Question:
I have a new house (shell) and am at the stage where I need to buy an undercounter stove and a ceramic range top (rated for use over an undercounter stove). Does anyone have any warnings regarding the various brands — Sears, Kitchenaid, Frigidaire, Maytag and GE seem to be the brands available around here. Also, those who have used one — do you prefer the controls for a ceramic range grouped in front or along the side? Also, most of these upper-end ovens have a convection model for $200 to $400+ more. Anyone have a convection version and care to say whether it’s worth the extra bucks? Thanks, Marc Ries
Response:
> Does anyone have any warnings regarding the various brands — > Sears, Kitchenaid, Frigidaire, Maytag and GE seem to be the > brands available around here.
Sears is made by someone else _to Sears’ specs_. If you can find out who makes that particular Sears model and you like the original manufacturer’s product, you may get a good deal by buying the Sears. Or you may not — gone are the days when Sears simply slapped the Kenmore name on someone else’s product. Everyone we’ve talked to about appliances (and we’ve been buying them for our current house and our new one over the last couple of years) says Frigidaire (and the other WCI brands) have possibly the worst reputation among appliances today. And, speaking from lots of personal experience, GE has never impressed me as a company that really cared about making quality appliances. I’ve had good experience with KitchenAid/Whirlpool and no experience at all with Maytag/Maycor. _Your_ mileage (and that of this ng) will undoubtedly vary. > Also, those who have used one — do you prefer the controls for > a ceramic range grouped in front or along the side?
Do you have kids? May make more sense to put the controls on the side, where they can’t reach all/any of them. — Thought for today: Did you know that computers run on smoke? You can tell because if the smoke escapes the computer stops working…
Response:
>snipped> > Also, most of these upper-end ovens have a convection model > for $200 to $400+ more. Anyone have a convection version and > care to say whether it’s worth the extra bucks?
I inherited an older(13 yrs) JennAir convection oven. I love the way it cooks, but the oven size is definitely smaller. A friend of mine also just bought a new Thermadore convection and loves it except for the smaller oven size. When I cook the Thanksgiving 20 pounder, nothing, and I mean nothing else can go into the oven. It is on the lowest rack setting and just barely missed the top broiler elements and spans from one side to the other. Jackie — Jackie Brophy Tel: 508-647-7243 Business Systems Group Fax: 508-647-7015 24 Prime Park Way http://www.mathworks.com Natick, MA 01760
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