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foodonastump

My 'new' oven doesn't fit...

foodonastump
14 years ago

...and I don't care!

My late 70's/early 80's era (guessing) 24" wall oven has been giving me problems for a while now. It was always extremely uneven, but then it started beeping incessantly after any prolonged use, then it started shutting down at random mid-use.

I've definitely not wanted to buy a brand new one since my kitchen is in desperate need of remodeling and I'll be switching to a range. So several months ago I looked on Craig's List and found a guy selling a 24" oven for $50. I drove to his house, handed over the 50, loaded it in my truck, took it home, looked at it closer, decided it was too gross to come into my gross kitchen and dropped it on the curb.

Fast forward to earlier this week, I was trying an Ina recipe, baked fish with creme fraiche mustard sauce, and the oven shut off half-way through the 10 minute bake. So I went on Craig's list again, sure enough there was a "like new" 24" oven, $75. Called the guy, said it's really like new, "My wife don't cook," just swapped white appliances out for stainless.

So I drove out there, it sure was like new, not a current model but not more than a generation or so old. Score. Brought it home, removed my oven, went to slide this one in, doesn't fit. So I brought out the sawzall and bastardized my cabinetry, got it to where it goes in all but about 2". A bit more hacking and it should go in another inch but that's definitely it. I'll have to get creative with some filler strips. No matter what I do though, it'll look like hell because my kitchen is dark with black appliances, so this overstuffed white oven will stick out like a sore thumb.

But like I said, I don't care. In fact I'm thrilled. Finally I will be able to fit a half sheet pan in the oven. My 10x15 Pyrex now fits. I'll be able to play with convection and see if I like it. At the very least I'll use convection to bake Christmas cookies which I haven't been able to do for the last 8 years without heartbreaking results every single time due to the extremely uneven heat. (Not even turning would help.) Heck, I might even roast a turkey, just because I can! Or proof some dough!

If you've read this far, thanks for listening to me babble. No one in my "real life" would appreciate this. In fact they'll probably leave my house thinking I've lost it for being so excited about that eyesore!

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