Need to replace the 14 year old GE electric stove top. One burner blew up - popped, and now the "Burner-on" light stays on all the time.
I'd appreciate some suggestions on brands and types. - Smooth top vs. elements showing - Better brands based on your experience.
Thanks, Bob-tx
This is a good time to make any major changes. Are you a serious cook? If so, you've probably considered gas. This is the time to either run the NG line if available or have a propane tank installed..
Smooth tops do look nice and they are better than they used to be. They do require a flat bottom on the cookware so the old chili pot may not work as well and cast iron can scratch them up. My actual experience with the new models is limited so I can't give a lot of specifics.
Most serious cooks prefer gas for the faster response time, ability to use an open flame and the overall design of the cooktops compared to electric. Better models have full grate ont he top so you can slide a heavy pot from back to front rather than have to lift it.
Better brands include Bertazzoni, Viking, Whirlpool, Bosch, Kitchen Aid. I'd avoid the $400 special, but that may suite your needs. This is what I have running on propane.
Looks way cool...what might the basic 30" gas range cost?
About $2500 for the SS, a few hundred more for colors. It is painted in the same factory as the Lamborghini.
I would check out Consumer's Reports for reliability comments. We have a smoothtop Kenmore free-standing 30" range and my wife loves it for the extra space she has when not cooking. It is slower to heat/ cool than the gas we had in other houses, but the ease of cleaning more than makes up for any inconveniences in cooking.
If you have to ask the cost, you can't afford it...
"Bob-tx" wrote
Bob, have you or SO ever cooked on one of those? Or are you just going on looks? Granted they are a little better now, but still they arent for real cooks. Not as functional and easily damaged.
Suggestion: If rest of stove is in good condition? Maybe fix it? Electric cooking stoves are pretty simple devices and if one is handy, probably looking at $50 or less to put back in service. A good used electric cooking stove can often be found here for $200 or less. If it is the replacement of a 'cook top' you may be faced with a different size hole in the counter top? Since we don't have piped in gas here (only truck delivered propane) we have used electric cooking exclusively since 1960. Including operating a catering company for over 30 years. Propane is sometimes used here for 'summer cabins' (Where no commercial electric supply), some residential fireplaces and RVs etc. Good luck with your project.
Consider looking in Consumer reports magazine.
You will get some good leads from others here who are familiar with electric. I'm a gas fan myself, and when we do our coming remodel, we're having a propane tank and stovetop put in. It's all personal on the gas/electric thing.
Steve
How about fixing the current stove top? Parts are cheap compared to replacement.
I was thinkng the same thing as Terry posted. Is this problem the only reason you want to replace it? If you have been wanting one before and now this is the perfect excuse for getting a new one, fine. If not, it sounds like all you need is an element and a control. Around here, there are usually people on Craigslist trying to give stoves away. Also, whenever an area of the city is having it's twice yearly solid waste/brush pickup, there are almost always appliances including stoves at the curb. I saw an electric stove at a Goodwill store a while back for $9.95, that looked 100% complete. If you can get a hold of something like that, rob all the elements, controls, knobs, etc. and sell the rest to the scrap metal recyclers for a enough to buy a beer or two. If you don't want to mess with that, "most" elements and the basic cycling controls are around $10-15 each, if you know where to get them wholesale. I have a number of parts like that laying around.that I'd give you if you want. Larry
Of the appliances I've repaired. Whirlpool tend to be dependable, and inexpensive to repair. Generally Expensive, I don't like those. I also avoid Kenmore. Their repairs are expensive. They also like to push the MA (maintenance agreement) which is a money maker for them.
"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message news:hd6l72$2tg$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org...
How about an older GE, like I have. We have had bad luck with GE appliances, which is what we chose when we had the house built. The dishwasher went bad at nine years, the oven at ten, and now the cook top.
From the sound of it, do you think ours is worth repairing.
Thanks, Bob
My thinking exactly Larry. From what we have read, could probably fix that stove with what have here, on hand, scrapped from other discarded stoves! 'Still good elements', used temperature controls and heat resistant wire. Conservative estimation of time probably less than an hour including finding the used 'bits', while listening to the evening news. Best to have the stove 'cold' both electrically and thermally while working on it!
I've repaired. Whirlpool tend to be
Yes. BTW not sure if brand name means very much. Sometimes appliances are manufactured in the same plant, with minor differences and presence or absence of features. So it's quite possible that say, a Kenmore was assembled right next to something marketed as a Whirlpool etc. Or is in fact for that production year a re-badge of another brand.
An electric stove is easy. You have only three things that can fail.
1] the wires or the connections.2] the controller
3] the burnerMost of the time you will have 2 large burners and two small burners.
First try swapping the known good burner with the suspect burner.
If the known good burner works in the previous bad burner position then the element is bad and you only need a new element.
If the suspect burner works in the different position, then you know both elements are good.
Now you can check the controller and the wires with a volt meter.
At full power setting (high) the socket to the burner should be getting
240V. If it does then the socket itself is probably shot. If it doesn't, then check the out put from the control. Should be 240V (with knob set to high) if not then check the input to the control. here you should have three wires when you connect between two of them you should read 240V and when you connect between the other two you should get 120V.With these tests you should have quickly isolated the bum part.
The few major companies have "families" of brands and they vary with features. Whirlpool makes Estate as the low end, for instance. Kenmore buys from all of the major makers. You may be getting a Whirlpool or a Frigidaire or some other brand. It may be identical to the brand name, or it may have some small feature different, just to be different. If you check the part number, there is a web site that cross references the manufacturer.
Just noticed the OP's name. Where in Tx are you? San Antonio area by chance? Larry
Nope, used to live in SA but got transferred out in 1965. Now live in Georgetown Bob-tx
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.