Range controls at front or rear.

[fan-of-fans]

Something I've always wondered is why cheaper electric ranges have the controls for the burners and oven at the front usually, while more expensive ones tend to have them on the backsplash? Was it cheaper this way or was it a way to differentiate different models. I could see people possibly preferring front controls to avoid reaching over a hot stove and rear controls to keep children away from them.

Gas ranges always tend to have them on the front or side, which I would guess is necessary because of the way the valves work.

Also, it seems cheaper ranges tend to have one control knob for the oven, while fancier ones have a temperature knob and a selector. Is there a reason for this also, such as the type of thermostat used or is it again to make it fancier? I suppose ranges without self cleaning or timed bake don't need a selector as much as those that do. These days, it seems two selector knobs are rare as the fancier ranges and those that self clean tend to have digital controls and the cheaper ones just have one knob.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The most basic answer to your first question is that cheap ranges don't have backsplashes. Gas ranges like the Globe/Maytag had to stop putting the controls on the backsplash because it was deemed too dangerous to reach over flaming burners to operate the controls, especially at breakfast time when some people wore robes with big sleeves. Even Sunray, before it descended into the lowest depths of manufacturing utter cheap crap, marketed a very stylish gas range with push buttons to control the burners, but was not allowed to continue have controls on the backsplash. It is no doubt safer from the standpoint of children to have the controls higher up which is why you find them there on electric ranges.

 

[jamiel]

Pushbutton gas range...that I'd like to see!