# 20 Year Old Electric Range Dying, Starting to Shop for New One



## SeaBreeze (Jan 13, 2018)

We have an Amana electric range that's around 20 years old.  Recently we've noticed when using the oven, it's been taking extra long to bake things, so I bought an oven thermometer to check it.  Sure enough, it's around 100 degrees low, instead of 375 today, it showed 275....explains a lot.

So, we decided to get a new replacement.  It's just a basic electric range, 4 burner, self-cleaning, smooth ceramic cooktop, so that's what I like and is what I'm looking for.  Been noticing that none of the new stoves have an oven knob.   They're all the newer digital electronic keypad types, where you punch in the temperature and time.....and I _really _don't like that.

Has anyone here bought an electric range recently with a smooth ceramic cooktop that has an oven knob?  If so, I'd like to know the brand so I can check it out, thanks.  Just wanting a basic, white, inexpensive stove that will last another 20 years. :sentimental:


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## Gary O' (Jan 13, 2018)

We cook on a camp grill now

but

back when we lived amongst the civilized;

whenever our elect oven crapped out I just replaced the element, or elements (top and bottom)....

pretty easy
very inexpensive


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 13, 2018)

Yeah Gary, my husband is very good at fixing things but we both agree it served us well for so many years, and replacement parts for that model might probably be hard to come by these days.  Neither of us want any headaches in our older years, so we figured we'd get a new one now and get it over with and out of the way.  They're not much more expensive now than what we paid 20 years ago.


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## Gary O' (Jan 13, 2018)

Good plan

I know exactly what you mean


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## Don M. (Jan 13, 2018)

SeaBreeze said:


> We have an Amana electric range that's around 20 years old.  Recently we've noticed when using the oven, it's been taking extra long to bake things, so I bought an oven thermometer to check it.  Sure enough, it's around 100 degrees low, instead of 375 today, it showed 275....explains a lot.
> 
> So, we decided to get a new replacement.  It's just a basic electric range, 4 burner, self-cleaning, smooth ceramic cooktop, so that's what I like and is what I'm looking for.  Been noticing that none of the new stoves have an oven knob.   They're all the newer digital electronic keypad types, where you punch in the temperature and time.....and I _really _don't like that.
> 
> Has anyone here bought an electric range recently with a smooth ceramic cooktop that has an oven knob?  If so, I'd like to know the brand so I can check it out, thanks.  Just wanting a basic, white, inexpensive stove that will last another 20 years. :sentimental:



A couple of things to consider.....These ranges with digital controls are great...UNTIL the control board goes bad, and if/when that happens, the price of repair parts is almost equal to the price of a new stove.  If the oven is not heating properly, there are probably only 1 or 2 things that might be causing it.  Most commonly, the oven control rheostat (which the knob attaches to, may be going bad.  It could also be a bad heating element inside the over...there are usually two...top and bottom.  You might try turning the oven to a high setting for a few minutes, then look inside to see if Both elements are glowing red.  Replacing a bad element can sometimes be a chore, but the control (rheostat) is usually a fairly easy repair.  

I've had good luck buying appliance parts online from a site called appliancepartspros.com.  Also, if you do decide to buy a new range with digital controls, get the model number and go to this website, and check out the price of a new control board, before you buy.  If the replacement parts are quite expensive, you might consider buying an extended warranty, just in case.  These things can last years...or crap out 3 months after the warranty expires.


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## Pappy (Jan 14, 2018)

SB....check out GE. Ours is a few years old, but they might still be making them.


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 18, 2018)

We shopped around and decided to go with another Amana, like our old one...no models had a traditional oven knob.  The GE and Frigidaire were nice, but the storage drawer for the pots at the bottom was so low, that our spaghetti pot wouldn't have even fit in there.  We keep a lot of the pots and fry pans we use frequently in the stove drawer, because it's convenient and there's not much cabinet space to spare in our kitchen.

The Sears Kenmore was had a higher drawer, but not as roomy as the Amana.  We got this one in white for $519. from a local Maytag appliance store and it will be delivered Monday.  More HERE.


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## Don M. (Jan 18, 2018)

Good choice...very similar to our GE...which has worked well for almost 16 years.  The only thing I've had to replace was one of the burner controls....$30.  Having the "manual" burner controls is a better choice than having a "control board", IMO.


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 18, 2018)

Our old Amana was bought around 23 years ago, and my husband just replaced the top and bottom heating elements once, as I recall.


