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Ranges Ovens and Cooktops

Cooktop vs. Conventional Range

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Are you trying to decide whether a conventional range or cooktop would work better for you?  If you have the space for either option and are unsure which would best suit your needs, here are some thoughts to consider:

Cooktop:

Pros:

  • Flexibility- can be built into any countertop.
  • Optional burner configurations and add- on such as griddles and grills

Cons:

  • Can be substantionally more costly than conventional ranges.
  • Installation costs more as it should be done by a professional.

Conventional Range:

Pros:

  • A restaurant style range can be a striking design element in the room.
  • Easy installation
  • Can often be swapped out without major remodeling costs.

Cons:

  • No variations on oven height or burner placement.

Recycle Responsibly

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Reuse, recycle, save energy– These ideas are ones many of us try to do daily.  There is one way we may not have thought of before- disposing of an old appliance properly.  Appliance Recycling Centers of America estimates that 55 million appliances will be removed from service this year.  If yours is one of them, be aware that nearly 20 states ban appliances from being disposed of in landfills, and more than 15 other states require that landfills separate appliances for recycling. Some states, like Minnesota and California, require that a variety of hazardous materials be removed from appliances before the metals are recycled.

There are more than 11,000 appliance recycling locations throughout the United States. Unfortunately, many of these locations do not process appliances thoroughly before recycling the metals. Older appliances can contain environmentally harmful materials such as mercury and PCBs. These substances must be removed and managed properly before recycling an appliance. Ask your city, waste hauler or recycling location for a description of the hazardous materials they remove from appliances and how they dispose of them.

Another option is to donate your old washer, fridge or dishwasher to a local occupational school.  Many schools use these old appliances for instruction and practice.  When the students are  finished the appliance is recycled.  Or even better, it will have been refurbished and will go on to serve an underprivileged family or sold to help the school.

 Doing the right thing can take a bit if extra thought, but it can feel good too.

The Right Appliance for You

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Do you find that you are drawn to a certain brand of appliance again and again?  Did your mother always rely on one brand of washer and dryer?  Whirlpool is aware of consumers conscious and unconscious preferences for specific appliances.

For every Whirlpool Corporation brand – including Whirlpool®, Maytag®, KitchenAid®, Jenn-Air®, Amana® and Gladiator® GarageWorks – there is a unique brand identity that is defined using proprietary consumer research about preferences, lifestyles and values. Whirlpool Corporation uses this research to make tough, strategic decisions about the kinds of product innovations, features and designs it will offer to consumers.

Each of Whirlpool Corporation’s branded products is designed to meet the specific needs and preferences of consumers from a psychographic standpoint. What’s important to one consumer may not even occur to another,” said Michael A. Todman, president, Whirlpool North America. “For instance, the consumer who buys Maytag brand focuses on reliability, so the durability of internal nuts and bolts means everything. The time-starved nature of the Whirlpool brand consumer means placing greater value on getting more done quickly, so the brand’s focus is timesaving features.”

Some other Whirlpool insights into how they, and we view their large family of brands:

  • For 100 years, the Maytag brand has represented strength and lasting durability
  •  With a common-sense approach to life, Amana brand consumers believe in creating a pleasant atmosphere in their home. Amana consumers want quality and style at an affordable price.
  • KitchenAid brand consumers enjoy cooking with others, savoring the journey of making great food with great friends and family.
  • The Jenn-Air brand appeals to a consumer who loves to entertain, has uncompromising taste and pays great attention to detail.

So, the fact that your mother might have insisted on a Maytag washer because she knows they are durable is exactly what Maytag (remember they’re Whirlpool in disguise) wants her to think.  It’s up to Whirlpool to build machines that uphold the reputation. 

If you’d like to read more about the varieties of appliances available from these Whirlpool brands, you can do so here

Viking Goes Commercial

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 “Viking doesn’t make commercial ranges?”  That has been the response to my very informal survey when people learn that Viking Corporation has recently announced their plan to release a line of commercial appliances.

Viking Range Corporation who originated ultra-premium commercial-type appliances for the indoor and outdoor kitchen has announced their intention to enter the commercial market.

The Viking Commercial product line will consist of a complete array of cooking equipment, including ranges of all styles, ovens, broilers, griddles, salamanders, cheesemelters, induction units and island suites, as well as under-counter refrigeration.

To request product information, please contact Viking toll-free at 888.845.4641, or visit the web site at vikingrange.com.

High End Appliances – Chef Included

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If you have recently spent some time feeling baffled by the many options on a new appliance, you are not alone. Some folks have even sought help with their entire kitchen. Maybe not a bad idea. The Los Angeles Times writes:

With sophisticated, professional-quality appliances and high-design gizmos going into residential kitchens, many would-be home chefs haven’t a clue how to operate the latest technology. The infrequent cook who wants to make a Thanksgiving turkey might stare blankly at the keypad and wonder: Convection, radiant, bake, roast, speed-cook or steam?
People are spending less time cooking in kitchens but more money remodeling them because they want the best to impress their neighbors,” says Mark Connelly, senior director of appliances and home improvement for Consumer Reports.

Connelly, a no-nonsense guy who’s been testing kitchen appliances for 18 years, says manufacturers are adding unnecessary options to differentiate themselves. TVs are embedded in refrigerators, toasters have convection-oven modes, faucets come with hands-free functions. “There are sanitary reasons for having one in an airport bathroom but not in your kitchen,” he says.

And those Starbucks-style coffee machines?

“You can spend $15 on a drip coffee maker or thousands on a fancy coffee maker,” he says, “and they both make a good cup of coffee — if you use quality coffee.”

