Recommendations on New Range
My 32 year old Hotpoint range finally gave up the ghost and needs to be replaced. Anyone have any good advice or horror stories to pass on. Thanks in advance.
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9 Comments:
Go for the best quality you can afford. Check consumer reviews. I'd join Consumer Reports for a large purchase recommendation, as well as see what others can personally recommend. Every time I bought something because the price was right, I always ended up replacing it and then couldn't afford the better quality that I should have bought in the first place. It took awhile to get that simple fact in my head.
Also, know what features you must have and what you'd like to have. Take fewer features on a quality range rather than a souped up cheapo - unless you plan to move within a few years.
PerkyMac at 10:16PM on 01/09/09
It's hard to tell from your post if the Hotpoint is gas or electric, but Hotpoint sells both these days.
I have hated electric stoves for a couple decades of adult life, due to my being a renter and homeowners shoving the worst electric crap into the kitchen, being afraid of dumb renters starting a fire.
But I understand that some modern electric stoves are really quite good with reference to speed of heating the coils and temperature control.
If you're going with gas, I'm with you. You can always judge heat by the size of the flame and gauge your way to a successful dish by your god-given eyeballs.
I've got a dirt-cheap gas Kenmore stove and it is a joy to cook with. 13,000 BTU off on burner, I reckon: that's nearly good enough to get nearly good enough stir-fry from my wok, at least for home cooking in a decidedly non-Asian locale.
The oven is crap, however. No broiler.
I'd second PerkyMac: decide what style you cook most and pick your features off that list. (I picked my BBQ grill not so much on how well it rated, but on the BTU of the side-burner, for better stir-fry).
TikiPundit at 10:39PM on 01/09/09
*nod in agreement*
You'll want to decide first what you can have (gas/electric/induction) and from that, what you want. There was an old post someone resurrected here recently that discussed types of ranges and people also expressed their reasons for liking/disliking.
http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2007/04/do-you-have-a-gas-electric-stove.html
Cassaendra at 11:18PM on 01/09/09
dmcavanagh: if you'll write a bit more about what you need/have/like/use I think the group can probably offer better help. As the above posts have asked, gas/electric (or induction, though that's way _way_ more expensive), what size, how many burners do you like, do you want any particular features (griddle, bridge burner, etc.) convection oven?
Any information you have or know or think would help a lot. I did a _ton_ of research a few months ago when my wife and I bought our new house. I have lots of information I'd be very happy to share, but without a starting point, I'd be tossing out lots of stuff that'd be useless. (And while I'm happy to offer the information, I don't want to spend the time writing up things that won't help :) ).
So, hold forth! Just write everything you can think about what you want your new range to be.
ccbweb at 11:33PM on 01/09/09
@SeriousEaters-I'm going with electric, basically because that's what I'm rigged up for, and I am more interested in baking performance than burner performance. What I'm looking for is some feedback on what would be a sturdy and dependable basic 4-burner top,with oven that includes broiler. I've read Consumers Report and have a fair handle on whats out there.I'm looking for someone to tell me some things or brands that haven't been what was expected. My top priority is oven performance and i'm leaning to coil burners. I like to use a 2-burner griddle, so smooth top is out of the mix. Hope you can give me some feedback. Thanks everyone!
dmcavanagh at 11:53PM on 01/09/09
I thought I wanted a gas cook-top, but I realized how much we use the open space on our flat-top GE electric in our small kitchen, so I am going back with that style when the time comes. (Hope it's not GE; their customer service has sucked on other appliances.) Space concerns drive the choice.
We have a separate oven, so I plan to spend some $$ there and hope to find a good oven that can crank it up and handle it for pizza and such. Not meaning to hi-jack a thread, but any suggestions on a great stand alone built-in oven would be appreciated.
Remander at 2:54AM on 01/10/09
I've got a nice Kenmore range. It was about $1,200.00 because it has some cool convection features and a large center burner.
It's gas, and is simple to operate and is also reliable
The only concern I have with it is that my oven racks aren't as sturdy as I would like (My Le Creuset dutch oven seems to weigh them down quite a bit)
Otherwise, a good buy for the money.
I do cook ALOT, so for me it was worth going over $1,000.00.
soozm32 at 10:16AM on 01/10/09
I just moved and really miss my Jenn-air, dual-fuel, double-oven range (http://www.jennair.com/catalog/product.jsp?parentCat=2&cat=69&prod=1661). They also do an all-electric version of this puppy, too. I loved, loved, loved this stove. For such a small unit, it has a ton of functionality. The smaller upper oven was ideal for everyday cooking (I even used to make toast in the morning), and I was able to get rid of the toaster oven that cluttered up my counter. The lower oven had a great proofing function for dough.
Shop around, though--I didn't pay anywhere near the price quoted on Jenn-air's website.
*Sigh* I miss my Jenn-air.
www.EatCheapEatWellEatUp.com
AlisonEats at 1:44PM on 01/10/09
I have a Kenmore gas, built in, digital double oven. It's 12 years old and has never broken down despite the fact that is constantly being used. I think I paid around $900 for it. In my case, my selection was driven by the size of the hole in my wall. I was lucky. This one was the ONLY one I could find anywhere that would fit and it had all the features I wanted except it's not self-cleaning which is no big deal. I have a 5 burner gas Fisher and Paykel cooktop. I did a lot of research for this one. It was the closest to a commercial cooktop in terms of BTUs, but had a residential price. I can boil water in nothing flat with the center burner, but still be able to do a slow simmer on the smallest one. I hope this helps those of you who are appliance shopping.
Josdean at 1:49PM on 01/10/09