# Best way to get a new range



## Fisherman30 (Dec 5, 2018)

Hi Everyone,

Our 22 year old Whirlpool range is starting to take a while longer than normal to cook food. Just wondering what the best way is to go about getting a new range. I assume ordering online from Costco is the best way, given their unbeatable customer satisfaction policy. Also, any tips on brands? My research seems to suggest that Frigidaire is the best value. More expensive than some of the cheaper brands, but seems like the best longevity. Also, is it worth the extra $300 to get one with induction cooktop, and convection oven?

Thanks!


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

Fisherman30 said:


> Our 22 year old Whirlpool range


Doesn't the Whirlpool get some votes since it lasted 22 years? They're my favourite for stoves and fridges. They sell under the names Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air, and Consul.

ltr


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## Jericho (Dec 23, 2011)

I think with something that will last you a long time (22 years for your last one, holy cow), you should spend a little extra to ensure you have what you need. For cleaning hassle alone, I'll never not have a flat top stove. Convection is also nice.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Whirlpool corp is the elephant in the room with Kitchen Aid and Jenn-Air positioned above Whirlpool brand and the others below it (as I understand it). What one buys is a matter of preference in features and design. We have a potpourri of brands: Fisher & Paykel for gas cooktop, convection oven and 3 door refrigerator, Whirlpool for our second 3 door refrigerator, and high end Kitchen Aid for our dishwasher.

Given one wants these to last 10-20 years, I'd most definitely move up to induction flat cooktop and convection oven. I wouldn't remotely give 5 seconds to doing anything else.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Fisherman30 said:


> Our 22 year old Whirlpool range is starting to take a while longer than normal to cook food.


Not sure I get the "longer to cook" ... the oven or elements?
Mine is over 40 years old and hasn't slowed down at all.

I understand if it's just an excuse to get a new range. 



Fisherman30 said:


> Also, is it worth the extra $300 to get one with induction cooktop, and convection oven?


If you go induction make sure your cookware supports it.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

cainvest said:


> Not sure I get the "longer to cook" ... the oven or elements?
> Mine is over 40 years old and hasn't slowed down at all.
> 
> I understand if it's just an excuse to get a new range.


Older appliances seem better


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

cainvest said:


> Not sure I get the "longer to cook" ... the oven or elements?


The OP has not indicated whether this is a slow cooktop element or the oven. If the latter, it could be the thermocouple is reading wrong, i.e. reading hotter than oven temp actually is. Replacing the thermocouple may be the fastest and cheapest solution. I had to do that many years (decades) ago. Generally the elements (top and bottom) work as advertised or not at all.

I know different folks have different needs depending on their home and the overall age of their kitchen. I can understand the primary user of the kitchen wanting something updated from that of 22 years ago. I never argue with the one taking the lead in the kitchen.


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## Fisherman30 (Dec 5, 2018)

Yeah, I suspect it needs a new thermocouple. At the same time, paint is peeling off of it, it's rusting in some spots, the whole thing is black, while the rest of the kitchen is stainless steel. Costco also has their black Friday deals on now, so I think this is a good time to replace it.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Perfectly reasonable decision. I don't know if the models made to be sold in Costco are the same models sold elsewhere but one may check on the net via model number.

I am aware that models of at least some major appliances sold in Best Buy in the past have been unique to Best Buy and generally some feature or quality item has been left out of the Best Buy models....making them cheaper than from the typical appliance store. Perhaps even the case with models at Home Depot. Whether that is common, or a practice of the past, I have no idea.


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## Fisherman30 (Dec 5, 2018)

AltaRed said:


> Perfectly reasonable decision. I don't know if the models made to be sold in Costco are the same models sold elsewhere but one may check on the net via model number.
> 
> I am aware that models of at least some major appliances sold in Best Buy in the past have been unique to Best Buy and generally some feature or quality item has been left out of the Best Buy models....making them cheaper than from the typical appliance store. Perhaps even the case with models at Home Depot. Whether that is common, or a practice of the past, I have no idea.


That's a very good point. I have encountered a number of different products where the manufacturer produces a cheaper product for Costco, and gives it a different model number than their normal lineup. That's the case with Traeger grills for example. From what I can tell so far, Costco primarily sells the normal mainstream production model numbers when it comes to ranges.

Another consideration I have is the fact that we have an almost 3-year old who is climbing on everything, and a newborn. Our 3-year old has already tried to open the oven while cooking. With new induction ranges, it's almost impossible for kids to burn themselves on the stove elements, and they also have child locks that prevent kids from opening the door of the oven while cooking. They're not cheap though. Even with the black Friday deal, it's about $1200 for a good induction range with convective oven. As others have pointed out though, the extra $300 over the course of the 10-20 years it should last isn't horrible. Especially if it makes life easier for my Wife when she's juggling the kids while I'm away, and could prevent a kid from getting a burn injury.


