Good gas or electric ranges under $1600?

16 years ago

A lot of the discussion on this board seems to be around premium brand name appliances...unfortunately, I don't have the budget for them at this stage in my life, so I'm looking for a good option for a gas or electric range priced under $1600 or so, in a stainless steel finish. I don't need warming drawers or convection, but would consider buying those "features" if the price warranted it. I want a consistently good range that will last for a while, and will look good in the kitchen.

My experience with GE Profile gas range that I had in my last home was good. Cooked cookies to perfection, but i had trouble keeping the cooking grates on the range top clean. I'm also notorious for spill overs, although, they were much less frequent on my gas range as compared to my basic electric coil range in my temporary place right now. I think if we do go with electric, we'd want a smooth top. We're considering running gas, but in the event that it's cost prohibitive, we'll stick with electric, hence the request for suggestions on both.

So, that said, are there any reliably good mass-brand gas or smooth-top electric ranges that you'd recommend that come in under $1600?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

rhome410
16 years ago
In our last house we had a GE Profile ceramic-top range that never gave us a problem. We were quite happy with it, in fact, for 8 or 9 years. It didn't have convection. With our large family, it was important for our new kitchen to have convection for multi-rack cooking (which I did out of necessity in the non-convection with mixed results.) Way back when I first started our plans, I knew I wanted more burners than 1 range could offer, and 2 ovens, so considered getting 2 of the Profile ranges with convection as an economical choice. However, the convection fan in the Profiles (at that time, anyway...about 3 yrs ago) intruded on the oven space so that it was only about 13 1/2" deep...No way to fit my 16" pizza pan, for instance, or a double row of bread pans, so it wasn't an option that made sense for us. My point is, that I think convection is worth it if you can get it in your budget (looking at Profile ranges on us-appliance.com, it certainly looks possible), but take some of your pans to make sure they fit. I see they now offer a concealed element, so maybe they've also redesigned more of the interior so the fan isn't such a space hog.

Best wishes.
0
asolo
16 years ago
Copied/pasted from previous post. This range can be had for cash at about 1500 - 1550.

I've had this one for about four years.
http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=SPECPAGE&SKU=JB988BKBB&SITEID=GEA

Good, precise touch controls for all burners and oven -- best I've used on any range. Smooth all over. No dials, knobs, nooks or crannies anywhere to collect crud. Excellent oven performance and not very noisy on convection. Very easy to live with. Very nice to prepare food on.

I've found keeping the surface clean very easy. I'd buy it again.

They have a "stainless steel" version but its nothing more than the same thing with added-on panels -- which, IMHO, do nothing more than collect crud around the edges. The all-over smooth thing is where it's at.

