<p>We interrupt these discussions of critical national and international import to engage in one of our favorite shopping-advice diversions:</p>
<p>Looking for an inexpensive (as in “cheap”) gas range, four burners, oven, broiler. Don’t need a clock, a timer, self-cleaning, Bauhaus Design, big numerals, burn control, built-in fire alarm, or ability to download pornographic videos, or capacity for the roasting chicken to do instant messaging. I want reliability/durability, period. Nothing else will impress. </p>
<p>We’ve had two Sears-Kenmores. Neither lasted five years without the thermostat going (costs $300 to replace.) The latest one had the wonderful characteristic of turning on and off by itself throughout the day (the dogs must have been mucho confused).</p>
<p>we don’t use gas except when camping- I also have read that they cause more problems for people with asthma- so while they are pretty- I stick with my electric
( we have a woodburning stove in the basement however- original to the house- I guess when we run out of power we’ll hook it up)</p>
<p>Mines a Whirlpool- standalone- it was dented on one side that is facing the cabinet so we got a deal at Best buy</p>
<p>( why don’t you want a clock or a timer?-that is just odd- I would check craigslist- perhaps some recently deceased Luddite is having an estate sale)</p>
<p>I’m with you mini, the next stove I get is not going to have that &<em>)</em>$% $300 thermostat. And apparently it would cost another $300 to get the broiler fixed so I’m doing without. I’ve actually wondered if maybe those pricey Vikings are made without pricey computer innards… They don’t appear to have clocks, or preheat buttons or the rest of the nonsense I don’t use. At any rate my Kenmore lasted just about the same length of time six months beyond the extended warranty.</p>
<p>We’ve had very good luck with GE stoves. We’re on our second, and only replaced the first (after about 11 years of flawless operation) because we were remodeling our kitchen and it was getting old. Yes, it has a clock and a bunch of buttons you don’t want, but it works like a charm.</p>
<p>We just visited Home Depot and Lowes. Home Depot had an “Americana”, which is a town in northern China (actually “made” by GE-contracted slave labor.) Yay! No electronic ignition! We have blackouts regularly around here (not of the alcoholic variety) and it is nice to be able to cook even when we are freezing to death because the gas heat has an electronic thermostat. It didn’t even have a clock, and none of those self-cleaning ladies that come in at night when you aren’t looking. The person who worked there says she now has a refrigerator in stock with a TV unit in it (I think it can also play DVDs), but our roasting chickens will just have to entertain themselves while they are getting ready.</p>
<p>Home Depot will deliver ours for free and haul away our old one for a penny; they also have a “gas range install” for a penny but charge us $19.95 for a “gas range kit” (it’s probably the power cord - see below.)</p>
<p>The guy at Lowes thought we were nuts when we told him what we wanted (e was much less fun)- they have some of the type we want on line, but not in the store. One of them even advertises “power cord extra”. We both thought that was “interesting”. They will charge us to deliver. </p>
<p>So I think we’ll probably go with the Chinese slave labor model unless there is something in tomorrow’s inserts in the paper. We went out and had Thai food.</p>
<p>One of them even advertises “power cord extra”. We both thought that was “interesting”.
If you are going to have it hardwired in- you dont need a cord- they sell washers and dryers that way too.</p>
<p>I used a 1936 Magic Chef for 11 years. The architect who lived in the house before me used it for 10 years. She ahd rescued it out of the basement. The 'burbanites who bought the house from me looked at it like it needed a bomb squad evacuation. I am sure they tossed it–right before they added on $500k of additions/renovations to a perfectly good 4500 sf house. </p>
<p>Why don’t you check craigslist? All those fancy stove owners are tossing perfectly good gas stoves.</p>
<p>There’s more than coincidence to the five year rule for gas stoves. Our GE gas stove’s burners quit when the stove was 5 yrs. old and the repairman (a local guy who does most brands, not affiliated with GE) said the life span on the control piece (can’t remember the name of it for the life of me) was five and we should expect our oven to go shortly (it hasn’t and it’s been a couple years so we’re living on borrowed time). Repairs by the local guy cost a lot less than the GE repairman and you get a lot more information. </p>
<p>It’s not surprising - they want you to have to replace major appliances. What everyone needs is a local repairman (and they’re a dying breed.)</p>
<p>We had a wonderful local repairman come in; he was the one who delivered the sorry news. I’ll keep you all posted - I know you are awaiting our decision with at least as much concern as the announcement of the invasion of Iran. :eek:</p>
<p>We have had good luck with a GE “dual fuel” (gas burners on top, electric oven on bottom) slide in range. It even has a warming drawer in the very bottom.</p>
<p>As I recall, this was much cheaper than other fancier models we looked at, and it’s been just fine.</p>