Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara logo

The Stove

Vince and I had a heart to heart discussion today. He knows I want a gas stove. He sees the value in it for several reasons. First, I thought I would just pick up where I left off because it’s only been 9 years since I used a glass top stove and I had used one in various forms for about 14 years. Piece of cake, right? Not so much. I do not like it. In fact, I’ve been using my induction hot plates at the house in MO to keep from using the stove. When I’m there alone, it’s not so bad because I use the air fryer, the pressure cooker, the toaster oven all more than I use the actual stove but when Vince is there, I seem to use the stovetop every day. Second, gas is really invaluable if/when the power is out. I can still cook on the stove (light the burners with a match) to cook and boil water for baths.

Vince agreed to replace the stove but he wants to wait til after the Texas house sells. There are two problems with that. First, it may be into the spring before we have everything out of this house and list it and second, one day he says he’s not selling this place and the next day, he says he wants to keep it for a while. I wonder if he thinks we’re not going to like living near people and want to move back.

Today I told him . . I understand that you don’t want to spend the money til after this house sells but I don’t want to cook on a glass top stove! I burn things, the burner stays hot when I’m done cooking. Maybe because the stove is 17 years old but I really have to scrub it to make it clean even if I’m not using a cast iron pot on it.

I told Vince . . if doing it all now was going to cost $3,000 and doing it four months from now would cost $1,000, I wouldn’t have a problem with waiting but that’s not the case and at this point, and after what we’ve already spent and still have to spend, I just don’t see the problem with doing it now and getting rid of that electric stove. It’s costing way more (almost twice as much) to have two trees cut and three more trimmed than it’s going to cost to add a gas line and new stove. I don’t want to talk him into not cutting the trees because if the two by the deck fall and ruin the deck, that would be very expensive; if the one leaning too close to the solar panels falls, that wouldn’t be good. If the movers can’t get down the driveway (and they can’t) because of the two that need to be cut, that wouldn’t be good so I do understand that has to happen.

The kitchen now has all white appliances. I was going to change them to stainless as we replace them. The fridge is probably near the end. The former owners replaced the ice maker just before they left. Vince had to replace some part to the water line and now there’s another part he’ll replace once he gets there again.

I expect we’ll replace the fridge, and the stove but maybe not the dishwasher, wall oven or built in microwave so I started thinking . . why replace those if they aren’t broke and I don’t want a kitchen with half white appliances and half stainless for years so I decided to stick with white. I’d actually rather clean white than stainless.

This is the stove I’m thinking about getting. It’s white and I like the way it looks – kinda sleek and modern, where most white stoves I saw looked very 80’s looking.

I like that the burners don’t sit high above the top of the stove. They’re hinged so they’re easy to lift to clean but they will come off and go into the dishwasher. I love the split ovens. But . . I do have a wall oven so in reality, I’ll have three ovens.

I read the reviews on it and most are glowing but someone mentioned that the small oven is very small. Well, it does look kinda small. I’m thinking cookies and toast.

They also mentioned, and I wouldn’t have thought about it, when you open the bigger oven, the door hits the floor. I would be bending over lower to get things out of that oven. I do still have the wall oven which is pretty much full size but it doesn’t have convection.

I like that it has a third element for convection.

The only thing that concerns me is that the door hits the floor when you open it.

I also don’t like those “plastic weighted” knobs on the front. They just don’t hold up but I think that’s pretty standard these days.

There was a time when I’d make a decision like this without much thought. Now I seem to rehash every aspect of it over and over.

Anyway . . Vince did agree that it’s ok to go ahead and do it but I want him to be there when they’re installing the gas line. There could be decisions to be made that I don’t want to have to make.

But, the appliance store guy told me that during the appliance shortage, they’ve stopped making white appliances and are concentrating on stainless and maybe black. I thought he said black stainless but I might have misunderstood. He said they may be able to have one by the end of November but I don’t think they’re committing to dates on anything right now. That wouldn’t be a problem since I do have a working stove and knowing it’s coming would be fine. I just have to decide which stove to get and whether I want stainless or I want to stick with white. I think I’ll just go knit for a while. This decision doesn’t have to be made today.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • It will fit in the wall oven for sure. The book with it says it will cook a 35 pound turkey!

