Smooth top is too easily cracked and too expensive to repair!
Pros:
Sleek looks, even heating, easy clean up.
Cons:
Skimpy warranty for a major appliance. Too fragile for normal wear and tear.
The Bottom Line:
Buy this range only if you can guarantee you'll be very gentle with it and won't drop anything on it. Otherwise, cooks and bakes great.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
We've had our smooth top Hotpoint range for nearly 3 years. I really liked the sleek look of our all-black model. The smooth surface cleans very easily, and always heated up very quickly. The heating was even and true to the setting, not burning too hot.
We haven't had any issues with it at all until last week, when we suddenly noticed a crack on the top. Don't know how it happened...maybe a pan was put down too roughly on top of it. Cooking is not typically a "gentle" activity, but we certainly do not abuse our appliances! And accidents do happen, things slip out of your hands. The crack expanded so that it now is cracked in 3 directions and the range top is unusable.
Since the warranty for the Hotpoint covers only 1 year (the higher end GE models are for 4 years), we looked into repairing it. The part is $300, and the labor is estimated to range from $150 to $250. If you do the math, you realize that the cost of repair is about what the original cost of the range is. Gee, for once I should have bought the extended warranty the appliance stores are always pushing.
So now, I've lost that lovin' feeling for this range, since I'm forced to buy a new one after having this one for less than three years. I will not be getting another smooth top range of any brand, despite its trendy, sleek looks and easy cleanup. If someone drops a pan on my new gas range with cast iron grates over the burners, I'm pretty confident it will hold up.
