After over 15 years of service from my stove, it’s time to buy a new one. There are just too many things to fix on the old one to make it worthwhile. I have used this stove multiple times a day for 15 years. Cooking for up to 9 people at a time, on a daily basis. We also make a good portion of our own snacks and baked goods. That’s a lot of use for a stove.
Before I actually set foot in a store, I did a few things to make sure I got the stove I needed, for a price I was willing to pay.
Tips for Buying a New Stove
*When it’s time to buy a new stove, decide what you want before you even set foot in the store. There are lots of shiny stoves with all kinds of bells and whistles to tempt you to spend more money then you want to.
For me, I knew I wanted another work horse of a stove that would last me another 15 years. That’s a pretty tall order now a days, when it seems like appliances are meant to be disposable.
*Research what you want online, from different stores and manufacturers. I checked a couple of places online, comparing prices and features. I was able to walk into the store and tell the salesman exactly what I wanted, and I knew the price I was willing to pay. Stove prices range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.
*Ask questions of the salesperson. Yes, it’s necessary to know what you want before you set foot in the store. But once your there, asking questions will help you find out if they have something in the store that isn’t offered online.
I know when I went to the store that I wanted an electric stove, self cleaning, with a window in the oven door, with no electronic control panels. Turns out, the only stoves available with self cleaning & a window in the door had electronic control panels.
Since I wanted a work horse of a stove to last me 10-15 years, I wanted to make sure I got a stove with as few a features as possible that could break and need repair. So I questioned the sales person on what he had heard about how long the electronic panels lasted, and how much it might cost to replace the electronic panel. He said the electronic panels only lasted a couple of years. He also said that a power surge would ruin the panel, causing it to have to be replaced. He said the panels usually run between a 100 and 200 dollars. I am not willing to pay a couple of hundred dollars every couple of years (or less) to repair the stove, with a labor price added to that as well.
So I had to choose between the self cleaning oven and window and paying a repair bill every couple of years. I chose to do without the features I had wanted in favor of saving money in the future. Like I told my husband, I’ve lived all these years without a self cleaning oven, I can do without it in the future as well. I also have lived without a window on the oven door for many years, I can survive without that as well.
Your answers may be different, which is why you need to decide what you want before you go shopping. This will insure that you will come out of the store with the stove that’s perfect for you. And hopefully, will serve you well for many years to come.
*Buy a new cord when you buy your stove. No, cords don’t come with the stove. (We’ll not talk about who thought up that stupid idea. lol) Even if your current stove isn’t as old as my 15 year old one, getting a new cord with your stove can help prevent problems in the future. Before you go stove shopping, though, pull your current stove out, unplug it, and look at the prong pattern on the plug. Either take a picture on your cell phone to show the salesperson, or draw the plug on a piece of paper and bring it with you.
I didn’t do this. So when they delivered my stove with the new cord, it was the wrong one! My old plug is the picture on the left, and the new plug is on the right. See? It has a different prong pattern, and won’t fit the outlet that I have. So I have to return the new cord, and get the right one. Save yourself that hassle, and check your plug before you go shopping!
We’ve been without an oven for a few weeks now. The first thing we are baking is homemade chocolate chip cookies!
