On AMC's Mad Men, attention to detail includes appliances in the Drapers' kitchen

Much has been written about the painstaking detail that goes into every costume, set decoration, and cocktail on Mad Men, the hit drama on AMC about the advertising industry in the early 1960s.

We'll leave it to the fashion scribes to decide whether the lapels on Don Draper's suit and the furniture at the Sterling Cooper ad agency were appropriate in the season-three premiere on Sunday, August 16.

What we're interested in are the appliances you see on the show. From that admittedly narrow perspective, a standout image from the premiere had to be the electric cooktop that Draper, played by Jon Hamm, is seen standing over in the opening sequence as he warms some milk for his pregnant wife, Betty (January Jones). The photo, courtesy of AMC, shows the Drapers' kitchen.

The way the camera lingers over the glowing-red coils, the appliance definitely conjures a specific place in time. (As do those knotty-pine cabinets and the plaid wallpaper in the kitchen.) We didn't test cooktops or ranges in 1963, the year in which season three is set. But in a 1962 report on ranges, electric models did figure more prominently than gas models. Some of the first electric ranges we tested back in 1938 actually included a cigarette lighter, a feature the chain-smoking Draper would definitely appreciate.

It's doubtful that a television drama set in 2009 about a well-to-do ad exec would feature an electric coil range. (State-of-the-art electric induction cooktops and ranges would stand a better chance.) But coil ranges are still very much around. In our latest report on cooking appliances (ratings of all products available to subscribers), a 30-inch model from GE was among the top-scoring models of all types. It's even available in stainless steel, although anyone going for the Draper look should stick with traditional white.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: "Great Old Appliances" features readers' stories about their own vintage appliances. And use our recently updated Kitchen-Planning Guide to find the best appliances and get expert advice for your next kitchen project.

By the Numbers: Unused TV sets piling up in American homes

99.1 million

Number of unused television sets Americans have stashed away in their homes, according to the "Electronics Waste Management In the United States" report (PDF) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

With all those old TVs piling up, states and municipalities have required manufacturers to take on the recycling of electronics, according to this recent article in The New York Times.

Nearly 27 million televisions were disposed of in this country in 2007, with only 18 percent of those televisions by weight recycled, according to Take Back My TV, a campaign of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, which promotes responsible recycling in the electronics industry (PDF). The 2007 figures were no better for computers and cell phones, says the organization: 205.5 million computers were trashed, with 18 percent recycled; 140.3 million cell phones were disposed of, with 10 percent recycled.

When you need to get rid of an old TV or other piece of electronic equipment, including cell phones and computers, read "Where to Recycle Electronics, Free" and refer to our Electronics Reuse & Recycling Center. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Find out how to dispose or other household products, including leftover paints.