  2. Judy I just purchased a new electric stove this past January. I had been wanting the 2 oven stove for a very very long time. When my daughter and I went to go look at them. The first thing I saw was the larger oven on the bottom. I was thinking if I had something super hot coming out of there and I have to bend down all the way to the floor to pick it up and over the oven door–there was no way I would be able to do that. Try to pick up something super hot off of the floor and have a 24 inch or so door between you and it and not get burned. I am just a bit taller than you 5’4″ so I might be able to do it a bit easier–but I decided no way am I going to do that and risk hurting myself over that. I know it’s your call–but something to think about. I would love to have the oven in the wall–but my kitchen isn’t configured that way. I love my electric smooth top stoves–have had them for years. I use my cast iron skillets and such on it–I have never had any problems with them at all. They are easy to clean up and you learn how to control the heat. Yes they do take a bit of time to cool down, but mine have a heat indicator light that tells you that the area is still hot even if the element is off. Which is nice because I had one years ago without that feature and my husband put his hand on the stove—well we won’t go there on what he said. Just some input on my observations of the 2 oven stoves now days. Before you obligate yourself to it–I would go to Home Depot, or Lowes and look and see the features even if you aren’t purchasing from them–just to get an idea. On the computer looks different in real life.

    • Thank you. I was thinking of the same thing but figured anything big and heavy, I could put in the wall oven. It’s actually a bit larger than the lower oven. Good idea about going to look at them before I decide.

      As far as the glass top, it does have the hot burner indicator light but I don’t like that the burner stays hot after I turn it off. With gas, it’s off the instant you turn it off. Also, it’s so important for me to be able to cook if the electricity is off. There are lots of storms in that area and while I’m not worried about long term power outages, my friends in Louisiana have been 3+ weeks without power. I need the assurance that I can cook with or without the electricity being on and that pretty much rules out any type of electric stove for me.

      • I live in a rural setting where power outages were more common years ago than today BUT they still happen and that’s one of the reasons gas is my choice. The cast iron burner grates stay hot “forever” (it seems), so a consideration (or just something to remember!) but I love the stainless finish (white would be my second choice but DEFINITELY NOT BLACK!!! It shows every smudge …… ugh…..

        • I mainly cook with cast iron and it does stay hot but on a gas stove, if I’m boiling water, and turn off the burner, the water immediately stops boiling but on an electric stove, it continues at least for a few minutes. That’s what I was talking about.

  3. Oh I understand about being without electricity and not being able to cook–but your “camp” stove you can on couldn’t you use it in a pinch? I guess might be hard if it is cold outside-but other than that–might work. Throwing around ideas.

    • I could but if there’s ice and snow out there, which there probably would be if we were in a situation with no power, I wouldn’t want to be out there cooking breakfast, and dinner. MO weather isn’t like Texas weather in the winter. It also could be freezing rain (neither the deck or the back porch are covered). If it’s windy, the flame goes out. That’s the trouble I had the other day trying to can.

      It’s about $800 to add the gas line and probably $1,500 to buy the stove. We would spend way more than that eating out if we didn’t cook every meal at home so I’m not concerned at all about replacing the stove. I’ll eventually decide on one. No real rush . . except for my impatience.

      Thanks for trying to help me figure it out.

  4. We totally gutted our kitchen and remodeled last year. I chose a refrigerator in 15 minutes. Chose granite in 30 minutes. Took me two months and numerous trips to make a decision on the stove. I was going from electric to propane and wanted to get it right. I ended up with a GE. I thought I wanted the two ovens also but the door on the floor changed my mind. My GE has metal knobs on the front and I love it! I never want to go back to electric. It was a big expense to get the propane lines run but so worth it.

