sortofageek
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1 edit | This Ole' House
I may have mentioned this somewhere recently, but I'm needing to spend a lot of time on my house lately, just in case anyone wondered why I am not around as much right now. This is temporary, so don't chop up the furniture or paint graffiti on the walls or anything. I will find you. 
Anyway, I think of this as my new house since we bought it new and watched it being built. My "new house," however is 32 years old. I am in the process of having the plumber over to fix a number of "minor" things, one of them being a main valve which will not shut off. 
That must be done before I can get the guys back here to finish installing the new dishwasher. I will be so happy not to have to do this job completely by hand anymore. 
Next is the range. This will likely be a rather major to-do since I still have the original Hotpoint drop-in range. Still looks good and everything works except the burners, which have become rather unreliable. The 70s gold color needs to go as well since I went with stainless steel for the dishwasher.
I am reading, reading, reading, but really am not sure what I want to buy or how to get it installed. Looking at electric, primarily because I would need someone to bring gas up from below (laundry room is just below and there is a gas hot water heater there). My head is swirling a bit from reading about all the new features available, all the different brands, after using one that simply has burners and a conventional oven all these years.
So? I know Helixers have all kinds of experience and lots of opinions. I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions in regard to such a purchase.
I do know I'll likely need an electrician. I'll need someone to get our the current drop-in and its range hood (vent) and to cut out some cabinetry as well as (probably) a platform underneath. I don't know if there is an outlet back there or if it is hot-wired.
I want a freestanding range to replace it and one I looked at specified the 220 outlet needs to be within 7 1/2 inches of the floor on the right side. I doubt that exists since the drop-in is likely on a platform.
I had thought I would need to bring in a handyman to pull out the appliances and do whatever is needed with the platform and the wood facing on that. Then I figured I would need an electrician. And then, finally, the delivery and install of the range. The handyman is pretty busy right now, but he suggested (I had been looking at Home Depot) I go through a specialized appliance store which focuses on customer service. They might provide someone who could do it all at delivery. Any thoughts on that?
Why freestanding? I really want that bottom drawer for flat pans that one doesn't get with a drop-in. I do know that means I need to do something with the countertop because the drop-in laps over the countertop some. A slide-in might be ideal, but those cost a fortune compared to a like-featured freestanding range. Thoughts?
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rfhar
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| You were missing? 
Gas stoves are fast to heat anything up.
If you go electric consider one of the new induction type stoves. The type where you need a metal pan, Corningware will not work. They are supposed to be sorto fast and easy to clean and more efficient. Also if you want that lower drawer be sure the stove has one, many do not any more.
Enjoy the mess, it is only temporary and the reward is high.
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sortofageek
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| Not missing, just considerably more scarce.
Is "induction" synonymous with "conduction?" Sorry, I don't know this stuff.
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rfhar
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clubs: | It may be as I do not remember the terms that industry uses for these stoves. I read and article about stoves last year and was impressed with this type. |
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rfhar
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They heat indirectly by creating and electric field under the pan and have a smooth top. My daughter-in-law loves hers. |
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Santa Fe
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| reply to sortofageek
Ooops....Too Late! |
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TrainBuff
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I will be glad to help you with the house. Being a Firefighter, I'm good with an ax. |
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PeteC2
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Not impossible, but most likely there was a 220 outlet wired in unless the builder was lazy...it happens! At any rate, not at all hard to install a 220 outlet if it was directly wired.
At my mom-in-law's we had a similar situation. When they had the house built MANY moons ago, the stove was a "built-in" along the counter. When we replaced it, we went with a free-standing stove, although with some very minor "surgery" which mainly involved cutting away at the drop-in base area, it was a relatively painless proceedure.
We stayed with electric, so I do not have much idea what work would be involved to go gas.
Although they look great, I have a couple of family members with the newer induction stoves and they were "OK" with them, but not wowed for the cost.
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sortofageek
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Sorry, I meant to say "convection." I do know about convection, just hadn't heard of "induction." |
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CurtesyFlush
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Fontana, CA | Do you bake? The best setup for a baker is a combo range, where the oven is electric and the cook top is gas.
Anyway, I'm partial to Bosch ranges.
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sortofageek
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1 edit | I certainly don't bake all the time, as I did when little feet padded through the house, but I'm thinking it would be nice to have a choice between convection and conventional.
