We have had a Jennair electric stove for some years now, this particular model has one side that converts to a grill. As with most grills it has two cast iron inserts that go over the heating elements that hold the item being grilled .
Every time we grill steaks the fat rendered inevitably drips onto the heating elements and at times catches fire . The heat from the resulting flame melts sections of the cast iron inserts ,is this normal or is it a product deficiency....??? mjh
Hi,
Model#?
?Melts the cast iron? The grates are usually cast iron and the outside of the element is cast iron, the grates above are melting but the element is not? Sure the finish is not just comming off of the grates? Have you asked Jenn-Air about this?
jeff. Appliance Repair Aid
I would really give a call to Jennair about this one. This is a very high end stove!
Thanks guys for the response.....
For what it is worth, I contacted customer service and they offered to send out a service man to assess what needs replacing at a cost of $120. for the call. When confronted with the observation that it was a product deficiency [the cast iron is becoming red hot, parts breaking off and also deforming down into the burners] the response was that MAYTAG no longer guarantee models this old . Even so I will point out this problem showed up thefirst time the unit was used in this mode ...mjh
could you post the model number?
.max
As far as I can determine the model number is as follows C201,C201-8. Their web site tells me this is an invalid number. If your email address is correct I will send pictures if you like ....mjh
I was going to look at the website too. I don't have any real insight. the email is valid, though, so go ahead and send some pix.
.max
Normal or product deficiency? Unfortunately, those aren't mutually exclusive.
My mother had one of those things in her former home. The flare-ups from grilling chicken ruined the grates all the time. I'm about 99.9% certain they're not cast iron, and you're never going to get a permanent fix from mfr.
Her "fix" was to get a heavy guage screen, lay it over the damaged grate, and cook on that. You can probably get one at a camping store. Another thing you can try is inverting a baking pan and putting it over the surface like a grill cover. Should cut flare-ups and help direct the smoke, another JennAir issue.
Mike snipped-for-privacy@onuj.com (reverse domain)
Hi,
C201 is a good model#, so is C201-C.
Both take the same grates.
I have seen them warp and chip, but none melt!
I'd love to see some pics!!
The Art of Complaining....
Ummmm...I'm confused both with the original post and the follow on. I have used Jennair electric stoves with a grille for years and seldom had flare ups unless whatever we were cooking was extremely fatty. Are you sure the liner plates UNDER the grille are Jennair? I say this because the first time I used one was in a house we bought and got horrible flairups every time we grilled anything so I stopped using it. I mentioned this to a salesman in a store that carried Jennair and he was puzzled. On further discussion I told im that under the grill was a plate with rocks on it. That was the problem. somone had replaced the Jennnair plates with lava rocks. They are extremely porous and absorb the grease which caused the flareups. Bought new Jennair plates and it worked like a charm. Have moved twice and each time installed a Jennair cooktop with grille and have not had any problems either with flareups or smoke. You do have to cut excessive fat off meat as that can cause flareups and smoke but only if it is really fatty. I would sugest you go to a Jennair dealer and discuss it with him. This is a top of the line product and even if it is old, it should work properly.
Hope this helps.
Jim
resulting
If I'm not mistaken, that model is in the area of 10 years old if not closer to 15+. If you post the exact model *and serial* numbers someone here may be able to tell you its actual age if you're unsure. You can find tips for locating the model number tag on your appliances in the 'Repair Parts' section of my site linked below.
How long do you expect a manufacturer to warrant a products? If you read the warranty which came with the product you'll probably read something like they warrant "defects in material and workman ship for
*1* (maybe 2) years"!
I'm sure that is all that is needed to get any service which might needed for free. ;)
Good luck!
Dan O.
- Appliance411.com
Under normal circumstance burning animal fat could never melt cast iron. The only good example I can think of would be automobile exhaust manifolds. These were typically made of cast iron and saw temp in excess of 800 degrees for years without melting. I would suspect that the plates are made of an inferior material. Perhaps JennAir will replace them?
Steve B.
Contact JennAir. I did and got grates made in the US that we're still using them. The grates that came with the stove were "made in China, Taiwan, or Mexico" and were junk. They weren't level (flat) and were a low grade alloy.
RB
Mike Hide wrote:
As you say unit should work properly. I am probably wet behind the ears and I certainly am not out to get something for nothing . However I have been in the engineering business for a few years and fully understand warantees etc with regards to working parts., but these are not working parts their function is passive, they are only subject to temperature cycles and if one uses a material not suited for the cycles of heat and durations for normal operation then in my book thats a design flaw in my book . To me it's the same as not expecting your engine block to last the life of the car .
The cooktop I am referring to is all original, and as someone suggested the grills are probably not cast iron but probably cast steel . Most of the latest damage occured when cooking 4, one pound steaks [$70 worth of pretty lean meat ] 7 minutes on high each side then 5 min at a lower setting again on each side. mjh
Now, wait just a minute, First of all, that's $17.50 per pound. Where so you buy your meat? Seven minutes per side would, in my experience, incinerate any piece of meat to a piece of expensive charcoal. Are you sure about all this? Something doesn't ring true here.
Son in law,works on wall street and has more money than God. The steaks were at least 2" thick the best money can buy. Included were peppers and salad stuff... Everything worked fine my steak was med rare .I cannot stand overcooked meat ,my wife does it all the time, overcooks everything to the point of tastelessness
The Jenn Air grates are made of cast aluminum, not cast iron.
Tom Flyer
Tom the melting point of aluminum is 1220 the melting point of iron is double that 2802.....mjh
That is a good question Dan. I believe a firm should stand behind its product for as long as they have the customer. Especially in a situation like this, that obviously goes way beyond any kind of consumer error. Red hot cast iron grates that have bits falling off of them, if they are Maytag's, should have the company concerned, at the very least. I guess this is why big companies like Maytag and RCA, who don't stand behind their products as long as they are their products, always dwell at the bottom of reliability and customer satisfaction ratings.
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