I have been “saving” for a nice range for a while, something in the low end- I am not interested in Viking /Wolf- out of my price $$$ for this lifetime. I have a tiny apt kitchen, so I need a 30"
I have cooked on many many beautiful $$$$$ ranges, for clients over the years, and I know the high priced appliances are fun, but they often have as many glitches as an economy appliance- sometimes you just get a lemon.
What often goes out, high or low is the control panels, and I just don’t like digital control esthetic and so I would really like one without electronics other than the igniters.
I have been thinking, maybe I should just get myself a basic GE or something, they look nice and come with continuous grates- but this is the thing- I cannot find anything without a digital control panel unless you go to the Bertizoni, Smeg, or such. $3000- I have also looked at some lovely refurbished vintage ranges, and that is an option- but these are now so popular, they are super pricey $3000- as well.
I just want something that is similar to what I have had- a basic gas range- it has lasted 30 years!!! But is looking pretty grungy and I need to move on.
I find it ironic that to find an oven that I can turn on with a dial and not a touch pad, I have to pay over $3000…maybe I am missing something- all advice appreciated if you have a new basic gas range you enjoy cooking on.
And also- I have looked at the Premiere brand, made in USA, which I totally support- unfortunately they are poorly made,sharp edges on door interior, badly insulated, etc. So not a good choice
:-0
If you look at gas ranges on Sears and sort by price, the cheapest (under $400) have no digital controls, but maybe no continuous grates, either. Around $500, there are some with continuous grates and digital controls for the oven only.
I read that what burns out the circuit boards is usually the self-cleaning cycle, so when I needed to replace a range in a rental I got one with steam cleaning.
Thank you- I am looking at a GE that is about $800- and it has nice range features… it is just the oven that uses the control panel- so I appreciate you good advice re cleaning. I should have added that my ideal price would be around $1000- give or take a few hundred-
Sears, locally to me, has pretty bad reviews re installation, and I have a good local appliance store I prefer to support- may pay a bit more than Sears- but they will install and repair if I need it. Sears closed down their beautiful and historic Art Deco building here in Santa Monica-
I had looked at Unique a few years back, and there were no local retailers, they are from Canada. Thank you for this tip- I had no idea Home Depot carried them now! Thank you so much!
Have not posted in long time, but wanted to follow up on my gas range saga. I went with a cute vintage range, from a local reseller. It is 30 inch OKeefe and Merritt, with a side compartment for storage. It came renovated, the gas line and safety all replaced new and SAFE. I asked about the temp controls, could it hold at 450 etc? I was assured that it would hold the temps as the dial indicated. It goes to 550, not something I planned to do, but 450 would be great for yeast baking. Unfortunately, we brought it home in late 2021, then family responsibilities took me out of town for half a year, and I never really had a chance to do much baking. When I finally did, I found that it has some real issues, baking above 400 tends to set off the safety shut off. A real disappointment. But with everything else going on in 2021! I was just happy to have the the range, fits in my mid -century apt. As I have used it more, I have come to really dislike the burner grates. They are not level, and so any large pot or skillet doesn’t rest squarely. A real safety issue. Then the final quirk is, the interior is rusting, badly. The seller was not very helpful, suggested I steel wool and then spray paint. Not going to be doing that. All in all, I really wish I had gone with a Unique range. they seem to be expanding into the market of customers like myself. The Unique ranges have nice solid continuous grates. I wonder if anyone here has had any experiences with how they heat/bake/cook. Thanks! If you are shopping for a vintage range, I would suggest taking a big pot with you and setting it on the grates, test it for stability.