Friday, April 11, 2014

Microwaves and Madness - My Microwave Browning Skillet Collection

I never use the nuke-u-lator, simply because I don't believe in subjecting my food to a form of energy that is blessedly blocked by our sweet Mother Earth.  If anything was suppose to be subjected to microwave energy, then the Magnetic field around the planet would be absent.  It's just darned unnatural.  I'm just sayin'

That, of course, does not stop me from collecting the Corning Ware microwave browning skillets. Thus far, I have been fairly picky about what goes in the collection.  I have a tendency towards the smaller P-series handled MW-8s instead of the larger MW-10s, whenever possible.  Why, you may ask?  It's simple really, the MW-10 pieces will not fit in my Microwave.  So, even though I do not use my Microwave, it just seems silly to collect something that I can never use, even though I will never use it anyway...  Does that make sense?  Probably not.  Aren't you glad you're not inside my head?  It does get quite noisy in there sometimes.

Anyway.........  This is my collection thus far.

It's nice to have records of designs made for specific microwave manufacturers as well as for department stores like Montgomery Ward and Sears, Roebuck & Co.  I am still looking for a J.C. Penney one, but I'm not sure whether it exists or not.

Blue Scroll/Filigree MW-10 (with P-10-C lid) in Blue Filigree Medallion (I have not found an 8 inch skillet in this pattern yet)



Department Store pieces:

Sears, Roebuck & Co. MW-8 with P-9-C lid (also available in MW-10, MW-16 and MW-A-10)


Montgomery Ward MW-8 with P-9-C lid (also available in MW-10 and MW-A-10)...



 Microwave Manufacturer specific pieces:

The Amana Radarange...  MW-10 with P-10-C lid (bottom) and MW-83 with P-83-C lid (top).  This pattern was also available as an A-series piece (MW-A-10)


This pattern was a recurring theme for Amana... Western Stoneware was contracted by Amana to produce a "Country Cooker" earthenware Microwave crock with the same pattern (though in brown)


 EKG or Radio Wave/Microwave design MW-8 (with P-9-C) in both Blue and Black.

Though they simply state "Microwave Brown N' Sear" on the bottom, these were actually made for General Electric.  I assume they were a "free gift with purchase of a microwave" type scenario.



Norelco MW-16 with P-12-C lid (and here I thought Norelco only made Electric Shavers?)
This is the largest patterned piece that I have found so far.  It's equivalent to the P-16-B/P-22 -B Electromatic Skillet.


Litton (I have no idea what the model number is of this piece).  This piece does not appear in the group photo above because they are not actually made by Corning.  The Litton skillet (though made of glass-ceramic) was made by Narumi of Japan out of their Neoceram formula. 



Where is your Corning Ware??
~~

5 comments:

  1. Not collect something you can't use! That is the exact opposite of the definition of collecting! I found a W-1 3/4- B the other day. In perfect condition, but the lid was a loser.

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  2. I went and dug out my searing pan and sadly it has no design, sigh. I believe it is a 10-inch pan and the lid said P 12.

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  3. Love your collection. Most unusual. Never knew these patterns existed!

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  4. A couple of observations in my short time collecting these. I find it interesting that although they were allegedly produced from about 1974 until sometime in the 1980's (according to some sources), that they had P-series handles and P-series lids with small knobs.

    Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never seen any particular pattern featured in more than one size. The only patterns I've seen on 10 inch MW skillets are Filigree and Colonial House (Amana Radarange). Conversely, I've never seen the other 4 or so patterns in anything other than the 8 inch size. The exception may be the MW 6 1/2 inch skillet, which I've only seen in colonial house. I have seen all three sizes in all white, though. Weren't these patterned pieces given away free to customers who purchased a microwave oven through the respective stores? That might account for why only certain stores ordered certain sizes.

    Also, does anyone have an exact start and end date for these? The Radarange was introduced in 1967, and I have a "Radio Wave" patterned skillet, with a booklet dated 1980. That's about all I know.

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