I picked this up for $10 today.  I've never seen a GE roaster before and liked the art deco look of the heat control trim panel.

Pictures show as-found condition.  I think there was originally white paint behind the GE logo and perhaps on the grooved areas of the ribbing.

It will take some elbow grease, but I think the exterior will clean up fairly well.

The booklet is dated 9-45.

The control panel.  There is no indicator lamp.  Instead, there is a metallic strip that conducts current and glows red when power is on.  It's very discreet and is viewable through the small round sight glass, ideally under lower light conditions.

The receptacle for the cord is on the right side at the rear.  When powered up, the heat seems to emanate from that corner of the cooking well.  It's definitely the hot zone, and makes me think the heat would be very uneven for roasting or baking.  I removed the bottom cover and encountered a mass of fiberglass stuck to an asbestos panel, so there was no way to examine the heating element(s).

Is this normal behavior or should the bottom of the well heat up more uniformly?  Is there a safe way to open things up and examine the heating system?

It should have uniform heat throughout the unit.  It works on the same principle that a regular oven would.  Can you remove the section where the pan sits in and get inside that way?

Tim, I think I would have to remove the white surround, if that's possible.  I didn't go very far with my investigating yesterday but will also check the connections behind the temperature control.

I like this GE because it seems more solid and heavier than the Westinghouse and Nesco roasters I've owned in the past, as well as being relatively unusual.  However it doesn't have the pegs that allow the insert to be inverted and used as a lid for large items like the Westinghouses do.  I can't imagine I'd use that option much.  If I can get it working properly, this roaster will be used for additional oven space for things like casseroles and other side dishes when the main oven is occupied by a large item, or baking/roasting outside on hot days.

I have an old appliance repair book that may address roasters from this era, so will be looking into this further.

It's blurred, but here's a shot of the heating element indicator glowing.

Oh, trust me.  I'm not going to be messing with asbestos over a $10 purchase.  If I can't identify and fix the problem without disturbing the insulation material, it's not happening.

I'll look into measuring current draw.

The "ribbon" element behind the window is perhaps an inch long and attaches to a pair of screws that, on the back side of the assembly have wires running to the actual heating elements.

And for 10 bucks! Congratulations!

My hands (even though I wore gloves) and forearms are a little itchy, but I found the problem.

I had to deal with some asbestos, but did so outside and wore a mask.  The repair I had to make didn't require doing anything to the asbestos sheet that would create dust.  There was a break in the heating wire.  My trusty 1950 Electrical Appliance Repair text book advised that if an element has a break, the whole thing should be replaced.  I suppose a replacement "heat sheet" for a modern HB or Nesco roaster could be retrofitted, but I decided to mend the break by twisting the wires together.  It may not last very long, but I don't intend to put this roaster to daily use. 

The result is that it heats more evenly now, although the hot spot is still there at right rear by the power supply, and the mended spot diagonal from it warms up the slowest, but now at least the entire bottom surface is heating.  I'm thinking this is just the nature of the circuitry, but it's possible the mended area isn't as efficient as it should be.  I'll have to try it out and see how it does.  It may only be an issue during pre-heat and not once it hits the set temperature.

Geez, that fiberglass is really a mess to deal with.  If I have to remove the surround again in the future, I think I'll use a length of foil tape to keep the fiberglass under control.

Now it's time to shine it up and bring it inside.  Yay!

So Paul, is there supposed to be any white paint on the front control panel trim piece?

Allen, I think solder would just melt.  Here is my experience:

On my mom's '49 Westinghouse stove, the deep well unit had an old school coiled element with ceramic insulation.  One of the coils broke.  I couldn't find anyone to repair it.  Finally I got a hold of an old timer repair guy who said if it didn't get used much, I could twist the wires back together and that would fix it.  Sure enough, it did the trick and without causing a more intense red glow at the mend.

