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Divided Top:

Hans:

You've mentioned divided tops before - is this your preference in a 40-incher?

It's funny how different people like different things - I myself like the GE-style clustering of all four burners * at the left side, because it leaves a lot of landing space, and because you can keep an eye (no pun intended) on all four burners very easily.

Just wondering what it is that appeals to you here.

* Yes, I know GE also made 40-inch ranges with divided burners.
 
I will say...

Some of the very old clustered tops are not great for large pots , they are too close together, but as a rule they are usually ok.
 
Hans:

Our old '49 Loewy-designed Frigidaire 40-incher was like that. And it had only three really usable burners, because the fourth was one of those pop-up nichrome-wire dealies under the deep-well cooker.

To me, the great thing about a 40-inch range is all that real estate on the top; you have a great landing space for hot pans. Not that I got to take advantage of that with the Frigidaire; my Mom cannot stand the sight of open, uncluttered space *, so it was always filled with small appliances and kitchen chatchkes.

* The lady could clutter Windsor Castle. Maybe the Superdome.
 
Clustered

I have a 40 inch double oven. Typically with Frigidaire and GE you see split burners on single oven BOL models. I like having one side to cook on and the other for the controls so keeping the mess down is easier.

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I love the pro's/con's discussion of the "cluster" burners vs. the divided top. I've been wondering about the provenance of the cluster burners for years. GE's always had them; only when GE started outsourcing their 40-inch stoves to WCI did the divided tops appear. Hotpoints offered a few divided top 40-inchers along the way. From a little bit of research, it seems like the cluster burners were direct descendants of the wood stoves of by-gone days. As gas stoves replaced the wood/coal models, the layout persisted in the multi-oven models on stilts. When the first electric cookers were introduced they followed that layout exactly.

 

Also, most of those double-oven electric 40-inch stoves had a smaller, lower oven on the left side of the stove. So with all of the extra clearance, it was a good place to put all of that sensitive circuitry. I still think those 40-inch GM Frigidaire stoves were/are the best electric stoves ever made. Especially for people who actually cook.
 
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