Oct 10, 2020

Looking For A Stove What A Job!


Have you searched for a new stove lately? Oh my gosh, I've been searching for about a week now and non stop I might add. It is not as simple as you may think this searching online. I personally am not out and about these days so online it is. 

Guess what? As you may imagine things are pretty much at a standstill or slow-moving due to this blame mess aka you know what I mean it starts with a C and it ain't a cookie (lol)! 



Now that's what I call range!
Hmmm sounds like a good idea to be out on the range!

Today The topic is searching for a stove or range whatever you call it.  What the heck I know I'm southern but did you grow up calling what you cook on a range?  Whatever you call it the search is real......
BACK TO THE PAST HISTORY OF OUR APPLIANCES
I'll step back in time to where we had to change out our fairly new Sears Kenmore middle price range appliances. They were not quite 3 years old! Good gosh! I have an oven in another home that is 42 years and counting! What the heck is anything built to last anymore? Nope, I don't think so. 


Forward on to the new appliances, (in the past), I purchased and they were supposed to be top of the line for the time. I could have bought 3 cars or 1 very expensive sports car at the time instead. Come to think of it I wish I had


You can see them here.  Keep in mind they were all lemons! Every board, part conceivable almost has been replaced. One would think alright now they are like new inside and out. Think again! 

THE HOUSE COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE!
Today, as we speak the stove while baking decided to burn smoke not only inside but behind and when it began to smell like wires were burning (you know that smell) horror set in. Then a stove eye/element began cutting on and off on and off! I had not even turned the stovetop on! Quick the breaker had to be thrown! Whew, that was a close one! The smell is still in the house and between watching for squads of mosquitoes, I have been airing out the house for days! Thank God the house didn't burn down!

OUR ELECTROLUX PRESENT FAILURES & ONE GOOD POINT!
The dishwasher hasn't worked in almost a year and the icemaker a notorious failure from day one in the fridge hasn't worked in months again! I have to say that the refrigerator itself is still working strong and the freezer down below which has been replaced a motor I believe is still working! The good thing in the middle of the bad. 

Many fixes on all and even a settlement on the lawsuit someone filed on icemakers new I think 2 new replaced our cost and still NO GOOD!

I will say these appliances had so many great features they would amaze you! Really! But we couldn't keep them going long enough to enjoy most of them! I'll say it again when these work they are fantastic! They simply don't work any length of time in between repairs to justify the cost. By the way, on that thought, I could have literally purchased another set just like them for the repair costs! Ding Chuck and I both could have had a car each to drive off into the sunset!


DECISIONS!

I've reached a few and those are:
  • I won't buy anything made by the same company sadly that includes Frigidaire and if you look they have some pretty great functions.
  • I won't buy a Whirlpool stove/range. Way too many bad reviews! However, they make excellent washers and dryers! Mine are the only large appliances in the home that are still working with only minor repairs. I use them every day and have almost constantly barring Sundays for 14 years! 
  • The Kenmore over the oven microwave is still going strong for over 14 years! Too bad Sears is gone for many reasons.
  • Be Wary of stores like Lowes etc. I've found that their prices are upped so they can offer the big money off sadly. So do your searching if you find a product you like to find the best price.  Also online and maybe even in-store they and Home Depot don't honor the Military Discounts on the large purchases (some popped up then were taken away the only one that stayed was for the plug cord for the stove, then it too disappeared)  nor the Senior Discount. 
  • Most stores at this pandemic time have few in store for you to look at first hand. The whole thing is sad praying for better times in that way.
  • I do want one with both Convection and Regular Baking Capabilities! I like both there are times when some items are better cooked one way or the other.
  • I do want self-cleaning because well just because. Speaking of that do any of you have the Aqua Cleaning in your stove and if so do you like it? I read where it only cleans somewhat the bottom and not the sides. I'd like both the self-cleaning and aqua. That would be nice I think for those not so dirty bottom spills.  **note the repairmen who know me by name have said many times that self cleaners in ovens tear them up more than anything else. I know for a fact every time I cleaned mine the enamel peeled off the oven interior and rusted. Add to that the glide in racks caused some break offs as well.
  • I like the multisize-choice elements those are very convenient for me. I would like a power burner for fast boiling too. Something new and sounds good to me!
  • The air frying feature is tempting but not mandatory for me. There are many out there that could be purchased if the oven price is prohibitive.
  • Warming Drawer is not a consideration for me never used the ones I've had except to store. If by chance the oven I choose has one I may actually use it for warming. Otherwise not important to me.
Those are the only decisions I've made in a week filled with research! 