    • We already have propane to the house and the basement ceiling is a drop ceiling so it’s not THAT expensive to add it to the kitchen. I think the lines they have to use is what ran the cost up but . . to me it’s worth it.

  5. Black stainless really is a thing; my daughter got her fridge in that. It’s very sharp looking! Kind of like a matte stainless look but doesn’t show fingerprints and such. I had to accept an electric glass stove coming from 36 years of a gas stove and I hate every stinkin’ minute of cooking on it. Don’t even get me started on how many ways I hate that glass top and miss my gas stove. Gas was not an option in this all-electric development…. don’t get me started on that either! LOL

    • Maybe that is what I heard him say – black stainless. I’d never heard of it but I’m not really up on all the new stuff.

      I haven’t had natural gas in more years than I care to count but thank goodness for propane both here in Texas and at the house in MO. But, if the house in MO didn’t already have the tank for the fireplaces, I don’t think Vince would have agreed to it just for the stove. I’m sorry you’re having to use the glass top. I feel like as much time as we spend cooking and much we save eating at home, the cost for us of adding the gas line to the kitchen and changing out the stove is a minor expense. But, I’m not the one who takes are of the finances. He’s agreed to it and that’s what matters.

  6. I have a double oven like that and it is odd that the bottom oven opens to the floor. I end up holding the handle and not open I v the door all the way and burning myself when I reach in. Also when I tried baking in the little oven the bottoms of everything burned.

    • Thank you. So far, everyone has felt the way you do and no one seems to love it. Y’all have convinced me. That’s why I love you all so much! Can you imagine if I bought that and didn’t like it. Who’s going to tell Vince??

  7. Don’t buy that, Judy! I have a friend that just bought a stainless like that and she hates it! She can’t get anything to fit in that top oven and it has made the small one that we talked about a turkey not fitting in it nicely. Get a single oven, not that split two part deal.

    As for gas vs. glass top. I’m with you. I can’t, won’t, don’t like glass tops. I want to tweak my temperature with instant results. It’s kind of like flying a plane or driving a car. Who wants to careen down the road with the accelerator responding like that glass top? No bueno!

    • OK. Thanks! Someone else mentioned that it was hard to get anything heavy out of the bottom oven. I’m not getting any younger so I don’t need to add problems plus, this is probably the last range I’ll ever have so I’d better love the one I get.

  8. On holidays you may be glad you have 3 ovens!! I like this one! The glass top is good until your husband drops something from the cabinet above it onto it. And it cracks! Luckily the burners still work!

  9. During the holidays I bet you are glad you have the 3 ovens! The glass tops are great until your husband gets something out of the cabinet over it and something heavy falls out and cracks it! Luckily it still works!

  10. I have a double oven stove like that in Arizona. The lower oven is really low–the door will hit the floor, it’s hard to get heavy stuff out of the lower oven. I don’t like it.

  11. You might check out Red Tag Appliance…we got a great deal from them…and very nice people

    • Not sure where Red Tag Appliance is located. I found one online in MI but they don’t appear to have much in stock. For something like this, we prefer to buy local and there’s a great appliance store in Joplin and their prices seem fair so we’ll probably buy from them.

  12. I’m looking forward to having a propane set up in Arizona when we move back there. I don’t mind the electric oven, but I don’t like the stove top.

  13. I guess I’m the unique one here. I have a gas stove with the two ovens and I love it. I can’t imagine not having two ovens in the future. I’ve cooked several large turkeys in the lower oven without any problems and the smaller oven is perfect for cookies or biscuits, many things. Lots of you folks have other options. like a toaster oven or a wall oven. My small kitchen doesn’t allow those options so I truly love having two ovens.

  14. I switched from electric to gas and bought a new stove, and it was the best home improvement I’ve made. I have an oven drawer on the very bottom, and I use it less than I thought I would. I thought I would use it for cookies and small bakes but I have to move a rubber floor mat from in front of the stove before I can open the oven, so I end up using the main oven almost all the time.