As kitchen appliances become more complex, Connelly says, owners look for simple ways to use them.

“People spending a lot on an appliance want as many buttons as possible to justify the cost,” he says, “but most of the time they’re using the same selection as on their old appliance.
To read more, click here

The $2,000 Digital Post-it Note

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Are folks really willing to pay for what they say they want in an appliance?  Apparently not.  The OC Register has some thoughts on cool but pricy features that are appearing on kitchen  appliances.

In 2002, for example, Whirlpool Corp. introduced Polara, which combined refrigeration with a convection oven. Polara would keep a casserole cool until a preset time then would start to heat the food in anticipation of your arrival home. If you were late, the oven would power down to keep the food warm and not overcook it.

“Our focus groups said they wanted it, but people wouldn’t pay $1,900 for the technology,” said Whirlpool spokeswoman Audrey Reed-Granger. “So we put the Polara on the back burner, and we’ll bring it back in a few years” when the market is ready.   Read more about it here.

SuperSize Me – Kitchen appliances to do a hummer proud

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I was visiting a friend a few weeks ago who has recently finished a home remodel in West Los Angeles. He and his wife turned their 1500 square foot bungalow into a 4000 square foot family home. I stood in their kitchen looking at their double wide refrigerator (literally, double wide.) It’s two fridges side by side with the doors mounted to open to the outside creating about 72 inches of cold storage. The hummer of refrigerators.

Super size refrigerator — by Hummer?

Makes you wonder, how did anybody ever raise a family in the 1500 square foot house that was there before? Arrol Gelner of Inman News touches on the same question in this article from Upstate House a couple months ago:

Needless to say, bigness has hit housing in, well, a big way. Not only are American homes now nearly twice the size of their postwar counterparts, but they have more of everything: more bedrooms, more bathrooms, bigger windows, taller ceilings, more garage doors.

The things inside our homes are getting bigger too, as a trip to an appliance store will quickly confirm. Like those colossal baby carriages, appliances are being pumped up to SUV-like proportions.

Many washing machines and dryers, for example, are now raised up on huge pedestals for “convenience,” not to mention being slathered with enough fake chrome to shame a Lincoln Navigator owner.

I’m guilty too. We tore out 24 inch wall ovens and rebuilt our vintage kitchen around 30 inch double ovens, dropped in a huge fridge and a six burner range. We drive the biggest suburban on the market, and live in twice the house I grew up in. Personally, I just like elbow room and efficiency, and have a big family. But what about couples with 4000 square foot mini mansions crammed into lots of little look alike lots? Does the space inside make life seem more substantial? What’s the nexus between, big and shiny and important and successful?

What do you think?

Recall: Thermador Ceramic Cooktops – Fire Hazard

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Product: Thermador® Brand Ceramic Cooktops

Units: About 2,000

Manufacturer: BSH Home Appliances Corp. of Huntington Beach, Calif.

Hazard: The cooktop can come on by itself when switched off, creating a potential fire hazard if flammable items are left on the cooktop.

Incidents/Injuries: None.

Description: The cooktop has electric and induction heating elements with a black ceramic glass surface. This recall involves model numbers CIT302DS/01 and CIT362DS/01 with date codes between 8606 and 8612. The model number and date code can be found on the underside of the cooktop.

Sold at: Appliance and specialty stores nationwide from October 2006 through March 2007 for between $1,800 and $2,200.

Manufactured in: Spain

Remedy: Consumers should disconnect the cooktop at the circuit breaker when not in use, and never leave anything on the cooktop when it is unattended. Contact BSH Home Appliances for a free in-home repair.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact BSH Home Appliances at (800) 758-1001 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.thermador.com

Picture of Recalled Ceramic Cooktop
Model Number CIT362DS/01Picture of Recalled Ceramic Cooktop
Model Number CIT302DS/01

Kitchen Appliance News – August 2006

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Frigidaire FEF336EC 30\When there were three major TV networks, appliances were fewer and simpler. WJAC-TV has an article Kitchen Appliance Features You Need and Don’t Need which helps you to decide which features should you pay for, and which ones should you forget?

For ranges:

For electric ranges, smooth glass surfaces are better because the coils on older style ranges are so difficult to clean.

For gas ranges, it’s worth paying a bit more to get a sealed burner and avoid those with a gap around the burner where spills of liquids and crumbs could easily drip below the surface

Upgrading to a self cleaning oven for an extra fifty dollars is definitely worth the money to avoid the task of cleaning it up yourself.

On the other hand, not all bells and whistles are necessary. A warming drawer might add as much as $150 to the price of the range and it’s a job done easily as well in your microwave oven.

For refrigerators:

“The least expensive refrigerators have old fashioned wire shelves. That means that spills can drip down. We think it is worth paying a little bit more and getting glass shelves that have rims all the way around the edge to contain the spills. It’ll make your life much easier in the long run.”

Good Housekeeping says: don’t even consider a refrigerator without an “automatic defrost” feature. For more tips on finding the right appliance for your family, check out the August issue of Good Housekeeping or visit www.goodhousekeeping.com.

Featured above: Frigidaire FEF336EC 30″ Freestanding Electric Range with 4 Radiant Elements & Self-Cleaning Oven

I just gotta have that vintage appliance part

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What are you gonna do when you just have to have a Vintage 1970’s Mixmaster Governor Assembly? The great thing about the internet and search is that you can find most anything. But how do you know the information is reliable? Came across a great little site called Davesrepair.com run by Dave Harnish of New Albany PA. Dave has a nice little newsletter offering advice and tips on how a handy homeowner can repair major appliances. He has PDF versions of vintage manuals and an inventory of vintage parts. Hope you find it as helpful as I did.