The PERFECT Range

UPDATED 4/21/04:

Okay, so now we have been using the oven about a month and want to share my first impressions. As far as the oven goes, I have made multiple dishes in the oven at the same time and with the convection setting everything came out great. I would recommend thinking how you load the oven so that heavy things are low and light things are high (my wife's suggestion) since with three racks in the lower you are with the heavy things the less likely to drop them. (again, her opinion). My ONLY complaint is that the upper heating element is close to the front and I think you need to be careful not to burn yourself on the upper element. As for the stovetop, I have mad numerous meals without any problems, but I will make a suggestion here too. IF your pots and pans are not flat on the bottom, you should invest in some new ones since the top is FLAT. If they are not, you will not get even heat distribution in your pots and pans. I have used every feature and they are all great, although some (using the probe and preheating) really require that you read the manually thoroughly or you will NOT figure these out. I, being able to figure anything out and too proud to read (being sarcastic) should have read the whole manual. The manual is clearly written and very helpful. Once I did this I was able to use all of the features without any problems. The probe feature was fantastic. I cooked both a roast of loin and turkey, used the probe and it was terrific. Not overdone, just right and tender and juicy. To clean the stove I use the designated cleaner but a word of caution. It goes on like a paste and dries, then you wipe it with a dry cloth that sometimes leaves small flakes of dried cleaner on the counter. WIPE THIS UP. I left some cleaner on the side of the cooktop by not cleaning the edges good enough. The next time I cooked it smelled badly (even smoked a little) until I wiped it up, but it was my fault. It is EASY to do, just remember to do it BEFORE you cook. Other than these little things, I STILL highly recommend this. I will be doing a review of the refrigerator, dishwasher and Above the oven microhood soon.

March 2004:

My wife and I just remodeled our kitchen and we purchased this range after looking a numerous models and price ranges. We liked the fact that the controls are on the front, that there is a child lock feature, and the cooktop offers 5 different cooking options plus a warming burner. As far as the oven goes, it looks super with our Uba Tuba granite and backsplash. This oven has multiple functions, cooks evenly and quickly and with the numerous options can handle anything. The cooktop heats VERY quickly and shows hot indicators until it reaches a temperature of less than 150 degrees. Cleanup is a breeze for the cooktop with little effort, and I have made everything from soup to chicken francaise on the top and have yet to burn anything. The temperature is easy to control, and a real bonus is the bridge element allowing you to use a griddle for pancakes etc. I am looking forward to when I get to really put it to the test this coming holiday season (usually about 40 people at the home) and will update then. Until then, if you are looking for a great oven, check this out. The oven part itself is 4.1CF, a very large oven.