The Appliance Julia Child Swore By In Her Own Kitchen

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Julia Child was a culinary master who used a medley of tools in her kitchen to whip up her famous dishes. Yet perhaps Child's most treasured appliance was her Garland Model 182 Commercial Range. In 1956, child and her husband, Paul, purchased the industrial-grade stove and oven unit from a friend who worked in the restaurant business. The Garland was manufactured and put on by the Detroit sector of the Welbilt Corporation in the 1950s. It had six detachable burners and a steel gridiron attached to it, and the removable grills made cleaning easy and simple. It also featured a built-in broiler and a grill top that she rarely used. Julia usually kept the grill top covered so it could double as extra counter space for her groceries and utensils.

The Garland Commercial Range accompanied the Childs on their move from Washington D.C. to Cambridge, Massachusetts. The "French Chef" host spent every day in her iconic kitchen (making signature dishes like boeuf bourguignon) and used the appliance to sample recipes for her widely-popular cookbooks. The range was gifted to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in 2001. 

For over 40 years, the Garland Commercial Range was a supporting cast member of Child's one-take cooking shows, which the public adored. Today, Garland advises against purchasing this large range for home use, as the appliance can get too hot very quickly in a small, enclosed place. The amount of heat it produces is intended for restaurant kitchens with better ventilation. In her posthumous 2006 memoir, "My Life in France," Child wrote about the first time she encountered the imposing appliance. "It was a professional gas range, and as soon as I laid eyes on it I knew I must have one." She continued her praise, stating, "I loved it so much I vowed to take it to my grave!" 

Child's prized Garland Commercial Range was as unique and distinctive in the kitchen as she was. The range fit into her Cambridge abode flawlessly. The kitchen measured 20 x 14 feet and was able to accommodate the range's size. When the Childs moved into the home in 1961, they modeled the kitchen around Child's preferences and needs as a cook. The kitchen's many utensils were in arm's reach of the stove, so Child could execute her classic French recipes with ease.