Old stove died, need advice.
Jack Ricci
since the early sixties, has been repaired many times, the company is no
longer in business, so I must bite the bullet and get a new one.
I am 74 years old, love to cook and bake, but let's face it, I don't
have that much baking left in my life. I want a solid, dependable gas
stove, not fancy, don't need lots of bells and whistles. A friend bought
a very expensive stove last year and has had lots of problems with it.
In fact, the company replaced it after fighting the replacement forever.
I won't name the company, but I know that is not in my price range
anyway.
I will look at Consumers Reports but I cannot go entirely with their
recommendations. Sometimes they miss the mark--I'd much rather hear from
people who have stoves that they like and stoves that they hate, and
hope to make my decision on the strength of that.
Thank you.
Zuke
Sometimes these are great values. Look for a store which
has been around awhile and has a reputable owner. Some of
these stores also do repairs.
I understand your problems about all the bells and whistles.
Sometimes all those luxuries just complicate matters.
Al Bundy
It might not be practical for you, but the Salvation Army often has
stoves.
Chloe
news:jritch53-6B9D82...@news.phx.highwinds-media.com...
I can't give you specific advice because I've always used an electric stove.
But the extremely cheap-quality, contractor model stove which was in the
house DH and I bought a few years ago made cooking a real problem. The oven
was especially difficult--most things I tried to bake came out burned around
the edges and undercooked in the middle.
My point: certainly do avoid those bells and whistles you don't want. But
since you love to use a stove, don't skimp too much of quality. Sadly, in
this day and age, getting decent quality might mean you also have to buy
some features you don't want or need.
Greg
wrote:
>My point: certainly do avoid those bells and whistles you don't want. But
>since you love to use a stove, don't skimp too much of quality. Sadly, in
>this day and age, getting decent quality might mean you also have to buy
>some features you don't want or need.
I agree. It's just the way product marketing is handled in the USA.
They think you want CHEAP when you just want SIMPLE. As a result,
machines with fewer features are often also of poorer quality. They do
the same thing with small cars.
I bought a gas range last year, and I chose a Frigidaire. My kitchen
is mostly Whirlpool, but Whirlpool's offerings in gas ranges were
inferior to some of the Frigidaire units. My brand loyalty has been
weakened by so many companies getting their products produced by the
same original manufacturer.
My research began with Consumer Reports (very good information there),
but I did not go with their top choice. I had some specific desires
that I needed to meet. Still, beginning the search by reading the CR
article was definitely the way to go.
The only "fancy" feature that it has is a convection fan in the oven.
I don't use that feature, except with baked goods like bread and
cookies, which I rarely make, but it works very well. The other
features are considered standard in a modern natural gas range:
self-cleaning oven, electronic controls, timer, oven lights, sealed
burners, etc.
The price was good to me, but the concept of 'expensive' is different
from one person to another. You may want to consider that your range
will be used by your heirs, or the buyer of your house, if you sell
it. So, you may not want to buy too basic of a range. I am very
pleased with the purchase and I continue to love cooking with gas,
instead of electricity.
Greg
jaygreg
in the consumer appliance industry from the street to the executive suite.
Put your highest weight on the Consumer Reports; not what you read here.
Consider what you read here... particularly the negatives... but place your
weight on the CR's. They employ impartial engineers (who you can't even take
to lunch) to "tear down" the appliances they buy then evaluate what they
find. When I learned how they operate, they won my confidence hand over
fist.
You have to read carefully. They are reporting what they find on very
specific models and sometimes - because of the long leadtime in reporting -
a problem they report has been corrected by the manufacture already. That's
where input here "might" come in handy.
In general, major appliances have become a very competitive commodity
business at the low and medium price ranges. Consumers get a lot for their
money (and good quality) even at the low end. They was a day (in the 60's
and 70's) when quality was used as a step-up feature. Not anymore. As
manufacturing began leaving American shores, heavy emphasis was placed upon
quality. Though that wasn't sufficient to save the jobs, the consumers
benifited in lower prices and higher quality.
Just find something rated well in the CR's, go to a big box store that
carries the brands your interested in, (don't foreget to consider Lowe's,
Home Depot, Sam's Club and Costco), open and shut the doors, slid the
drewers, play with the knobs, and make your selection. There's a very high
probablility you'll be pleased even 15 years from now.
"Jack Ricci" <jrit...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:jritch53-6B9D82...@news.phx.highwinds-media.com...
Rod Speed
> Jack, I'd suggest you rethink your decision process. I spent over 30
> years in the consumer appliance industry from the street to the
> executive suite. Put your highest weight on the Consumer Reports; not
> what you read here. Consider what you read here... particularly the
> negatives... but place your weight on the CR's. They employ impartial
> engineers (who you can't even take to lunch) to "tear down" the
> appliances they buy then evaluate what they find. When I learned how
> they operate, they won my confidence hand over fist.
