Musings about my CC

12 years ago

You know you have a Ceramic Cooktop when...size>

(Inspired by plllog's induction thread)

- Ten years ago you dropped it into a hole in the countertop, screwed in two brackets and connected three wires, and didn't think about it since except to cook on it and clean it...

- ...and you didn't have to call an electrician but bump up your breakers and wiring.

- Your boil tests rival those of the big boys (Bluestar and the Culinarian.)

- You can be a slob and leave a week's worth of boilovers and splatters for Saturday clean-up, and even then it doesn't take more than a razor blade, cooktop cleaner, some paper towels and 15 minutes max to make it sparkle.

- You decide to do a simmer test. At 8:30am you place one quart of 70 deg water on your power burner at the lowest setting. By 10:30 temp hasn't raised more than 1.5 degrees so you put the lid on. At 1:30pm you get bored of the negligble change and turn up the heat a bit. You get busy at work and forget about your test. 6:40pm you remember it and jump out of your chair - only to find the water at a balmy 109.5 deg.

- You don't take magnets to the store when shopping for cookware.

- You smile broadly when deeageaux addresses "adjust and wait" concerns with, "I say after a bit of trial and error you will know what knob position equals which temperature," because FINALLY someone gets it!

- You inspect your cooktop every time the subject of scratching comes up and you can't find one significant scratch, despite ten years of abuse with all sorts of cookware including cast iron.

- You only spent about $500 for the cooktop; more than enough of cash left over to buy a lifetime supply of roasted peppers if turning on the broiler or grill is too much trouble for you.

Would I put a Ceramic Cooktop (Crappy Cooktop, Crappy Ceramic, your choice!) in my dream kitchen? Nope - to be clear: NOPE - but still there've been so many threads recently that make me kind of chuckle and realize that life with my CC ain't so bad!

Frigidaire FEC30S6ABC - If anyone can find a source for a new glass top for under $345 I'd appreciate hearing about it. Mine might not be scratched, but it IS smashed, LOL!

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Comments (4)

marcolo
12 years ago
-- When the cooktop shows every speck of dust in your kitchen fifteen seconds after you clean it

-- When a grain of salt that lands in the wrong place under a sliding pan causes the cooktop to shatter

-- When the cooktop gets greasy you have to use two different cleaners, one to break up the grease and the second that has to be applied, dried to a powder and rubbed up

- When after doing all the above you still get streaks and every streak you clean causes another streak

- You decide to put water on to the boil at 8:30 pm and by 10:30 pm it still doesn't have any bubbles forming

- You decide the heat is too high and have to put the pan on a trivet because there's no other way to lower the heat fast enough

-- You smile broadly when you realize people will defend any appliance that's in their kitchen no matter how wretched it is

-- You smile even more broadly when you realize you will never, ever have to cook on such a POS again
foodonastump
Original Author
12 years ago
LOL, thanks marcolo!

- re cleaning issues, maybe you're more of a neat freak than I am but I just don't have them. Yes, I frequently use two cleaners as you described but so what? Once in a while I find myself chasing a streak, but with a few extra seconds and - more importantly - a clean cloth I always win. I never just leave it there and call it "seasoning" or "patina."

- A stray grain of salt can shatter a cooktop? Smells of internet rumor to me. Yeah, perhaps there's a perfect storm that can cause this freak accident. But if it were a general concern people would be shattering their cooktops twice a day.

- re boil tests, I believe it's generally accepted that electric beats gas overall. Like I said above, my tests have always rivaled what I see posted about Bluestar and Culinarian. Dunno what you cooked on, but if your experience is with cheap builder grade ranges or in hotel efficiencies, then yeah, those suck.

- re cooling down, now THAT I'll give you. My number one complaint by a mile. Perhaps they should sell trivets as $20 options? (I just slide my pan to the side for a few moments.)

- I've got no reason to defend my kitchen. It's been "about to be remodeled" for about ten years now and it's a disgrace. (That's why I haven't bothered to replace the shattered top and probably won't unless I find one cheap.) I'm just suggesting that electric cooktops don't deserve nearly all the bad rap they get. They're relatively cheap, relatively effective, and very reliable. I don't know the name of the president of Frigidaire, nor the head engineer, nor anyone else who works for them or represents them. And I like it that way. In my opinion the best customer service is not needing any.
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wekick
12 years ago
I had one I hated but have cooked on my SIL's, a Profile and liked it. Mine seemed to have high and off but hers did go from high to simmer.

I don't know the name of the president of Frigidaire, nor the head engineer, nor anyone else who works for them or represents them. And I like it that way. In my opinion the best customer service is not needing any.

Very true. Unfortunately every appliance we bought except Wolf range needed service --3 needed total replacement. I do think it had something to do with our dealer though.
marcolo
12 years ago
Not an internet rumor. It happens. A small flaw in tempered glass can eventually cause it to shatter.

And mine was a Frigidaire, also. I actually have had two Frigidaire ranges, one CC and one dual-fuel, and really don't think they're bad machines at all. It was just the wretched CC I hated.

Musings about my CC

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marcolo

foodonastump
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Musings about my CC

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marcolo

foodonastumpOriginal Author

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marcolo

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foodonastump
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