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## Fisherman30 (Dec 5, 2018)

like_to_retire said:


> Doesn't the Whirlpool get some votes since it lasted 22 years? They're my favourite for stoves and fridges. They sell under the names Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air, and Consul.
> 
> ltr


That's a good point. The only thing steering me away from a Whirlpool range is the fact the new models seem to be rated pretty low on consumerreports.org. That's the site I use for most of my research when I'm buying things.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

$1200 is a bargain relative to a $5000-9000 F&P induction range. Safety is important.

Added later: If you are comfortable with CR saying Frigidaire is better than Whirlpool, by all means go for it. There are a lot of both brands everywhere.


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## Fisherman30 (Dec 5, 2018)

AltaRed said:


> $1200 is a bargain relative to a $5000-9000 F&P induction range. Safety is important.
> 
> Added later: If you are comfortable with CR saying Frigidaire is better than Whirlpool, by all means go for it. There are a lot of both brands everywhere.


Yeah, it's a tough choice. I have a whirlpool washing machine that I bought new 2 years ago, and it is by far the best washing machine I've ever had. The one it was replacing was a 20 year old Whirlpool washing machine. So Whirlpool is definitely a proven brand in my house.


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## Fisherman30 (Dec 5, 2018)

This is the one I'm leaning towards after quite a bit of research. It's actually $1399 including shipping, and taking away the old one. Seems like the regular price is $1999 at most other places. 
https://www.costco.ca/frigidaire-30...n-range-with-air-fryer.product.100705818.html


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## MrsPartridge (May 15, 2016)

My 26 year old Whirlpool range is dying now. I ordered a Maytag range from Costco that will come next month. There's a delay on ranges due to supply chain issues.
If you have kids, avoid stoves where the knobs are on the front. Stay away from Samsung as well; their appliances are terrible.
Asian appliances aren't very good. Maytag is made in the USA and should last.
Avoid using the self cleaning cycle. That's a selling feature but the high heat for so long will damage with control board. I was informed by someone who sells control boards. He gets a lot of calls around Thanksgiving when people do a self-clean and damage the board.

Note: Thank you Fisherman, I looked over at Costco to check out your range and my order. Mine has a new Black Friday price so I'll save $100. TY.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

We self-clean 3-6 times a year. That is what the cycle is for and we have never had an issue for some 40? years.


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## FairTrade (Apr 29, 2021)

I think stoves these days come with an anchor kit to attach the stove to the wall so a 3 year old can't open the door, climb on top of it and have the stove topple over onto them. Seems like a not impossible scenario so is probably a good idea.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

MrsPartridge said:


> Avoid using the self cleaning cycle. That's a selling feature but the high heat for so long will damage with control board. I was informed by someone who sells control boards. He gets a lot of calls around Thanksgiving when people do a self-clean and damage the board.


Heard that one a few times over the years, might be model/year specific though ...


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## milhouse (Nov 16, 2016)

We and a few family members and friends have bought ranges from Costco in the past year. 
We've seen Costco have some pretty large discounts on some appliances over the past year. And you can also stack discounts which we were able to do when they had an added %off for online purchases one weekend. Costco's whiteglove service also includes delivery and haul away but doesn't include install (which is more of an issue for a gas range). Delivery guys were a third party vendor but were friendly and on time. 
We also called Costco's support line for a minor issue. Remote support wasn't a lot of help but they dispatched a tech who showed up in a few days which was impressive and easily fixed the issue no cost. 

The supply chain issue was really bad late last year to earlier this year that delayed delivery for a lot of ranges (not just by Costco). Friends were told by another retailer that it would take months for a range their were interested in to arrive. I think it's gotten better as a few of us got our ranges within a week but it doesn't look completely clear based on MrsPartridge's experience. 

Our friends swear by induction and how quickly it heats up pans and can boil water. There's also less wasted heat, particularly compared to gas which was appealing to us. However, we didn't want to switch from gas because we would have had to rewire for a proper outlet to support induction. 

We wanted a convection oven and like it in our new range but I wouldn't consider it a must-have. 



cainvest said:


> If you go induction make sure your cookware supports it.


+1. Easy to test with a magnet.
We have a couple of copper pieces we knew wouldn't work with induction which would have sucked.



m3s said:


> Older appliances seem better


I think I saw a Marketplace segment that seemed to indicate manufacturers using cheaper components nowadays to keep prices down.


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## Fisherman30 (Dec 5, 2018)

milhouse said:


> We and a few family members and friends have bought ranges from Costco in the past year.
> We've seen Costco have some pretty large discounts on some appliances over the past year. And you can also stack discounts which we were able to do when they had an added %off for online purchases one weekend. Costco's whiteglove service also includes delivery and haul away but doesn't include install (which is more of an issue for a gas range). Delivery guys were a third party vendor but were friendly and on time.
> We also called Costco's support line for a minor issue. Remote support wasn't a lot of help but they dispatched a tech who showed up in a few days which was impressive and easily fixed the issue no cost.
> 
> ...


