I totally remodeled my kitchen about 2 years ago. I decided to get a dual fuel range (gas top and electric oven). I got a Viking and I love it!

At some point in all of the planning, I ended up talking to Customer Service at Electrolux. I can't remember now why, but what firmly stuck with me was the frustration at trying to talk to them. Because of that experience, I would not buy any Electrolux appliance.

That is good to know. I am leaning towards GE or Kenmore. Both have been highly rated by Consumer Reports over the years. The advantage both GE and Kenmore have is that there is no shortage of parts or repair people. After perusing the appliance forum, it appears LG has a shortage of those things. And other comments indicated that over the last 2 years people are becoming more unsatisfied with the LG product.

Thanks for weighing in bbstx.

Teresa

Have you decided on:

Convection?
Induction?
Glass top?

dcarch

Do electric ranges come in anything except glass top anymore?

I am looking at the convection option. I don't think I am interested in induction.

Yes, you can find a range that isn't glass top but it isn't easy. I guess the good news is that they are cheaper because everyone seems to want a glass top.

The two glass tops I have had and would never have again are GE and Kenmore Elite. Sorry!

teresa mn,

I have a Dacor with convection and I love it.

If you want to or have to stay all electric, I would look hard at induction. Actually I would do so even if gas is an option.

I am with beverlyal. I have the ceramic top Kenmore Elite. Hate. This. Oven.

Love my induction cooktop. It is so fast at getting soups up to boil and I can melt chocolate without a double boiler. AND cleanup is a breeze. Don't knock it till you've tried it. You really can't compare it with electric at all.

I have a Maytag electric Grill range... and It is by far the worst piece of junk I have ever had the displeasure of using.. It WILL be replaced after the first of the year... and it will go to the land fill..

I don't know what I will get yet, but it will not be a Maytage... Been looking at the LG.. my son has an LG and loves it...

Carolyn

My Maytag Gemini is the best range I've ever had. It has two ovens, bottom one is huge and convection, top one is one-third size and toasts, but both do all the regular stuff, plus self-clean, and it has two timers. It has a smooth top with an extra "keep warm" burner, and the oven's bottom rack glides out all by itself. 8 Years now and I still love it. Reading some of the comments for all ranges on several forums, it seems that mostly those who write in have negatives. If I am happy with something, I don't usually write that I am. But, you asked here.

After 26 years you've gotten your money's worth and deserve a new range with bells and whistles, especially self clean. But, don't depend on what others say, alone. Brave the snow and go touchy feel-y at the appliance store. And, take some of your favorite pots and pans with you to see how they feel on the stove top. If you go from coil to smooth, they may not all work since their bottoms may not make sure contact. You can still buy coil top ranges (I have to have a slide in range with coils so that those big pots fit on the two large burners), but there are limited style selections. Smooth top induction is safer but you can only use pans with magnetic bottoms and the price is about 1/2 again as much as a radiant smooth top.

Nancy

I have a Dacor convection - love it....but it is expensive to repair ....and I do not feel I should have HAD to repair the parts that failed in the short time I had it. I bought am expensive Toaster oven that I use whenever I can to avoid using the Dacor. It is on the expensive side, so would not recommend it or buy it again.

I would not buy a GE product. I've had nothing but problems with my double ovens since they were installed a little over a year ago. The company says (the corporate GE general manager) there is nothing wrong with the ovens, yet they do not hold temperature and has uneven heat with or without the convection on. If there is nothing wrong, it must be a bad design. Rhome had the same problems with hers, so it is not an isolated lemon product. She was fortunate to have GE buy back her ovens. They basically told me, quit complaining, we are not doing anything including making another service call.

The cooktop I have is induction. I love everything about it. It was worth it to me to replace pans that do not work on induction. Comparison between a radiant smooth top and induction is misleading. Rather the comparison should be between induction and gas in the ease of use, quick response, the ability to precisely control heat from extremely low to very hot and ease of cleaning. Radient smooth top would be better compared to an electric coil range. The smooth top radient is not as easy to keep clean because the burners themselves are hot, where as the induction burners absorb some of the heat from the pan, but are not hot themselves. However, be cautious of the whole package of an induction range. Some people love the ovens, and others are not at all pleased with the oven performance. I think the difference is among brands.

I hope you find something you love.
Judy

johnliu, loves2, and cotehele - I will need to look into induction. Thanks for mentioning the magnetic aspect - that had not occurred to me.
Wow - good thing I can take my time doing research and trying to decide. Something else has recently factored into the matter. Some of you know I am tempting at my former employer of 12 years. My boss was going on vacation for the remainder of the year yesterday. She stopped to wish me a Merry Christmas, tell me she has had so much good feedback on my performance and then she added "I am going to push for them to hire you permanently."

So if I have a job and insurance again, I won't have to factor in the cost aspect of the range.

Thanks for the feedback!

Teresa

Just my own preferences:

1. Convection oven.
2. 6-burner stove, (No glass top. I break things )
3. Gas for stir frying.

dcarch

I would have to have the gas line from the laundry room routed up to the kitchen - a possibility, but I'm not seriously considering it at this time. And I don't have the room for a 6 burner stove nor do I ever cook huge meals in the home I live in now.

