Belling cooker
 

Split from this thread: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=160667
They really are beautiful beasts aren't they, from the backlit front panel to the green VFD of the timer, to the nice clean lines and flush fit. Plus the fact that to get a similar modern cooker with the same level of features would still cost a lot and as such I hate to think how much they must have cost new. But my Grandad was defiantly a buy once cry once kind of guy.
I believe they were the first free standing cooker to be completely level with the work surface, so would look especially good in a brand new fitted kitchen (and given my grans kitchen (brought from Bradford's in Crewkerne) is from the 80's it fits in well).

Re: English Electric cooker
 

I`ve got the original bill (somewhere) for the earlier one that I`ve got, and if memory serves me right it was around £600 - in the early 80`s that was serious money......

But then, they were seriously well made too

Re: English Electric cooker
 

That's certinaly true, to think that if the ceramic top had not been damaged some years ago it would still be 100% original. Admittedly the VFD flickers a bit but as that is the only fault you can't complain.

Plus looking on the BoE website, assuming a 1982 purchase date you are looking at just over £2,000! in 2018 pounds, even going for 1987 it's still over £1,600.

Will have to get a picture of it later as I am going up there today.

Re: English Electric cooker
 

Worth every penny! Be good to see a photo, I may even have a spare clock module if you need one

Re: English Electric cooker
 

Here you go, not be cleaned properly in a while so excuse the dirt.

Re: Belling cooker
 

I’m sure my parents used to have a similar oven to the one pictured above when I was little! I remember it had a control panel that was backlit, and by the flicker when you turned it on I guess it was lit by a fluorescent tube, the other notable feature was that the control knobs needed pushing in the middle to make the central part pop up, I used to have way too much fun with those! It also had a VFF clock, but I remember it glowing orange rather than green. That oven went on for many years, and was given to my Nan after we replaced it with a built in Candy oven in the mid 90’s, and my Nan had it up until quite recently!

I’ve still got the clock module from the Candy, but sadly it got dropped and knocked the pip off the back of the VFD display, and so far I’ve not found a replacement display :(

Regards
Lloyd

Re: Belling cooker
 

Yes this one has a CCFL for the backlighting, shines downwards as well via a frosted glass window underneath the control panel.
As for the knobs, these in theory need pushing in to operate but some have probably got a bit gunged up over the years and so will turn without pushing in.
Another interesting thing is that it has a blower (I believe it's a long squirrel cage blower, similar to that used in a rectangular fan heater) to cool the control panel when the oven(s)/grill are being used, this stays on for a while after the oven(s)/grill have been turned off.

Also if anyone was wondering it's a Belling Format 600X, it would have been purchased ~1986 as it replaced a cooker that blew up on my mothers wedding day, but I cannot remember when that was.

Re: Belling cooker
 

Nice pictures, that`s the one I have in the garage, only yours is a bit newer than mine. The one I bought from ebay is about 1988/89 ish, and they "facelifted" it a bit, and the clock is orange, but still the same beast behind the scenes

Re: Belling cooker
 

My mum got a Trinity cooker like this in 1985. It seemed space age compared to the old one, with it's fan oven, halogen hob & digital timer.

In spite of all the abuse my Mum could throw at it, it lasted for many years, but eventually some of the control buttons stopped working & some other problems meant it was replaced.