If the elements on this roaster were the modern crock-pot ribbon type that resemble metallic tape, the repair I made today wouldn't have been possible.  As stated above, we'll have to see how long it lasts.  The wires are fairly thick, so I might get lucky.  I tested it out again and the heat was fairly even, except for the warmer spot near the electrical connection.  I think it's as good as it gets.

I got out my aim & shoot thermometer gun, cranked up the thermostat, waited a couple of minutes and checked the temperatures in all four quadrants.  Hottest bottom surface area at right rear was about 50 degrees warmer than the hottest at left front.  The difference between left front, left rear and right front wasn't so pronounced.  I don't think I can expect much more precision than that, even if the element hadn't needed mending.

Not likely this year.  It's going to be low key, and we've been invited to a friend's house that day for prime rib.  We've already told Dave's daughter and son-in-law that we'll just wing it to get together with them at some point on the 24th or 25th.

It's also going to require some time to make the roaster presentable, and I may not have much between now and Tuesday.  We're throwing a New Year's Eve party so it could possibly come in handy then.  If not, I'll just have to come up with a reason to use it sooner rather than later!

I don't know what your instruction book says, but our says to pre-heat the roaster for 20-30 minutes before using.  If that's the case with yours as well then the temp variations shouldn't be much of a problem while it's in use.

Thanks Tom.  It wasn't too bad, and there's no itching today.  I wore gloves for everything except to remove and re-fasten wiring to the heat control and power connectors.

Tim, I agree that once the cavity is pre-heated, the variation in the heating element shouldn't be a big factor.

Rich, I think repeated use would for sure cause the mend to fail, but the wire is actually thick and sturdy and took some strong-arming to twist together, so it might hold up for a while.  I rarely used my mom's old Westinghouse roaster so, as with so many other things, I let it go at the estate sale.  It didn't have any of its original racks or pans, but it did have the handy window in the lid.  This GE will probably be pressed into service only when the main oven is booked solid, and that rarely happens, or I can see it being used as a warmer in certain situations.

As I mentioned above, I wouldn't be surprised if an element for the modern versions of this type of roaster oven could be used as a replacement, presuming the general design hasn't changed and connections would be the same or could somehow be adapted.  That would be the easiest fix, but I wouldn't be surprised even if such an element could be purchased, that it would be nearly as expensive as a whole new roaster.  I think I've seen them for $40 or less at Target, etc.

As for the surround, upon closer examination I think it's going to require a whole new coat of heat-proof paint.  It's too rusty and pitted in too many spots, and new paint would be an easier option.  I've seen vintage Nesco roasters with tan/buff paint, so maybe I'll customize this GE with something other than stark white.

Rich, thanks for the research!  That's some good information that could come in handy.

Well, if the mend should fail, I'll first look into a replacement heating assembly.  I think the type used on a new roaster should be adaptable and would employ a safer form of insulation.  If not, I'll either use a heat-proof crimp/solderless connector, give the borax a try or just get rid of the thing.  I don't think using screws would work because due to the bulkiness of the mend it would eventually break through the asbestos envelope.  The heating wire is very sturdy so I'm wondering how it broke in the first place.  It looked slightly corroded on one of the broken ends, so it may have been a production defect.

I don't have much faith in OSH anymore, but even if they did carry the correct wire, there's no way I could ever form it into the original configuration, which is about 20 oblong loops, ten down each side.  If my mend goes bad, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Considering the potentially tenuous nature of my repair, I decided it's not worth investing a lot of time in cosmetics.  I got out the Meguiar's Car Cleaner & Wax and it removed everything that was just surface dirt.  There's still some minor rust spotting on one side, but it cleaned up and buffed out well otherwise.  I hit the nicks and scrapes with appliance touch-up.  It may discolor from heat, but that remains to be seen.  The biggest scrape on the left is still apparent, but the small nicks disappeared.  I gave the lid a quick pass with Wenol and it shined up fairly well.  I think it's presentable now, and with its substantial appearance it will have credibility as a viable appliance whether in the kitchen or out on the patio.

