Stoves - why do you love (or hate) yours?

[smittykitty]

All the new stuff seems to be junk, so replacing it won't help. Just more junk and more money out the door. Sorry, don't get me started.

[Crankin]

I don't know, I am very happy with all of my appliances. The things I don't like are design features that I didn't know about or see before purchasing... I hate anything to do with appliances and leave it all up to my DH. Usually when he comes to me for approval, I say "fine," if the basic look is OK and I don't spend any time on it. We have an LG fridge that has a water dispenser that is very awkward to use. That's really the only thing I don't like. And, I would have bought a double oven, instead of a microwave/oven combo. I only need a double oven 1-2 times a year, though and I just didn't want a counter microwave taking up space. But these things have nothing to do with the quality of the appliances. We had a Whirlpool dishwasher for 7 years and got a Bosch this year. It's wonderful. My Jen-Air gas stove, as well as the microwave/oven are also perfect.

[ny biker]

My very first appliance purchase a was new electric stove to replace the hideous 40-year-old harvest-gold monstrosity that was in my kitchen when I bought my condo. I got a flat-top Kenmore. I don't remember much about the process, though I'm sure it's not a top-of-the-line model and I know it's not an Energy-Star appliance.

I'm not much of a cook, but I've never felt that there were problems with the way the stove works. The stove-top elements heat up a reasonable speed. I guess maybe the oven could pre-heat faster, but otherwise it all works fine. I think it is much easier to clean the flat top than to deal with coils. If I was going to make changes to the design, I think I would use larger lights for the indicators that tell you from a distance that one of the heating elements is on and that the stove top is hot. As the person using it, I have no problem remembering not to touch it when it's hot, but one day when my parents were visiting my father put his hand on the stove not long after my mother had made breakfast and he was surprised that it was warm to the touch. If he had done that a few minutes earlier, he might have burned his hand.

[Dogmama]

Well rats. Went shopping and the coil type stoves are far & few between. Very cheaply made.

Saw a G.E. that is a flat top but has several cool features. A couple of the burners can heat the entire burner or just a center part. Has a warming burner. Double oven and both have two heating elements.

On sale until tomorrow at Lowe's till tomorrow. Any experience with these?

[thekarens]

Just my .02, but every GE appliance we've had has died soon after the warranty. We swore them off forever.

[ny biker]

This site consolidates reviews of many product types. Might have something useful for you.

http://www.consumersearch.com/ranges...lectric-ranges

[Dogmama]

This site consolidates reviews of many product types. Might have something useful for you.

http://www.consumersearch.com/ranges...lectric-ranges

Thank you NYB!

[DebW]

I'd had electric stoves/ovens for years, the last 2 being smooth top stoves which I liked. When I bought a house last fall it came with gas, and the oven didn't work so I went and bought a new gas range to replace it. I'm not very happy with it. The burners are somewhat big for most of my pots (I live alone so use 1-2 qt pots most of the time) and the sides of the pot rather than the bottom are heated. It takes a long time to boil water. The stove sits behind my back door and the burner knobs are on the front, creating a dangerous situation. The door knob can hit one of the burner knobs and turn on the gas without lighting the burner. I've smelled gas from this occurring a number of times, and if it happened as I was leaving the house for hours, my house might explode. I put a door stop on the hinge to limit the swing of the door but that didn't entirely solve the problem, so now I've removed the stove knob. It's for the extra-large burner that I can't use anyway unless I'm making soup in a very large pot. The oven has worked well for me, except that last fall I had mice in the house, and with the large vent holes in a gas oven, the mice could enter the oven while I had bread rising and nibble on the dough. Ugh! I'd always assumed the inside of an oven was mouse-proof, but not a gas oven! I got rid of the mice last fall, but now they seem to be back, so baking day will be challenging again. I'm thinking about getting rid of this almost-new gas stove and going to electric (but will need an electrician to install the proper outlet).

[Irulan]

I've currently got a 10 year old Kenmore flat top that works just fine. However, I'm getting the kitchen done soon and will replace it with a gas range.

[Dogmama]

I've currently got a 10 year old Kenmore flat top that works just fine. However, I'm getting the kitchen done soon and will replace it with a gas range.

Kenmore is one of the more highly rated stoves. Found it interesting that JD Powers rates Electrolux highly, yet the consumer ratings are horrible. Who do you believe?

[malkin]

INDUCTION!!

We have a portable one with 2 burners now, and a few of the one burner ones.
We will never go back.

[Irulan]

Kenmore is one of the more highly rated stoves. Found it interesting that JD Powers rates Electrolux highly, yet the consumer ratings are horrible. Who do you believe?

I always use Consumer Reports.