Thread Number: 88707  /  Tag: Ranges, Stoves, Ovens
When did "belly button" appliance badging become the norm? 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 1132361   10/30/2021 at 19:49 (906 days old) by joeekaitis (Rialto, California, USA)        

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Once upon a time, the brand name and badge spanned the top or bottom of the control panel.  The most spectacular was


G  E  N  E  R  A  L  (GE badge)  E  L  E  C  T  R  I  C

 

stretching from sea to shining sea.

 

Cut to the present day and:

 

 

Were the prestige brands the first with the rest hoping some of that cachet would rub off on them?



Post# 1132365 , Reply# 1   10/30/2021 at 20:46 (906 days old) by fan-of-fans (Florida)        

I've wondered that too. With dishwashers it kind of makes sense to me, but with ranges it bothers me having the logo down there, because I always expect it to be on the rear control panel. When it's not I'm thinking "ok, what brand is this thing??"

I do think you're right on the prestige brands being first. I remember back in the 90s when professional style ranges were getting popular (like Five Star, Viking, etc) that the branding was usually at the bottom of the oven door. Jenn Air put the badge down there too starting sometime in the early 2000s.

So yeah, it's probably a case of the high end brands doing it first and then a decade or two later everybody else deciding to follow suit. I first seemed to notice this recently with GE, and it seems like Whirlpool, Maytag and Frigidaire followed. I could be out of order on that though.

Post# 1132370 , Reply# 2   10/31/2021 at 00:48 (906 days old) by Cam2s (Nebraska)        

I’ve also noticed that brands don’t really put model or trim designations on the panels either, especially for TOL models. You used to have Supurba, Gold, Custom Imperial, etc and now I don’t really think anyone uses a TOL designation.

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Post# 1132380 , Reply# 3   10/31/2021 at 08:07 (905 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

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Installed a Bosch 800 series d/w a year ago and the lack of a badge didn't last a day, had to tart it up a bit...

 

Matches the 58 GE range.  Previously, I had this badge on a range hood that arrived brand-less.  I have a Vent-A-Hood with a lovely script logo so it freed up this for the d/w.

 

I've had a few different badges on the refrigerator, right now it's sporting a pink Maytag emblem.
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Post# 1132394 , Reply# 4   10/31/2021 at 12:23 (905 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O )        

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Never really thought about it but yeah my GE stove only says Profile on the control panel and a GE button below the oven window where you barely would notice it.

Post# 1132401 , Reply# 5   10/31/2021 at 13:02 (905 days old) by fan-of-fans (Florida)        

I agree on the lack of model and trim designations. I miss how they'd put trademarks and things on the control panels too, like GE used to put Spectra or Whirlpool put AccuBake on their ovens, etc. GE also used to put TrueTemp on the oven control panel, and they've also stopped doing that.

These days they seem to put as little wording as possible, and control panels lack any graphics or striping like they used to either.

Case in point all of those white appliances in that picture are just so boring looking to me! I know they're trying to make them look clean and modern I guess, but compare them to most 80s or even 90s ranges, and they look completely bottom of the line!

Our 1985 white Hotpoint range has chrome trim on the door and console, and a black control panel with white and blue stripes, and brushed aluminum on the dials. Not a TOL range by any means, but far more visually interesting than a modern white range.

You almost have to get black or stainless steel appliances these days to get any visual interest. I know a lot of people like the clean understated look, but to me it just seems dull.

One good thing I've noticed is appliances these days have a lot fewer plastic trim parts. That to me is a good thing, because painted metal doesn't yellow like plastic does. On a 10 or 20 year old white on white appliance, like our Kenmore Ultra Wash dishwasher, the knobs and control panel have all yellowed to different shades.

Or refrigerators with white plastic handles also turn yellow.

Newer ones won't really do that as badly, since most handles and trim now have painted metal.

Post# 1132402 , Reply# 6   10/31/2021 at 13:04 (905 days old) by fan-of-fans (Florida)        

Love those badges! I remember a few years ago GE had a line of retro style appliances that each had those big GENERAL (GE) ELECTRIC metal badges on them. I think it was called Artistry. The appliances themselves were pretty basic though.

Post# 1132427 , Reply# 7   10/31/2021 at 15:44 (905 days old) by joeekaitis (Rialto, California, USA)        
Technology sometimes requires a return to feature badging

 joeekaitis's profile picture

 

"Honey, why isn't the cauliflower in the CorningWare getting hot?"

 
Post# 1132516 , Reply# 8   11/2/2021 at 10:07 (903 days old) by firedome (Binghamton NY & Lake Champlain VT)        
here's how it once was...

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and should be again... if only the original companies that made the products still existed:

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Post# 1132544 , Reply# 9   11/2/2021 at 17:46 (903 days old) by joeekaitis (Rialto, California, USA)        
Also missing, whereabouts unknown:

 joeekaitis's profile picture

 

Permanent shortcuts and quick start guides along with roasting and broiling guides inside the oven door.

 

 

Probably started vanishing when people started saying "Honey, how does the self-clean work?  I can't find the owner's manual."

 

"Google it!"
Post# 1132567 , Reply# 10   11/3/2021 at 02:21 (902 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California)        

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Um, I'll pass on wearing an appliance badge on my belly button.



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