Here's a shot of it after today's treatment:

She looks very imposing indeed!  It cleaned up very nice.  What is the overall current draw?

I prefer the design and more solid look of this GE over its gray & white Westinghouse contemporaries, even if the GE lacks the handy window in the lid that a Westinghouse offers.

I used the same bottle of Meguiars cleaner/wax for the temp control knob as well as the bakelite side handles (which can't be seen in the photos).  I was careful to avoid the painted temperature markings.  I also re-created the white dot in the center of the control knob since I had the bottle of appliance touch-up handy.

The current draw as stated on the bottom panel is 1350 watts.  The giant receptacle end of the fabric-cased cord has the typical rattle to it, but it still grips the prongs firmly and doesn't get hot to the touch during use.  The cord looks brand new.

Rich, that piano wire stuff sounds like what this roaster uses, although what I encountered was almost a spring steel sort of resistance to bending when I fixed the break.  That's why I think it would be impossible to re-wire the thing myself.  If the mend fails, I do intend give the borax(o) a try.

I bought some borax today.  I'll use it for laundry, but have decided to perform the borax flux/fuse operation.  If I don't, I know reliability will always be questionable.  Since the wire looped and twisted together fine, that's a good indicator it's not brittle and compromised.  I'll have more faith in the roaster if the mend can be fused into a relatively cool blob.

So all I need to do is connect the A/C cord's leads to the terminals at each end of the heating element, right?

The asbestos is indeed in sheet form and so far hasn't been a disintegration issue.

It's important to keep an eye on the borax patch after power is applied.  From what I can gather, it should change from a pasty wad into a melted blob.  There's no clear statement about when to cut power, but I presume it would be fairly soon after the blob forms.

I hope to get at this before the weekend is over so will report back here on how it all went.

I found Borax at my trusty ACE Hardware, so I bought a box since I knew I could use it for laundry.

I used to have an old school (literally) porcelain enameled Boraxo dispenser but it disappeared quite some time ago, otherwise I would have held out for Boraxo. 

My interpretation is that either will work.  I don't know what the difference is between the two, but am guessing whatever additional ingredients Boraxo may contain don't impact its potential to form a blob.  I'll see if I can find any additional information.

Well, this latest process is sounding like it's more trouble than it's worth.  I don't have the option of dipping the broken ends into borax, which is something I've read a few times in my research.  I need to do the repair with the twisted mend I've already made remaining in place.  I have no brass wire that I'm aware of, so would need to hunt some down.  I do like the idea of using a blow torch instead of electrical current.  I think it provides more control and would be safer than heating up the entire element.

However, this most recent description makes me think the borax treatment may not be a sure bet for success.

As satisfying (and cheap) as it would be to fix the original, I might just poke around for replacement element assemblies applicable to modern roaster ovens found in stores today.  More money but a lot less trouble, and I'd be buying the peace of mind that it won't likely fail me any time soon.  As a bonus, I'll still have cleaner laundry as a result of adding borax.

OK, apparently there is no such thing as a replacement heating element assembly.  Sears parts came close, but they only had the side element listed, and it was NLA.  So why list it then?  I found a Chinese company that had something that might have worked, but they only take orders for mass quantities.

Local parts houses were a bust as well.  Apparently if you own a modern roaster oven and the heating element fails, you can go to the trouble of sending it away for repair by the manufacturer, or just buy a new one.  Nobody offers parts to fix the thing yourself.

So it's back to the borax for me.  I'll see if I can find some brass wire laying around here, and if not, I'll just go with plan A, which didn't mention brass wire.  In my cruising of the web, I did read someone's account of simply twisting wires together and having that repair last for many years, so the borax treatment might provide some additional insurance, brass or no brass.

I hope to photo-document the process when the time comes.

A heat-proof crimp is probably the most reliable way to go.  Due to the nature of the asbestos envelope, I don't think using a nut/screw and bolt will work, as it would create a bulge that could eventually poke through the asbestos sheeting.

I've sent an e-mail inquiry to MOR Electric Heating asking if they have anything that might work for a replacement element assembly.  It's probably a long shot, but they might have some leads, so to speak.  As stated previously, replacing only the nichrome wire would be next to impossible, as it would need to be threaded through the asbestos much like stitching work.  I'm bad enough at that with perfectly flexible thread and non-toxic fabric.

Thanks for that link!

My trusty ACE Hardware had small multi-sectioned tray that included heat-proof crimp connectors, so I now have what I need.  The specs on them say they'll handle up to 650 degrees.  I think that's compatible with the nichrome element.  I have a crimping tool that I bought a while back to use for attaching spades onto bell wire.  It's capable of crimping the size of connector I have for the nichrome, so this should result in a proper repair.

Travis, from the research I've done it seems that repairing the existing nichrome wire is far easier than replacing it.

I'll take pictures when I have the roaster apart again.

The heating assembly consists of two sections of asbestos no more than 18" long, one of which has nichrome wrapped around it in long flat loops up one side and down the other, maybe 10 or 12 loops per side.  IIRC that sheet is split down the middle to facilitate the wrapping.  This piece is enclosed inside another sheet of asbestos that's three times as wide.  This outer sheet is folded over so the ends overlap and make a double layer on one side, and serves as an envelope around the portion with the wiring.  That's it. 

This envelope slides in between a pair of front-to-rear cross members (with holes in them for the bottom cover screws) and the bottom of the cooking well, and is held in place simply by the fiberglass insulation being smashed against it once the bottom access cover is replaced.

Right now I'm having a hard time finding anything on line that provides information on how hot the nichrome gets in this application.  I'm thinking it stays below 650 since the highest setting on the oven is 500, but maybe I'm being too simplistic.

I saw that table of nichrome amps vs temps, but since I have no background in electrical theory it didn't give me a clear answer on 1,350 watts applied to what I presume is no thicker than 18 gauge wire.

I'm going to double-check the crimp connector heat limit.  It may have been 650-C but I'll have to make sure of it, as well as try to determine just how hot the nichrome will get in this particular application.  It's hard for me to imagine that it would get red hot inside the asbestos envelope, but maybe it does.

I've confirmed the heat limit of the crimp connector is 650 F.  I went back to a table to try and calculate the high temperature of the nichrome at 1350 watts.  The table advised that watts = volts x amps.  For 18 gauge wire, 6.5 amps is required for the wire to reach 600 degrees F.  I multiplied 6.5 by 110 for a product of 715 watts.  If my logic is correct, this means that 1350 watts would heat the wire to nearly twice the temperature limit of the crimp connector.  If the wire is thinner than 18 gauge, it only gets worse.

Now I'm back to thinking borax would offer a more lasting repair.  If my calculations above are incorrect, I'd appreciate it if anyone familiar with electrical theory could offer the correct values.

The repair job has been completed! 

I thought about starting a new thread, but it would have been out of context, so here we are again.

Since the crimp connectors were unsuitable, I went with the borax method.  It was easy and entertaining.  Highly recommended!

First, a shot of the mend wrapped with brass wire.  Sorry that it's a little blurry.  The brass was a slightly heavier gauge than the nichrome, so I couldn't get it wrapped as tightly as I wanted, but by this point I was invested.

It took some time to get the borax paste mixed into a consistency that wouldn't be too dry and fall off the wire, or so wet that it would drip off of it.

Due to the tight space to work with the mend, I had to slather it on to make sure I had everything coated.

This was a failure.  Using a very low flame on the blow torch, I was being way too conservative and didn't let the wire get hot enough.

This time I let the wires get red hot and waited until I saw the brass melt.  By that point, the borax was almost all gone but I stuck with it, and when the right temperature was reached, the brass melted into a bead and consumed the mend.  Much better!

