Vintage GE Harvest Gold Stove and Dishwasher

There is one that is probably going to be a deal-breaker: Plastisol.

Plastisol is the, ahem, cost-conscious material GE used for its dishwasher interiors at that time, instead of porcelain or stainless steel like other makes.

Plastisol is a vinyl-like coating over sheet steel. While it is new, it performs okay enough. The trouble comes later - and remember, that dishwasher's forty if it's a day.

If there is even the tiniest breach in the plastic layer, water gets through it to the steel and causes rust. There can be breaches at the edges of Plastisol parts, and it's possible to breach the coating yourself at any time. How many times have you had the point of a knife drop through the grids of a silverware basket and cause a jam when you tried to pull the lower rack of a dishwasher out? If that happens with Plastisol, it's very possible that the knife can scratch or cut through the plastic.

It's very common with Plastisol-lined dishwashers to see bubbled places in the coating. These are places where rust has formed under the plastic. Dishwasher rust is just like car rust - if you can see some, there's more you don't see. At the very least, rust in a dishwasher can be deposited onto your dishes and stainless items. At worst, it can rust completely through, leaving you with a nice hole in your dishwasher's tub. Anyone who tries to fix that, I wish 'em lots of luck.

If you're trying to decide between a vintage GE and a vintage KitchenAid, my personal opinion is that there is no contest at all. A KitchenAid will have a porcelain interior, which is harder to damage than Plastisol.

I am speaking from experience - I suffered through a Plastisol-lined GE for a long time. I now have a KitchenAid, and it's a whole different ball game.

Uh, did I mention I'm not crazy about Plastisol? :)


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Post# 725014 1/4/2014 at 13:06 (3,764 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )
Checkrate/Likes ..seems like there's a run on Harvest Gold lately, after all...ad reads: ..."Electric stove and dishwasher available together or sold separately.. COST SOLD SEPARATELY -Electric Stove $100 -Dishwasher $75 COST TOGETHER $150 ...." CLICK HERE TO GO TO ovrphil's LINK on Detroit Craigslist

Post# 725059 , Reply# 1 1/4/2014 at 16:52 (3,763 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)
Checkrate/Likes Both upper end models. The Mark 27 with the backsplash was an interesting look, but it did change the lines from previous models that seemed to be part of the sweep of the counter.

Post# 725068 , Reply# 2 1/4/2014 at 17:38 (3,763 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes I've never seen that style GE dishwasher control panel before. Judging by the shape of the control dial, I'd guess it's circa 1967. I always thought the Mark 27 Stoves were very classy. Unfortunately they're just not the kind of stove for people like myself who like to cook. They're more for the high-end bachelor apartment, luxury yacht or a butler's pantry. Thermador's drop-in stoves stole their thunder with clever and varied cooking surface options and one huge oven. Pity these are farther away than I'd like to pay shipping for.

Post# 725227 , Reply# 3 1/5/2014 at 12:49 (3,763 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)
Checkrate/Likes *GE Mark 27" Drop-In Electric Ranges* These were plenty big enough even for large families, we live near a community of 1800 large homes that was built from 1963-1969 and every home had a Mark 27 range and I heard few complaints. The TD drop-ins were better designed but much more troublesome, they were constant source of service revenue for us. The GE DW was only a fair performer at best to say nothing of their tendency to rust out and leak within the first 10 years of use. In the same community the GE DWs are long gone while many of the original ranges remain. John L.

Post# 735545 , Reply# 4 2/15/2014 at 20:42 (3,721 days old) by mom11 (Dundee, MI)
Checkrate/Likes *year or Model on DW?* Hi, I was trying to research this DW before I go see it next week. It's about an hour + away from me.I am trying to compare this to a KDS 16 and a KDS 15 also in our general area. Positives vs. negatives of this machine?

Post# 735547 , Reply# 5 2/15/2014 at 20:55 (3,721 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)
Checkrate/Likes *GE Negatives:* There is one that is probably going to be a deal-breaker: Plastisol. Plastisol is the, ahem, cost-conscious material GE used for its dishwasher interiors at that time, instead of porcelain or stainless steel like other makes. Plastisol is a vinyl-like coating over sheet steel. While it is new, it performs okay enough. The trouble comes later - and remember, that dishwasher's forty if it's a day. If there is even the tiniest breach in the plastic layer, water gets through it to the steel and causes rust. There can be breaches at the edges of Plastisol parts, and it's possible to breach the coating yourself at any time. How many times have you had the point of a knife drop through the grids of a silverware basket and cause a jam when you tried to pull the lower rack of a dishwasher out? If that happens with Plastisol, it's very possible that the knife can scratch or cut through the plastic. It's very common with Plastisol-lined dishwashers to see bubbled places in the coating. These are places where rust has formed under the plastic. Dishwasher rust is just like car rust - if you can see some, there's more you don't see. At the very least, rust in a dishwasher can be deposited onto your dishes and stainless items. At worst, it can rust completely through, leaving you with a nice hole in your dishwasher's tub. Anyone who tries to fix that, I wish 'em lots of luck. If you're trying to decide between a vintage GE and a vintage KitchenAid, my personal opinion is that there is no contest at all. A KitchenAid will have a porcelain interior, which is harder to damage than Plastisol. I am speaking from experience - I suffered through a Plastisol-lined GE for a long time. I now have a KitchenAid, and it's a whole different ball game. Uh, did I mention I'm not crazy about Plastisol? :)