any advice, please for a new gas range?

[cehalstead]

I have to replace my 15 yr old Caloric 30" gas range. It's been a great one, but I am not spending $375.00(+-) to repair the gas valve and ignitor for the oven (and that estimate is from a reliable independent appliance dealer's service department. I have bought only from them since 1980, and trust them totally). I am thinking that for $600-$700 I can get a decent new stove. Any suggestions as to what to buy or what to stay away from? I like to be "armed" with our opinions before I go to the showroom.....thanks in advance.

 

[panthera]

Whatever

you do, stay away from the radically overpriced 'commercial' or 'professional' crap. Consumer Reports did a piece last year on gas ranges - they were not pleased with the high-price stuff.

I have two acquaintances in the US who have Wolf ranges - you know, the la-di-da 'my stove is professional, I am a chef' type. Both have endless repair problems.

Personally, I would spend the money getting an otherwise reliable and quite good range repaired. There's nothing new out there which will work better.

 

[laundromat]

I recomend a Hotpoint sealed burner RGB790WEKWW gas range w/self cleaning oven that retails for $494.10 on www.thehomedepot.com That model was rated best via Consumer Reports for frequency of repair.The also rated it a "Best Buy"I used to sell a lot of them for $549.

 

[nmaineman36]

I would have to say that depending on what you use the stove for and what features you might want you cant go wrong with GE/Kenmore or a Frigidaire built range. Whirlpool is a good choice as well. I have a Bosch gas range with convection oven. At the time it came out we paid $1300 for it and have not had any problems so far with it. I love the oven since I can choose if I want to Bake, Broil or convection Bake and convection roast. And is really easy to get to know and use. I dont use the warming drawer that much. Its basically used to store my pizza stone and broiler pans. Check CU and see what they say. Mind you some things that they rate great isnt so.
My 2 cents

 

[danemodsandy]

I Second Panthera:

The commercial ranges are not what they used to be, and they're not a good choice for the average homeowner. Many that are currently available are not of the heavy bulletproof quality that you would expect from an old Garland or Wolf; they have the looks but not the heft. The higher heat output of these ranges is accomplished chiefly by giving them larger burners/orifices, causing them to use more gas than residential models- about three times more. Many new owners have been shocked by the increased gas bills. Whirlpool makes very decent gas models with sealed burners and pyrolytic self-clean, and the one I've had was very reliable.

 

[maytagbear]

If you otherwise

like the Caloric you have, get it fixed. If you really want new, I'd go with GE/Hotpoint.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[cleanteamofny]

GE or Hotpoint!
Sealed burners with self cleaning oven is the way to go!

 

[joeekaitis]

Another vote for Hotpoint over here. It might not be GE's prestige line anymore but they're built like tanks and cook like a dream.

 

[gyrafoam]

I got a new Maytag (rebadged KAid) Gas Stove back last September. It has the five burner top with one High Speed Burner, although all the other burners, save the fifth "simmering" burner are big and fast. It has a GAS Self-Cleaning convection oven, with three racks and a split rack feature as well. I have truly enjoyed using it and have cranked out plenty of food and baked goods since I got it. It does beautiful loaves of bread including my large round challah's. Model#MGR5875QDW at Home Depot for around $1200.00.

 

[pturo]

I have a Kenmore(GE)gas range circa 2001 which is excellent. It has a sealed burner top, two standard burners, then one simmer and one high output which really come in handy for simmering sauce or fast boiling pasta water. It has a self cleaning oven and the broiler is on the top of the oven. The oven is very accurate in temperature for gas, the glow plugs kick in to heat to maintain temp between gas firings. I think it is the same range but upgraded that is mentioned above on the Hotpoint, GE, Kenmore chassis. It was about $600 in 2001 in bisque, with dark khaki burners and grates and drip pans.(Acutally very attractive, sort of tone on tone) The oven is analogue/digitial programmable in that there is a dial, but it reads to a display as well. Really great stove for the price.

 

[coldspot66]

I agree that GE/Hotpoint/Kenmore is tops in gas cooking... but take a look at the Whirlpool gas range. Top burners don't have drip pans, which saves the cooktop from staining, but the oven doesn't use an ignitor. It's called the "direct spark ignition" system. 2 or 3 sparks from the pencil thin electrode, and the oven is lit. Maintains a fine temp with out the long wait for an ignitor to heat up and open the gas valve. Prolly a bit more expensive than a entry level GE.

 

[joeekaitis]

Preheat times, anyone?

Our Hotpoint (the top-rated gas stove in Consumer Reports) hits 350 degrees (the most commonly used temperature) in 10 minutes.

And YOUR gas stove?

 

[nmaineman36]

I would have to say that in the Bosch its about 10 mins as well to hit 350. But what I do find with a gas oven compared to an electric oven is that the heat isnt even. the higher the racks are the higher the temp in that zone. If I use convection mode that problem is gone since it circulates the heat evenly. I find myself using convection mode for alot of stuff...except brownies.

 

[panthera]

Really and truly

it is not the time the oven takes to preheat which counts, it is the temperature variation in the oven from the desired baking temperature. That should be your primary concern, IMHO.
But just for the record, the 1953 Westinghouse here needs seven minutes to reach 350.
My convection oven needs less than five.

But that Westinghouse loses far less heat and recovers much quicker than my convection oven - mass, four times the power and excellent design play a role.

 

[danemodsandy]

Gas vs. Electric Ovens

Gas ovens are much more difficult to make in such a way that they heat evenly and maintain a steady temperature. The reason is simple: a gas flame requires fresh air to support its combustion. Since air must flow into the oven, the temperature is not as steady as it is with an electric coil, which does not require an air intake for its heating. Even a cheap electric oven can out-perform a gas oven in this regard. This is not to say that a gas oven cannot be good- even very good. But electric is inherently more capable of maintaining an even heat.

 

[gansky1]

Floating Chef Head says:

I had a GE/Hotpoint gas range, MOL in our last house (granted, that was 10 years ago) but it was a decent range although the burners were a little under-powered. Since about 70% of the heat goes around the pan and into the air, you really have to step up to a stronger burner to notice much difference in the speed on most gas ranges. The oven always seemed pretty good, the heat was a little more "moist" than electric heat elements, but there can be quite a range of temperature swings with gas ovens for the reasons listed above.

 

[cehalstead]

and the verdict is......

After a neighbor checked things out for me and discovered a faulty outlet that the stove was plugged into, the problem is gone. (The repair estimate I got from the dealer's repair man was over the phone...he had not been here, I had described the problem to him.) I am not buying a new stove and am very happy I don't have to. I really like the Caloric and hope it lasts many more years.

Thanks for all the advice. I will file it for "future use", but I hope it's a long time 'til I need it.

 

[sudsmaster]

My 70's GE P*7 wall oven takes about five minutes to get to 350F. Well, that's what I observe - when the heating element goes off, I figure it's reached 350 at the thermostat sensor. Good enough for pre-heating, IMHO.

The oven is fairly even, but since it's only a 24" wide model, it gets a little crowded for a lot of baking. The door side will brown a little less than the back wall side, if a pan - like a 1/4 baking sheet - that fills the depth is used. For smaller pans, no problem.

The Oster toaster oven has convection, and I use that exclusively when baking in it. I'm sold on convection. If I ever have to replace the wall oven it will be with a convection type unit. But being a GE P*7, that might never happen... ;-)