After allowing things to cool, I carefully took a pair of needle nose pliers and crushed any remnants of borax, which had turned glass-like, and the brass bead was revealed.

Here's a shot of the entire nichrome element before closing up the asbestos envelope.

You'll notice that the wires aren't as close together on the right end as they are on the left.  This is reflected in the heat distribution inside the well, as it's hotter at the end where the wires are closer together.  I didn't mess with this because the nichrome is stapled into place at various points, so the positioning of the wire can't be changed.  I'm OK with it.  It's not like I'm going to be using this thing for souffles.

Here it is closed up and ready to re-install.

The heat sheet installed under the well.  Two wires to hook up as can be seen here, and there are two more for the indicator "lamp" above the temperature control (not in view).

Completely re-assembled and tested, the roaster works as it should.  It's ready for service, so now I need to think about what would be an appropriate inaugural dish to try in it.  I'm confident this repair will last indefinitely.

To inaugurate your roaster why not try a beef brisket, a capon, or a turkey to really put it to the test.

Thanks Rich.  I couldn't have accomplished this without the help of your investigative research.

Tim, I've been reading up on line for recipe ideas but it seems they are predominantly about turkey.  I've learned that these roasters tend to steam more than roast, and that turkey will not brown so it was recommended more than once that the turkey be removed toward the end and placed into a regular oven to brown.  Yeah, no.  I'll stick with a conventional oven for that.

I noticed that on some makes the vents in the lid are controlled by a single knob with a dial marked "Pre Heat," "Bake" and "Roast" and I presume those translate into "closed," "partially open" and "fully open."  That's good information to reduce or increase the steaming effects when desired.  I also read that for the pre-heating period (usually 20 minutes or so), the temperature should be set for 25 degrees higher than the recipe calls for since as soon as the lid is removed to place the food in the well, a lot of heat will be lost that will have to be recovered.  Another good rule of thumb.

I think this will be great for St. Patrick's Day dinner.  I don't have a pot large enough to accommodate the potatoes and the cabbage, and I don't like cooking them separately from the beef.  There might be something else to cook up before then, but the way time flies anymore, March 17 is right around the corner.

Corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes for a crowd would be a perfect way to christen this beauty!  I hear you about time getting away from a person.  My mom has a recipe for chili mac that makes a roaster full.  I'll have to get it for you.  I think she has a recipe for sloppy joes that makes a huge quantity also.

I may want to hit you guys up for some recipes down the road, or if you want, maybe a new thread can be started for roaster-specific recipes with ingredients in the appropriate quantities for an 18-quart model.

I found a couple of roaster corned beef recipes on line that I'll probably use as a guide.  My GE owner's manual has very few recipes in it, and none for corned beef.  I think there aren't (m)any cook books devoted to roasters because they'll do most things a conventional oven or slow cooker will do, and recipes for those appliances can be easily adapted.

Thanks for the Hamilton Beach link.  That's a well-designed resource and I've bookmarked it. 

It's rather odd that roaster oven manufacturers don't consider corned beef a go-to meal option to include in their abbreviated list of recipes, since this appliance seems like a natural for it. 

Good idea for the crock pot inserts!   It's a long shot that I'll ever find the containers that were originally included with my roaster.

I've done some more reading on line.  There are a lot of people out there who have sworn off using a conventional oven for roasting a turkey after doing one in a roaster because 1) Turkeys consistently turn out moist and juicy when cooked in a roaster, and 2) The conventional oven is freed up for assorted side dishes.   I think I'll give a turkey a try at some off-beat time of year and see how it goes.

It seems the issues with browning vary among the different brands perhaps as a result of lid designs, but I think the size of the bird would also be a factor.  Brushing with butter, or a mixture of butter and a bit of Kitchen Bouquet helps to effect browning, if not crisping, but a moist bird is infinitely more preferable to a crispy one.