    • Thank you. I think I’m going to go with the traditional oven door. Most don’t seem overly impressed with the two door ovens.

  15. I would totally agree on the comments about the double oven on the stove. My mom got one. If you want to look inside without opening the door you have to sit on the floor. It’s a long ways down. Now this may be that oven specifically, but the top one will almost always burn cookies. One the flip side it is nice if you have things that cook at different temps, or if you just need to do some baked potatoes and don’t want to heat up the whole oven. I, personally, after using one, would never buy one, but i’m glad i had the chance to learn that from someone else’s kitchen ;).

  16. I have two stainless refrigerators and dislike cleaning them so much especially with him in and out of them. After all these years of white appliances I changed to stainless. I miss the clean look of the white. I prefer cooking on gas stove and if the electricity goes out I can light the burners with a match on this one. Be sure to ask as I did have a gas cook stove that could not be lit manually.

    • I have asked if they can tell which ones will light with a match and have had two different appliance stores tell me “all of them”. Vince said we will try lighting it before they leave after installing it to make sure.

  17. Lots of info on ovens :O When we remodeled our kitchen over a year ago, I was so certain I wanted white appliances. A friend, and the appliance saleswoman, talked me into a color called Slate. It is probably the same as the black stainless in essence. My cabinets and sink are all white, the countertops and floor are both shades of white/sand/gray, (and I don’t like the look of regular stainless) so to add variety and a break in the white, I went with the Slate. And I’m VERY happy I did. I LOVE the Slate. It looks great in my white kitchen, though along the open dining area we had oak cabs with the same countertop along the entire wall, upper and lower. I went with all GE appliances and so far have been very happy with all of them – full suite except microwave. The oven is not split, just a single large oven cavity with two racks. It has 4 burners of varying BTUs and the elongated burner eye in the middle for either a grate or a griddle – I have both.

    • That’s great! I can see how that would be gorgeous. My cabinets are all wood, with wood floors so I think the white may be a better it for them.

      I think most of the gas stoves now do have the varied BTU burners with one in the middle. Like you, I use the grate and griddle often and would miss that middle elongated burner if I didn’t have it.

  18. I guess I have to disagree as I grew up with electric and so I prefer it. I did buy a house with a gas stove and lived in it for 10 years. It took me forever to get the gas right so I would not burn or under cook things on the stove. I also hated cleaning the burners. I have an electric now with glass top and it is so easy to use a dish cloth on the surface to wipe it down. I never understood why someone would be concerned that the surface stayed hot for a while. No one goes to the stove here while it is still hot. WE are eating at that time.

    • I don’t worry that the burners stay hot . . my problem is when I turn the burner off, it stays hot, then warm and I don’t want to move a hot pan to a cold burner on a glass top. With gas, turn the fire off and it’s done! I can move a skillet that’s hot as fire over to an empty burner and it’s not a problem. I just spray the grates, burners, and everything down with a degreaser when I’m done cooking and wipe it off with a paper towel – clean and shiny!

      I suppose it’s all in what we’re used to using but for me, it’s gas. I tried to like the glass top because it is super easy to clean but it just isn’t worth it to me.

  19. I went from a bisque to black stainless gas convection range two years ago. As far as fingerprints showing, they don’t. However, trying to keep the stovetop clean and streak free with the black is IMPOSSIBLE! My previous two ranges (JennAir downdraft and GE Profile) we’re dual fuel, so the oven was an electric convection. The new one is all gas. I much prefer the electric convection. (Check with Metro Appliances. They’re a good company and do well with prices. They helped us match the colors and styles with the black stainless, as our refrigerator was a Samsung and only about 8 months old when we had to choose the other appliances. Their ratings for the dishwasher and microwave were awful. So, we ended up with GE Profile (?)…)

    • Yes, I love the electric convection oven. Since most gas ovens won’t work without power anyway, I am happy to get an electric oven.

      Metro is the only place we’ll use. They’re so nice to deal with.

      Thanks for the recommendations.

Discover more from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading