Help! Buying range for tight squeeze.

9 years ago

My parents just moved into a great condo with a teeny kitchen. Their oven just died so they are on redoing all the appliances at once, which are 20 years old. The dishwasher and oven range are at right angles to each other and the dishwasher door can only open if the range is less than 27 3/4" deep. This is a tight squeeze!

They found a kitchen aid that works size wise but I am warning them against it. Our recently purchased house has a 3 year old one and the electronic touch screen is already broken needing a $400, non-guaranteed repair. I have read about other kitchen aids with similar problems. I'd love to try to find something else for them. I am curious:

* What ranges do you love? ($1300 - 1700 price range)

* What ranges do you know of that are 27 3/4" or shallower?

* Is it possible to take a handle off of a range and replace it with another handle? Some times it is just that these handles bow out so far and a flatter handle would work.

Any suggestions or ideas you have would be so much appreciated!

Thanks.

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Comments (5)

snoonyb
9 years ago
Is the appliance gas or elec?

An alternative, since it is just the two of them, is an 18" DW.
jwvideo
9 years ago
In addition to the questions just asked by snoonyb, are you looking for a free-standing, slide-in, or drop-in range? If you have not already already tried looking at specifications and installation instructions on vendor websites, try AJ Madison and Lowe's. Use their search filters to narrow the choices, check the specifications tabs, and then check the posted installation instructions.

While waiting for others to respond here, you might try some additional web searches and include the term "counterdepth range" in your search string.

I'm recalling that we've had two or three threads on this topic in the appliances forum here within the last year or so. Can't remember much, but I think some of the Whirlpool freestanding electric ranges were supposed to be 27 3/4" deep to the handle. You will want to have that actually checked, though, because installation manuals are sometimes generic. (In one of the threads, somebody needed a 27 3/4" depth and hoped that a Whirlpool (of maybe Kitchenaid) induction range would fit but found on seeing that actual range that this model was deeper than other WP electric ranges.)

As for swapping a different handle --- sometimes with some models but mostly no. It is all brand and model specific. There is no simple answer. If you have a local vendor with many years of experience and can find a model you like, you might try asking this question to them about the specific model. Also, some manufacturers have Q&A sections on the web pages for individual ranges. You might be able to get that question answered. I know GE has been doing that.

Sorry I can't be of more help, by maybe this post will inspire others to chime in.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 12:16
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Brandywine72
Original Author
9 years ago
Good questions. They need an electric range, no free standing. I don't know if drop or slide in. I don't know the difference between these two. They have cabinets above if this makes a difference.

Even though it is just the two of them, they do have people over a lot and an 18" dishwasher would be too small for them.

Thanks!
palimpsest
9 years ago
Drop in doesn't have a base, the oven sits on a shallow drawer or piece of cabinet over the toe kick.

Out of the hundreds of range models available there are less than ten different models of these available, and it's probably really Two and they are slight variants of each other.

It's probably a slide in.
snoonyb
9 years ago
A slide-in range is only dissimilar from a free standing rang, in that the sides are usually not finished and the side trim will overlap the countertop.

A drop-in range sets on a platform even or slightly above the height of the toe kick.

Help! Buying range for tight squeeze.

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snoonyb

jwvideo

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Help! Buying range for tight squeeze.

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snoonyb

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