years ago
This repairwoman might be able to identify and give input on finding parts.

Here is a link that might be useful: stovelady
Roamer1971
Original Author
11 years ago
I don't think it's an OKM either...but I haven't found a Tappan with the same setup (stove and broiler on the right, large and small storage/warmers on the left). That's why I'm leaning towards the idea that it's an OKM influenced Tappan. The overall look is Tappan, but the layout is OKM. Weird.

Thanks for the link and information. That broken handle part would be amazing! Let me know if you can find it and what the cost is. Thanks!
EATREALFOOD
11 years ago
I really hope it works out for you, we on GW LOVE vintage stoves !!!!!
artemis78
11 years ago
Okay, I'll see if I can find it--one of my new year's resolutions was to sort through and rehome all the piles of remodel junk (err, I mean, awesome vintage finds...) that grew in our basement while we were changing our minds about what to do, so that will be some incentive. ;) I'm fairly certain the extra handle we have is the 4 3/4" size (= the length of the chrome piece) if you want to see if it would even work. Not 100% sure it got kept, though.
artemis78
11 years ago
Found it on the first try! (You would be more impressed if you could see the state of the "reno" pile in our basement... ;) The chrome piece is 4 3/4" and the handle is 6" ctc, for comparison. It's the one on the right in this photo--we had to replace the whole thing because the section of Bakelite holding in the screw on the right side had cracked and been repaired poorly. If it looks promising and you end up moving forward, I can send you a photo of how the chrome cap connects to be sure it would work.

Here's a photo of our stove pre-reno--that's the extra handle on the right. (And just in case anybody stumbles on this post and is looking for the other style of handles--what our stove started with before I began working on it--I also kept the one on the left, though it's missing its Bakelite ends.)

It looks a whole lot better these days, though (and the lights and periscope work now!)
ci_lantro
11 years ago
Roamer--Take a look here...

Here is a link that might be useful: Tappan Talk blog
Roamer1971
Original Author
11 years ago
Hehe...I completely understand about finding things in the "reno pile". I am impressed! I'll let you know if I move forward with it. Your stove looks great!
Roamer1971
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks ci_lantro. That's actually my stove! I sent the pic in a few years ago when I first got it. In the meantime, life got in the way and it's sat in my basement until now. Even on the Tappan Talk blog, though, they weren't completely sure what model mine was. When I told the stove guy that it was a Tappan 70s series like the blog suggested, he swore it wasn't. It's close to that one, but not exact. :)