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## Manatee (Jan 30, 2018)

SeaBreeze said:


> We have an Amana electric range that's around 20 years old.  Recently we've noticed when using the oven, it's been taking extra long to bake things, so I bought an oven thermometer to check it.  Sure enough, it's around 100 degrees low, instead of 375 today, it showed 275....explains a lot.
> 
> So, we decided to get a new replacement.  It's just a basic electric range, 4 burner, self-cleaning, smooth ceramic cooktop, so that's what I like and is what I'm looking for.  Been noticing that none of the new stoves have an oven knob.   They're all the newer digital electronic keypad types, where you punch in the temperature and time.....and I _really _don't like that.
> 
> Has anyone here bought an electric range recently with a smooth ceramic cooktop that has an oven knob?  If so, I'd like to know the brand so I can check it out, thanks.  Just wanting a basic, white, inexpensive stove that will last another 20 years. :sentimental:



Our Maytag wall oven has twist knobs.


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## RadishRose (Jan 30, 2018)

2 summers ago I bought a new GE "Adora" stove.. No oven knob. But, when I press "bake" it automatically starts at 350 degrees. I can change it if I want to. 

  Good luck with your new stove SB!


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## fmdog44 (Mar 2, 2018)

If you have a "scratch and dent" facility near you go there. The prices are very low and often negotiable. These are warehouses that contain units slightly damaged. Often the small most insignificant defect goes there. I bought a GE refrigerator four years ago for $800 because one of the wheels was missing. A GE technician came over last week to look at my water filter and told me the freezer door for my unit cost $700 !! Also my washer and dryer I bought at a similar warehouse but I don't recall the price but one side of the dryer had a small dent in it and it is on the side that is next to my washer so it cannot be seen. I bought my furniture at a Star Furniture warehouse that contains discontinued items for as much as 75% off.


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## Mizzkitt (Mar 2, 2018)

I bought the GE Adora Convection oven a couple of years ago. Great, I loved it but when I sold the house it remained there. I have been trying to get used to cooking now without convection, not easy teaching an old dog new tricks. 

I love the ceramic tops, so easy to clean.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 2, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> Good luck with your new stove SB!



Thanks Rose, still getting used to the differences, but so far I like it.  We used to broil salmon fillets on the bottom rack and leave the oven door open so the broiler element stayed on the whole time, can't do that anymore with the new stove, the door has to be closed.  Also, the oven light goes one whenever it's open, no option to turn it off, which I guess is okay, kinda like a fridge.  

The left front burner that has a large outer circle to larger pots and boiling water, gets really hot even on the low setting, so I'm learning to be careful so I don't burn everything.  I made some sliced Yukon gold potatoes and sauteed them in olive oil and they were pretty black on the outside, but still edible. Also, the burner knobs don't have an obvious appearance when they're on or off, just a slight angle at the top of the knob that is off.  Getting used to the changes, but all in all I like it.  Hopefully I'll never need to replace it.



Mizzkitt said:


> I bought the GE Adora Convection oven a couple of years ago. Great, I loved it but when I sold the house it remained there. I have been trying to get used to cooking now without convection, not easy teaching an old dog new tricks.
> 
> I love the ceramic tops, so easy to clean.



I never used a convection oven, what are the benefits?  I also love the ceramic tops, sooooo easy to clean after years of dealing with the coil elements.


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## Mizzkitt (Mar 2, 2018)

SeaBreeze, I like the convection for baking, cookies for instance come out with no dark bottoms. Food comes out moister which is nice for roasts and chicken.

Cooking time is also shorter which is a savings on electricity and where I live in Ontario our hydro rates are through the roof.

Costco does make a nice portable convection, very reasonable priced and when I move to an apartment then I will invest in that and use the apartment oven for big stuff.


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## RadishRose (Mar 2, 2018)

Mizzkitt said:


> I bought the GE Adora Convection oven a couple of years ago. Great, I loved it but when I sold the house it remained there. I have been trying to get used to cooking now without convection, not easy teaching an old dog new tricks.
> 
> I love the ceramic tops, so easy to clean.



Mizzkitt, my GE Adora is also a convection oven but I've rarely used it as a convection. I always forget- do you or don't you have to pre-heat when using the convection feature?  Thanks.


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## RadishRose (Mar 2, 2018)

SeaBreeze said:


> The left front burner that has a large outer circle to larger pots and boiling water, gets really hot even on the low setting, so I'm learning to be careful so I don't burn everything.  I made some sliced Yukon gold potatoes and sauteed them in olive oil and they were pretty black on the outside, but still edible. Also, the burner knobs don't have an obvious appearance when they're on or off, just a slight angle at the top of the knob that is off.  Getting used to the changes, but all in all I like it.  Hopefully I'll never need to replace it.