I'm trying to narrow it down by type. I don't have gas out here and by choice don't think I'll add it even though it would be nice. I guess it will be an electric stove again. 
I am considering an Induction Range. Have or do you use one?  Please let me know if you do and how you like it.
Double or Single Oven now that is a decision I'm trying to make. I had double ovens in this thing but never really used the smaller one much because it was very inconvenient too small and virtually on the floor. I'm debating the smaller oven above a larger one. Do any of you have them? 

Kitchenaid Misty Blue
Beautiful but $12 thousand and the fact that they are always unavailable make my decision for me.

Color Choice? I don't even have that nailed down. Stainless if what I have now. I see some color varieties I'd love to have but space and money make my decision for me.  Have you seen the Kitchenaid color varieties? Wow, I love them!

There will be Amazon Affiliate links on this post. I am an Amazon Affiliate and do make a small percentage of any sale. The customer pays no more for their product and that is a good thing. 

I have ordered a Panasonic Microwave Convection Air Fryer Broiler for the countertop. This will bake perhaps until I can make up my mind on the large oven. Let's hope it works as well as one I owned in the 70s and loved! I loved it so much I saved the cookbook for over 38 years. Here's hoping!

I have a Black & Decker that I ordered from Amazon with 2 small elements one is 1000 watts and the other is 500 watts. It for the last week at least has been helping a lot!

I even pulled out my old George Foreman Oven Rotisserie. That thing has been in storage for years! You know it makes some great shish kabobs too!

My Pioneer Woman Instant Pot as pretty as it is has been sitting in the dining room closet until now. This has had some usage and I'm still learning new different ways to cook in it not noted in the manual. May share them with you later if you wish. 

One item that has perhaps been used way too many times since it is tearing up is my Presto Slow Cooker. I'll be buying one myself.  Evidently, they make a different one now but still need one. 
**Note my dead Electrolux was also a slow cooker I used it a few times and loved it.

Did you know that the Instant Pot slow cooks too?  I didn't until now so before I buy yet another counter space taker upper I think I'll use it again. I've just this week used it as a slow cooker!

I'll tell you one thing frying chicken is one thing my family and friends really like for me to do. I have been using my electric fold away frying pan for that chore for years. Carly gave me a Toastmaster it cooks pretty well.  It seems to fry hotter at times than the other so it makes good home fries. 

Most stoves with smooth tops don't do well when using iron pots or frying pans. One thing that Induction may have over the other smooth tips since you can use them. May affect my choice but who knows since I haven't been able to use one except in the oven for years. 

Our grill will be good when these blame mosquitoes go away!  We've had so much rain and they are coming in like dive bombers every day all day long!

Excuse this book-the journal of the facts I've just written.
This is for my info as well but if it helps any of you out there that's great!
I know I'm picky about this subject (oh, alright on most subjects) but with our track record, it makes one even pickier.

You may see me outside cooking over an open fire with an iron pot like a cowgirl
Hey, our ancestors did it so can I right?

Choices, Choices, and More Choices!
Any of you please feel free to comment, contact me with your recommendations 
They will be appreciated I assure you!

Have a great and safe weekend!


Some photos are from









4 comments:

  1. We have had our stove and oven for 15 years. It’s a GE gas stove with four burners and cast iron burners. It stainless steel and black. We have never had a problem with GE but not sure they make that brand anymore.
    Lisa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the tip! I am looking now at some GE. That is great the life in yours! 
      Dolly

      Delete
  2. Loved reading this! I've been looking for a new fridge for months...it seems this pandemic has made appliances almost impossible to find. And I agree...so many of the old brands (Whirlpool) were the best. We had our original washer & dryer from them for probably 25 years and the oven for 20. I've wanted a double oven for ages, and when our element caught on fire, it was time. I searched but wasn't happy...there's no lower storage. So a lucky day for me when I just happened to look on Craigslist and found a 1950 Hotpoint double oven, storage drawers at the bottom, working beautifully, and in our hometown! I did my research (yikes, could I still get parts if I needed them?) and then brought her home...she was a bargain and I couldn't be happier. Now...to find a good fridge!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my I'm so glad you found your 1950 Hotpoint! That is great! I declare the older work better. Like you though I do worry about finding parts. Here's hoping you won't need any parts for a long time! I hope your fridge hunting goes just as well! Thanks for sharing with us!
      Dolly

      Delete


HOUSE AND GARDENS