Woah. This is the most AMAZING kitchen faucet slash appliance: EVER! A 1963 Electro-Sink Center, spotted by reader oldgun31 on ebay and posted to our Forum (now closed). As oldgun31 points out:
For history’s sake, I will archive what the listing said:
To start off with, here is a link to see what a new one looked like when the door to door salesman came a knocking on your door in 1963. PHOTOS (of discussion on another Forum of same piece found at an estate sale by another person-Pam). This electronically controlled faucet that I have was installed in 1963 in a house in Portland Oregon. Looks like they paid 399.00 for it, but made payments of $13.08 a month for 36 months, ($470.88). I was at an auction at that house and found it in the basement in one of its many junk rooms.
It took me a while to find the items that went with it, but I wasn’t able to find everything. It did surprise me that I found the book and original receipt. I’m sure that the rest of it was there, but lost in the clutter, (These folks never threw anything away. It just went on a shelf in the basement, then later years, things were stored in one of the bedrooms or in the huge attic). Needless to say it is untested, and sold for parts or repair. The heavy glass bowl is in good condition, (No nips, chips, or cracks found). The ice cream maker also looks very good and appears complete.
AND, here is another link, which oldgun31 added, and which is referenced in the Photos link. It is for a 1964 Electro-Sink Center brochure!
Finally, someone mentions that perhaps Laura Petrie had this in her kitchen in one of the early episodes of the Dick Van Dyke Show — ????? If anyone can spot this watching the show online — grab a screen shot, and I’ll post it.
Wonders!!!
Justin says
I have one of those. I picked it up a few years back. Unfortuneatly it didn’t come with any of the attachments, so its just the unit. Haven’t hooked it up to a sink as of yet. just sitting in the shed.
Bill says
Hey Justin, I have some new attachments for these sinks.
See my post lower in this blog.
Billl
Jay says
This item is so Jane Jetson, I bet she had one in her kitchen; oh the days of push button technology when the space race was in its infancy. Metal was still the choice of manufacturing, plastics had not taken hold yet. Pam, thanks for the link to the other site with the pictures, something else to explore. High price considering it was before inflation set in but door to door items usually came at a premium price.
pam kueber says
Yes, $399 in 1963 was A LOT A LOT of money!
gabby says
Wowee wow wowzers!
I had NO IDEA such a beautiful and divinely multifunctional thing existed.
I’m still obsessed with scoring a vintage dishmaster, though my store bought one is perfectly fine. In fact, not even sure it will fit the position of the holes in my new/old farmhouse sink yet.
I’m still adjusting from going to a modest 1920 house from a modest 1960 house recently. I don’t think I would have been able to resist tracking this down if I were still in the mod house.
Ice cream-while you eat! Will wonders never cease? I just adore this thing.
Neat-o!
JAMES says
I got a Dishmaster M52B and put the guts on an M87 in it.It works fine. If the sink holes don’t work ,you can hide custom plumbing behind the Dishmaster ,its just a cover with a soap tank.
http://www.dishmaster-faucet.com/history.html
pam kueber says
sounds like a plan to me! send me pics, james!
Tut says
Simply amazing. I’m surprised it doesn’t do laundry. But I supposed you could use the dough hook to agitate some diapers or something. I just wouldn’t make any bread after that.
Lane_in_PA says
Found this at Greg’s Sandbox — it appears he scanned in the entire schematics for the Electro-Sink Center.
http://www.gregssandbox.com/electroway/index.htm
I am in awe.
Amy Jeannette says
My mom had one in our house in Huntington beach, (1966) and yes she would sterilize my baby bottles, and the veggies, with the ultraviolet light; do the dishes while using the blender. and as we all sat down to dinner, the ice cream maker was churning away with vanilla cream and sugar, and we had soft serve for dessert! She did love this marvel – the world was new, with endless horizons, and my parents were part of the bright future!! lol
Natalie says
My folks had one of those. I learned to use it at a very young age, (5, I think). Good times… (NOT).
Alice says
Gosh darn it Pam! I don’t know about other readers, but your site is the last thing I do at night so I can fall asleep and have successful dreams of renovation. Then occassionally you post something like this and I’m off and running searching out more photos, more drawings, more pamphlets and now an hour later, I know I will fall asleep and dream about this great little contraption all night…probably chasing me while I’m trying to work!
Tracie says
Great, now I’m obsessed with something else I have slight chance of ever finding.
My god, you could wash your dishes, make ice cream, mix your dough, make a salad, make sauce…ALL AT YOUR SINK.
pam kueber says
one of the links show MIB NOS. Talk about OBSESSED (me!)
pam kueber says
I just realized: It did not sell first time around. I have updated the ebay carousel. It’s still for sale (as I type this). Note, though: No certainty that all the parts are there or that it works….
Terry Gale says
A friend found the salesmans sample of the Electro Sink Center at an auction and bought it for me for $60! This is a complete unit in 2 black cases used to go to peoples homes sell. I have made an offer on the one listed on ebay, I hope I get it too!
Terry
TappanTrailerTami says
Electrocution center if the faucet pipes started leaking on the wiring! It just amazes me what they invented back then….
pam kueber says
🙂
Helen aka 52postnbeam says
yes, please add this to our museum of wonderful bad ideas!
Mark E says
It was V-E-R-Y low voltage.
And yes, I had written several months back–under the TAPPAN electric faucet posting–about this wonder.
For at least two seasons, this item graced the Petrie sink ledge at 148 Bonnie Meadow Road in New Rochelle, NY. Not to mention my parents’ own kitchen. Ours came packed with promotional literature showing a picture of Mary Tyler Moore with the DishMaster-like brush in her hand.
Arrgghh! My father discarded it ALL!