VIKO Cook Book Lorain Cooking Nestle Perfect Endings Test Kitchen Bundle 3 Books

This bundle holds three cookbooks that came out of company test kitchens, the New VIKO Cook Book, Lorain Cooking from the American Stove Company, and Perfect Endings from Nestle. All three books shown are included.

Two of the three show heavy cover wear. The Lorain boards are stained and foxed across the front, and the Nestle booklet has a torn away patch at the upper left of its cover, while the VIKO interior stays clean and bright.

VIKO taught home cooks to work with aluminum pans, Lorain was written for stoves fitted with the Lorain Oven Heat Regulator, and Nestle collected chocolate desserts and beverages. The three together show how appliance and food makers sold their products through recipe books.

Details

• Item: Bundle of three vintage test kitchen cookbooks
• Title: New VIKO Cook Book, Lorain Cooking, Perfect Endings
• Author: VIKO Home Economics Department; Research Kitchen of the American Stove Company; Nestle
• Illustrator: Not confirmed from photos
• Publisher: Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Co., Manitowoc, Wisconsin; American Stove Company, St. Louis; Nestle
• Publication Year: 1928 (VIKO), 1928 (Lorain); Nestle date not confirmed from photos
• Edition and Printing: Lorain copyright page lists six editions from November 1924 through July 1928
• Format and Binding: Hardcover VIKO and Lorain; top spiral bound softcover for Perfect Endings
• Dust Jacket: None on any of the three
• Pages: 252 (VIKO), 171 (Lorain), 192 (Perfect Endings)
• Genre: Cookbook, appliance test kitchen recipes
• Language: English
• ISBN: None, published before ISBN use
• Dimensions: About 8 x 6 x 1 inch each

Positives

• Graded Fair: All three books are complete and readable, with heavy wear to two of the covers.
• The VIKO introduction explains that the recipes were tested in the VIKO Test Kitchen over ten years.
• The Lorain copyright page records the full edition history from 1924 to 1928.
• The Perfect Endings cover photograph of a chocolate layer cake keeps deep, rich color.
• All three books stay complete and readable for cooking.

Issues / Wear

• The Nestle booklet cover has a large torn away patch at the upper left where the top layer of paper is gone.
• The Lorain cover is heavily stained, darkened, and foxed, especially along the spine and edges.
• The VIKO spine and corners are frayed, with the board showing through at the lower corner.
• Page edges on the Lorain and VIKO are browned, with small tears at the lower page corners in Lorain.
• The title page imprint on the Lorain and the copyright page both carry brown stains.
• The Perfect Endings cover shows edge wear where the dark color has rubbed away.

These three company cookbooks run from 1920s oven instruction to mid century chocolate desserts, and they suit a shelf of test kitchen cookbooks. If it's the right copy for you, it's ready to come home.

Condition Grade: Fair