ApplianceAdvisor Appliance Report ELMIRA STOVE WORKS Return to Index 800

The New Appliance Report from ApplianceAdvisor.com

ELMIRA STOVE WORKS
800-295-8498
Makers of technically modern antique styled appliances

2006 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
New Wood Burning Induction Cooktop
We said that they are "makers of technically modern antique styled appliances", but somehow this seems wrong. If you want antique styling, should it arrive at the door with convection or sealed gas burners or induction? There is evidently a significant segment in this country's population who can be differentiated from the rest of the species by their annual RV pilgrimages to Branson, MO, by the "country" aesthetic of their homes, and by their new Elmira antique ranges with all the modern conveniences. The Elmira range is not the first purchase on this long sad road paved by Martha Stewart. No, the Elmira antique range is simply the inevitable final acquisition for those who have Disney-fied the past, who have forgotten the exploitations, disease, injustice, privations and early death of our gap toothed ancestors. These ranges are for people who are mentally unfit to consider either the contradiction of this appliance or their attraction to a period of history that left so much to be desired.
Elmira is also offering a 2-burner induction cooktop AND a 2-burner induction option on their ranges.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2006Appliancephotos/2006elmira2.jpg

2005 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Nothing new to report.

2004 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
The New 1950's Line of Product
We cannot say enough about Elmira's swing for the seats here. Not a remake of any appliance line, these products are actually a kind of caricature of an entire era of industrial design with soft curves, 9 "nifty" bright colors such as Candy Red and Flamingo Pink, and several lbs of chrome. Appliances have become serious products engineered by folks focused on solving problems employed by firms dedicated to the bottom line and managed by uncreative people. Is anyone in this industry having any fun? Who is to make the kitchens for America's Mini-Cooper owners, iPod-ites, or Google executives? Why has the industry stylistically dead-ended with "Euro-sleek" and "Pro-style"? Are these to be the only options when trying to avoid the generic hell of the mass market? Elmira has the answer......though not in range hoods.
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/elmira1950kitchen.jpg

The Range
The new range is no antique. It is packed with all the bells and whistles found on the most advanced 30" units available and is available in electric, gas or dual fuel configurations.
The electric smooth top features (2) 1.5Kw, (1) 2.0Kw, and (1) 2.5Kw elements
The gas top features (1) 15K, (1) 12K, and (2) 8K BTU sealed burners, electronic spark ignition / re-ignition and cast iron grates, on a glass surface.
The electric self cleaning oven is supplied by KitchenAid and features a 4.3 cu ft volume and hidden bake elements. Convection is an option but it will cost you $300 and 0.3 cu ft of oven space.
The gas oven is also supplied by KitchenAid and features a 4.0 cu ft volume with a 16K BTU bake but alas no convection option.
Elmira has added one more must-have to the mix, an optional 1.9 cu ft warming drawer where the storage drawer used to be.
The ranges sell for the eye popping price of $3700 - $4000. Add another $600 for warming drawer. These prices are roughly double similarly equipped Bosch 30" ranges (which have themselves been called overpriced). There are no obvious technical reasons these products are priced as they are. We can only figure that good old fashioned Canadian profit making is going on. Elmira has no competition, so these prices will hold until one of the those mindless trolls managing the major brands rises from the putrid stew of his own jetsam and decides to copy them. We have been told that the ranges are currently in an unbelievable backorder situation.
http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/northstar/index.cfm?section=ranges&subsection=features
http://www.applianceadvisor.com/2004Appliancephotos/elmira1950range.jpg
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The Hood
This is a quicky Chinese type hood with a claimed performance of 800CFM and a price of $1000. We believe this performance number to be fallacious, a figment of the fertile imagination of some poor Chinese engineer trying to get ahead. Trust no hood performance if not an HVI certified performance, and this unit is not certified.
We suggest that you buy a $250 white one from GE or Broan, paint it to match your range, and send us 10% of the savings.
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Elmira Hood Page

2003 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Nothing new on display at the show, but there are few things promised. Elmira will be offering 30" ranges styled for the 1950's in (3) configurations, all electric, dual fuel, and all gas. The electric ovens will feature self clean and optional convection, the gas oven will feature self clean, the electric top is a ceran smooth top, while the gas top features a total of 43K BTU. There is an upgrade option for all (3) configurations, the inclusion of a warming area in the lower drawer. The brochure also showed a rather non-1950's chimney hood of an Italian style with 500 CFM. Available between Qtr 3, 2003 and Qtr 1, 2004.

2002 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Nothing new to report

2001 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
There's Hope of Finding Elmira's Newest Appliance Designer Alive
Elmira expands from its niche of 1860 to 1910 styled modern tech appliances, into the 1950's with the Northstar brand refrigerator. Bottom mount, 18.1 cu ft, 30-5/8" wide, available in such 50's fab colors as Robin's Egg Blue, Flamingo Pink, Mint Green, White, Buttercup Yellow, Candy Red, Black, and Quicksilver Metallic. The refrigerator uses GE refrigeration technology which meets Fed 2002 efficiency requirements. GE will start shipping to Elmira in July, Elmira anticipates shipping the assembled refrigerators in August 2001. For a company that exists solely to mine the creative juices of long dead appliance designers, THIS idea is very "out of the box" thinking. We hope and assume that Elmira will continue harvesting the appliance designs of 1950’s with the addition of cooking appliances. Retail price of $2600 for the fridge seems very high, but they must know their business. Otherwise, bravo. Just don’t drop the ball in cooking.
http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/1950.html

Adding Function to Form
Elmira created function where once there was only form by a adding warming oven on their 1880s styled ranges. The warming oven is located in the area that on a "true" antique would be the water warming tank. Elmira had kept this area in the past as a sealed and useless aesthetic appendage, but now makes the clever move of reclaiming this empty void for actual use. Only has an On/off. Optimal temperature is 200 F. Could benefit by the addition of a drawer to improve access.

Non-Dung Powered Dual Fuel Range Top
In the old'in days, a dual fuel range top would have been powered either by wood or by cow dung, but Elmira has moved forward with this gas/electric model. This 45" wide ceran glass top sports 4 gas burners (8K, 8K, 12K, 15K BTU) and 2 electric elements (1500 and 2000W).

2000 Kitchen & Bath Show Introductions
Nothing to report