# What were these on Leave it to Beaver? Washer/dryer, oven/dishwasher? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [May 9, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160 "2025-05-09T15:32:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/1 "2025-05-09T15:32:36Z")
I put this in FQ as I believe there is a factual answer. I am aware I am one on the older Dopers here (65 this October) but perhaps someone can answer this. In the episode “Beaver Takes a Walk” @ approximately 21:57 it shows an odd set of of what appears to be 2 ovens build into the wall. I recall ovens built into the wall in the 60’s and 70’s (not a lot of them but a few) but they were built into brick walls, not drywall. And there weren’t two of them, just one. The lower one _might_ be a dishwasher but it’s still in an odd location. and the apparent oven is still odd being in a drywall wall and not brick. Or am I totally wrong here and it’s something else? Because of the position of the door handles I doubt it’s a washer and dryer, which still wouldn’t be built into a drywalled wall. Or would they? > **[Roku](https://therokuchannel.roku.com/watch/7ce561e6469856ba86124eb41a6d8f37)** > > Roku provides the simplest way to stream entertainment to your TV. On your terms. With thousands of available channels to choose from. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/2 "2025-05-09T15:35:01Z")
Until my remodel a couple of years ago, I had an oven built into the wall. It was a plaster wall, not drywall but the same deal. The oven unit was very well insulated. The top part was an oven. The bottom one was a broiler. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/3 "2025-05-09T15:37:59Z")
Double oven, one up, one down. > **[https://preview.redd.it/vintage-sears-kenmore-double-oven-v0-am7wkjd56nrd1.jpeg?...](https://preview.redd.it/vintage-sears-kenmore-double-oven-v0-am7wkjd56nrd1.jpeg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=5cb8beeeff4a950f61fe5f1936fb576f9629d20c)** ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/4 "2025-05-09T15:38:03Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > The top part was an oven. The bottom one was a broiler. That’s an awfully large broiler. I don’t remember seeing such a set up in any of the houses I was in. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/5 "2025-05-09T15:40:26Z")
I wasn’t able to view the episode so I apologize for that. Can you make a screenshot? My broiler was definitely smaller than the oven. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/6 "2025-05-09T15:41:01Z")
I vaguely remember dual wall ovens in the Brady Bunch house. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/7 "2025-05-09T15:42:09Z")
That is nearly exactly what mine looked like including the cabinet color. The bottom unit was smaller though. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/8 "2025-05-09T15:57:28Z")
Electric double ovens over/under were bog standard stuff in larger houses in the 1960s & 1970s. Both very close to the same size/height. Sometimes both had a broiler feature, sometimes only one. The one that was a broiler was not _exclusively_ a broiler as you might find in a gas oven. It was a full ordinary baking oven that also had the extra broiling heat rod at the top. I suspect the brick or drywall surround is entirely down to what sort of construction was commonplace where each of us grew up. In SoCal for me, the nearest brick in any house was probably 1000 miles away. Brick simply was not a building material locally. IME / IMO Wisconsin was much bigger on building houses with bricks. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/9 "2025-05-09T16:00:37Z")
The one I had was a gas oven. Southern California built in 1960 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/10 "2025-05-09T16:00:43Z")
Looks like a double oven. The prop guy didn’t make it very accurate. The handles are flat. But it’s only on camera for three seconds. Episode is on youtube. Blocked in the US. > **[Leave-It hosted at ImgBB](https://ibb.co/sp3gH7jM)** > > Image Leave-It hosted in ImgBB ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/11 "2025-05-09T16:04:59Z")
Thanks for the image. It looks like a terrible facade. Shouldn’t they have windows? ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/12 "2025-05-09T16:06:28Z")
It won’t come up for me. Might be our Firewall. I’ll try at home. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/13 "2025-05-09T16:07:15Z")
Is that an electric skillet on the counter top? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/14 "2025-05-09T16:09:09Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > ls that an electric skillet on the counter top? Kids weren’t the only ones who could be induced to want things because they saw them on the TeeVee. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/15 "2025-05-09T16:09:33Z")
I had a gas double oven in a previous home. They were regular ovens. The broiler was in the bottom one. They had separate controls. It was cool if you were finishing a casserole and needed to put bread in at a different temp. The top one made a fine warming oven when the bottom one was on. I couldn’t see the Leave it to Beaver pix. I loved their refrigerator, tho’. It was huge. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/16 "2025-05-09T16:35:28Z")
My friends had one that looked exactly like that at their house. I believe both were gas (I could ask), and both were just regular ol’ ovens. My memory is both were about the same size ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/17 "2025-05-09T17:06:18Z")
Gas over/under oven/broilers were common. We discussed this in a [thread on older stoves](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-or-give-info-on-this-vintage-stove/1015674) recently. A single gas burner is located between the parts providing heat from underneath for the oven and overhead for the broiler. In a gas stove this saves a lot of cost that would be needed for separate oven and broiler burners. The cost of the heating elements and wire in an electric oven is negligible in comparison so one chamber can have both underneath and overhead heat economically. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/18 "2025-05-09T18:32:07Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Double oven, one up, one down. > > [Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fvintage-sears-kenmore-double-oven-v0-am7wkjd56nrd1.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1080%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D5cb8beeeff4a950f61fe5f1936fb576f9629d20c) This is exactly what I grew up with. Ours was all-electric, not gas. The house was built in 1959. Behind the ovens was the living room. The stove was against a different wall. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Is that an electric skillet on the counter top? My mother also had an electric freestanding broiler next to the stove because 1. it was too easy to overcook steaks in the wall-oven broiler, and 2. The exhaust fan was over by the stove, nowhere near the ovens. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/19 "2025-05-09T21:14:28Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Double oven, one up, one down. > > [Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fvintage-sears-kenmore-double-oven-v0-am7wkjd56nrd1.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1080%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D5cb8beeeff4a950f61fe5f1936fb576f9629d20c) I thought everyone was issued one of those in that exact color. Matched the refrigerator. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160/20 "2025-05-09T21:38:54Z")
And the dishwasher. And the trash compactor. But not the built-in microwave since those hadn’t been invented yet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-on-leave-it-to-beaver-washer-dryer-oven-dishwasher/1018160.md?page=2)