Admiral Electric Ranges

Not all old recipe booklets were published by the food companies. Appliance manufacturers also published their share of recipes in the instructional guides that came along with their new refrigerators, stoves, mixers and other modern kitchen helpers. Most kitchen appliance manufacturers had their own test kitchens and home economists, just as the food manufacturers did.

How to Enjoy your Admiral Range (undated, 96 pages) is one such booklet that was published by the Admiral Corporation. Although the booklet isn't dated, I would guess that it was put out sometime in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Magazine advertisements from the mid-1950s that I have show later models than the ones found in this book.

This booklet was for the Admiral Electric Range Models S-0, S-1, S-2 and S-3. Although the features varied from model to model, some of the various features of these ranges were Flex-O-Heat units, a pop-up unit that could be used as a deep well cooker or as a fourth surface unit, a pastry oven, automatic timers, broilers, storage and warmer drawers, and an appliance outlet.

Although in the front of the booklet it states that "the recipe sections are limited," the recipes do take up about 60 pages, almost 2/3 of the entire booklet.

The recipes were for dishes that could be prepared on the top of the stove (surface units) and in the oven(s). They cover the usual recipe category range, from Appetizers and Beverages on down to Vegetables. There are some color illustrations included with the recipes. Aside from one color illustration of the Model S-3, the rest of those that pertain to the operation of the stoves are shown in black and white.

I've included here the pages that show three of the models (click the images to enlarge) and illustrations of the rotisserie and deep well cooker.


People with vintage appliances are often searching for these original booklets. Some people like the look of the older appliances. Many like the durability and believe that older models are superior in workmanship and quality to their modern counterparts.

Years later, I still lament the loss of my grandmother's 1930s Chambers gas range that was sold along with her house. I loved that stove and wonder who has it now. Friends and relatives insisted that it was "too heavy to move" and pretty much thought I was crazy for wanting it. Hopefully it wasn't removed to the junk heap.

There are several interesting online resources for vintage stoves. One is devoted solely to the Chambers brand. Be sure to check out The Old Appliance Club too. The whole place is a goldmine of information and a great resource.