Wish it had two ovens, but the one it does have is a delight to use.
0
Related Discussions
electric wall ovens noisier than gas range?
Q
Comments (2)
Electronics above the oven need to have a fan running to prevent them from overheating. The fan will run during use and for some time after the oven is turned off. It's an annoying fact of life and I suspect that some models and makes have quieter fans than others. Gas vs electric makes no difference.
...See More
Is a gas oven/range better for resale value than electric?
Q
Comments (45)
I have had gas and electric ranges over the years, but for the last 30+ I have cooked on electric until I moved and our new condo had a gas range. Everyone was all agog over it and told me I would LOVE the gas range that it was so much better than electric. For the last 20 years before our move, I cooked on smooth top electric ranges and loved them! But everyone kept telling me gas was better. Turns out, I DO NOT love the gas range. It doesn't boil water as fast as my electric one did and seems to take forever to preheat the oven. And I've had a hard time adjusting to the fact that if I don't use hot pads to remove my pans off the stove top, I'll burn my hands. And don't leave your stirring spoon in the pot for more than a second if you don't want to burn off a finger or two. My cookies don't rise -and they're either not done enough or too done, can't get it just right like before. AND the worst part is cleaning it! That's the main reason I switched to a smooth top all those years ago - they take a little getting used to the different cleaning method, but when you learn the tricks, they're a breeze compared to the old coil or this gas behemoth! It takes me a good hour to clean around all the burners and try to be careful not to get cleaner or food down those little slots around the sides. And even using a degreaser detergent, it still looks greasy after going over it several times. Give me my smooth top back! . . . where I can just scrap off the burnt on food with a razor blade - or if there isn't anything burnt on, I can just wipe on a little cleaner and polish it off with a paper towel. When wiping down the countertops with a little dish soap, I can include the stovetop and keep it sparkling clean on a daily basis. I have severe arthritis in my hands and moving those heavy grates off the top and then the cleaning around all the little places is just a little too much for me (not to mention getting gunk off the grates). That is why, after 2 1/2 years of trying to get used to it, I have decided to replace my gas range with a brand new smooth top electric range. People tell me I must be CRAZY because I'm the only person they know who prefers electric over gas. The only thing I will miss is turning off the heat immediately when something boils over. So I will have to get used to moving the pan off again. But it's worth it to me to clean up a boil over on the smooth top vs. the gas burner-cover-slots thing. AND I'll have my wonderful convection oven back and maybe my cookies too!
...See More
troubleshooting electrical line on gas range
Q
Comments (7)
A proper 120v circuit has a hot, neutral, and a ground. What you describe is a hot and a ground. While such an arrangement will function it's certainly not to code and potentially dangerous. As suggested your best bet is to run a new 20-amp circuit. The other alternative and I'm not sure if current code allows this is to remove the existing 50 amp, double pole breaker and replace it with a 20 amp, single pole breaker. Use one of the two insulated wires in the existing cable as your hot and the other as the neutral. The uninsulated wire is the ground. The problem is that the heavier wire typically won't fit in a 20 amp breaker or receptacle. So you need to connect a short length of 12 ga. wire at each end of the two heavy wires, most likely with a split bolt. I'm sure someone will comment on if such a method meets current code.
...See More
Electric range under $1,400...
Q
Comments (2)
I had a GE Profile ceramic top range for several years that I really liked. Not one problem with it. It didn't have convection (much more room in the oven that way) and did a great job baking anyway. I know they make a convection version, too, that's probably better sized than the one s I saw when I bought mine...and also ranges with a small, 2nd oven. Bosch ranges are pretty cool with nice features, too. Versions with bridge elements and 'ultraspeed' elements for their burners, and True European convection, and hidden bake elements in the oven. Bosch ranges: http://www.us-appliance.com/boelra.html I've never had a Frigidaire range, but don't hear as many good things about them, and always liked the fit and finish and set up of the GEs better. I just never felt compelled to buy one, so I can't give you much feedback on that. Here is a link that might be useful: GE Profile ranges
...See More
stretchad
Original Author
16 years ago
Bumping up - hope some folks can recommend some more or confirm the ones already recommended.
0
fandlil
16 years ago
We went from electric to gas about a year ago, and bought a bottom of the line Bosch in white porcelain. It's also available in SS, and a slightly more expensive model has higher heat capacity burners. We love it. BTW, the convection oven is terrific at browning roasts, but you should use conventional oven for cookies.

The stove top is easy to keep clean, and the grid that covers the whole surface is convenient for moving pots around easily. We never had a smooth surface electric and worried about scratching it, especially when a recipe calls for shaking your pan. So we went with gas, and we're pleased. Antother advantage of gas: in a power failure you can use the cooktop (but not the oven).
0
alb22
16 years ago
I just purchased a Frigidaire professional series gas range for $1299 (list is $1449). I've checked with a few different sources (friends, salespeople, consumer reports on similar models) and surprisingly, Frigidaire ranges got good reviews. If you even put Frigidaire in at the search on the bottom of the page, you'll see similar posts from others about their ranges.

I haven't installed it yet, so I can't wait. Here's what I'm looking forward to:
- Gas, with convection conversion
- 5 burners (long burner in center) with griddle attachment
- Stainless steel
- Self-cleaning
- Warming drawer in the bottom (other series models had storage only, or double oven options)

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Frigidaire range model
0

Good gas or electric ranges under $1600?

Comments (5)

rhome410

asolo

Related Discussions

stretchad
Original Author

fandlil

alb22

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Good gas or electric ranges under $1600?

Comments (5)

rhome410

asolo

Related Discussions

stretchadOriginal Author

fandlil

alb22

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

stretchad
Original Author