Nice, Efficient Mid- Size Range from Maytag

No kitchen is complete without a range and there are hundreds of different models to choose from among the dozens of companies that manufacturer this type of appliance. One company that I have always trusted with appliances is Maytag and one of this company’s appliances I have had the pleasure of using is the Maytag Model MER57520BAB, an electric cooking range.

Basic Facts About This Product:

This particular model of stove from Maytag features a smooth top with four burners. The largest burner is twelve inches in diameter, with the other three burners measuring six inches in width. One of the burners features a “Flex Choice” melting element that allows the option of a full element or a warm setting on the same element. The rim around the surface is raised, to prevent food from dripping over the edge.

The control panel on this Maytag oven is electronic and it features a digital temperature display for the oven; power and hot surface indicator lights; a clock and timer; electronic control buttons to get the oven at the precise temperature; and a control lockout option for cleaning purposes.

The oven itself is 5.1 cubic feet (144 liters) and is self- cleaning. It offers electronic preheating where you set the desired temperature and wait for the signal to tell you it’s ready. The oven has an interior light and a large window in the front so you can easily view your food without opening the door. The handle for the oven is constructed of heavy duty steel and can be used as a towel holder.

Measuring the dimensions of this Maytag stove shows that it is similar in size to a medium sized range. It is about thirty inches in width, forty- seven inches in height, and twenty- five inches in depth. It comes with a standard one- year warranty and it requires a standard 120/240 volt or 120/208 volt outlet for proper operation.

Customer Service:

Maytag products can be researched by visiting the web site, maytag.com. Here, you can lookup facts about this and other Maytag products, request a brochure, and even make a purchase. If you need to speak to a live rep, the phone number is 800-688-9900 between the hours of 8am and 8pm Eastern Time.

Final Thoughts:

Maytag manufactures a large number of kitchen ranges across a wide range of prices. The ranges include slide in/drop in ranges, super capacity ranges, super capacity plus ranges, and double oven free- standing ranges. This particular model of Maytag range fits into the super capacity category and it ranks among the highest quality range in this group.

This Maytag range is a very nice one with many nice features. Starting with the cooktop, the surface is made from glass ceramic so it wipes clean easily. It has a color that combines blue and black, making it interesting enough to look stylish/modern and dark enough to hide most marks. Four elements- two nine inch elements in the back, a nine inch element in the front- left side, and a twelve inch element in the front- right side- are located on the surface with a black circle to indicate the boundaries for each. One of the added features here is the Flex choice melting element (the left- rear element) that can be switched back and forth between a full strength cooking element and a warming element. This is good for those who want to keep food warm but worry that the temperature for the element might accidentally get set too high. By switching it to a warming element, there is no need to worry. It will only generate enough heat to keep the food warm. You also get a power boost with the right- front element. It offers additional wattage, generating up to 2,700 watts of power in its highest setting.

The control panel on this Maytag range offers many handy features, like a digital display for the oven that shows the precise temperature and alternates with a clock display. By pressing the buttons, you can zero- in on an exact temperature you want. You can set an automatic timer to let you know when your food has finished cooking. One of the features I like best is the Cook & Hold setting because it allows the consumer to program the oven to automatically reduce the temperature to a level that will continue to keep the food warm for up to one hour after cooking has ended. There is even a delayed setting that allows you to set the oven to preheat and start a cooking cycle up to twelve hours in the future. This same delayed setting can also be used for the self- cleaning feature.

With the oven, I really like the large glass window in front. Most ovens have a glass window, but they are usually not very large. As you can see from the photo of this oven, the window on this model is very big. By turning on the oven light, you can easily observe your food while it cooks inside. I have used many ovens that had such a small window and weak light that I was forced to open the door to look at the food, allowing the heat to escape. But this model from Maytag has such a large window you don’t need to open the door. You can see everything from the outside.

Two oven racks are included with this model and there are five different adjustable positions to place the racks inside the oven. The broiler on the bottom features a four- pass recessed element that allows food to be cooked more evenly. Many broiling elements are comprised of a single, electrical wire that twists in a couple of directions but often doesn’t cook food in an even manner. This element is designed to radiate the heat more evenly for better cooking. I rarely use the broiler of an oven, but one thing I can say about the broiler drawer in this model of oven is that it is very large and deep. You can store many pots and pans in this drawer.

The self- cleaning oven has multiple options so you can get the inside at the right level of cleanliness. You can set it for light, medium, or heavy soil. This is a nice change from most self- cleaning ovens that only offer one setting for cleaning. These multiple settings can save time, energy, and money.

Looking for something to complain about with this Maytag range, I can only find a few small faults with it. One is that the cooktop seems a little bit fragile to me. If I push down on the surface, there is a small amount of give, and what worries me is that it seems like it could crack very easily. The heat probably won’t make it crack (although it could over time) but dropping a heavy object on the surface easily could, and that would require replacing the entire surface cover. Another thing you have to be careful with is the broiler drawer. It features nylon rollers that make it open and close easily. But sometimes, the opening and closing is a little too easy. With a firm push when closing, the drawer will often bounce back and reopen slightly.

The stove I am familiar with is the MER5752BAB model, which is black in color. As far as I know, the only difference between this and the MER5752BAW and MER575BAQ models is the color, with the last letter in each model representing the color (black, white, or bisque). I’m not sure if I like the black color best or not. All three options seem pretty good. It basically comes down to your own kitchen and the coloring scheme of the existing appliances.

The retail price of this range is between $450 and $700. If you go shopping on- line for this Maytag range, you will notice that the price varies widely from one site to the next. The Maytag web site itself is one of the most costly, so I don’t recommend using it if you want to make a purchase. It is best to shop around the internet through different sites until you find the best deal.

Overall, this is a very good piece of machinery from Maytag- one of my favorite names in household appliances. It doesn’t offer the gigantic oven capacity like some ovens but its dimensions are sufficient for most needs. Add to that the many added features and you have an appliance that is solid for the price you pay.