<p>If you do get a new range or oven with a clock/computer console, Add a good surge protector to the plugin.</p>
<p>And pay 50 bucks a year to the electric company just to have it plugged in.</p>
<p>I hate glass top stoves. I can’t believe they are for people who really cook. I use a wok, I make big vats of stock, I do heavy duty cooking. I would dearly love a gas stove, but don’t have the $$. Induction is very, very expensive, isn’t it?</p>
<p>I have an old electric Thermador cooktop, with four burners and a central grill/griddle. I love the grill. The burners are also far enough apart to enable one to actually use them all at the same time, something that is not true of many cooktops.</p>
<p>Regarding brands, I’ve always found Maytag and Amana appliances to be very reliable and not overpriced.</p>
<p>Was your exhaust fan built into this unit? If so, you’ll have to replace that with a hood. Make sure you get one that is powerful enough.</p>
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<p>I’m not trying to raise hackles, but that was rather, sexist, you know. Perhaps the wife is handy.</p>
<p>(Oh, who am I kidding . . . . )</p>
<p>I cook every night. Real meals. Use all four burners. Make homemade spaghetti sauce, soups from scratch. Used to spend lots of time cleaning the cook top afterwards. Now it requires a quick wipe down. I would never change back.</p>
<p>A lifespan of only six years!!! Boy, what has happened to good old “American know how?” My parents have purchased just 2 ovens (Sears Kenmore) in approximately 30 years. And in college, I bought a old full-size Kelvinator refridgerator from a graduating senior. It was at least 10 years old and worked flawlessly for me for two more years.</p>
<p>Couple more things about induction (although probably not interesting to the OP) but since a few people mentioned it…</p>
<p>I work in a place where a lot of test cooking is done. The people that work in the kitchens love it. I did not know anyone who owned an induction cooktop, and that helped me with the decision. </p>
<p>It is expensive relative to a standard electric smoothtop. But, I was evaluating it relative to a gas range, and we’d have had to install propane because we don’t have natural gas. So, it was a less expensive option for us. We also wanted the fine temperature control that it offered…hard to get without a flame. A Kenmore induction cooktop is around $1500. I think the Thermador was around $2000. </p>
<p>As for buying new pots and pans, I REALLY needed them anyway. Mine were shameful.</p>
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<p>gas will light with a match. You can get all the matches you want at the casino.</p>
<p>"A lifespan of only six years!!! Boy, what has happened to good old “American know how?” </p>
<p>Five years, 3 days, to be exact. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Imported Gas?</p>
<p>For some bizarre reason you can light our burners with a match which we have to do from time to time when the electronic ignition gets clogged, but you can’t do the same with the oven. No electricity, no oven. Dumb design. IMO.</p>
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<p>VeryHappy, I take umbrage. Sheesh… try and save somebody a few bucks during tough economic times and get called sexist.</p>
<p>Perhaps she may well be. As might her son, daughter, or significant other. It’s possible, albeit unlikely, the odds are against it. I did not recognize the username as being among those posters that normally respond with knowledgeable advice on the many “how-to” threads on CC. There are a few “female posters” (is that PC enough for you?) on the forum who have mechanical, technical and hands on DIY skills that would shame many a male.</p>
<p>Alas, I did not recognize the OP as being one of the above. If I erred, mea culpa.</p>
<p>If she was handy, she would have been astute enough to have already replaced the element, and this thread would not exist. If she was really a “pro”, she would have had a spare element “in-stock” awaiting swap-out.</p>
<p>Call me sexist. I may well not be politically correct, but I will hold a door open, pull out a chair, assist with a coat, and offer my seat to a lady.</p>
<p>The August issue of Consumer Reports has their annual kitchen appliances evaluation (look at past issues also), online go to ConsumerSearch to cover all sorts of reviews- they rate the reviews also. If you are looking at coil electric ranges count the coils- GE has more coils than any other.</p>
<p>Aside to violadad- do we have to conform to ladylike behaviors to get the above treatment? Do we qualify if we are “as good as one of the guys”, as my H told me I was eons ago? Before that some female friends and I trained our gentleman friend in college to NOT do the above- it didn’t seem fair those times he was outnumbered for him to be playing doorman all the time…</p>
<p>Thanks, wis75. Funny you should mention Consumer Reports – I just subscribed to the online version last night so that I could check out the reports on ovens. It was helpful.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who responded to my OP. I found out what I wanted to know and learned some new things, too. Even though I’m not going to sink the money into something like an induction stove right now (we plan to sell this house within 3-4 years), it’s something I might want in a new house when I move. And I’m not hearing bad reports on glass cooktops as I thought I would, so I’ll probably go that way if I do have to replace the stove.</p>
<p>But I fully expect that an element replacement is all I need. I’ll find out today when the repairman comes. Violadad, I probably could have replaced it myself (and so could my husband) but I was just afraid that there might have been more damage from the fire that I wouldn’t have known about, and I’m scared to mess with anything electrical. I didn’t think you were being sexist, though!</p>
<p>Well, the repairman came today. He replaced the element but it wasn’t an easy process. Apparently the fire burned the little connector thingy on one end of the element, so when he pulled out the old one, part of the connector remained behind. He had to pull the stove out, remove the back, remove the little piece of connector and the burned wires that were in there, then put it all back together again and slide it back to the wall. Unfortunately, the new element didn’t work. The repairman said that I likely burned out the selector switch and that’s a part he has to order. Because of the holiday, it won’t arrive until next week, so I’m without an oven for another 4-5 days and now I’m looking at something like a $300 repair bill. :eek:</p>
<p>The Americana sounds better every day! ;)</p>
<p>Ovens cost a lot more than $300. But as it’s the 4th of July, sounds like a little BBQ is in order. Enjoy your weekend!</p>
<p>Americana cost $299. Got $25 off, but we had to pay $19.95 for the “gas range kit”. Taking away the old one cost a penny. It is probably leading a charmed life in South America.</p>
<p>So it does, I googled it. Technically $329, but you got a discount. But then it wouldn’t have that top oven she’s got and then you have to redecorate the wall, esplly if you’re going to sell the house in a couple of years. But you’re right, you can get a brand new plain vanilla oven for around $300. Food for thought while eating the BBQ.</p>
<p>I did ask the repairman today what brand of range he’d buy if he was getting a new one, based entirely on repair history and what he encounters when he goes out to fix appliances. He didn’t hesitate to say Whirlpool. They have the least problems of any brands he works on.</p>
<p>Mini, that Americana looks just a little too spartan for my tastes! I don’t need <em>all</em> the bells and whistles, but a couple of bells and maybe one whistle would ease the daily grind of cooking :)</p>