I need a new stove!

[Jolash]

I "think" I want one of the radiant cook top kinds. Any experiences with those? I've never purchased a stove before (we live in a church parsonage and the committee is letting me pick out and purchase a new one) so I need a fairly good one that will last through many more parsonage families. Any suggestions?

Shari

[Cadam]

Not one of those evil glass topped things. ok, ok, I know people love them but you have to be so careful no to scratch them and all. They are just evil. My favorite would be a gas range you may not have that possibility. look for something that is easy to use and easy to clean.

[DIY-DY]

I "think" I want one of the radiant cook top kinds. Any experiences with those? I've never purchased a stove before (we live in a church parsonage and the committee is letting me pick out and purchase a new one) so I need a fairly good one that will last through many more parsonage families. Any suggestions?

Shari

We use cast iron, so anything that needs to be pampered in order to stay functional and nice is pretty much out. I like the gas range for quick cooking, and efficiency. I like the elec. oven for evenness and reliability. If that's a possibility for you at all, I'd look at that. :D

[RoughCollie]

We have to have an electric stove. I've been willing mine to break so I can get one that has 2 ovens (one is in place of the drawer in my current stove). Naturally, everything else in sight dies eventually, but stove is being stubborn.

I saw them at Sears and, being an avid cook and baker, I'm salivating to have one.

If I had one of the glass-topped stoves, I am sure that I would somehow scratch the heck out of it within the first week.

I'd get a dual-fuel range with 2 ovens if we had dual fuel instead of just electricity. I think gas is better to cook with and electricity is better to bake with.

[Karin]

I thought those things were evil, too, until the landlord in our last rental (we own now) bought one. I loved, loved, loved it. I'm a bit of a messy cook, and far preferred to clean that glass one than to pull burners out. Plus, I was neater when I had it as it forced me to pay more attention. I only like electric stoves.

Next time we buy a stove, I'm going to go for Amercian made, and hope we can get a radiant one.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I'm in the "I hate glass cooktops" club. They're not only hard to clean, but they're hard to control. My mom has one, and I hate it. We lived with her while our house was being built a few years ago. I burned every single thing I tried to cook. I couldn't even make Rice-a-roni without burning it, and having it turn out all crunchy. Yuck.

I love my JennAir with dual-fuel. It has a five-burner gas cooktop, and two electric ovens. One is a large convection oven, and the other is a small electric conventional (like a toaster oven, but larger). I love that little oven. It heats in less than five minutes, and it's great for so many things. I use it practically every day. The large convection oven will hold a large turkey with ease, or bake several sheets of cookies, or countless other things. Both ovens are self-cleaning. It's wonderful, if you have both gas and electricity.

[Rhonda in TX]

I find it very easy to clean, and I am a messy cook. Mine is even white and shows every little stain. I wipe it off, then use the little bottle of cleaner with the pad that came with the stove to clean any other residue off.

I've had to kind of change my thinking about some things. I'm used to placing things willy-nilly on the stove top and I can't do that anymore. It's not that big of deal, though.

I just hated the drip pans, and knowing things were under them. This is much easier to keep clean.

[Jolash]

Thanks everyone! I don't think I want a glass cooktop after all... I just hope I remember that when I'm out shopping!

[Scarlett]

I love love love my glass top range. I actually prefer gas, but it is not an easy option in this house. The glass top was here when I moved in and by the time I had to replace it I was hooked. My friend who used to clean houses told me they were hard to clean, but I soon figured out that is only if you let things build up on it-which...yuck anyway. Also, a simple utility razorblade scraper is all I use. Even the toughest stuff scrapes right off. And I also use cast iron on mine. You can't just pull a cast iron pot all over the top, but I don't worry too much about it and have never scratched mine.

[Lady Katherine]

I have one of those. It is AWESOME!

[Krista in LA]

We have one that is just the cooktop with a separate oven. We've had it for 10 years and have no scratches on it. I haven't been able to figure out how people get scratches as it's not like we are super careful about that. It is also so much easier to clean than the gas or electric coil stoves we've had in the past. I just use softscrub on it and it's so easy. I would get another one in a heartbeat.