Advice for choosing new range (oven/stove)

FYI: Stainless steel probably will not work on induction (it can depend…some are made to work).

We got a dual-fuel stove when we remodelled over 20 years ago – gas burners and an electric oven (with a convection option). We’ve been very happy with it.

But it’s probably approaching its end of life, so this discussion is helpful to me, too.

Well, if you don’t want induction, and you are already plumbed for gas and are comfortable with it, by all means, get gas. I think it’s much better than a traditional electric range, and i despise those glass-top ones.

I would avoid Samsung products at all costs. My range has been nothing but awful.

I’ll second this. My sister and (separately) a friend I know have Samsung appliances and both complain about them…a lot.

Samsung learned how to make them look good but otherwise they don’t seem to hold up well. They are inexpensive for a reason.

Anecdotal but I think you can find others reporting the same.

I think the induction stove makers like to make you think that stainless steel is likely to work - you have to read with care, not just skim, to see that stainless steel may be a problem (example).

I just now did the magnet test - only about 1/2 my pots and pans passed. :slightly_frowning_face:

I will say it is kind of crazy how fast you can bring a pot of water to a boil with induction. It is waaay faster than gas.

I still prefer gas. I can wait a few more minutes to boil water. Also, gas just looks cool with its blue flame.

Non-magnetic SS works just fine on our induction top. It’s a Jenn-air and it’s the same model that was in our rental house that is 9 years old. We use stainless, cast iron and aluminum with the induction bottoms. No scratches in our top or the rental units. Cooked over gas for 50 years and will never go back (especially at altitude).

Now that’s encouraging. I don’t know if I can get Jenn-air here but am going to look.

Whirlpool Corp–they make Jenn-air and Kitchenaid among others. I also wouldn’t hesitate with Bosch or Miele. The Koreans not so much.

Also, I cannot overemphasize how easy it is to clean these tops. You can literally wipe them down right after taking a pot off–it’ll be hot, but like 150 degrees instead of 450. I can’t even go pee before the tea kettle boils…

My Samsung 5 burner convection gas range has controls on the back panel. It’s flat not obstructing the cook top. Two large elemenrs up front, two smaller simmers in back with a long oval middle burner. Griddle pans fit there beautifully. Black cook top and oven door with ss accents.

Roasting birds using convection is amazing.

Happy shopping. I endorse kitchenaid, was a favorite that I replaced. but the Samsung is 3 yrs going strong.

If you like dehydrating, some convection ovens have a dehydrating function. If that’s important to you, you could look for that feature. Anyone have one and can speak to how well it works in an oven? Our oven can do it, but I’ve never tried it.

@CairoCarol , re: oven size. Since you specified a “slide in” range, I’m assuming the oven width will be limited by the width of the space in your countertop & cabinets? If you are a competitive class baker, maybe you’d be happiest with a second oven. If I were to get one, I’d install it at eye level so I wouldn’t have to stoop over to put things in & out.

Correct - and what spurred me to say “maybe it’s time for a new range” is the renovation we are doing - replacing crappy linoleum with lovely quartzite, and replacing ugly cabinet doors (the basic cabinets are sound).

You raise an interesting idea. Not sure I am a “competitive class” baker, but I am a constant baker - it’s stress relief for me, and I also do a kind of “meals on wheels” thing for a local family that adores all cakes, cookies, and breads, so yeah, I happily bake all the time.

Just wanted to finish off this thread with a thank you to all who participated, and let you know that thanks to all your input, I did further research and made a choice.

I started this thread opposed to induction but after reading comments here, decided to do more investigation. Turns out, there are ways to overcome my objections:

  • Scratches can be minimized by using Silpat or parchment paper when you cook. I’ve also decided that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. So what if my cooktop is a little scratched? It’s a sign that it’s well used.

  • About half my cookware passes the magnet test, and based on what @Tride and the internet say, I’m willing to give it a go with the rest. It turns out you can purchase induction converter discs that are intended to help you use your existing cookware with induction. I’ll give those a try before I replace any existing cookware. At worst, I’ll gradually upgrade my pots and pans.

The models I have available to me are a bit limited (perils of living in paradise) but there are a couple of Fridgidaire models that meet almost all of my preferences. I can’t get the dual oven feature that @Digital_is_the_new_Analog mentioned, and I have to settle for a touch control panel (according to what I have read, some people prefer knobs because they work even when your fingers are greasy, something that might happen if you’re zestfully cooking - I think I’m the knob-preferring type).

But overall, I’m excited about my options. Next step: make sure the solar panels we are installing will support another 50w/220v appliance. And find out how much of a pain it is going to be to de-activate the gas piping. I think these are manageable issues.

New range, here I come! Thanks again, everybody.

So our top (and I assume other Whirlpool products) is Schott Ceran. Frigidaire is owned by Electrolux, so not sure who makes their glass, but it’s likely similar. Deactivating the gas piping can be a simple as capping it in the kick space… These things do pull an enormous amount of power (ours is 11,000W if all burners are in use) but how often do you use all the burners? Ours is touch pad and it’s fine, although I understand the preference for knobs. Enjoy and give us your feedback!

PS–if/when you add pans especially aluminum check to see if the induction rings go al the way to the edge. We bought a 14" non-stick and the induction part was 11". VERY annoying.

We had to cap off our gas line to the new washer/dryer we got, and It was easy peasy…for the installer to do. I assume whoever installs your stove will cap off the line first.

We had an almost disaster a week ago. We were all in bed and my daughtr showed up at 4:30 to get the kids ready for school. This happens every day. What doesn’t hapoen every day was the house was full of gas. She shut off the gas emitting burner, opened all the windows, and came to check on us. I would have an electric stove if I could swing an electrician. It’s on the top of my to do list. Meanwhile I check those knobs freaquently. No idea how it happened.

I love the sound of your new stove let us know how it goes. Pics. would be cool.

I’m so glad disaster was averted!

Something like that happened to a friend not too long ago - they got up in the morning and one of the stove burners was on. No idea how it happened in that case, either.

Pics are a fun idea - I’ll take “before and after” shots. (It’s still a while until “after” as I don’t think the new range will be here until early November.)

I’m patient. Thanks.