Most Responsive Modern Electric Cooktop?

[sudsmaster]

The kitchen is on the small side, but well laid out, IMHO. It's obviously been refinished... the coppertone cooktop hood is a dead give away. Why they didn't paint that white, along with everything else (including the cooktop, apparently) is a mystery to me.

It took me a while to figure out how that house is laid out. From the street it looks like a run of the mill tract home. But the rear portion with the Great Room and vaulted ceiling sets it apart. I guess that's a family room, since there's also a smaller seating area opposite the dining "room". I think. Also the house mostly appears to be over a crawl space, except for the rear great room which looks like it's on a slab. That's probably a good thing, since it allows the plumbing to be accessible under the main floor, although it also looks like a very tight crawl, which could complicate the gas line extension.

It's right on the water, with a set of train tracks running just n.e. of the rear of the lot. Depending on what runs there, that may or may not be a problem. The view is nice but I notice that similar sized homes inland of that site are going for substantially less.

 

[brucelucenta]

I personally have ALWAYS had an electric cooktop. Grew up using them. From the GE ribbon coil burners to the first corning ware white glass top unit and down to the radiant black glass top burner that I have now. The latest is very quick indeed and amazingly enough, consumer reports said it heats a little quicker than gas and cools down quicker than the electrics up to now ever have. It is MUCH easier to clean up, if you have a boil over or mess with a smooth glass top. I can use comet and a green scrubber pad on it with no problem at all. I think it amounts to what you learned how to cook on and grew up with in many cases as to whether you prefer gas or electric.

 

[rp2813]

The trains weren't bad when we were there.  Being a train person, I didn't have a problem with them.  No horns are used since there aren't any grade crossings nearby.  Traffic consists mainly of Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains that are about five cars long and pass by quickly.  From the back yard, you can barely see the tops of the trains unless you walk all the way out to the edge.

 

A long haul freight train also went past.  It made more noise, but you could still converse outside, and inside the house the double pane windows muffled it quite effectively.

 

I have no doubt that the view is what sold the place.  There was another home down the street (2173 Cypress) that we looked at.  A mirror image without an added on room, but with more yard beyond its chain link fence.  It had less of a view due to vegetation from the park behind it and was a lot less private.  It didn't hold a candle to the one she was going after, but it did have a nice KDC 21 in the kitchen.

 

[mattl]

Interesting house, the outside sure does not match the inside.  Looks like lots of update to the interior, but none outside.  One thing that struck me looking at the interior shots is that the entry door does not in anyway belong.  Cross-buck with diamond windows with that modern interior ? No.

 

Other than that the interior seems fine, the kitchen is not that bad for it's size.  I agree the hood should have been swapped out, but that is minor.

 

[rp2813]

Oh for sure, that entry door would have to go.  I'd replace it with something less vulnerable and more modern with glass up high, as it would be dark in the entry way if the door were solid.  The exterior needs an update.  It does belie the interior improvements (except the kitchen) and the enormous add-on room, though.

 

[sudsmaster]

Just curious, what all needs to be done to the house that would cost $40k? Termite? Foundation? Plumbing? Electrical? All of the above?

The roofing looks OK in the photos, but sometimes you have to look at it up close. I wonder about the join between the gable roofing over the main house and the walls and perhaps even the angled shed roofing over the great room. That can be a problem area if the flashing isn't done right.

Too bad the house isn't flipped around so the great room is in front. But perhaps not as much privacy that way.

All moot, anyway. Just as well.

 

[rp2813]

Drainage issues (note all the flex extensions off the downspouts), termites, dry rot (the exposed ends of those big great room beams in particular), some roof and sewer work.   Of course, the inspecting contractor quoted the prices, and the work could possibly cost less if someone else does it.

 

The seller is the daughter of the original owners.  She has lived there for the past few years.  None of them ever lifted a finger with regard to upkeep, and there's some DIY stuff that appears to have been inspired by Popular Mechanics.

 

I think the winning bidder got a good deal in spite of all that.   In addition to the view, while standing at the back fence you can hear the bay waters lapping at the shore below.   Even if it runs up to $650K after all necessary work is done, that's very reasonable for a waterfront view home around these parts.

 

[vacerator]

Nice price

for California too, yes?

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Pretty ingenious for the cruise ships to use generators for electric cooking... I wonder if that's what the Titanic could have thought up...

 

 

-- Dave 

 

[sudsmaster]

The Titanic's main two ranges, spanning 96 feet and 19 ovens, used coal, which obviously the ship had in abundance.

However the ship also had an electric oven for baking and various electric appliances for freezing, mincing, peeling, toast and such.

I don't know if steam was used in the kitchen, although the main heating source for the ship was steam. First class cabins and some other areas of the ship also had supplemental electric heaters.