Problem is that they cant get access to the real data that matters,
the repair history of the entire model run over decades and even if
they could, the model isnt available anymore once you identify one
that does the job very well.
> You have to read carefully. They are reporting what they find on very specific models and
> sometimes - because of the long leadtime in reporting - a problem they report has been corrected
> by the
> manufacture already. That's where input here "might" come in handy.
Clearly the OP's input that the one that has just died did require a
lot of maintenance over its life is useful info that CR wont have etc.
> In general, major appliances have become a very competitive commodity business at the low and
> medium price ranges.
And there is a real tendency for hardly anyone to bother with the high end
anymore, so no one bothers to produce much at that end anymore too.
And there is always the real problem that its not in the manufacturer's interest
to produce a product that will last forever, their income is stuffed that way.
> Consumers get a lot for their money (and good quality) even at the low end. They was a day (in the
> 60's and 70's) when quality was used as a step-up feature. Not anymore. As manufacturing began
> leaving American shores, heavy emphasis was placed upon quality. Though that wasn't sufficient to
> save the jobs, the consumers benifited in lower prices and higher quality.
The jobs just got exported. Why is it any worse that they are made outside
the country instead of inside it ? Anything else is mindless racism.
> Just find something rated well in the CR's, go to a big box store that carries the brands your
> interested in, (don't foreget to consider
> Lowe's, Home Depot, Sam's Club and Costco), open and shut the doors, slid the drewers, play with
> the knobs, and make your selection.
Trouble is that that doesnt give you any handle on
how much work will be required on it over the years.
> There's a very high probablility you'll be pleased even 15 years from now.
Depends on how much repair it required. Thats what really pisses me
off, the repairs. Particularly with appliances where it isnt practical to have
more than one so you can just yawn while one of them gets fixed etc.
Ron Peterson
I have an Amana gas range and although it is at least 10 years old, it
still works well with some minor repairs. I like the waist high
broiler, electronic ignition, and self cleaning features.
--
Ron
jaygreg
the country instead of inside it ? Anything else is mindless racism.
<<
was said was not judgemental.... simply a statement of fact. Jobs were
lost... consumers benefited. Concerning your comment on "Racism"... I'm at a
complete loss to see how anything in this entire thread could have ever so
much as an undertone.
In any event, the CR is the best available, unbiased resource the average
consumer has today. It holes are clearly spelled out if one cares to take
the time to read their methodology. Nonetheless, no one else can offer as
good advice to the public for the price.
"Rod Speed" <rod.sp...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:5b8tfrF...@mid.individual.net...
Rod Speed
>>> Consumers get a lot for their money (and good quality) even at the
>>> low end. They was a day (in the 60's and 70's) when quality was
>>> used as a step-up feature. Not anymore. As manufacturing began
>>> leaving American shores, heavy emphasis was placed upon quality.
>>> Though that wasn't sufficient to save the jobs, the consumers benifited in lower prices and
>>> higher quality.
>> The jobs just got exported. Why is it any worse that they are made
>> outside the country instead of inside it ? Anything else is mindless racism.
> You must have misread something, Rod.
Nope.
> No one said anything was "worse".
He clearly was saying just that with his 'save the jobs'
> What was said was not judgemental....
Never said it was. I JUST said that its no big deal if the jobs move offshore.
> simply a statement of fact. Jobs were lost...
Nope, they just left the country.
> consumers benefited. Concerning your comment on "Racism"... I'm at a complete loss to see how
> anything in this entire thread could have ever so much as an undertone.
Its just as obvious from your line about 'jobs were lost' when
in fact they werent lost at all, just done by foreigners instead.
> In any event, the CR is the best available, unbiased resource the average consumer has today.
And I was pointing out that while that is certainly true, its still a hell of a lot
less than the most desirable source of info on that question about which
products will require the least maintenance over time to continue to do the job.
> It holes are clearly spelled out if one cares to take the time to read their methodology.
Nope, most obviously on the lack of access to the repair history of the product in the field.
> Nonetheless, no one else can offer as good advice to the public for the price.
Irrelevant to whether that is still a lot less than is needed to really get
a handle on what was being discussed, which products will continue
to deliver the service they have been bought to provide with the
minimum of maintenance over time. Its just not possible for anyone
like CR to work that out by scrutenizing the item when new. The only
way to get a real handle on that is the maintenance history over time
and the average consumer can do that a lot better than CR can.
Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply
>
> I am 74 years old, love to cook and bake, but let's face it, I don't
> have that much baking left in my life. I want a solid, dependable gas
> stove, not fancy, don't need lots of bells and whistles.
You might want to consider an electric stove if you already have an
outlet for it or can afford to add it, because whoever might want to buy
your house after you sell it might not want the expense of cooking with
electric.
With that said, my GE Spectra gas stove was rated highly by Consumer
Reports, is not particularly fancy, and I have been really happy with it
for the past few years.
Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply
> drewers, play with the knobs, and make your selection. There's a very high
> probablility you'll be pleased even 15 years from now.
Or moved on to greener pastures, seeing as though they would be 89 in 15
years...
Rick
If you want inexpensive and nothing fancy look at the low end HotPoint
models. A 24" model should run about $200.00 and a 30" about $300.00.
This is your basic gas stove - no pilotless ingitions to screw up, no
glass window in the oven door. Just your basic gas oven that works well
for what it's intended to do.
It's kind of hard to screw up the basic cheap models. It's when you end
up with pilotless ignitions, dual gas and electrics with convection fans
and digital controls that you start running into lot's of potential for
lot's of problems.
Rick
jaygreg
the repair history of the entire model run over decades and even if
they could, the model isnt available anymore once you identify one
that does the job very well.<<
You obviously have no experience working with CR or CU. YOu're simply wrong
on both accounts. They DO take service history into account. What's more -
in the appliance as in the auto industry - model differenciation is most
often made with accessory item; items that don't really affect the quality
of the main components. Two gas ranges differenciated by only a digital
clock will still meet the same overall quality standards of the
manufacturer. One model simply has another feature that may fail. But that
holds true in anything one buys.
>>Clearly the OP's input that the one that has just died did require a
lot of maintenance over its life is useful info that CR wont have etc.<<
And that was only one incident we know of for sure. The person making the
decision has to give that whatever weight s/he cares to assign to it.
Personally, I'd consider it .... but recognize it as only one incident. Not
very significant.
>>And there is a real tendency for hardly anyone to bother with the high end
anymore, so no one bothers to produce much at that end anymore too.
And there is always the real problem that its not in the manufacturer's
interest
to produce a product that will last forever, their income is stuffed that
way.<<
Where do you live, Rod? Surely not North America. The most profitable part
of the appliance industry is high end and more manufactures have entered the
market at that segment. SubZero refrigerators, Bosch dishwashers, Viking
ranges... and the list goes on. You're simply wrong on what you think you've
observed, Rod. Next time you're at Best Buy... even Lowe's for that
matter... count the high end goods on display. That segment is growing...
not waining.
>>The jobs just got exported. Why is it any worse that they are made outside
the country instead of inside it ? Anything else is mindless racism.<<
???? Who said anything about it being worse? Or even implied it? The
industry lost jobs but the consumers gained lower prices. Society as a whole
wins. (Racism? Where you comin' from? This had nothing to do with racism nor
was there anything close to that implied in any of this thread.)
>> Trouble is that that doesnt give you any handle on
how much work will be required on it over the years.<<
If, after reading the consumer reports and opening and closing doors on
display one feels they have a better way of making their personal decision,
by all means, follow your heart. The decision maker is the one who has to
live with the product.
"Rod Speed" <rod.sp...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:5b8tfrF...@mid.individual.net...
clams casino
>
>You obviously have no experience working with CR or CU.
>
Rod has no experience with anything. He simple makes up everything.
It's best to just filter him away.
jaygreg
"clams casino" <PeterG...@drunkin-clam.com> wrote in message
news:rgX1j.1778$KK1....@newsfe24.lga...
Jeff
> Ah. I see. Pity. Thanks for the tip.
I don't know whether I'd go that far. Rod has some expertise, it's
just that he often is pig headed, and when he is wrong (or even when he
isn't) can be a jackass.
The trouble with many of us, is that the desire to get out our
opinion often excedes the depth of our expertise.
I'm a little sympathetic toward Rod lately as he is really getting
lambasted, but not sympathetic enough to take him out of my killfile! (
He annoyed me to the point where he's in my killfile. I think I have
two in there.)
Jeff
Anthony Matonak
> I don't know whether I'd go that far. Rod has some expertise, it's
> just that he often is pig headed, and when he is wrong (or even when he
> isn't) can be a jackass.
It's a simple question of how much garbage and abuse you are willing
to wade through to find a few rare postings containing any information
of even modest value.
It's like the old question of "What would you do for a nickel?"
Would you fetch one out of a clean toilet? Out of a toilet filled
with waste? Would you fight with a mean dog? Dash out into a busy
street to pick it up? Would you argue with a drunk?
Everyone has some point where they figure the rewards are not worth
what you have to go through.
Anthony