Why are you partial to Bosch?
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CurtesyFlush
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Fontana, CA | Quality and features. They ain't cheap. I don't own one here in Fontana, but I specced all Bosch appliances for my Orange County house kitchen remodel.
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sortofageek
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clubs: | So? Which one is your pick? Link? Or model number? |
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sortofageek
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| reply to rfhar
Found the answer to my question about "induction" vs. "convection."
Very basically ...
quote:
Induction cooktops are the hottest new item in cooking technology. These use electromagnetic technology to heat only the pan, leaving the burner plate cooler than a gas or electric radiant burner.
quote:
Convection ovens use a fan to circulate hot air throughout the oven, which helps food cook faster and promotes even browning.
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rusdi
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1 edit | reply to sortofageek
said by sortofageek  :This is temporary, so don't chop up the furniture or paint graffiti on the walls or anything. I will find you. Somebody bring the snacks, I'll bring the beer & ice.....
LET'S
P-A-R-T-Y!!!!! 
 Warning from SYSTEM: rusdi busted. Hand over the beer!
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sortofageek
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Searching for reviews (epinions.com used to be more helpful), so far I am finding this link most interesting:
»www.consumersearch.com/www/kitch···reviews/
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antbhill2
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1 edit | reply to sortofageek
I'm a little confused on what you have now. By drop-in range, do you mean a cooktop (set of burners that are mounted into the countertop)? And perhaps a separate oven mounted below? Or is it all one appliance?
For the electrical, if you have separate appliances, you may not be able to easily switch to a range. Freestanding electric ranges generally require a 50 amp circuit. I think cooktops and standalone ovens each take 30 amp circuits. Fixed appliances normally have electrical connections in a flexible metal "whip" that is hardwired (not HOTwired ) to a junction box, not a plug. You can check on your circuit capacity by looking at your breaker box. Hopefully the breakers were labeled. If you have an existing circuit with adequate capacity, adding an appropriate receptacle shouldn't be too complicated.
Can the water be turned off at the meter?
Good luck with your projects! |
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antbhill2
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You can also check Consumer Reports »www.consumerreports.org/cro/appl···ndex.htm |
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sortofageek
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| reply to antbhill2
A drop-in is like a slide-in, except it doesn't have the bottom part, which can be a storage drawer or another oven. Instead, it sits on a platform and where you would perhaps see a utility drawer in a freestanding or slide in, you just see a wood facing that matches the kitchen cabinets. It appears built-in. Nice in that, like a slide-in, the cooktop overlaps the countertop a bit, which keeps gunk from falling down in between the counter and the range.
It is a cooktop and oven unit, just like a regular range, just doesn't have the bottom part.
Is that any more clear?
»products.geappliances.com/ApplPr···TEID=GEA
I don't know if it can vary, but the freestanding ranges I have seen thus far, require a 40 amp circuit, which most likely is what I have for the current drop-in.
I wondered if "hotwired" was the correct term. You are right, "hardwired" is what I meant. The breakers are definitely labeled as to what they supply. I know that because, through trial and error and lots of hollering up and down the stairs, we figured it all out and labeled them ourselves. I don't recall seeing amperage on the circuits, but some (like for the range, water heater, dishwasher, clothes washer, dryer, etc.) are double, while the ones for the wall plugs in the two downstairs bedrooms are single.
I really don't expect adding the receptacle to be complicated. I'm just thinking it would be nice if they could be done at delivery time. One crew delivers, pulls out the old, removes the base and cabinet front for the base, does whatever is needed electrically, puts in the new range, hauls away the old. Instead of a handyman for the first part, then an electrician and finally deliver/haul away. Like that.
I was also looking at replacing the range hood with a microwave above, but that got too complicated and I decided the bother and expense wasn't worth it to me. That, according to the Home Depot appliance guy, would require a dedicated 15 amp circuit. The cabinet above is one inch too low, so would have to be removed or altered and that circuit would need to be wired. While there is electricity to that area right now for the range hood (vent up and out through a vaulted ceiling), it is not on a dedicated circuit. And I have run a microwave in the kitchen since the late 70s without having a dedicated circuit for it.
You have me curious now. I'm going to look at the breaker box to see if there are any numbers.
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Vtblues
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ya coulda replaced the "harvest gold" with an "avocado green" |
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