Sea, re the burner knobs not being obvious that they are in the OFF position; there should be a small red light somewhere on the stovetop indicating there is a hot burner- whether a burner is still ON, or just hasn't cooled down yet from recent use.


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## Mizzkitt (Mar 2, 2018)

RadishRose, I never pre-heated for convection unless it was for baking cookies which take so little time. For things like roasts and stuff I just popped it in.

Why have you never used the convection? Once you get used to it, you will love it. I am on a waiting list for an apartment and have actually gone so far as to ask if I can replace the stove at my expense. 

In addition to what I mentioned above I always liked the fact that I could fill that sucker up with two or three cooking racks. Sure saved on the electric bill.


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## RadishRose (Mar 2, 2018)

Mizzkitt said:


> RadishRose, I never pre-heated for convection unless it was for baking cookies which take so little time. For things like roasts and stuff I just popped it in.
> 
> Why have you never used the convection? Once you get used to it, you will love it. I am on a waiting list for an apartment and have actually gone so far as to ask if I can replace the stove at my expense.
> 
> In addition to what I mentioned above I always liked the fact that I could fill that sucker up with two or three cooking racks. Sure saved on the electric bill.




Mizzkitt, thanks for the pre-heat info!

I just forget about it since I never had one before.

I don't bake cookies.

My grandson loves it for oven fries because they're on a sheet pan but I thought that casseroles or things in roasting pans don't really benefit from the convection fan. I don't really understand it, even though I thought I did when I bought it. 

It's still a nice stove!
Yes, 3 oven racks, 3 of 4 burners have variable widths and there's a small 5th burner that just stays warm.


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## James (Mar 2, 2018)

Just got a Kitchen Aid, Induction, Double Oven, Convection Range.  Replaced our last one that was 20 years old.  Induction cook top is amazing.  Boils water in about a minute.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 2, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> Sea, re the burner knobs not being obvious that they are in the OFF position; there should be a small red light somewhere on the stovetop indicating there is a hot burner- whether a burner is still ON, or just hasn't cooled down yet from recent use.



Yes Rose, there are some words in red, so that is a good thing for sure.  Just used to looking at the knobs from a distance and knowing they're all off.  My mother in law when she was still living in her house with her husband, painted red marks in nail polish on top of her knobs.  I guess her husband was forgetting to turn off the burner a time or two, so she wanted to be extra safe.  I won't go that far, lol, just have to get used to reading the red digital message and paying attention to anything red on the display.


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## Mizzkitt (Mar 3, 2018)

James said:


> Just got a Kitchen Aid, Induction, Double Oven, Convection Range.  Replaced our last one that was 20 years old.  Induction cook top is amazing.  Boils water in about a minute.



James, are all the burners induction, can you control the heat? Sounds interesting.


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## RadishRose (Mar 3, 2018)

James said:


> Just got a Kitchen Aid, Induction, Double Oven, Convection Range.  Replaced our last one that was 20 years old.  Induction cook top is amazing.  Boils water in about a minute.



Wowzer!


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## James (Mar 3, 2018)

Mizzkitt said:


> James, are all the burners induction, can you control the heat? Sounds interesting.



Yep.  You can control all of the burners.  You do have to have stainless steel cookware as the induction works with magnetism.  Its pretty cool.  You can have it on high boiling water, take the pot off the stove, put a paper towel on the burner and it won't catch on fire.  When the pot or pan is removed, the energy is stopped.  

We got the double oven just because its convenient when all the gang is here for meals.  The convection....wouldn't cook a turkey without it.


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## RadishRose (Mar 3, 2018)

Well now that I have my head back on straight, I must say, that's a beauty!


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## James (Mar 3, 2018)

We had a gas range before this.  Would never go back.  The gas, although the burners were fast for heating really seemed to warm up the kitchen and the living room. It just seemed to throw a lot of heat.  

This thing is awesome.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Mar 3, 2018)

James said:


> We had a gas range before this.  Would never go back.  The gas, although the burners were fast for heating really seemed to warm up the kitchen and the living room. It just seemed to throw a lot of heat.
> 
> This thing is awesome.



My gas stove throws a lot of heat too. I would lve to have a smooth cooktop but,more often then not,I cook in cast iron,and I know I could never be careful enough to keep from damaging the cooktop


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## RadishRose (Mar 3, 2018)

Mrs. Robinson said:


> My gas stove throws a lot of heat too. I would lve to have a smooth cooktop but,more often then not,I cook in cast iron,and I know I could never be careful enough to keep from damaging the cooktop



You're right on, Mrs. Robinson about scratching the cooktop with cast iron! I have scratched mine, but only a little bit. Regarding gas, I've only had one gas stove in my life and I loved it.


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