Cookaholics Bulletin Board

All,

We finally get to replace our 20" antique gas stove with a new 24" gas range. Any recommendations?

We'll need to decide in the next couple days.

If you can arrainge a bank robbery the Capital Culinarian line http://www.capital-culinarian.com/Euros ... lcome.html is the cream of the crop! Looks like 30" is the narrowest offered.

Don't look at me. I have a Hotpoint, and truthfully, I rather like it.

JB,

That's advice; Hotpoint was one of the brands we were looking at ...

A fella can dream can't he?

I too have a Hotpoint cooktop with two of the four knobs missing...

I have a kenmore that after about the 7th year the pilot failed so I need a lighter each and every time I turn on a burner. Oh, and one burner just up and quit.

When I was looking at ranges there were many many different types of burner layout and size, even in a four burner model. As well, there are differing philosophies of grate design resulting in some being much more appealling to me for cleaning.

In summary, I would weigh heavily on burner and grate design and layout based on your cooking needs and cleaning likes and dislikes. To some extent, a range is a range otherwise.

Well, mine's a 30-inch but here's what I like -- I haven't had any problems with it in over 7 years of constant use. The oven is reasonably even for not having convection. The extra-high and simmer burners are handy. It self-cleans the way it should. The oven can be recalibrated by the user, although it is a tedious task.

What I don't like. -- I swear this thing chips if I so much as glare at it for too long. The burners have knobs, but the oven is set with a keypad. This means holding down the arrow keys until is has reached the desired temperature (it starts at 350). It goes in 5 degree increments (You know, for all those recipes you have that bake at 265.). It does not speed up when it becomes apparent that you are holding the button down for a good long time.

Neutral things. -- The oven goes from 170 to 550. If you get electronic ignition, you can still use the burners in a power outage (using another ignition source), but the oven will be a no-go. Cleaning-wise, on a scale of 1-10 (1 being "explosives won't remove this crap" and 10 being "it's like pixies clean it for me while I read novels and eat bon-bons) it's about a 6 or 7 depending on how well you keep on it.

I've had a hotpoint, years ago. I currently have a Whirlpool gold seriers gas range. I am quite happy with it.


Stay away from Fridgiaire.

Laurie

JB,

What brand is yours?

All,

One thing which is annoying is that we found out that you can't get a high-powered burner on a 24" stove without going into super-premium (i.e. $3000) territory. Whereas you can get it on a 30" stove which sells for only around $800. Grrrr.