Oh my gosh! I haven't seen one of those since the 60's. I remember two of them from my childhood. One was either a free-standing or slide-in unit, the other was a surface unit with a separate wall oven. I agree; with only one larger element and the burners being closer together plus the step, it wasn't good for large pots like a canner. But, I thought it was a pretty cool arrangement! I think I remember my mother commenting on it once, saying that for someone like her who is "vertically challenged" the lower level in the front made it much easier to see inside a pot or to stir things.