Great info, thanks Millhouse! I agree, convection doesn't seem totally necessary, but it seems to come standard with pretty much all induction ranges that I've seen. There's an air fryer tray that comes with some of them, so I'd be interested in trying that out, and I could maybe get rid of our counter top air fryer.


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## livewell (Dec 1, 2013)

Single anecdote here, but I have a 2-3 years old Fridgidare slide-in oven/range that has problems such that I will be replacing it next year - I will never buy another Fridgidare.

1. It has IMO a major design flaw. The front control panel is surrounded by a black plastic trim - that melts and damages the plastic if you put a hot pan on it??! Why would you put a raised plastic trim less than 5cm from the element of a glass top range?!

2. One of the elements has started occasionally glitching, and has even turned itself on when we were not in the kitchen. I suspect the controller switch is starting to fail, but a bit disconcerting.

On convection ovens, have used them for 30+ years, would never buy an oven without it (Convection ovens make the best roast spuds ;-)


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## Retired Peasant (Apr 22, 2013)

I have a 35 year old Frigidaire stove. It's a coil-top. I do canning, and one thing I have read about smooth-tops is that they don't work well for canning - something about cycling on and off, and also the weight of large canning pots causing problems. No gas here, so a gas stove is out. Not sure what I'll do when the time comes to get a new one.


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## Money172375 (Jun 29, 2018)

how long before gas stoves are no longer legal to sell?









Have a gas stove? How to reduce pollution that may harm health - Harvard Health


Cooking with gas stoves releases nitrogen dioxide and gas appliances introduce other toxic chemicals into homes, but people can take steps to protect their household and help improve outdoor...




www.health.harvard.edu


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

Money172375 said:


> how long before gas stoves are no longer legal to sell?


Or become prohibitively expensive due to carbon tax on the gas bill. I've noticed this tax going higher and higher on my gas bill. No carbon tax on my electric bill.

ltr


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Money172375 said:


> how long before gas stoves are no longer legal to sell?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 ... isn't this like saying Enbridge Gas is operating illegally or shouldn't exist, including its stock ENB?


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

We all know to use the range hood (external exhaust) while cooking with gas, or have a window partially open for circulation, or one's furnace fan running for fresh air intake. Until about 5 years ago, we had gas cooktop, gas oven and gas clothes dryer but after renovations and replacing all appliances, we are now down to just the gas cooktop. We sure do miss the gas oven though for how quick it heats up. We won't be changing from gas cooktop any time soon given how even the heat is on a continuous basis BUT we do recognize it would be more efficient to have induction.

Some jurisdictions may eventually ban gas (like California will likely do someday) but most places won't go off the deep end with that degree of wokeness if they want to be re-elected.


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## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

livewell said:


> Single anecdote here, but I have a 2-3 years old Fridgidare slide-in oven/range that has problems such that I will be replacing it next year - I will never buy another Fridgidare.
> 
> 1. It has IMO a major design flaw. The front control panel is surrounded by a black plastic trim - that melts and damages the plastic if you put a hot pan on it??! Why would you put a raised plastic trim less than 5cm from the element of a glass top range?!
> 
> ...


We have damn near the exact same model. Slide in, control panel in front, raised black trim around panel. There's a couple small scratches our our raised part revealing white plastic underneath. Other wise, it's been completely trouble free in 6 years of owning.

As others have mentioned, get a smooth top induction. There's just so many benefits.


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## Mechanic (Oct 29, 2013)

Note to self: Stop using self clean and leaving racks in


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

Retired Peasant said:


> I have a 35 year old Frigidaire stove. It's a coil-top. I do canning, and one thing I have read about smooth-tops is that they don't work well for canning - something about cycling on and off, and also the weight of large canning pots causing problems. No gas here, so a gas stove is out. Not sure what I'll do when the time comes to get a new one.


My mom also cans and recently bought a new coil-top, but unfortunately it has the same "cycling" issue you describe. She was pretty disappointed because it's hard to maintain a boil.

Gas is not really a viable option for her either.

Older applicances are just better all around IMO because they don't try to outsmart the user or do things they aren't being asked to do.


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

nathan79 said:


> Older applicances are just better all around IMO because they don't try to outsmart the user or do things they aren't being asked to do.


haha, what a great summary of just about every device we use today including cars and phones, etc, etc.

ltr


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## Jericho (Dec 23, 2011)

nathan79 said:


> My mom also cans and recently bought a new coil-top, but unfortunately it has the same "cycling" issue you describe. She was pretty disappointed because it's hard to maintain a boil.
> 
> Gas is not really a viable option for her either.
> 
> Older applicances are just better all around IMO because they don't try to outsmart the user or do things they aren't being asked to do.


My late grandfather went with a propane range. Not sure what he paid and what the costs were back then (10 years ago) but he said it cost him very little to cook on and also doubled as a home heating source during a storm if powerlines go down.


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