So many things to consider..........

I'm another induction cooktop fan. I don't have a range, so I can't speak to that particular combination. I got mine about five years ago. I had an all electric kitchen but also a propane tank for gas heating. I could have converted to gas, but didn't want to. I've had gas before and I felt the properties of induction were either as good or maybe even better for my particular situation.

I read a lot about induction online and on the GW Appliance Forum. I bought a small Mr. Induction one-burner hot plate type gizmo to try out the concept.

At the time I made my purchase induction was just coming into vogue here in the US. Very few major manufacturers had models available at that time. Many of the Appliance Forum folks who bought induction cooktops, imported them. I didn't want to do that. So when Kenmore introduced their 30 inch model, I immediately placed an order. I think I was the first person in my county to purchase one.

I really like using it even though my model has very few "bells & whistles." I know that newer models have many more features. But after using an induction cooktop for the last five years, I don't think I could go back to either regular electric or even gas.

Sue - thanks for the comments. I looked at several Kenmore induction ranges last nite on line at at Consumer Reports. I am now strongly considering that. And this weekend I will have to check to see how many pots/pans I would have to replace.

Teresa

One other alternative, teresa, if you are considering induction: many people have bought a wall oven, mounted it in a floor cabinet, and placed an induction cooktop over it. That way you have your choice of cooktop power (they range from mediocre to super-powerful) and a functioning oven right below it. Sort of like a DIY range.

For more info on induction, check out the link. They have fairly exhaustive listings of what's available in induction.

Here is a link that might be useful: induction site

I had a KitchenAid all electric with convection for almost ten years before it broke.

In my opinion, most glass top stoves are the same -- they have some limitations -- pan must match the burner size, they are slow to heat up and slow to cool down. I did love my convection oven though.

One thing you will want to consider is -- most people agree that a speckled top (black) is the easiest to clean. Solid (white or black) require a lot to keep it looking good.

I replaced my last stove one year ago with a Kenmore induction slide-in. I absolutely love it. It also has limitations -- pans again must match the burner size, pans must be magnetic and pans can slide around on the cooktop when you are stirring. But I adore its responsiveness and the convection oven works well too. It boils water ten times faster than my mother's gas stove.

The drawback to an induction range is the price -- they are not cheap.

Thanks everyone for the comments. Thank you Arley for the link. I have a lot of research to do. Otherwise I might end up with something I hate.

I've seen a lot of good comments online about the Kenmore induction. I'll have at least a month to figure out what I want. I should know if my employer will be hiring me for a permanent position by then.

In the mean time I will be using my stove top and my crock pot. Lots of soups which will be great as we are taking another dip into the subzero temps next week.

Teresa

Have you thought about repairing the element yourself? As I understand it's a cheap and easy DIY job. Spending $25-$30 to fix it and have a working unit while you consider what to get would take some pressure off.

Me? I'm infatuated with induction but couldn't justify the price now. So I went with a plain old coil GE electric stove for about $380. Self cleaning oven and it's a huge oven. I'm enjoying cooking again. The corning topped stove I had was a pain to cook on and clean though I learned to cook on it or adapted I should say. I do miss the double ovens though. I used the small one 99% of the time.

Keep in mind Sears/Kenmore do not make appliances. They have them built for them and put their name on them so you're buying a Whirlpool, LG, GE or something when you buy a "Kenmore" Consumer Reports, aka the Bird Cage Liner loves Kenmore and it doesn't seem to matter who makes it. This tells me something about their bias.

I did consider repairing it and went out and purchased a new baking element ($46). However, when I removed the old one there appeared to be some damage to the wires - almost as if they had overheated and the casing around them looked burned. The coils on the cooktop don't heat evenly so I've decided to replace the stove.

Before I was laid off my job in 2009 I had saved enough to remodel the kitchen. I put that on hold not knowing how long I would be out of work. Whether or not I remodel completely is still up in the air but a new range is a go. I just have to decide what kind!

Like a PP, I also have a Maytag Gemini and have been VERY happy with it. I don't think I have the same model, though. Mine has 4 burners on the top, two ovens (both regular - one small and one large), with one timer and self-cleaning feature on both ovens.

I would have loved some of the models presented in here, but frankly - - budget IS a consideration for many of us. The Maytag Gemini is a good choice for someone on a budget.

Donna

I cooked on my mother's glass top GE electric range yesterday. I can't believe how long the top stayed hot after I turned it off. I will be looking further into the induction choices.

Donna - I looked online at the Maytag Gemini range. At $1,400 that's a decent sized budget for a range. And according to the Consumer Report buying guide there are some highly rated ranges much less than that. I liked the look of the Gemini and the thought of double ovens is yet another choice!

One of the other options I've run across is the hidden baking element. That increases cooking space by quite a bit when you can bake on the bottom of the oven.

I think I need to start visiting appliance stores in my spare time. I plan to spend a long time in my house so I'd better find something I can live with.